Phals need to rest or can the spike bloom indefinitely??

[mariejoe]

It seems that some orchid sites have seasons for their products to bloom. Again, I am discussing phals.

Is that always the case or do orchids bloom when conditions are right, more so than a season.
I mean, if you have a spike, it could go on blooming for quite a long time. Or if you snip it above an eye, it will go into a spikelet and again bloom.
It is good to let an orchid bloom, almost indefinitely, or do phals need a rest???

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If the root system is less than optimum, should you sacrifice the spike to grow the roots?


Thanks for any input here....

[mayres]

For phals - yes they will bloom (1) when the conditions are right AND (2) in season. In the wild these coincide just as for other plants/flowers. In control of man it can be any time of year to some degree. Commercial growers can vary their greenhouse conditions and cause the plants to be "in season" any time they want year round - which is nice for us because then we can purchase blooming phals year round! Those of us that grow phals in our homes find that the "season" for blooming phals is in general later winter/early spring for the majority of the hybrids and late spring/summer for a few including many species.
A really healthy orchid should be able to be left to bloom as long as it wants - some significantly over a year - and at the same time growing leaves and roots - of course they must be in happy happy conditions for this to happen. If the plant is compromised in health then removing the spike/flowers helps the plant to concentrate it's effort on regaining its plant strength. If I had a plant with no or very little roots I would definately remove the spike.

[janet_a]

i've got some that bloom once a year, and when the spike's done, that's it. i have others that bloom whenever they feel like it, or they bloom for a bit and then rest, and then pop more flowers out at the tip of the spike. lather rinse repeat. i suspect it has to do with genetics.

[mayres]

Another thing to consider is that many of these plants live in the tropics near the equator where there may not be so much of a season as the majority of us experience - so there may be some truth to what janet is saying ("whenever they feel like it"). Regardless - for those of us that raise them in seaonal conditions they do tend in general to respond to the seasons in kind.

[kmarch]

Usually "in season" and "when conditions are right" are the same time. For example phals like a slightly cooler spell with a 10-15F temp difference between day and night temps in order to initiate flowering. In nature and in many places we cultivate them, this happens in Autumn.

[mariejoe]

I heard about that temperature difference, and had plans to have my orchids outside last year.

I didn't seem to get any results spike-wise.

This year, I increased the light early in the year, giving them a minimum of eleven hours of "daylight"
(They are in light from grow-light tubes.)

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Thanks for all the information provided :up:

[mayres]

I grow about 40 phalaenopsis orchids under cheapie shop lights and they mostly spike as one would expect - late fall/early winter - I leave the window open in the room and allow it to cool evenings - I pretty much leave the lights on 16 hours per day year round - seems to work well on my phals.

[brookn]

I have also been leaving the lights on mine approx. 12-16 hours/day, and they are thriving.

[grandmapenguin]

I am a Newbie with 4 Phals that are doing beautifully; BUT the roots hanging outside the pots are very dried out looking. Is this normal?

Please excuse me if this is butting in on another question but I don't know how to start a Thread on this Site.
Terry

[Rocinante]

Hi grandmapengiun,
Roots hanging outside the pots and looking dried out are normal just mist the exposed roots occaisionally and they'll be happy.

[mayres]

Yes - a new thread would have been good for this excellent question - but we can take off here too.
Air roots generally grow significant in environments where the humidity is good. When they get moved to a less humid environment than what they are used to they often dry up and become useless - at this point they could be removed (thin and hard).