Sounds about right. Just keep them near a bright window and maybe crack it at night to let in the cooler air and you should see a spike start in October or November with blooming to happen around late January - early February. At least that's how it happens here in the northeast.

Several "falls" ago, when I was just starting out with phals, I would carry them outside at night for the temperature drop and then back indoors in the mornings to their artificial lighting. It was a lot of trouble. The next fall I decided to leave them indoors at night and to rely on the natural drop in nighttime temperatures that we get prior to turning on the heat for the winter. They spiked just as well as the previous year and continue to do so. Boyne

I don't know how low your temps are this time of year, but we are getting lows in the mid-50's. Too cold for phals! !!! Sorry, but I think you are risking your phals health by keeping them outside at night this time of year.

Here's what Frowine's new book on phals says about warmth, p 138

"Moth orchids love warmth. ...prefer, on average, minimum night temps of 60-65F. Phalaenopsis can tolerate a temp of around 55F at night, for short periods, *but this is not a good idea for more than a few days at a stretch.*

... "If phals are exposed to temps cooler than the recommended ranges, their growth will be slowed down, and in extreme cases, cooler temps can lead to bud blast, ...reduce a plant's disease resistance."

..."A widely held misbelief that is perpetuated in popular orchid literature indicates that phal require a temp differential of at least 10 to 15F (between day and night).

"*This has been proven false in a study and reported in a paper published in 2006... found that the only temp requirement for flowering phal is that the daytime and nighttime temps do not exceed 75F*. This study proved that the orchids need about four weeks of this "cool" temp for flower induction."

Assuming they are mature and healthy, and getting enough light, I agree with Boyne-- they will spike in the normal temps of an unheated house this time of year.

Also, make sure your fertilizer is low in nitrogen, as that promotes leafy growth rather than bloom. You might also try giving them a dose or two of epsom salts, a tablespoon to a gallon.

I agree with mehitabel's post. You want to keep your phals in the warmer temperature range during the days - 70 or higher if possible.
Two things about initiating spikes noted also earlier - I have about 35 of them in a spare bedroom and just crack the window during the fall season - natural cooling is enough that most of them will spike in the next few months. Secondly - I also have a few phals in an office window facing NE - they spike and flower each year with no change in office temperature at all! Just the change that they might sense from the nearby window glass immediate vicinity.

Very interesting. I appreciate all the info (I'm so excited to get a first spike I can't tell you... hope it happens soon!)

Maybe I will bring them in and get them set up for winter. Hmmm If you think the natural drop inside is good enough, then maybe I'll do that!

Thanks again!

I agree with everyone's response. I would add one more thing though. Now that the days are getting shorter, make sure the plants get at least 8 hrs. of darkness. This will also help in the formation of the flower spike. Once the spike has started, any light, even indirect will not stop the buds from growing.

Dave

I grow in a spare bedroom also and have about 45 phals, @15 summer bloomers and the rest winter/spring or random bloomers. I open a window (day and night) in the fall (like now) and also turn my lights back from 15 to 13 hrs for a couple of months. I'll be changing the light cycle very soon. (I figure between light change, lower temp change and such, I should be covering most bases needed to bloom these plants???)

I'll continue to crack a window until the night temps in the room start dropping below 60 degrees. In the fall my grow room probably averages 75+ highs and 65- lows. Also, this room seems to have about a 10-15 degree drop from day/night year round, as the lights generate a lot of heat during the day and the A/C lowers the temps at night.

Lights go back to 15 hrs in late Nov. or early Dec.

In fall/winter, I try to keep the summer bloomers in the warmest areas of the room, the rest are placed where they can fit.

Fertilize weakly/weekly year round and switch up ferts occassionally. Flush with pure water @ every 4-6 weeks.

I grow lots of other types of orchids too, (@175 total) all in the same room, so this treatment is not 'just for the phals'.

Last year I had about a 90% bloom rate for my phals.

As a side note: My first winter/spring phal is spiking. By first, it is the first of the season to spike and the first orchid I ever purchased (Jan '02). It's a hybrid lipstick phal ('Happy Girl') that is pretty standard, but special to me.

HTH,

Bob

Sounds good. I'm going out to buy the lamps this weekend for them. I don't know if I can provide complete darkness for 8 hrs though.... i grow them in my small apartment and there is a light near where they grow that I can't turn off at night so obviously the light is greatly diminished, but I can't provide darkness. hope this is good enough.

Counselor, my house is never really dark. What with a streetlight nearly opposite the front door bringing light in thru the sidelights, and little LED lights on this and that, and those little plug-ins all around to keep old folks from falling down the stairs...

well, it's never dark in the living area (tho it is down in the plant room in the basement). You can walk all around the living area with the "lights out" and see just fine.

Blooming phals are kept in the living area, and last spring several-- maybe 5 or more of the blooming phals put out 2nd or 3rd spikes. I think they were reacting to the increased light in spring

But the point is, tho there's a lot of background light at night, the phals put out new spikes anyway.

So don't worry overmuch. Keep them warm and well lit and they'll do their thing.

I do hope you start getting spikes-- it is a real thrill to produce your own :) But don't worry too much if they take their time over it-- last fall mine mostly didn't start spikes til December-Jan.

I haven't had enough successful years yet to draw final conclusions from this, except that they seem to know what they're doing, and get by without a lot of supervision. They know what they're doing, and they'll spike as soon as they can :)

I just brought my phals inside and Two of them are in spike. as it begun to get cooler i noticed some swelling at the base. then My Phal Golden Peoker i noticed just yesterday, its just started its new spike i mean just poking out of the side of the plant, very young spike. same with my Tzu Chiang orange just started a new spike. I Left them outside till yesterday. But the temps here in ny have been nice not too cold or too hot for about 4 weeks now with maybe on 85 degree day. but now i have One phal The Golden Peoker in Double Spikes and the Chiang orange in single spike. so it will be a good winter!!!!! I attribute that to the graduall natural cooling off but never below 5o it got down to 40 last night. Lef the Catts out in it and they are fine. i just closed the windows of my porch i grow in. They usually bloom for me if i chill them in to Mid to late October( Fall Bloomers)

Most of mine are spiking. I just brought them in yesterday. The outdoor chilling does the trick.

Jane

I don't see any spikes on any of my non-blooming phals right now. Here's hoping I get at least some success in the next few months.

My phal's are outside and I live near the coast in south fl so you know it's still warm...one of mine has a spike that started coming out about two weeks ago and is close to 6" - 8" long.....I didn't know I'd have one this early. Last year I had two spikes. I don't bring the plants in unless a hurricane is coming or the temp drops to 50°