phal spiking habits

[gal]

Hello,

I have a two questions regarding Phal spiking habits.

1. I have a phal that I had for three years and it flowered every
year. This year flowers were gone about two months ago. Now it has a
new spike and I estimate it will flower in one month. Why does this
happen? Is it common to have two flowering cycles in one year and if
yes how to do it?
2. Some times I see Phals with two spikes for sale - which are more
expansive. Will this plant always give two spikes or is it a lucky
year? Is it possible to force the Phal to generate two spikes?

Regards

Gal

[Ray @ First Rays Orchids]

Depending on the species in the background, phals can carry multiple spikes,
particularly if they are well-grown and healthy. My Phal Sogo Redfox has
typically carried between seven and nine at a time.

Buying a plant with multiple spikes may show that a plant is capable, but is
no guarantee of that happening again.

Good culture, maturity, and genealogical background all play a role.

--

Ray Barkalow <> First Rays Orchids
http://www.firstrays.com
Secure Online Ordering & Lots of Free Info!

"gal" <gsde...@netvision.net.il> wrote in message
news:9230dd33.02123...@posting.google.com...

[Iris Cohen]

<< I have a phal that I had for three years and it flowered every year. This

year flowers were gone about two months ago. Now it has a new inflorescence and

I estimate it will flower in one month. Why does this happen? Is it common to
have two flowering cycles in one year and if yes how to do it? >>

Your phal is going to flower again because 3 months ago you probably had an
unusual cold spell. It is not common for phals to flower twice in one year, but
in Israel, anything can happen. ;-)
Commercial greenhouses manipulate blooming times of phals by providing a short
period of more intense light & fertilizing followed by about two weeks of
temperatures below 15 C. The plants bloom about 4 months later. Under home
conditions, it may or may not work, depending on the ancestry of the plant.
According to Rebecca Northen (I think), once a hybrid phal has bloomed, it
tends to flower about the same time every year without chilling.

<< Sometimes I see Phals with two flower stems for sale - which are more
expensive. Will this plant always give two inflorescences or is it a lucky
year? Is it possible to force the Phal to generate two inflorescences? >>

It is a combination of luck, the size & age of the plant, genetics, and
culture. If you have a plant that has produced two flower stems already, you
can probably do it again with adequate fertilizer & other optimum conditions.

Iris,
Central NY, Zone 5a, Sunset Zone 40
"The trouble with people is not that they don't know but that they know so much
that ain't so."
Josh Billings (Henry Wheeler Shaw), 1818-1885