a little advise please

[msh1]

afternoon all
a couple of questions, my phal has just finished flowering ,on the spike it has a side shoot that has not grown, appx 1" long, should i cut the spike right down or to just above the side shoot and hope it flowers but my phal needs to be repotted it hasnt been repotted in 3 years when would be the best time to repot im in the uk
next question does den phal type flower on canes that have flowered the previous year
hope this makes sense
mark

[sandra]

Originally Posted by msh1

next question does den phal type flower on canes that have flowered the previous year
hope this makes sense
mark

Hi Mark. Yes, they do spike and bloom on canes that have previously spiked. This Dend. is a few years old and all these canes which produced spikes previously, did again, this year. As a matter of fact, this plant fell off a shelf during a storm and lost at least 50% of the already bloomed spikes and went on to spike again and is now blooming.

[msh1]

wow that is one beautiful orchid i notice it is very pot bound is this normal i have only 3 canes on mine i think i might have repotted into a pot that is to big opps

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

Small pot for all Dens is the best. They like to dry out really well when not growing or blooming.

[Peter T]

Hi Mark, I see you live in the West Country so do I. My advice as far as the Phalaenopsis is concerned is to cut the old spike off down to the plant and repot now. My experience is that Phals. romp away once they are put into some fresh compost but make sure you trim off any dead roots. It won't take long before another spike develops. I am assuming that the plant is in a warm place, Phals. are not happy in cool to cold conditions. Peter

[BillC]

Mark, as far as the Phal is concerned I entirely agree with Peter. Cut the spike hard back and repot the plant.

Sandra, considering that it was a victim to the storm, that is a great plant and the blooms are lovely. Who is the little guy at the back with the big smile and pop-eyes?

Bill

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

Hay you guys, a lot of you need to update your profile with your location. Please!!!!!

Thanks all. Much nicer.

[fred]

yes I agree with Cynthia
please go into your user setting and Update your Profile with your Location

that makes understanding your conditions and also make it very hard to give you the right advice

[msh1]

thanks for advise repotting it is then and i will cut spike down my house is a bit on the cool side for orchids i was thinking of getting a heating mat and put underneath orchids will this help
mark

[Peter T]

Hi Mark, A heating mat is certainly worth trying. I know someone who very successfully grew quite a number of warm growing orchids in a cool greenhouse with the use of a mat. By taking a series of temperature readings from about 3 inches to 12 above the mat it was found that in a GH temperature of 50, the reading at 12 inches was about 70 and the root ball over that. Worth an experiment, lets know how you get on. Peter

[msh1]

hi peter sounds like it might be worth a go think i will have a look in my local garden centre for a heating mat ,if they sell one, they used to be quite good untill a large chain bought them out
mark

[Peter T]

Mark, I recently bought a heating mat on line from a company called Keengardener ( phone number edited ). They have an interesting collection of greenhouse equipment including some very good GH heaters. Peter