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slipper orchid hasn't bloomed...

13 years ago

hi, i have a mottled leaf slipper orchid that has bloomed a few times before,with pretty pink slipper flower.in the last two years,tho,it has not.it sits under lites,for 14 hours.it was repotted last year.i counted 4 new small plants.why is the original plant not blooming?any ideas?ive been feeding it every 2 weeks most of the year,once a month in winter.thank you for any advice.

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Comments (4)

highjack
13 years ago
Each growth only blooms once. Your new blooms will come from the four new growths, which originate from the original growth.

It might take a while for the new growths to be big enough to bloom.

Brooke
woollady
Original Author
13 years ago
hi,thank you brooke for also answering this post too.i didn't know that these plants only bloom once on the old growths.thanks again!
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jamcm
13 years ago
Hi woollady!

I just wanted to mention that those new growths are not necessarily new plants, just parts of your plant, and you will not want to divide them. Each growth, even if it won't bloom again, is a great source of energy to those growths that will eventually bloom for you. You always want a minimum of three growths in a pot.

Also, ladyslippers really, really like repotting. I repot mine every single year. Since they don't like to be dry too long, the medium tends to break down pretty quickly and this is something ladyslippers don't enjoy.

And I have one final suggestion. You mentioned that your lights were on 14 hours per day. Do you ever vary the length of the day? For example, for December and January, my lights are on for 12 hours a day. For February, March and April, that'll go up to 14 hours per day. For May, June, July and August, they'll be on 16 hours per day. In September, October and November, the day will be shorten to 14 hours per day, then to 12 hours per day for December and January... You get the picture. This simulates the seasons and changes up the routine, which can often encourage blooming in plants.

I've included a link below to a culture sheet for indoor growers. Hope this all helps!

Julie

Here is a link that might be useful: Ladyslipper culture sheet
woollady
Original Author
13 years ago
thank you,Julie,for answering my question.that's good info.i haven't ever changed the duration of lites,all the other orchids bloom,especially phals and my afr.violets.but i will think about what you said.thanks also for the culture sheet.

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