Question
Thanks for your help.
The plants that are not blooming, should I be repotting them or leave them alone ? ( I don't want to kill them in the process )I did save the tags from both these plants but they are just named phaelenopsis. Both were grown in Canada. One was small white flowers with maroon dots, the other very large pink flowers.

Thanks,
Neeraj
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The text above is a follow-up to ...

-----Question-----
I have two plants that I cut the spikes off after blooming.
One looks healthy, but on the other, middle leaf is shriveled. Though some roots dried out, I do see new roots emerging. The shriveled one was bought last April in bloom. The other last September. When can one expect another spike and what is the best care I can give now to revive them. I am in Boston, Mass area.

I also rcvd another gift of phalaenopsis with multiple spikes and many buds, but most fell off. The remaining 5 have bloomed after 2 months. I have no idea of the name since there was no tag. By looking at pictures on the net, it looks similar to one of carmella's pixie hybrid. What can I do to keep this one healthy.

Thanks,
Neeraj
-----Answer-----
Hello Neeraj,

Phalaenopsis orchids bloom once a year.  Most initiate spike formation in the fall and are in flower in mid to late winter.  But why can you buy phals in bloom all year round, you ask?  Good question.  (grin)  Commercial growers manipulate the light and temperature in their growing area to force them into spiking and blooming.  How do they do this?  Another good question.  They control the amount and length of sunlight exposure while also lowering the night time temperature to about 55 F.  

To get your phals to bloom may be a little late now but you can try placing them where night temperatures will be around 55 to 60 F.  As for the one with a leaf shriveling, if it is the only leaf exhibiting that, there may not be a problem but if other leaves begin to do this that would indicate a problem that needs your attention.  That they are producing new roots is a good sign.  

Buds falling off without opening could be caused by several factors.  One is exposure to a sudden temperature change greater than 15 F, second is ripening fruits nearby, third is lack of air circulation, fourth is very low humidity.  

Phals prefer temperatures between 60 to 85 F, humidity above 50%, light air movement, bright but indirect sunlight.  Water when the potting media becomes barely moist, kept constantly wet and the roots will die and rot.  Feed them with a balance type fertilizer recommended for orchids but at 1/4 to 1/2 the suggested amount.  In the Boston area you probably can grow them in full sunlight in winter and partial sunlight in summer with mostly afternoon shading.  

Without a tag identifying them, it would be difficult to say what their names are.  There are literally thousands of hybrid phals and many look very similar with only very minor differences in color, size and shape.  

Hope this answered your questions.  If you have other questions or would like further explanation of the above, write back and I'll try to help with them.  

Jim Kawasaki
San Jose, Ca.

Answer
Hi Neeraj,

Unless you suspect there is a problem with any of them, I'd wait until late March to repot them.  One thing about phalaenopsis orchids, they love being repotted annually.  The primary consideration in choosing a potting media is that it be somewhat open and able to retain some moisture around the roots.  Some garden centers and nurseries that sell orchids carry orchid potting media along with various other potting supplies.  

Finding the name of phalaenopsis is pretty difficult due to the fact there are so many that look so similar.  If there is some information on the tag other than Phalaenopsis, it might be possible to determine what nursery it came from then contact them to see if they can identify it.  Other than that, just enjoy them when they bloom.  

Sorry I couldn't be of more help.  If you would like some guidance on how to repot them when it is time, write back and I'll give you some instructions on how to do it.  It really isn't hard, just takes a little time.  

Jim