Phal species folks - tetraspis culture

Elena · May 6, 2009

It seems we have some Phal species growers here so I'm hoping you guys could give me some pointers.

I've been growing my tetraspis 'C#1' for couple of years now. It's a decent size (individual leaves up to 10 inches long) and grows well but it still won't flower. I tried it under a number of different conditions (high light, low light, natural, artificial, warm, cooler etc) to no avail. Any tips? What time of the year should it flower and is there anything I can do to trigger the flowering?

Thanks in advance!

nikv · May 6, 2009

What temperatures do you give it throughout the year?

Elena · May 6, 2009

I moved it around a fair bit because I'm never quite sure what sort of conditions it needs so the temps varied depending on location.

In the grow room under lights it would be around 25c day - 17c night on average. A bit colder during the winter and warmer during summer. On the windowsill it would probably be more like 23-15C +/- depending on the season.

cnycharles · May 6, 2009

tetraspis definitely appreciates shady conditions, so shady that growers report that it can grow/flower well while placed underneath a shelf of other orchids/plants. also likes to be on the warm side with good humidity. it's reported that they are only found growing in the wild on branches hanging a few feet over the water in a swamp. along with the high humidity there should be fairly strong air movement. also suggested to use warm water, as the average low temps at night are a balmy 75F, and the record low is 66F. it probably rarely gets into the 60's...

if it's growing really well but won't flower, sometimes that can be a sign that it is too 'happy' with too much fertilizer, or nitrogen. your pointing out that it is big and grows well might be pointing out that it has no stress and has lots of food, so it isn't concerned about 'reproducing'. some phals can colonize the tree where they are growing if conditions are pretty good from growth, but may need a little stress here and there to wake it up. sometimes phal species that grow in monsoonal areas have a flowering trigger that is tied to the first 'chilled' rainfall that comes into an area, usually at the beginning of the rainy season. the weather data for where tetraspis is found shows a bit drier in winter, and the summer ranges from 9 to 13" of rain a month! ...the dry season is only a few inches a month

Elena · May 6, 2009

Thanks a lot Charles!

I can do warm, shady, humid and in front of the fan quite easily in my grow room. I think I'll begin by re-potting it and see what it says to a little disturbance. I'm noticing some new root growth right now so it's probably a good time to do it anyway.

I'll keep the dry winter in mind too.

suss16 · May 6, 2009

Based on my experience I agree with Charles... I have 4 tetraspsis - 2 C#1's, one regular and a so called speciosa. All are in spike/bud right now - all with 3 spikes - and three are first bloomers. I grow warm, min 63 night temp, lots of air movement, low light and min 65% humidity. Max daytime temp in summer is 85. Hope this helps... I do fert almost every watering - at least 100 ppm N.