Winston is an idiot! Some of you might remember that I cu...
Winston is an idiot!
Some of you might remember that I cut his flower spike ages ago because he was visibly overblooming after he lost a lot of roots? Well, apart from the fact that I *still* have flowers on the cut spike (though on their way out), look at this.
To anyone doubting that some hybrid #phalaenopsisorchid s can overdo it, when not checked:
I did not actively induce flowering, he is growing a leaf half his normal size, dehydrates very quickly because his roots are still not enough to support him on "our" normal schedule and he apparently still just thought: you know what would be great? Wasting a lot of energy on a second spike in the space of a few months 🤦♀️🤦♀️🤦♀️
Now tell me what to do. Or better: don't. I just do not have the heart to cut it again. #newgrowth #orchidlovers
Some of you might remember that I cut his flower spike ages ago because he was visibly overblooming after he lost a lot of roots? Well, apart from the fact that I *still* have flowers on the cut spike (though on their way out), look at this.
To anyone doubting that some hybrid #phalaenopsisorchid s can overdo it, when not checked:
I did not actively induce flowering, he is growing a leaf half his normal size, dehydrates very quickly because his roots are still not enough to support him on "our" normal schedule and he apparently still just thought: you know what would be great? Wasting a lot of energy on a second spike in the space of a few months 🤦♀️🤦♀️🤦♀️
Now tell me what to do. Or better: don't. I just do not have the heart to cut it again. #newgrowth #orchidlovers
0ft to light, direct
6” pot with drainage
Last watered 1 year ago
4
@VerdantFlora Some hybrids are bred so much for their impressive blooms that they no longer know their own strength. They bloom for too long or too often. This costs a lot of energy and maybe also shortens the time they would otherwise grow vegetatively (i.e., leaves to support new and better blooms). It is normal for orchids to bloom once a year at least, and many phals can bloom for several months and many people also induce secondary spikes to prolong the bloom or induce another bloom by dropping the temperature. That is not necessarily an issue. If you do this regularly however, and ignore the orchid's warning signs, it might be. In a case like Winston's for example it is just not very smart to start another bloom and drain strength. He had lost a lot of his roots, bloomed once for several months already until I put an end to it, because he already put out a very, very small lea in comparison to what he usually produces. And instead of recovering he tries to bloom again. Which will further sind growth an weaken him unnecessarily (Stupid Winston!)
You can see that there is a problem if the leaves it grows are not getting bigger (with young orchids) or even successively smaller instead of at least staying the same size. Since orchids grow relatively slow, that is a sure sign that your orchid has had declining energy for quite some time already.
However, as a new orchid grower, all that that should not really bother you right now. It is more of an issue if you plan to grow one for a long time and plan to maximize growth from the very beginning. Phals are *very* resilient and most damage takes years to make an impact (watering mistakes excluded). And you get a better feel for them the longer you have them. I would say, as a beginner, enjoy your gorgeous blooms and aside from overwatering or getting the leaves and crown wet, do not fret too much. It all will come in time.
But as always, i can highly recommend miss orchid girl on YouTube. Whatever orchid related question you might have, she almost certainly has an answer.
Have fun with your orchid.
You can see that there is a problem if the leaves it grows are not getting bigger (with young orchids) or even successively smaller instead of at least staying the same size. Since orchids grow relatively slow, that is a sure sign that your orchid has had declining energy for quite some time already.
However, as a new orchid grower, all that that should not really bother you right now. It is more of an issue if you plan to grow one for a long time and plan to maximize growth from the very beginning. Phals are *very* resilient and most damage takes years to make an impact (watering mistakes excluded). And you get a better feel for them the longer you have them. I would say, as a beginner, enjoy your gorgeous blooms and aside from overwatering or getting the leaves and crown wet, do not fret too much. It all will come in time.
But as always, i can highly recommend miss orchid girl on YouTube. Whatever orchid related question you might have, she almost certainly has an answer.
Have fun with your orchid.
I love this post! Though I’m really sorry to hear the problems you are having. This post is such a great reminder that blooms in phals aren’t always a sign of health and that blooming too often can deplete them to the point that some have been known to die. Lots of lovely new root growth coming through, though now it’s in blooming mode, it’ll likely pause the roots while it puts its energy in the spike. When something similar happened with one of my sick phals I was trying to save (I basically spent the winter before last removing spike after spike because the plant was too sick to sustain them and every time I thought I was winning by removing the spike, it treated me to another spike - I eventually won the battle as it ran out of mature enough spaces for the spike to grow from so I was able to save it!), I tried putting it nearish a heat source overnight so that there was barely any fluctuation in temperature as it was the nightly temperature drop that was triggering the spikes. I find that those with blooming heavily in their genes only need the tiniest temperature drop to induce blooming. I wonder if moving it away from the windowsill overnight, say to somewhere in the same room so as not to stress it too much, would help limit the temperature fluctuations that might be triggering spike growth?
@MotherOfOrchids Hi, Debbie, thank you for saying that. 😊 I just thought, given that Winston is a perfect example for that phenomenon, I might as well post it.
I have to admit I have never come across an orchid that did this this clearly. Not even Winston himself. Yes, he blooms prolificly and for a long time, but normally just once a year. And he is a beast. I am pretty certain, for example, that even now, the new root growth has not stopped. Slowed down maybe, but not stopped. Luckily he is not really sick, so I take all of this lightly. The loss of roots that started all this was 100% my fault. And just a week after the overzealous pruning (after a very long time of neglect, and some rot at the end), lots of new roots were already appearing.
Which makes it so hard to cut the spike right now. I am almost tempted to at least wait until he has the first bud opening, so that I can put the spike in a vase at least.
Thank you for your advice. When I saw the spike forming, I also thought about moving him. But the reason why he is so close to the window is that that is the one spot where he could get half decent light. And I wanted to give him lots of light to recuperate. (Also, I have a very bad case of scatter-brain-ia, so moving him daily is not an option. I would just forget him in a darker corner.) I sadly do not have a lot of natural light and my grow lights are maxed out with quarantined plants right now, so the window it is. Maybe I will cut the spike and if I see signs of him producing yet another one, I might move him. But given his usual behavior I don't think he will. When I first saw the new growth I was half hoping that the loss of roots had triggered a basal keiki. He had never had offspring and it would have been great to have a Winston II, even if it had meant further setback.
Hope your orchids are doing well and specifically your trouble bloomer has slowed down a bit. I enjoyed reading your analysis of poor dumb Winston's situation. Thank you.
I have to admit I have never come across an orchid that did this this clearly. Not even Winston himself. Yes, he blooms prolificly and for a long time, but normally just once a year. And he is a beast. I am pretty certain, for example, that even now, the new root growth has not stopped. Slowed down maybe, but not stopped. Luckily he is not really sick, so I take all of this lightly. The loss of roots that started all this was 100% my fault. And just a week after the overzealous pruning (after a very long time of neglect, and some rot at the end), lots of new roots were already appearing.
Which makes it so hard to cut the spike right now. I am almost tempted to at least wait until he has the first bud opening, so that I can put the spike in a vase at least.
Thank you for your advice. When I saw the spike forming, I also thought about moving him. But the reason why he is so close to the window is that that is the one spot where he could get half decent light. And I wanted to give him lots of light to recuperate. (Also, I have a very bad case of scatter-brain-ia, so moving him daily is not an option. I would just forget him in a darker corner.) I sadly do not have a lot of natural light and my grow lights are maxed out with quarantined plants right now, so the window it is. Maybe I will cut the spike and if I see signs of him producing yet another one, I might move him. But given his usual behavior I don't think he will. When I first saw the new growth I was half hoping that the loss of roots had triggered a basal keiki. He had never had offspring and it would have been great to have a Winston II, even if it had meant further setback.
Hope your orchids are doing well and specifically your trouble bloomer has slowed down a bit. I enjoyed reading your analysis of poor dumb Winston's situation. Thank you.