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4 Orchids plants healthy dark leaves but “No” stem - Advice please!

LadyBusyBeeLadyBusyBee Posts: 15
in Problem solving
Evening, Morning, Afternoon....all, 
Would love some advice if anyone who have moth orchids (Phalaenopsis) that got to a point have no stem but with healthy dark green leaves.
The one that’s second from the left was double stem that I’ve had for 7 years, one on far left is a keiki from this orchid (6 years old) and only produce one stem. Other two I’ve had less. Stems I’ve always cut after all flowers have dropped off to just above the next node. But stem slowly dying further down the stem to now as you can see NO stems 😞 this didn’t happen on all of them but eventually gone.
Have always water with tap water with miracle-gro orchid feed during growing season.
Position is in my hallway.. (but have read they like the bathroom cause of the steam-anyone have theirs in there?) 
Something I read recently but has anyone tried this to place them in a cool, dark place and left alone for for 4/5 weeks to trigger new growth? Any advice is much appreciated 🙏🏼



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  • Nanny BeachNanny Beach Posts: 8,719
    They look perfectly fine and healthy, Are they in see through plastic pots, I know a lot of people swear by them, but McBeans Orchids,in Barcome Mills near Lewes, says you shouldn't use them.  I never use tap water only rain,spray the leaves as well, orchid mist food,only when they are in flower, I put pictures on another post on here, yes if they refuse to flower, they get put into a cooler bedroom for about 6 weeks, well, they used it,but they seem to like it here, I have about 15 flowering at the moment.
  • Nanny BeachNanny Beach Posts: 8,719
    If you want to see mine, they are under thread headed, Orchid, posted by ariadna.nakhmotova., starting 11th March
  • Nanny BeachNanny Beach Posts: 8,719
    sorry, bakhmotova
  • LadyBusyBeeLadyBusyBee Posts: 15
    Nanny Beach said:
    If you want to see mine, they are under thread headed, Orchid, posted by ariadna.nakhmotova., starting 11th March
    Hi Nanny B,
    You do love your orchids I must say. See that you have a few like mine but the only place that’s dark and is under the stairs but even that space is 18 degrees, will this do? Will it work this time of year? 
    The last time they flowered - taken 29 June 2019. Thanks 🙏🏼 


  • InglezinhoInglezinho Posts: 568
    Lovely - looking plants. The main problem with Phalaenopsis indoors is that they need a certain amount ( not very much) of bright light to reflower. I notice you have a mirror above them. I doubt if this is sufficient and the fact that they have not flowered recently confirms this. If you can give them 1- 2 hours sunshine either early morning or late evening, no more ( risk of burning the leaves) they will thank you. Winter in UK is a problem - lack of light. Either move them for a couple of months to south-facing or clump them together and put them under a grow-light. Good luck.
    Everyone likes butterflies. Nobody likes caterpillars.
  • bertrand-mabelbertrand-mabel Posts: 2,697
    These orchids have ariel roots that a lot of people don't like and so they cut them back.
    But these are the lifeline of these orchids.
    These need to show a green tip at the end and this shows you they are growing well.
    Ours are misted every day when they haven't had a water.
    They need high humidity.
    One of ours wouldn't open the flowers and taking it out of the pot...dead roots apart from the ariel ones.
    Now repotted and all is ok and the flowers are opening.
    They are on our kitchen windowsill which faces south/west.
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    edited March 2021
    Maybe find a friend with a cool, light (frost free) porch or similar and give the orchids to them for a few months. My understanding is that it is the temperature difference day to night that prompts new stems to sprout.

  • SueAtooSueAtoo Posts: 380
    I have two flowering beautifully on an east facing windowsill, a friend has hers in a big bright northwest facing kitchen window. I would use only rain water. Have you repotted them? The compost might be sour. I've just repotted a sulking one in orchid bark with a few shreds of sphagnum moss and it's perked up a treat. I'm also trying to remember to spray (the leaves only) daily - with rain water. 
    East Dorset, new (to me) rather neglected garden.
  • LadyBusyBeeLadyBusyBee Posts: 15
    Inglezinho said:
    Lovely - looking plants. The main problem with Phalaenopsis indoors is that they need a certain amount ( not very much) of bright light to reflower. I notice you have a mirror above them. I doubt if this is sufficient and the fact that they have not flowered recently confirms this. If you can give them 1- 2 hours sunshine either early morning or late evening, no more ( risk of burning the leaves) they will thank you. Winter in UK is a problem - lack of light. Either move them for a couple of months to south-facing or clump them together and put them under a grow-light. Good luck.
    Hi, thanks for your reply. This is my hallway in my new house since 30 Nov 18 and it did give me more blooms on my white and pink one then (picture taken end of June 19) since these blooms finished the stems started to die down the stem so had to cut at the base. 
    After learning which way my house face that helps benefits them, I search on YouTube on how to know which way and it faces south. My hallway does get quite bright, especially in summer.
    My previous house, they lived in my bedroom which done really well.
  • Nanny BeachNanny Beach Posts: 8,719
    I completely disagree and you have seen mine, not somewhere dark, somewhere cool, for a rest,so to speak, not somewhere bright.mine don't all have a stem, hubby removes them down to a node,if they are dead looking,they are removed completely,most of those ones flowers weeks and weeks,the cheapest ones with the huge white flowers will flower for months
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