Phalaenopsis Orchids

[Paul T]

Howdy Folks,

I can't seem to find a topic for Phalaenopsis orchids, so I hope no-one minds me starting one?  Anyone else grow these?

After years of failures, I've finally got on top of these to at least some degree over the last couple.  Here's some that I bought at our local orchid show a couple of weeks ago. 

The first is a "Hilo Hybrid" apparently, and the second was labelled Dtps. Sin-Yaun Golden Bear.  The colours are accurate.  I just love the warm apricot and that lovely white lip on the pink flower.

Click on the pics for a larger version!

[Tony Willis]

Paul these are lovely plants of which we have seven and apart from one which my daughter bought me ours have all come from the B&Q rubbish trolley,a great source.

[Paul T]

Tony,

You've got the knack much better than me then. 

[Tony Willis]

Paul there is an easy solution,live in the frozen North. I find a few weeks of cold weather of which we have had plenty this summer springs them into flowering. Two my daughter had in her hot flat had not flowered for three years and when I brought them here they sent out flower shoots after just a couple of weeks. Here are some in flower now. Number three is the present from my daughter and it has been in flower continuously for four years. The last was given to Mrs W. by Arthur when he called for diner on his way to the Conference last weekend.

[Paul T]

Wonderful plants.  You've definitely got the right spot for them. 

[brianw]

I have 5 behind me in flower as I type, and as many waiting their turn to come down from the spare bedroom, none cost more than £6 in Sainburys. I read you should cut off the flowered section of the old flower stem when it still has 1 good flower, and it will reshoot and carry on. This sometimes works for me, sometimes not. I probably get the timing wrong. Very easy to grow. I had one where the growing point got damaged and rotted, but the plant compensated by growing a new plant (a keiki) on the flower stem, and I now have a new plant too.
I saw some for sale recently with 5 or 6 (I forget) flower stems from just the one "rosette". The only problem was the stakes and butterfly clips were so visually dominant it spoiled the effect.

[mark smyth]

When I first bought these orchids they were £25+. Last week my ASDA had them for ...... £2.

It's a shame they are now used and abused and dumped when out of flower. I asked a customer today if she wanted to know how to keep them looking good and repeat flower. "I dont need to know. I dumped them when the flowers are over and buy a new one"

[Paul T]

Brian,

The growing tip of the flower stem can reshoot after the flowers have finished, so I wouldn't be cutting anything at all until the stem has died back and gone brown.  I had one of mine reshoot and produce more buds from the tip about a month after the last flower died.  They can also shoot side shoots from any of those little nodes up the stem, so I never cut a flower stem until it is brown and shrivelled.

So how do you get them to repeat flower, Mark?