Forcing orchid to bloom more

[ma_sha1]

Using Keiki paste, I haven't been able to induce Keiki on demand, but found it can consistently force out more blooms from tired spikes.

Example 1. Forcing the stopped spike tip to start again. The new force fed growth section is obviously more beefy than before. Only 2 weeks after the paste, I forced out 4 new buds!




Example 2.

This is 2nd spike, stuck for 2 month now with no sign of further growth or bud development. After one week of putting Keiki paste, it's kick started:



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[DweamGoiL]

Good to know for tired or lethargic spikes

[ma_sha1]

These buds would not have formed, at least not this quickly.


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[Helene]

I have a question:
If you force a tired plant to flower, wouldnt that hurt the plant?
I can see the keiki-thing, if you are trying to make a new one, and flowering instead is a bonus.
But I was thinking I wouldnt force a tired plant to flower, and maybe risk its health?

Or maybe it doesnt stress the plant?

Looks like it got a nip/tuck😜 All blown up, out of porportions😎

Didnt mean that in an insulting way, just kinda fascinating and scary at the same time😊

[ma_sha1]

It probably stress the plant a bit, but then we do many things to stress orchid to make it bloom. Hot/cold temp., more/less light; cut some limbs off etc etc.

There was a theory that a stress free orchid is less likely to bloom. I haven't grown orchids long enough, but It's true with daylily, those that I relocated, loss some roots and bloomed, some left along end up no blooms.


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[ma_sha1]

A freaky bud, this one decided to open prematurely, looks like the thing that came out of Alien's mouth...


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[ma_sha1]

Big surprise today, one of the bloom forced open by the Keiki paste looks drastically different. The Dorsal dots are so much bigger, in fact, it reminds me of my Paph Henryanum dorsal

Left: Force opened by Keiki paste
Right: Natually opened bloom


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[ma_sha1]

I like the big dots better, the two blooms are on the same spike!


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[turock]

Helene, I sympathize with what you're saying. I almost never force my phals to bloom, either by using keiki paste or cutting the spikes. I trust my plants to know when the conditions are right, and when they can't handle another energy drain.

But, I am blessed with plants that are very reliable bloomers. I stress my plants out in many other ways. They stay outdoors as long as possible, and are exposed to high sun levels, summer heat, cold autumn nights, etc. I've read that a "couch potato" orchid will not provide the best blooms, and I've taken that to heart.

Of course, in saying that, I have no negative opinions about the use of bloom-inducers. It's just not what I choose to do, and I am fortunate not to need it.

Ma_sha, I've read that keiki paste can cause hormonal surges that result in strange flowers like you posted. However, there are other conditions that can cause a bloom's appearance to vary significantly over its lifetime. I'm posting a picture of one of my phals with old blooms (several months old) and a brand new bloom (2 weeks old) for color comparison. As far as I can tell, the yellow fades out of this orchid's blooms as they age. The temperature can also cause dramatic color difference. This summer's heat caused one of my normally purple orchids to bloom nearly black, caused another to have especially vivid oranges and yellows, and caused one of my zebra-striped phals to bloom without its bold red stripes!

[ma_sha1]

True, the differences may be due to age of the bloom, not necessarily the paste. Your bloom looks like one I had before, Den. Enobi Purple splash?