Thanks for the good tips.
Steve, I feel very sorry that you have to endur life in Hawaii and look at the ocean every day. Trust me, there is nothing like being land locked in a beautiful smog filled area !!!
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Originally Posted by Steve_Parente
Aloha,
I agree with Ray. You can sometimes get a few flowers by cutting the spike off at a higher node, but removing the spike is better for the plant and you'll hopefully produce larger sprays of flowers.
I have found from my customers on the mainland that humidity and light seem to play the most important role in re-blooming phalaenopsis and dendrobium orchids indoors. Most of these plants love humidity and adequate light. I have a few customers in Seattle where, although it's humid outside, their homes are heated with natural gas, which creates a very dry indoor environment. In Hawaii, most orchid plants are grown in in a very humid environment (no heating in most areas) and in shade because sun exposure is very strong. A place like Seattle doesn't have nearly the of strong sun exposure, especially indoors unless grown under lights.
My Seattle customers moved their orchid plants near the kitchen (where tea kettles and boiling water send moisture into the air) or placed a pan of water near the plants, put them next to a window with more light (NOT DIRECT SUNLIGHT) and within a year their phalaenopis plants were reblooming. Not exactly a high tech growing solution, but it works!
I also recommend dilluting an orchid fertilizer to 1/4 strength and misting the foliage and roots every week or two and watering every 3-4 days as phaleanopis plants don't hold moisture as many of the dendrobiums varieties.
Steve
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