My flower heads on my Peacock Orchids are shriveled up dead -- Why?

I have grown Peacock Orchids many years and they have always been wonderful producers but this year they are all shriveled up dead. I have very very few that are healthy. The greenery seems just fine but the flowers while they have emerged are sickly or dead. The only thing I have done differenct this year is put most of them in pots so I would have an easy time this fall. These buldbs have to be stored in the basement in the winter. These bulbs came from Wal-mart where I have always had good luck before with these bulbs. Anyone else have dead peacocks??

My flower heads on my Peacock Orchids are shriveled up dead -- Why?
Are these Acidanthera bicolor?

http://www.sd1new.net/GardenPages/peacoc...



These are not orchids at all, they're in the Gladiolus family. I'm not sure what area of the country you're in, but drought is one of the better ways to zap flower buds before they get a chance... Putting them in pots will increase the water stress as opposed to being in the ground, but if they've been well watered, that shouldn't make a difference. What zone are you? Brent %26amp; Becky's nursery in zone 7b says that they overwinter there in the ground with a heavy mulch.
Reply:I don't have peacock orchids, but have experience with orchids in general. You did not state what zone you are in, and whether you keep your orchids indoors or out. Most orchids do better in pots, since they are often finicky.



Sounds like after a few years, your orchids are pooped. Do you keep dividing them each lifting? Some need a few years before they are divided. With as damp as the weather has been around here (NE PA), often bulbs rot, and will produce poorly. Do you have good resources for fertilization? Many orchids cannot tolerate heavy fertilization.



Since they are considered specimen plants, after a few years most orchid bulbs need top be replaced. Sorry! Wal-Mart does have nice specimens, but often their handlers are inexperienced, leading to over watering and over-fertilization, and overcrowding.



Sounds to me like you got a specimen that was forced, and then was in it's latter half of its life. Your best bet is to get some new bulbs. At best keep trying to regrow the ones you have, but prune the flower heads as soon as they emerge next year, to allow the foliage to provide nutrients to the bulb. Never cut or prune (or disturb) any orchid foliage until the plant is completely dormant (and all the leaves are brown and dried) when lifting.



Hope this helps! Good luck!