Orchid flowers won't open fully
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I have this lovely phalaenopsis orchid that I bought a few months ago. It had 2 bloom spikes & the other one had blossoms that were fully open. They have since fallen off, leaving the 2nd spike of blooms. As you can see, the 3 sepals are fully open but the 2 petals are still cupped around the throat. At first I thought that they were just a newer spike & would finish opening within a few weeks but they haven't. Can anybody tell me what could cause this & what, if anything, I can do to get them to open the rest of the way?
10 answers
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Perhaps the location is too bright? Supposedly the darker the space the more fully open the flowers will be. Within reason, of course. If the room is really dark the buds won't open.
![Douglas Hunt]()
Douglas Hunt
on Nov 12, 2014
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I spent 29 years in the floral industry, here are a few tips. Orchids can last for months...if they are in the right location. I think Doug has a good point about the sunlight. Also, I would stress to not have them in a spot that receives air movement. ( under a vent, ceiling fan, by a door) Also, make sure when you water them that they don't sit in water for more than 5 minutes, or just run the water through the container. It must have drainage holes. When the last bloom falls off, cut your stem 1" above where the first bloom was. In 50% of the time, a new stem of blooms will appear. It is a slow progress though. Lastly, you can always keep the plant and put a good quality stem of silk orchids in. Harder to detect with the natural foliage!
![Peggy Henderson]()
Peggy Henderson
on Nov 12, 2014
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thank you thank you!! to @Douglas Hunt and @Peggy Henderson for the comments and the pointers. I'm off work from a surgery and my co-workers gave me an orchid from Pao Tau, Taiwan. It is my first - I've always been nervous owning one. I'm a little crazy attached to all my plants :) and nervous to not do right by an orchid - they are such an amazing creation! Beautiful just doesn't properly describe them!
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Rose Rhyner
on Nov 12, 2014
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It may be one last bloom. You can always give it a few weeks, and then cut it down to the 1" above the first bloom. I am very impressed with your watering! Orchids tend to bloom once a year when the cold weather hits, in Texas anyway. I'm glad you like the idea of the silk blooms. Just stick that in and wait for the cycle to continue. When it get ready to re-bloom, try the weak fertilizer each time you water. It really won't hurt to do it all the time anyway. :)
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Peggy Henderson
on Nov 12, 2014
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The American Orchid Society website has information galore. Light, temperature, and correct watering are all important. On the www.aos.org site you can get specific information on your phalaenopsis and also on general orchid growing. Phalaenopsis are fairly easy to grow successfully so check out the site. That is a pretty one!
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PattyAnn
on Nov 13, 2014
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Oh I forgot to mention that I would cut the spike and let the plant put its energy elsewhere. It won't put up another spike until probably Spring but then you will be rewarded with a beautiful long-lasting display of flowers.
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PattyAnn
on Nov 13, 2014
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Sure wait and see what happens. For the AOS website info go to the website - right under the heading is the menu bar - click on All About Orchids and then pull down to AOS Culture Sheets. You will then see on the right side of the page a list of the orchids - click on Phalaenopsis and it will give you a printable PDF of the growing instructions. The $65 is for a membership which you don't need in order to use the site. Good luck on that and let me know if you have a problem.
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PattyAnn
on Nov 13, 2014
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First and foremost, do not touch the blooms. The oil in your hands will make them go bad fast. Second, so to the original question, take the plant back to where you bought it, ask for a replacement. Ask them for info on proper care of an orchid. They are very peculiar plants.
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JESS
on Nov 16, 2014
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This is what's known as "peloric," where the petals try to mimic the fancy lip of the orchid. It can be a result of genetics or chemicals. If it's genetic, it will always bloom like this; if it's chemical, it won't be like this next bloom cycle. Some people hate them, some people like them. I think they're very interesting and lovely because they're different. Yours is very pretty!
![Darlene McMillan Norton]()
Darlene McMillan Norton
on Feb 06, 2016
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![Jane Hammond Guerin]()
Jane Hammond Guerin
on Aug 13, 2017
I bought an orchid that looks just like this, from Home Depot. I thought the blooms would open, but they are not. I think it must have to do with the growing conditions. I have another 4 year old orchid that started blooming again when I started watering with orchid fertilizer "weakly" weekly. One bloom shoot started in January and has 11 blooms on it - fully in bloom by May of this year. The other shoot has been blooming since last November. It's down to 4 blooms but another is coming. I believe in watering with fertilizer weakly weekly.
Douglas Hunt
on Nov 12, 2014
Peggy Henderson
on Nov 12, 2014
Rose Rhyner
on Nov 12, 2014
PattyAnn
on Nov 13, 2014
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