EPLC (Epilaeliocattleya) Mae Bly "Emily"

BLC (Brassolaeliocattley) Chyong Guu Chaffinh "Ta Hsin"

DGMRA (Degarmoara) WinterWonderland "White Fariy"



I have a number of Lowes Home improvement Phaleonopsis and 2 -3 each of the
above plants . They are in a west facing window in North Central Texas.
Horizontal 2 inch blinds are used to moderate the sunlight. The blinds are
almost fully open.



Prior to placing the blinds in the windows, the Phaleonopsis would get
burned. Now with the blinds the P's are blooming like crazy with large
healthy flowers.



The other plants were brought in, divided, and repotted and placed in the
same windows. As expected the existing blooms and flower stalks died back.



Phaleonopsis is potted in sphagnum peat moss. The others are in Scott Orchid
mix (Fir, charcoal and pine) and a

few have some peat moss mixed in. They are watered every 3-4 days (from a
watering can) with a 30 minute soak every other weekend. The P's are watered
when the peat moss is dry an inch down (about every 7 days) . all are in 8
inch pots with gravel filled saucers. The saucers are filled with water
every 2 days.

I am considering changing the growing medium out and adding more peat moss
as several of them appear thirsty dry. IE the bulbs are not filled out and
as fleshy I the ones I saw at local shows or pictures



The question: EPLC, DGMRA, and BLC are not putting flower stalks out.
They are growing new roots, shoots and basal KeiKi's (new roots with shoot
off a stem right at the level of the medium). As a amateur, I have no
feeling for how soon I would expect new flower spikes to appear, or if maybe
I need to modify the growing conditions. I look at the phaleonopsis and see
how fast the bloomed and think "Hmmmmm. Should these be blooming that fast?
Or DO I need to modify the growing conditions?" One thing I really wonder
is do they need more light? (IE the Phaleonopsis love it so the light may
not be enough for the others.)





a wee bit more light

On Mon, 3 Jul 2006 22:58:34 -0500, "Bruce Musgrove"
<blackhole26removeme [at] comcast.net> wrote:

>EPLC (Epilaeliocattleya) Mae Bly "Emily"
>
>BLC (Brassolaeliocattley) Chyong Guu Chaffinh "Ta Hsin"
>
>DGMRA (Degarmoara) WinterWonderland "White Fariy"
---------clip-----------------------
>The question: EPLC, DGMRA, and BLC are not putting flower stalks out.
>They are growing new roots, shoots and basal KeiKi's (new roots with shoot
>off a stem right at the level of the medium). As a amateur, I have no
>feeling for how soon I would expect new flower spikes to appear, or if maybe
>I need to modify the growing conditions. I look at the phaleonopsis and see
>how fast the bloomed and think "Hmmmmm. Should these be blooming that fast?
>Or DO I need to modify the growing conditions?" One thing I really wonder
>is do they need more light? (IE the Phaleonopsis love it so the light may
>not be enough for the others.)
>

Bruce -
The Pal's need a LOT less light than the others can use. But since
you are growing the others in 'Ph al Light', you will need to
s-l-o-w-l-y introduce them to more light. IF you just switch them to
their normal growing light conditions you will probably sunburn them.
So you have two problems, One is where to grow the 3 light hogs and
the second is how to change them to full light.

If there is a South or other west window the 3 can move to, start with
them feet back and each week move them closer to the full light. A
sheer curtain may scatter the light with out absorbing as much as your
blinds are reflecting. IF there is no other window. They you may
wish to consider growing the phals under florescent lights or at the
back of the table so the other plants and distance keep the direct sun
off the plants.

Your EPLC (Epidendrum x Laelia x Cattleya) and BLC (Brassavola x
Laelia x Cattleya) are Cattleya crosses. They need light strong
enough that you hand held a hand span above a surface will cast a
definite shadow on the surface. IF your getting a cloud effect
instead of a hand shadow the light is not strong enough to uniformly
and regularly cause each new growth to bloom. These plants must put
up a new growth before each bloom cycle.

The DGMNA (Brassia x Miltonia x Odontoglossum) may bloom well in the
middle, but generally would follow the idea of more light more blooms.

All 3 will do better if regularly fertilized at about 1/2 strength of
any balanced fertilizer. The fertilizer will collect in the pot if
you do not rinse it out about every 4th watering. Normal watering
practices would be to water heavily so that water washes thru the pot
then allow to drain well before setting back in the grow area. I am
not sure what you do in your "soak." Soaking one plant after another
in the same pot of water can lead to sharing diseases and pests as
they wash out of one pot and are absorbed by the next.

Your Phals would probably enjoy a bit of fertilizer as well. I find
mine in moss do not want as much as my plants in bark mix. Some Phals
will bloom multiple times a year or for very long stretches of time.
They bloom from the bottom or beneath the leaves. The 'worry' point
of a phal is a bloom spike or rot of the center (called the crown) of
the plant. The Phal will die if it can not produce new leaves to
continue it's growth. Do NOT allow water to sit in the crown over
night, this practice will lead to crown rot.
SuE
http://orchids.legolas.org/gallery/orchids

Must go get a light meter.....

So, more light is definitely in order for those. If I read your reply
right, the light hogs as you called them ;) will grow in a west window, but
my shades probably are reflecting too much light. Quite possible as those
same windows burned a Phal before I put the shades in.

I already have them in 2 different windows (side by side windows), Phals in
one and the others in the other window, all about a foot from the windows
(they are on 12" wire shelves). I can experiment with slowly pulling the
shades up in one window so the bottom shelf of light hogs get more exposure
and the top shelf does not change, AND get my curtain shears sewn togethor.

The Phals are producing new leaves. No problem with that. On the others, do
they only flower on new growth, or do they only bloom after a new growth
cycle?



"Susan Erickson" <sue [at] evilsoft.org> wrote in message
news:fkela29tsc2vlik4s88ii6j5fp16qkocv7 [at] 4ax.com...
> On Mon, 3 Jul 2006 22:58:34 -0500, "Bruce Musgrove"
> <blackhole26removeme [at] comcast.net> wrote:
>
>>EPLC (Epilaeliocattleya) Mae Bly "Emily"
>>
>>BLC (Brassolaeliocattley) Chyong Guu Chaffinh "Ta Hsin"
>>
>>DGMRA (Degarmoara) WinterWonderland "White Fariy"
> ---------clip-----------------------
>>The question: EPLC, DGMRA, and BLC are not putting flower stalks out.
>>They are growing new roots, shoots and basal KeiKi's (new roots with shoot
>>off a stem right at the level of the medium). As a amateur, I have no
>>feeling for how soon I would expect new flower spikes to appear, or if
>>maybe
>>I need to modify the growing conditions. I look at the phaleonopsis and
>>see
>>how fast the bloomed and think "Hmmmmm. Should these be blooming that
>>fast?
>>Or DO I need to modify the growing conditions?" One thing I really wonder
>>is do they need more light? (IE the Phaleonopsis love it so the light may
>>not be enough for the others.)
>>
>
> Bruce -
> The Pal's need a LOT less light than the others can use. But since
> you are growing the others in 'Ph al Light', you will need to
> s-l-o-w-l-y introduce them to more light. IF you just switch them to
> their normal growing light conditions you will probably sunburn them.
> So you have two problems, One is where to grow the 3 light hogs and
> the second is how to change them to full light.
>
> If there is a South or other west window the 3 can move to, start with
> them feet back and each week move them closer to the full light. A
> sheer curtain may scatter the light with out absorbing as much as your
> blinds are reflecting. IF there is no other window. They you may
> wish to consider growing the phals under florescent lights or at the
> back of the table so the other plants and distance keep the direct sun
> off the plants.
>
> Your EPLC (Epidendrum x Laelia x Cattleya) and BLC (Brassavola x
> Laelia x Cattleya) are Cattleya crosses. They need light strong
> enough that you hand held a hand span above a surface will cast a
> definite shadow on the surface. IF your getting a cloud effect
> instead of a hand shadow the light is not strong enough to uniformly
> and regularly cause each new growth to bloom. These plants must put
> up a new growth before each bloom cycle.
>
> The DGMNA (Brassia x Miltonia x Odontoglossum) may bloom well in the
> middle, but generally would follow the idea of more light more blooms.
>
> All 3 will do better if regularly fertilized at about 1/2 strength of
> any balanced fertilizer. The fertilizer will collect in the pot if
> you do not rinse it out about every 4th watering. Normal watering
> practices would be to water heavily so that water washes thru the pot
> then allow to drain well before setting back in the grow area. I am
> not sure what you do in your "soak." Soaking one plant after another
> in the same pot of water can lead to sharing diseases and pests as
> they wash out of one pot and are absorbed by the next.
>
> Your Phals would probably enjoy a bit of fertilizer as well. I find
> mine in moss do not want as much as my plants in bark mix. Some Phals
> will bloom multiple times a year or for very long stretches of time.
> They bloom from the bottom or beneath the leaves. The 'worry' point
> of a phal is a bloom spike or rot of the center (called the crown) of
> the plant. The Phal will die if it can not produce new leaves to
> continue it's growth. Do NOT allow water to sit in the crown over
> night, this practice will lead to crown rot.
> SuE
> http://orchids.legolas.org/gallery/orchids

On Tue, 4 Jul 2006 20:46:22 -0500, "Bruce Musgrove"
<blackhole26removeme [at] comcast.net> wrote:


>
>The Phals are producing new leaves. No problem with that. On the others, do
>they only flower on new growth, or do they only bloom after a new growth
>cycle?
>
They flower once per growth. Generally on the newest mature growth.
Some mature in the late summer and flower on it the next spring, some
flower as soon as mature. It depends on the particular plants in the
crosses. They should flower apx the same time every year. If you
bought them in flower - you can predict the next season of blooms.
SuE
http://orchids.legolas.org/gallery/orchids