Ditto!
I hate bud blast to pieces.
Next year my Aerangis distincta goes darker! Two years of bud blast, growing in the same spot, you'd think I'd learn! Duh.

I actually bloomed my Aerangis biloba this season - hanging right over the fish tank.
I think distincta is really tough to bloom.

Congrats!! The teaser for me is that it produces a happy spike (the last two years) than dries up!! I've tried more watering but now most of the leaves fell off!! So I'll try different light if it survives!

This plant... Slc. Hsin Buu Lady 'Y.T.' came from Lowe's last summer, and the only
change was taking it to the table a few feet away to photograph the spike
The spike stopped growing and is now turning yellow :thumbsdown:
Now I will wait until they bloom to take their pictures! I can't tell you how comforting
it is to hear that you all have this happen to your plants as well.

My worst and first bud blasts were on cyms! I'd get a nice spike full of buds and move them to a warm room to watch them open...er, droop and drop!!!!! :angry:
Now I bring them in for photo shoots or for a day of admiration when they have already opened. Then back to the cool room.

Kathy, when you say "cool room" - how cool are we talking?

Yeah i let my orchid flowers fully open in my greenhouse then bring them inside until the flowers finish. I find the Paphs i have are the longest to stay flowering and the flowers don't age abit.... for months. Oh and Vandas are the same. I only get a few weeks out of my Catts. but i think i expect to much.. like my paphs. hehe!

Cool room=50-55 degrees F. Good for Masdevallias, Cymbidiums, some Dendrobiums, Lycastes, rupicolous laelias, Sarcochilus, Draculas, Neofinetia falcatas, etc.

Lowe's had neem oil on sale for $1.50 a bottle..and I was wondering if it is ever used on orchids?

Thanks, Kathy - I will avoid all of the above, lol!

lindsey- was it 100% neem oil or with other stuff added. Google it and read up because yes you can use it on plants but after reading about it its kind of scary. Saying it doesn't kill the pest straight away it effects the pests hormones. Sends things sterile i think. What would it do to us?

Hi Lindsey, I use Neem oil in my continuing battle with mealy bugs. It is somewhat effective. I forget the exact particulars, but it causes the insect to not want to eat. You need to give the plant a complete soak for it to work. And you need to re-apply after a week or so. I generally give the plants that spend the summer outside 2 or 3 doses in the weeks before I bring them in.

Bill

Just make sure it's diluted enough.

so it doesn't harm orchids at all. You soak your orchids in it, pot and all bill?

Hi Bree, Yes pot and all. It doesn't kill on contact but affects the insects metabolism and they die in several days because they can't eat. It really just seems to keep mealys under control, I've never totally eradicated them. Neem doesn't do anything to the eggs the insects have laid in the media, thats why you need to use it again after a week or so. I've sprayed it on buds also and the only buds that didn't make it were on Paph. delenatii. I never could decide if the Neem(I was rather heavy handed) or the mealys did the buds in.

Bill

I used it too strong once and it burned many leaves. I've always used a Bayer product, Rose and Flower spray.

Well, thank you all for your input! I have been using the Bayer product myself (not as often as I should though!)
Bill, did you use the mixing directions on the bottle and use that strength on your orchids?

Yes Lindsey, I always follow the mixing directions on any pesticide/ botanical agent I use. I figure the people that make it know more than I do. I would rather not use any thing but sometimes you have no choice.
The first time I had mealy bugs, they were so bad, I had visions of them getting under the pots enmass and carring the plant off.

Bill

I know about that! I have these ancient clivia plants that were so totally taken over,I had
to cut all the leaves off, take the plants out of the pots and soak them in some systemic.
It broke my heart. They did survive, but to my dismay, I discovered mealy bugs on them
this past weekend, not as bad as before but still, it doesn't take many to walk away with
your pot!

Lindsey, Neem is one of those organic things can/may have many beneficial effects. If you google "neem", you can read for days. Here is just one link.
http://www.discoverneem.com/

I have used it and it does eradicate some insects others use it to fatten up, but it does make lovely shinny leaves when spritzed on leaves, guaranteed.