I have the most gorgeous Phal. It has bloomed for more than four
months. The flowers are just now starting to fade.

I understand that it will bloom again in about six months?

I have been feeding it at every watering per instructions on orchid
food jar. Something like 1/8 tsn fertilizer to 1 quart water.

Do I continue to fertilize even when it isn't blooming?

Do I cut off the flower spikes when the blooms are gone?

As you can tell, I know next to nothing about orchids except that I
think I'm hooked and will be buying a few more soon.

Thanks

Jane

If you leave the spike alone it might develop more flowers from the tip or a
side shoot. It might die back to a side node and then branch and develop
more flowers. It might die back all the way to the plant or it might sit
there and do nothing for months and then start to grow and bloom again when
a new spike forms, (yellows tend to do this more often than others.) For
cosmetic reasons you can remove the spike all the way down to within a 1/4
to 1/2 an inch from the plant if you want, even before it dies naturally.
You might be able to trick the old spike into branching and producing more
blooms by cutting it just above a node. Usually the first or second node
down, just below where the first flower formed is the best place to try this
trick. It must be done soon after the last flower fades. It usually works
best on large whites or pinks.

You really don't need to do anything differently now that it is done
blooming that you should not have already been doing. The number one reason
why the plant will grow but not bloom again within about a year is lack of
sufficient light levels. It wants very bright light but no direct sun. The
number two reason why it will grow but fail to bloom is insufficient
fertilizer levels, so keep fertilizing according to the fertilizer's label
direction EXCEPT, every three or four waterings use water only and really
flush it through the pot to remove any fertilizer salts that may be building
up in the potting media over time.

Now that it is done blooming it might be a good time to check the root
health below the potting media surface and potting media itself to see if it
is time to repot.


wrote in message
oups.com...
I have the most gorgeous Phal. It has bloomed for more than four
months. The flowers are just now starting to fade.

I understand that it will bloom again in about six months?

I have been feeding it at every watering per instructions on orchid
food jar. Something like 1/8 tsn fertilizer to 1 quart water.

Do I continue to fertilize even when it isn't blooming?

Do I cut off the flower spikes when the blooms are gone?

As you can tell, I know next to nothing about orchids except that I
think I'm hooked and will be buying a few more soon.

Thanks

Jane

I wait until the flower spike turns yellow/brown & dried out before I
cut it off. Then I know it's not going to make more flowers on the
same stem. I have 2 kinds of fertilizer, the first being an ordinary
Schultz regular-plant fertilizer, which was all I had for ages here in
the middle of nowhere, & they did fine with it... & the 2nd is a
Schultz orchid fertilizer which is supposed to encourage bloom. This
is probably pretty amateur, but if it starts making a new leaf after it
blooms, I fertilize with the regular stuff for a while, then the orchid
stuff after the leaf gets to be a good size. Often they will make a
leaf or 2, then another spike, but I have had some start new spikes
right away before the old one has turned completely brown. I figure
that means they have enough leaves & are just ready to bloom again. So
it might not take 6 months for yours to rebloom.
I don't fertilize every time; you can get a buildup of salts from too
much fertilizer.
As well as good light, I am under the impression phals also need a
temperature drop at night to bloom, although not as fussy as some
orchids. So if yours is on a windowsill that gets cooler at night,
that might help too.
The more experienced growers here can probably give you more scientific
advice than me & set any of my errors right too.
Yes, they are addictive. I started with "just one" some years ago, &
now have 16 orchids; the only reason I don't have more is that I
literally have no more windowsill space. The last remaining spot
belongs to the kitty
Good luck with it.

Alison

If you are able to dig up a copy of the June 2004 (I think that was the
date) "Orchids" magazine, there is an article by Dr. Bill Argo of Blackmore
Co. and a horticulturalist at MSU about a study that basically proved that
"Bloom Boosters" are unnecessary, and in my opinion, wasteful.

Their conclusion was that excessive nitrogen was the reason for slow- or
non-blooming orchids, and it was the diluting effect of the extra phosphorus
in the so-called bloom boosters that helped, not the extra P itself. Plants
really only need a tiny amount of phosphorus, so all of the extra is lost
into the soil and groundwater.

Based upon their study, they found that a steady diet of a moderate-nitrogen
concentration was far more effective than was the use of bloom boosters, and
they developed fertilizer formulas accordingly.

Basically, for a general collection, they found that a complete formula
fertilizer - one containing a vast array of macro-, minor-, and trace
elements, if fed at about 100 - 150 ppm N regularly, was highly effective.

I switched to their formula over two years ago, use it at 125 ppm N at
___EVERY___ watering, and my plants are doing great.

By the way, if you divide 10 by the % N in the fertilizer formula, it tells
you the teaspoons per gallon for about 125 ppm N, so if you round up or down
a bit for convenience, you're still in the range.

One last comment - watering first, then fertilizing is a waste. Doing so
saturates the velamen with pure water, greatly reducing the absorption of
nutrients from the fertilizer solution, and it was a methodology concocted
when it was common to feed infrequently and heavily, yet preventing burning
of the roots. Feeding regularly and in a more dilute concentration is far
safer and in my opinion, more closely replicates natural conditions.

--

Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com
Plants, Supplies, Artwork, Books and Lots of Free Info!


wrote in message
oups.com...
I wait until the flower spike turns yellow/brown & dried out before I
cut it off. Then I know it's not going to make more flowers on the
same stem. I have 2 kinds of fertilizer, the first being an ordinary
Schultz regular-plant fertilizer, which was all I had for ages here in
the middle of nowhere, & they did fine with it... & the 2nd is a
Schultz orchid fertilizer which is supposed to encourage bloom. This
is probably pretty amateur, but if it starts making a new leaf after it
blooms, I fertilize with the regular stuff for a while, then the orchid
stuff after the leaf gets to be a good size. Often they will make a
leaf or 2, then another spike, but I have had some start new spikes
right away before the old one has turned completely brown. I figure
that means they have enough leaves & are just ready to bloom again. So
it might not take 6 months for yours to rebloom.
I don't fertilize every time; you can get a buildup of salts from too
much fertilizer.
As well as good light, I am under the impression phals also need a
temperature drop at night to bloom, although not as fussy as some
orchids. So if yours is on a windowsill that gets cooler at night,
that might help too.
The more experienced growers here can probably give you more scientific
advice than me & set any of my errors right too.
Yes, they are addictive. I started with "just one" some years ago, &
now have 16 orchids; the only reason I don't have more is that I
literally have no more windowsill space. The last remaining spot
belongs to the kitty
Good luck with it.

Alison

That's interesting. I suppose it explains why some of my orchids were
blooming fine with the regular 10-15-10. It's liquid, & the box says 7
drops per litre, & I've been using it at half strength, but not every
watering -- rather every other, or every when-I-have-time.
A couple others have bloomed since I started using the 19-31-17 orchid
fertilizer (is this enough P to count as a bloom booster?); but the
potinara may just be getting to blooming size anyway. The ascocentrum,
however, put up 2 spikes instead of the 1 it's been making erratically
since I got it.
Thanks also for explaining about watering first. I thought you had to
do that, precisely because of the root-burning problem. I will change
my method, & it will take less time

Alison

Thanks. Maybe I should have mentioned, it's growing a new leaf right
now.

Al wrote:
If you leave the spike alone it might develop more flowers from the tip or a
side shoot. It might die back to a side node and then branch and develop
more flowers. It might die back all the way to the plant or it might sit
there and do nothing for months and then start to grow and bloom again when
a new spike forms, (yellows tend to do this more often than others.) For
cosmetic reasons you can remove the spike all the way down to within a 1/4
to 1/2 an inch from the plant if you want, even before it dies naturally.
You might be able to trick the old spike into branching and producing more
blooms by cutting it just above a node. Usually the first or second node
down, just below where the first flower formed is the best place to try this
trick. It must be done soon after the last flower fades. It usually works
best on large whites or pinks.

You really don't need to do anything differently now that it is done
blooming that you should not have already been doing. The number one reason
why the plant will grow but not bloom again within about a year is lack of
sufficient light levels. It wants very bright light but no direct sun. The
number two reason why it will grow but fail to bloom is insufficient
fertilizer levels, so keep fertilizing according to the fertilizer's label
direction EXCEPT, every three or four waterings use water only and really
flush it through the pot to remove any fertilizer salts that may be building
up in the potting media over time.

Now that it is done blooming it might be a good time to check the root
health below the potting media surface and potting media itself to see if it
is time to repot.


wrote in message
oups.com...
I have the most gorgeous Phal. It has bloomed for more than four
months. The flowers are just now starting to fade.

I understand that it will bloom again in about six months?

I have been feeding it at every watering per instructions on orchid
food jar. Something like 1/8 tsn fertilizer to 1 quart water.

Do I continue to fertilize even when it isn't blooming?

Do I cut off the flower spikes when the blooms are gone?

As you can tell, I know next to nothing about orchids except that I
think I'm hooked and will be buying a few more soon.

Thanks

Jane

Ray, great tip on the 10 divided by. Growmore Orchid 20-20-20 calls for one
teaspoon per gallon of water every 10 to 14 days. Label also calls for
pre-watering of dry plants. Looks to me like a label that will get you into
trouble in the winter.


If you are using city or well water do not be in any hurry to throw away
your tub of "Bloom Booster". Argo may have shown that the extra P does not
improve flowering, but in my opinion he does not address their real benefit.
The 'hardness' in city and well water will slowly concentrate in the potting
mix driving the mix pH up. To combat this growers will acidify their water
or periodically do an acid drench with weak phosphoric, citric, or sulfuric
acid. "Bloom Boosters" elevate their phosphorus by adding extra phosphoric
acid and thus they are a convenient way for the small grower to fight
'hardness' buildup. For many growers, the use of a "bloom booster" every 4
to 8 weeks will help keep the media pH in the ideal range.

If you are using RO or very clear water, throw away that tub of "Bloom
Booster", the extra phosphoric acid is likely to get you in trouble.

Pat Brennan

"Ray" wrote in message
. ..
If you are able to dig up a copy of the June 2004 (I think that was the
date) "Orchids" magazine, there is an article by Dr. Bill Argo of
Blackmore Co. and a horticulturalist at MSU about a study that basically
proved that "Bloom Boosters" are unnecessary, and in my opinion, wasteful.

Their conclusion was that excessive nitrogen was the reason for slow- or
non-blooming orchids, and it was the diluting effect of the extra
phosphorus in the so-called bloom boosters that helped, not the extra P
itself. Plants really only need a tiny amount of phosphorus, so all of
the extra is lost into the soil and groundwater.

Based upon their study, they found that a steady diet of a
moderate-nitrogen concentration was far more effective than was the use of
bloom boosters, and they developed fertilizer formulas accordingly.

Basically, for a general collection, they found that a complete formula
fertilizer - one containing a vast array of macro-, minor-, and trace
elements, if fed at about 100 - 150 ppm N regularly, was highly effective.

I switched to their formula over two years ago, use it at 125 ppm N at
___EVERY___ watering, and my plants are doing great.

By the way, if you divide 10 by the % N in the fertilizer formula, it
tells you the teaspoons per gallon for about 125 ppm N, so if you round up
or down a bit for convenience, you're still in the range.

One last comment - watering first, then fertilizing is a waste. Doing so
saturates the velamen with pure water, greatly reducing the absorption of
nutrients from the fertilizer solution, and it was a methodology concocted
when it was common to feed infrequently and heavily, yet preventing
burning of the roots. Feeding regularly and in a more dilute
concentration is far safer and in my opinion, more closely replicates
natural conditions.

--

Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com
Plants, Supplies, Artwork, Books and Lots of Free Info!


wrote in message
oups.com...
I wait until the flower spike turns yellow/brown & dried out before I
cut it off. Then I know it's not going to make more flowers on the
same stem. I have 2 kinds of fertilizer, the first being an ordinary
Schultz regular-plant fertilizer, which was all I had for ages here in
the middle of nowhere, & they did fine with it... & the 2nd is a
Schultz orchid fertilizer which is supposed to encourage bloom. This
is probably pretty amateur, but if it starts making a new leaf after it
blooms, I fertilize with the regular stuff for a while, then the orchid
stuff after the leaf gets to be a good size. Often they will make a
leaf or 2, then another spike, but I have had some start new spikes
right away before the old one has turned completely brown. I figure
that means they have enough leaves & are just ready to bloom again. So
it might not take 6 months for yours to rebloom.
I don't fertilize every time; you can get a buildup of salts from too
much fertilizer.
As well as good light, I am under the impression phals also need a
temperature drop at night to bloom, although not as fussy as some
orchids. So if yours is on a windowsill that gets cooler at night,
that might help too.
The more experienced growers here can probably give you more scientific
advice than me & set any of my errors right too.
Yes, they are addictive. I started with "just one" some years ago, &
now have 16 orchids; the only reason I don't have more is that I
literally have no more windowsill space. The last remaining spot
belongs to the kitty
Good luck with it.

Alison