When an otherwise large and healthy int fails to bloom in the appropriate season, the causes can only be light and temperature. There is no such thing as an orchid that will not flower. Given the right environment, it will produce blooms, because it is the most natural thing for the plant to reproduce itself. One that is growing too well and is extremely healthy can be lazy and sometimes fail to flower. In natural conditions, some plants get too much light and are badly scorched but still produce an abundance of flowers.
Similarly, although vandas and related orchids can become extremely tall, they rarely create difficulties in terms of headroom. It is mainly the sympodial orchids (those that produce new growths from the base of the previous ones) that cause the most problems. These orchids will spread themselves out over the surface area of the pot and beyond. Some of the coelogynes and encyclias can increase their size in an incredibly short number of years.
The small plant acquired in a 10cm (4in) flower pot, which fitted neatly into the one small space left on the ledge, will, after a year or two, require repotting into a larger pot, and before very long it will no longer fit into the allotted space. In time, this neat little plant may grow to giant proportions, and even though it may have been described as a miniature type, when grown to its full size it may be small of stature in height but not in width.
The alternative to keeping your orchids whole, but containing their growth, is to divide them up into smaller pieces. This is regularly done with orchids and is a most successful way of reducing the size of a plant. However, with the smaller-growing species, it is often not until they reach a certain size that their full potential and true beauty can be seen.
Compared with other plants, orchids suffer few problems. From the start, make a habit of practicing good hygiene in the greenhouse, for example, by sweeping up dead leaves and other plant material from the floor.
Sometimes plants have to he divided where they have grown out in various directions, leaving a dead centre in the middle of the pot that cannot be disguised. When this happens, the best remedy is to remove the whole plant from the pot and divide the pieces into single plants, discarding the dead pseudo bulbs at the center. You are then left with several plants, each of which is probably the size of the original purchase.
These orchids can be grown on without too much disturbance for many years without taking up any more room than when th first arrived. Where you suspect that the comports (growing medium) has deteriorated. gently pushing down new growths tha are growing proud of the pot surface.
Carefully insert fresh compost, in the fine bark chippings, or a fine bark and peat, in between the pseudo bulbs, and tuck it a at the sides to ensure that there is tome fresh compost for the new roots grow into. - 15266
Similarly, although vandas and related orchids can become extremely tall, they rarely create difficulties in terms of headroom. It is mainly the sympodial orchids (those that produce new growths from the base of the previous ones) that cause the most problems. These orchids will spread themselves out over the surface area of the pot and beyond. Some of the coelogynes and encyclias can increase their size in an incredibly short number of years.
The small plant acquired in a 10cm (4in) flower pot, which fitted neatly into the one small space left on the ledge, will, after a year or two, require repotting into a larger pot, and before very long it will no longer fit into the allotted space. In time, this neat little plant may grow to giant proportions, and even though it may have been described as a miniature type, when grown to its full size it may be small of stature in height but not in width.
The alternative to keeping your orchids whole, but containing their growth, is to divide them up into smaller pieces. This is regularly done with orchids and is a most successful way of reducing the size of a plant. However, with the smaller-growing species, it is often not until they reach a certain size that their full potential and true beauty can be seen.
Compared with other plants, orchids suffer few problems. From the start, make a habit of practicing good hygiene in the greenhouse, for example, by sweeping up dead leaves and other plant material from the floor.
Sometimes plants have to he divided where they have grown out in various directions, leaving a dead centre in the middle of the pot that cannot be disguised. When this happens, the best remedy is to remove the whole plant from the pot and divide the pieces into single plants, discarding the dead pseudo bulbs at the center. You are then left with several plants, each of which is probably the size of the original purchase.
These orchids can be grown on without too much disturbance for many years without taking up any more room than when th first arrived. Where you suspect that the comports (growing medium) has deteriorated. gently pushing down new growths tha are growing proud of the pot surface.
Carefully insert fresh compost, in the fine bark chippings, or a fine bark and peat, in between the pseudo bulbs, and tuck it a at the sides to ensure that there is tome fresh compost for the new roots grow into. - 15266
