Orchid Board - Most Complete Orchid Forum on the web ! - Beginner Discussion

keeping surface roots moist after repot in bark

squarebear — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:57:58 GMT

Dear all,
I am brand new to keeping orchids (as in I just received my first two plants last Thursday in the mail). They are two Phal hybrids, described on the grower's website as "blooming to near blooming" size. They came in 3" green pots in bark. I live in Boston, and the plants are in an eastern window, on a humidity tray, with a fan for air circulation. I check the moisture in the bark with a wooden chopstick to see whether or not I should water, and had only watered once thus far (last Sat.). I used Brita filtered water. I mixed fertilizer using Ray's calculator to 125 ppm N and will use that with each watering, planning to flush the pots once each month.

Although everything seemed to be fine above the bark, after reading this board as well as First Rays' site extensively over the past week or so, I decided it would be wise to repot the plants, so that I could see what was going on with the root systems. So I ordered some bark, "chunky seedling mix," from the same vendor, and it arrived yesterday. I brought some water to a boil last night, threw some bark in there, and let it soak overnight. This morning I drained it and sprinkled a bit of cinnamon in, and mixed it all up.

Well, I just finished re-potting, and the roots were... not great. The bark had disintegrated in the bottom half of the pot and the poor things were suffocating. I cleaned off the old bark, cut away the rotten roots, and put alcohol and cinnamon on the "wounds."

On one plant there are three relatively new-growth, healthy, thick green roots that are about 2-3 inches long, and one questionable one that was still firm and thick but brown (possibly staining from the bark?), so I left it on.

The other plant only has one healthy root, again, a new growth root, which is about an inch and a half in length. It also has a brand new root growing; it was just a tiny nub last week when I received the plant, but is now about a half an inch long.

After the surgery, I re-potted them in the same pots with the new bark. Perhaps the plant with only one root would benefit from "sphag 'n bag," but I don't have any sphag at the moment, so I am stuck with the bark for now.

Since all of the roots left on these plants are relatively short, they are pretty close to the surface of the pots. I understand that humidity, warmth, and shaded light are important after a re-pot, so to keep the healthy roots from drying out and encourage growth, should I mist the surface bark when I see it drying out? Should I maintain the roots at a green color, or wait to mist until they turn silvery grey-green? Should I leave the fan off to prevent over-drying? Any suggestions are welcome.

Pics of the plants after re-potting are attached. Thanks!
Attachment 38836

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I'm going to an Orchid Show in RI today YEAH!!

Country Gramma — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:30:23 GMT

I'm so excited. :drool: I could hardly sleep last night. I'll let you know what I couldn't resist!!! :photo:
Karen (/udb)

Has my Den had too much Nitrogen?

lais817 — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:20:53 GMT

Title says it all, has it had too much Nitrogen or not enough light, or a mix of the two? Also, the terminal leaf always seems to fall "upside-down" and is unable to support itself, not sure if this is related to the above question or not.

New Den followed me home

lais817 — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:53:16 GMT

Hey guys, just wanted to share my new 'chid, Den Chao Praya Sweet X D. Somsak. Gonna mount him up on a nice piece of hardwood and see how it goes.

Questions About S/H (Beginner)

Windy — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:27:41 GMT

Been reading up a bunch and am confused (again :rofl:).

Looking at the plant photos using S/H method, I can't tell the difference between clear plastic pots versus the S/H pots (they both have holes). What's the difference?

Also, do you still use a soaking method for watering? Or, is the pot put into a tray filled with fertilized water?

I've purchased so much stuff (fertilizer [MSU], pots, media) for my orchids and don't want to buy more. They're growing very slowly (each has progress), but I have problems keeping up with watering them. I'm thinking of trying S/H (I have a bunch of lava rock).

Please help ID my latest sticky pot orchid

Judi — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:43:17 GMT

I went to my favorite nursery yesterday for sunflower seeds for the birds, and also came home with two orchids. Classic case of sticky pot syndrome�orchids always follow me home :) One was a Sharry Baby, but the other one was missing its tag so I�m not sure what it is. It was 50% off because it is near finished flowering so I figure it needed a rescue. I�m thinking it might be a Miltonia :scratchhead: I�m attaching pictures, could someone please ID it for me? I want to make sure I give it the proper care it deserves. I also noticed it has some newer growth that are floppy and yellow; and it also has some black marks on this growth, the spots seem to be in the leaves�they don�t come off and are not bumpy or anything like that. I wasn�t overly concerned because it does have a tiny new growth that seems quite healthy. Can anyone please tell me why this is happening and if there is something I can do to make it better?

Next week I have to go to the pet store to buy crickets for my tarantula�wonder what else I�ll come home with :rofl:

Thanks in advance for your help!

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Sharry Baby back bulb success

Phyrex — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:49:44 GMT

I had to repot my Sharry Baby but didn't have a larger pot for S/H so I chopped off some back bulbs and decided not to chuck them but just pot them up and see what happens. Here's the result. Happy me. I was worried because nothing was happening and the bulbs were getting really ugly.

It's growing quite nicely now I hope it will put out some roots soon as the back bulbs are not looking that good anymore.

The leaves fell of the back bulbs recently. I need some roots soon.

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Never seen/heard of, before...

musicloveranthony — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 02:15:09 GMT

So, the first orchid I bought as a seedling is coming into bloom. Literally overnight, the lower leaf bracts extending about an inch up onto the leaves turned dark brown with sticky brown exudate. I assumed I had let water get between the leaf bracts from a plant above it on the rack, so I sprayed with phyton and put it right in front of the fan. Today, the leaves started flopping to the side, so I assumed the roots must be involved. I unpotted the plant and found that the brown infection all visibly lead to one root. The root was soft and black, So I removed it by hand.

Now, this is the part I've never seen or heard of: The root was oozing pus (I mean purulent, thick, creamy yellow pus) when I pulled it off the plant. The root juncture with the plant was visibly swollen and oozed pus, when squeezed. I Had no idea where to go from here, so I soaked the plant in phyton for a few minutes and repotted it in clean medium, isolated from my other plants.

Has anyone heard of, or seen this before?? I'm sorry I didn't take pictures, but it was really quite disgusting to me. I've cared for patients with some pretty intense wound infections before, but there's something unsettling about a purulent plant infection that I am not ok with :(

Need to know where to start

Grant — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:31:38 GMT

Hi I am new here, however, I have been growing flowerless orchids for years! :rofl: I need the title to a decent book for orchid care. I recently kicked out all of the orchids residing in my lanai and attached them to the trees in my yard so nature can take care of them. I can keep them green and growing but they never bloom. I scolded them and kicked them out so either they will bloom and beg for forgiveness or I will get some good info and raise some orchids in my lanai. I figure the others wil be jealous then and want to come back. Please help if you can.

What to do with a seasonally confused Orchid

Kaykay — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:33:42 GMT

:waving
I have a number of confused Orchids. They seem to have wintered already and come out of dormancy. I think this might have been to do with my central heating (which isn't too hot, but still a factor!) I grow in my appartment with carefully selected places for each orchid- so lack the luxury of an allocated place to keep them.
My general approach so far has been just to watch and respond to the plant, but I'm concerned this might mean that they don't get enough rest. The particularly confused ones are a Brassia Chieftain seedling (verrucosa x longissima) and Den nobile which are both shooting out new growths and roots with great enthusiasm. I'm careful about position as regards heat and light. s

I just wanted to know what your approaches are with the same situation. Listen to the Orchids, or treat them like naughty toddlers who have decided that 3am on Christmas day is a reasonable waking hour!!!! And, would there really be a problem with blooming for the Den next year if I just go with the flow? (Brassia is prob. a year or so off blooming size)

thanks for your wisdom!
Kay

Should I mount my BLC?

lais817 — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 04:25:48 GMT

Hi guys, my missus recently bought a BLC "Toshi Aoili" from a local orchid show, and I'm not really sure what to do with it. It's currently growing in a mix of pinebark and perlite, with a piece of styrofoam in the base, I'm assuming to hold the stake which it's attached to.

The questions I have are:

Should I mount this plant; how do they grow mounted?

What kind of light requirements does it have? I'm used to growing dens and vandas, and they get full sun with some shade, what do BLC hybrids like? I live in tropical Australia, we get days of about 100 degrees and about 90% humidity with monsoonal rain for half the year, then days of 64-82F during the cooler months with less humidity and no rain, but of course I water.

Any help would be appreciated guys!

mini medium

greenmom — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:25:59 GMT

Hi,

Have a few questions.

first being I was at the store the other day, found some mini phals, so picked up two.

VERY cute! I can see why people prefer them :biggrin:

Anyways I was wondering what medium would be best for them? is traditional bark to large? Any special care tips?

I also have a light question, for 4 phals (2 mini) and a den phal. I am in Canada (south western Ontario) so not much light, I had them in a small west window but moved them to a large south facing window (we have no east windows, 2 large south facing, 4 small north and 3 very small west facing), wondering if this seems good or too bright. They are in a tray of pebbles with water, pic was taken at about 2pm when sun is very bright (pretty much as bright as it gets during the day).

Also was wondering if I open a window and let a cool fall breeze in would that be too cool for them? (its about 10 C here (which is about 50 F for the Americans)).

I am really enjoying my orchids.:D

I have attached pictures. Thanks in advance.

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Cymbidium with Spots in Colorado

gedaste37 — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:10:15 GMT

Hi from Colorado,

I'm a newbie on the site. I've been growing Phals and doing pretty well. Have a question on my Cymbidium that I have had for a year now. Don't have a name for it since I got it at Whole Foods. What can I do about the spots? Are they bad, should I spray it with something? Why are my leaves turning brown? Had to repot this summer and the roots were all packed in. I wasn't able to separate it much, did the best I could. Half of the roots were just dried up. So many questions so little time. I have attached photos.

Any suggestions welcome. Thanks!

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Homemade orchid reference book

basicallyeileen — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:40:17 GMT

Hello all. I thought I'd share an idea I recently had. I've started growing types of orchids that I never had before. I wanted an easy way to reference their individual culture without having to flip through my reference books or the internet (I'm over 40 so I can't remember everything so well as I used to :)).

I used excel, but you could use whatever program you like. I printed on heavy cardstock, and 1/2 size letter paper. I've included points that are important for me: water, light, temp, potting, flowering, special requirements, notes. I use pictures of my own orchids for reference. Then you just hole punch and connect with book rings. You can add or revise pages easily whenever you want. It's working really well for me. Maybe it would be helpful to other growers. Eileen

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Help with Sphag n' Bag Techniques

Douglas Scanlan — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 18:17:35 GMT

I have a phalaenopsis I need to encourage new root growth on. It looks OK from the crown up with 4 healthy looking leaves (a couple of the lowest ones turned yellow and fell off earlier). There is still a network of living roots that are struggling but green in some places, dry and withered in others. I have already cleaned the roots up and am ready to bag. I am looking for a bit of advise, considering I am getting conflicting information from different sources.

1. One online source said to leave the bag open with the leaves and crown poking out. Other sources seem to advise bagging the whole plant crown leaves and all, and to seal the bag. Does anyone have experience with this one way or another?

2. Some sources have advised potting the plant in sphag and then placing the potted plant inside the bag, pot and all. Other sources say under no circumstances allow the plant to come in contact with the sphag inside the bag. Which system works best?

3. How about using a horicultural heating pad under the bagged plants?

4. Are there any fertilizer solutions or tonics that work well for a damaged plant being bagged for new roots? One source I found advised against using traditional fertilizer on a compromized plant trying to grow new roots. Other sources seem to encourage it.

Thanks so much for any advice you can offer

Mold Growth

Judi85 — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:29:05 GMT

So i brought home a Dracula Vlad Tepes the other day and all was going fine till i noticed this morning that mold was growing on the moss in the top of the planter and the sides (he's in a mesh basket) so im not sure what to do sine ive never cared of a plant that needed so much humidity. he lives near our humidifier to keep up his need for 70% to 90% humidity. but im just not sure how to get rid of the mold and how then to prevent it from coming back

Terminal spike with keiki?

myzetapie — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 03:53:07 GMT

Hi guys, i hope im posting in the right place. Though ive has orchids for such a long time, i have never come across this issue. I was give this phal almost a year ago with so many healthy roots, leaves and gorgeous flowes. but unfortunately after it finished blooming, i noticed it got crown rot. i quickly took it out of its pot and cut off almost 95% of the roots as they were rotted and soaked it in hydrogen peroxide. i kept a close eye on it for a while and it seemed to have stopped the spread. Well, i left town for a few weeks and when i came back i thought i saw a new leaf growing! i was so excited but after a few more weeks i noticed another little leaf coming out of the center of the newer leaf which was still tiny itself. my guess is that its a terminal spike... what im not sure of is why it has two leaves...is it trying to push out a keiki before it dies? it definitely has no good roots at all and the two remaining leaves are very soft and thin. i will try to post pictures from oldest to newest on here, if not they will be in my albums..... anyones opinion advice will help me a lot!!! the odd new growth has occurred all within two months but now seems to have stopped. what do you guys think??

Questions for Youngish Orchid Growers

epiphyte78 — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 01:15:09 GMT

The following is a survey for youngish (<40 yrs old) orchid growers regarding their nearest Local Orchid Society (LOS). As the publicity person for my society I figure the answers might be helpful for the leaders of societies. Thanks in advance for your participation!

How old are you?
How long have you been growing orchids?
Are you in school or working?
Are you a member of your LOS?

If your nearest LOS...

had a monthly e-Newsletter would you subscribe to it?
had orchid how-to videos on youtube would you watch them?
had a facebook page would you become a fan of it?
had a flickr group would you join it?
had a twitter account would you follow them?
had their own forum would you participate on it?
had an RSS feed of orchid articles would you subscribe to it?
sold orchids on craigslist would you buy them?

Would you be more inclined to join/rejoin your nearest LOS if they...

offered free membership for students?
offered free membership for anyone under 30?
received a 10% discount at local orchid nurseries?
received a 20% discount at local orchid nurseries?
received a 30% discount at local orchid nurseries?
offered tours of their members' greenhouses/gardens?

On a scale of 1 (least important) to 10 (most important) how would you rate the following items...

a good selection of reasonably priced orchids for sale at every meeting
a good selection of raffle orchids
weekend meetings
more young members
knowledgeable members
friendly members
interesting presentations
an extensive orchid library

Please feel free to offer any specific reasons why you haven't joined your LOS or why you continue to be a member of your LOS.

fluorescent light - Questions

Singingirl96 — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 18:12:42 GMT

Hello. I currently own 30+ orchids (phals, paphs, cats and dens). I have them in east and west windows. All my paphs, phals and dens rebloom fine. My cats on the other hand need a little more help. I have 6 and only 2 have rebloomed.

So I thought about adding a strip or two of fluorescent lights on the wire shelf where they are.

Question: I have 2 fish tank light hoods that I was thinking about using. What type of lightbulbs should I use? Should I get standard lightbulbs or are they special lightbulbs?

I looked at my local pet store and they have all kinds of sunlight lightbulbs that would fit on my hood. Can I get any suggestions from you on what to get? Thanks.

lowes baby orchid

orchidman77 — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 00:32:48 GMT

hey guys,

i bought a little cattleya orchid today from lowes that looked good.

Well, i thought it did. it's VERY dry and apparently has been for awhile. :(( leaves very flimsy (although still nice and green) and lots of dead, dry roots. it has 2 small new pseudobulbs forming though. :D

I watered it and put it in a bigger pot with rocks to stabilize it for now...should i keep it in more shade and mist????

Thanks-- :bowing

My Phal does not want to bloom...

Ornella — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 16:17:33 GMT

Hi... I am sooo disappointed. I have been watching a "flower spike" (that what I thought) on my Phal for half a year, waiting for flowers... and was wondering why it is all crooked and takes so long for flowers to develop..I even was trying to tie it to the vertical supporting wire. LOL... After observing my "flower spike" and searching the Web I learned that it is just an aerial root...LOL How silly.. I have a long way to go to learn about Orchids.
Well, I got this Phal in Feb 2008. It was blooming for months; after flowers dropped I cut the flower stem on a middle above the node. It is stayed like that for half a year. And I thought that a new flower spike will come out from the old. During that time my Phal developed new leaves but old flower spike got all brown and dry... I cut it off. And now this aerial root... So when I get my flowers? What should I do? I read that Phal can bloom twice a year. Mine does not want to bloom. Please help

Naming and culture: Phalaenopsis vs. Doritaenopsis

squarebear — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 15:30:10 GMT

I just received my first two orchids on Thursday - both Phals (or so I thought). When I ordered them from the nursery, the website listed the name of one of them as Phalaenopsis Newberry Perfection 'Pink Giant,' but when I received the actual plant, the tag in it read Dtps. Newberry Perfection 'Pink Giant.' Google tells me Dtps. = Doritaenopsis, a cross between a Phal. and a Doritis. Interesting!

So 2 beginner questions, if you all would be so kind:

1. Would it be incorrect to refer to this plant as a Phal.? Or maybe a better question would be, is there a naming scheme here that would be considered "most correct" when listing the plant?

2. Are there any differences in the culture of Phalaenopsis vs. Doritaenopsis?

Thanks!

Cutting the Inflorescence, reblooming, cutting stem

Douglas Scanlan — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:48:54 GMT

I am getting conflicting information from serveral on-line sources I have researched, regarding the cutting of the inflorescence of my orchid after the blossoms fall. I do understand I can either cut it down low, or try to get it to rebloom by cutting it up high. However one source advised not to cut any part of the inflorescence if it is still alive. Supposedly I should first see if the end of it is dry and dead, and only cut where it is dead.
Judging from one earlier orchid I had, and one of my friend's orchids, it may not die anytime soon. The first stem I ever cut was still all green and juicy a week after the blossoms fell, and my friend's orchid rebloomed from the old stem with no cuts made anywhere (although there were only a couple blossoms from the second blooming and obviously the plant never got the rest it may have wanted.)
Why do some sources advise not to cut until the stem dies? Do any of you have good results by NOT following that advice and cutting right after the blossoms drop and the stem is still green?
I'm uncertain how to proceed but my last blossom just fell today.

Order By Mail Outside U.S./GB

Acharn — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 10:25:49 GMT

Hope this is the proper forum to be using. I've been looking for retailers here in Thailand, and think I've found a couple, but it would be very nice if I could order from big suppliers in the States and UK. My pension is in U.S. dollars, and I have a couple of U.S. credit cards, so payment wouldn't be a problem, but I don't know about paperwork. Does anybody have any information about nurseries that sell to "foreign" countries?

Blooms throughout the year

IB STRAMEZI — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 06:42:32 GMT

Hi. I just built a 2'x4' orchid bench and hung a T-5 lighting system over it to supplement pretty dim natural light. I am new to orchids. How do I select plants now that will bloom at different times during the year? If I buy from a nursery, I'll just get varieties that bloom at this time, no?

Also, about how many plants can I expect to fit? I do have four oncidiums in a windowsill that I bought from a private party recently, and the leaves on those are quite large. Do phals and phaps grow to the same size?

Thanks.

Orchid Database???

Country Gramma — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 01:12:06 GMT

Hi,

I have 10 orchids now and am a newbie :waving. I figure before I get too many more I should get a database program that will help me out in keeping track of what I have, what I need to do for them, and what I want to get. :biggrin:.

What do you use and any suggestions would be appreciated. I've seen many different kinds but before investigating too much money I was hoping to pick some brains.:blowkisses:

Thanks, Karen

Amazing fragrance!

Nic100 — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 23:04:01 GMT

Mum bought me this lovely fella for my birthday. It's unbelievably fragrant - can't put my finger on what it is, but I get flashbacks to my Grandmother's medicine cabinet, something to do with milk-of-magnesia, but much more appealing. Strange! Can't keep my hands off it, or my nose out of it!

There was (of course) no label, other than the vendor, whose website calls it a 'Van Holm'.

I love it!

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Assessing Bloom-less Lot

jmforan — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 06:05:43 GMT

I have ~ 25 G/H orchids, mostly Cattleya family but hybrids from Catasetnae, Odontoglossum, Cymbidium, Miltonia, Brassia, and Vanda and Dendrobium plants. Several indoor Phaelenopsis too. Other than initial blooms from "in spike" plants, nothing has bloomed in one year except the indoor Phaelenopsis which faithfully do so year after year. Still these orchids chug along with roots, and new leaves. So I need a strategy that I can apply to this diverse group for fine tuning. I have had good ideas from Orchid Board on case by case basis. My theory of try lots and see what sticks apparently didn't work as far as blooming these plants goes. I see people with flowering plants apparently in basements that look stunning. Here is my partial list of plants:
Cattleya Family:
Lc Bonanza Queen
Blc. Jane Helton x Blc Toshie Aoki Pizazz
Blc. Chia Lin �Shinsu #1�
Blc. Chyong Guu Chaffich �Dixies�s Joy
Blc Malworth x C. Mrs. Mahler
Blc King of Taiwan
Leoapard X Robert Strait
Slc seagull�s mini cat heaven
C. Bactia grape wax

Cymbidium Family:
Cymbidiella rhodochila

Catasetinae (Cycnoches, Catasetums, Mormodes, Clowesia)
Morm. Exotic Treat x Cyc. (barthiorum x cooperi)

Odontoglossum
Mystery Hybrid

Eplc (epidendrum laeliocattleya)
Eplc Mae Bly

Miltonia/Miltoniopsis
Mtssa. Charles M. Fitch �Izumi�
Dgmra Winter Wonderland White Fairy

Brassia
Alcra. (Aliceara) Pacific Nova �Butter Buds�

Vanda
V. Robert�s Delight �ink blue�
Ascda. Christine Ang x V. denisoniana
Ascda. (Fuchs Delight x John DeBiase)
V. Tokyo Blue x V. Kasem�s Delight

Oncidium
Onc. Mimentison
Colmanara Jungle Cat �Burma Ruby� (Colmanara Jungle Everglades)

Dendrobium
d. Fleckerii.

Can you suggest where I might focus my efforts to optimize blooms, i.e. are there any "no brainers" in the bunch? Thanks.
Jon

Paph Question -- What's that growing?

Dooyen san — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 05:05:59 GMT

Hello! When I was watering my Paph, I noticed this little white-ish green sprout (?) growing beneath the barks. What is that? I'm new to growing orchids so I'm so clueless. Anyone know what that is? Thanks!

My startup Collection

raindeepak4u — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 01:55:09 GMT

Hi all Just recently start my orchid keeping Hobby.. these are some of my Hybrids that i have keeping..

Sansai Blue with questionable black speckles/spots on leaves

Sammy — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 22:17:19 GMT

Hi,

I have 2 phals, 2 paphs (or slipper orchids), 1 Dendrobium and 1 miltonia and am looking after these just fine.

I was after a Vanda for my birthday and was lucky enough to get one, a Sansai Blue. Needless to say i love it to bits. It came from a florist who has apparently had orchids for years. Yet when it was presented to me, it was dusty and the leaves looked pretty crappy. I cleaned the leaves with a damp tissue and the plant looks a lot happier now.

But upon closer inspection i noticed there are a few black bits on the leaves. A couple (litrally 2 or 3) black almost round dots and a few black speckles around the tips of a couple of leaves.

Now i have been looking all over the forums for some sort of definate answer, but figured getting pictures was the only way to get the best of all your brilliant advice.

My mum, (bless her) took it back to the florist who cut the bottom two leaves off (they looked a little ropey) and said there was no chance it could be any type of fungus.

What do you think?

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potting advice, please

VickiC — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:28:58 GMT

Hello,
Could you tell me what I should do with this orchid, if anything, please? The tag reads: TRCTM (Maureen x Haematochilum) Red Mule Ear Type. I bought it a few months ago and it has grown well since. It is a healthy plant with many new roots. I have been thinking lately about mounting it, but I don't want to do anything to hinder it's good health. Should I:
1.) Leave it as it is?
2.) Repot it in a larger pot now...preferable plastic?
3.) Repot it in a larger pot during active growing, which I gather is Spring/Summer?
4.) Mount it...now or when?
5.) Another option?
I would appreciate your advice,
Vicki

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New to Dendrobium growing - are these flower buds?

Hedge — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:24:57 GMT

I have been given a Dendrobium which is a nobile type hybrid which had been kept absolutely sodden at standard room temps about three feet from a south west window. There was mould growing on the top of the chopped bark and no drainage holes, so I unpotted it, removed the bark that was surrounding the inner pot, took it out of that and then left it to dry out (in an oversize pot with no extra bark) to recover. It has two new canes with deformed foliage at the top, twistedover on itself, is otherwise healthy and surprisingly it had no obvious root rot although they were very white. The roots are now a little browner and I have given some water by spraying the outer ones whilst the inner bark dries back.

It is now in a bright window sill getting four hours direct sun a day and night time temperatures have been around 62 F for the last three days, because autumn finally arrived with a cold snap.

It isn't showing signs of being deciduous but I assume that as a nobile hybrid it should have winter rest. So the reason for my question was to see whether winter rest was triggered by reducing water or by cooling. Inadvertently, I seem to be doing both!!

The above was written in the Which orchids do you give a winter rest? thread elsewhere on this board. I have since put in my cool greenhouse (minimum 5 deg C) and occasionally spray the roots with a little water. The mould has long gone, the leaves are still green on the younger cane and today I noticed these nodules forming on the stem - are they flower buds?

If So what do I do now - currently it isn't even properly in a pot!!

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Worm Tea (All Natural Fertilizer, Anti-Fungal, and Pesticide)

Douglas Scanlan — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:06:47 GMT

Does anyone else here have any experience with using "worm tea" as an orchid food. It is the concentrated excrement from worms (used in composting tanks) diluted in water at a ratio of 50 to 1. It is supposed to be a very effective all natural fertilizer as well as antifungal and peticide all wrapped into one. You can spray the whole plant with it, as well as water the roots with it. Claims are that it is so effective that it is almost like a growth boosting steroid- with miraculous results.
My question is whether I would have to be apply it only every other week like with chemical fertilizers, or if I could accually apply it as often as desired- perhaps even with every watering. Im not sure if this kind of fertilizer can burn the roots of my plants or not, but it is said to be high in nitrogen and phosphorous.

Winter Rest Question

tim abbott — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:57:21 GMT

It seems that some types of dendrobiums are the most common plants to require winter rest, but I am guessing there are various types of orchids that rest.

Does a resting period mean the plant is basically dormant for a while although remaining healthy? Is a the recommended culture to stop any fertilizing & reduce the watering schedule until you see new growth? I am guessing if the plant continues to show new growth then it isn't resting. Thanks.

Tim Abbott

Naming plants in the forum.....

Bolero — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 06:15:41 GMT

Hi guys,

For those of you who don't know, remember to list the genus name starting with a capital letter. Then the hybrid name will start with a capital and a species name will start in lower case.

I notice a lot of people are putting both hybrid names in lower case or both in upper case. I am not the grammar police (clearly!) but I think it's important when you post the name you make sure that it's done properly so we can immediately distinguish between a hybrid and a species.

Have a nice day!

Too Much Water?

Mevv — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 02:31:29 GMT

I'm kind of worried about my two dens. They are suppose to be going through a rest right now but they are so young, not even a year old and they haven't grown much from the stress of being shipped and damaged.

Right now the one is mounted and the other is in a 2in pot with bark. I'm watering the mounted one every other day cause it is completely dry by then, and the potted one every three days. Yet I see both are loosing leaves even though the one den is a evergreen variety. Am I watering them improperly still and causing them damage?

How often to water dendrobiums

grasshopper — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 23:29:23 GMT

I have two dendrobiums (no id...they were free and in need of TLC) that I've been watering once a week. Watering has been a thorough watering from the top, allowing water to flow through. One is potted in a 4" clear plastic pot between what looks like 2-3 pieces of wood and the other I repotted in a 4" clay orchid pot in Better Gro orchid potting medium.

These 2 are at my office where the humidity hovers around 25-30%. I have ordered a humidity tray for them, but once it arrives I will still be left with the question of whether or not I'm watering these guys enough.

I know that they like to dry out between waterings, but I'm not sure how to know when they are dry. Any advice would be helpful.

Oh, and the canes are rather plump, but there is some ridging/shriveling, and the orchid in the wood wedges has two new shoots growing (so I'm assuming I'm doing something right with that one).

Thanks!

Remounting plants

fotofashion — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 22:48:57 GMT

I recently bought three seedlings (among other plants). They are: Oerstadella centradenia, Laelia purpurata and Brassavola cucullata. They are mounted on cork and the mounts, in keeping with the size of the plants are quite small. In the future it will be necessary to remount these plants. They are growing nice roots and new leads. When the time comes, do I just fasten the old mount to a new, larger one? I cannot see trying to pry loose the roots, I know they would be damaged. Thanks for any advice.
Beverly A.

Pholiodota chinensis - Care

kinknstein — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:08:44 GMT

Hi Everyone :waving
I went to a really good orchid sale a few weeks ago, and picked up a ton of great plants. Got 25 chids for $35!! And there were some really great ones such as Blc Victoria 'Bluebird' and Slc Jewel Box 'Shehezerade', Lc John Mossman, Catt Chocolate Drop 'Kodama', just to name a few. I have a question on one of the chids though as I have never grown one before. I got a Pholiodota chinensis but I have absolutely no idea on care. I have placed her next to my Bifrenaria's and my Lycastes for the time being, but can anyone advise what type of care they require? I would especially appreciate if any one could tell me what light levels she would like, in footcandles if possible. Any other tips for successful growing would be greatly appreciated. :bowing

Phalaenopsis

SherriMac — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 05:45:55 GMT

If I bought a Moth orchid with 2 spikes on it....will it grow 2 spikes again? Or will it only have one spike?

Angraecum Veitchii

SherriMac — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 05:21:51 GMT

Can anyone tell me how to grow this orchid? Mine is about 12 years old and big....it has 4 flower spikes on it. I just got it about 2 weeks ago. The place that I got it from just had gotten it in and didnt have any info on how to grow it.....

To repot, or not to repot?

Angurek — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 04:49:37 GMT

...that is my question. :rofl:

I ask this because I have an orchid that I'm not sure what to do with. The plant in question is a Pes. lehmannii growing in an 8" plastic basket filled with Sphag. I want to put it in a 10" pot with bark because the sphag is beginning to deteriorate, and I don't want the roots to burn.

The problem is that many of the plant's roots are wrapped tightly around the basket, and I don't want to disturb the root system too much. Should I tease the plant out of the basket and put it into a pot, or should I simply pick out the moss and replace it with fresh medium?

I appreciate any and all help. :)

Lc. Yung Hua 'Bourdette' virus?

pbphut — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 02:15:36 GMT

I have a Lc. Yung Hua 'Bourdette' growing in S/H and seemingly doing well, but I'm noticing spots on the new growth that the older leaves don't have. Does this mean I have picked up a virus? Should I destroy the plant to keep it from infecting the others, or are the spots a natural manifestation on a more mature plant? I'd hate to get rid of it, as it has two sheaths that haven't bloomed yet, but I will if it will put my other 'chids in jeopardy.

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Rookie Mistake- buying a "Just Add Ice" orchid...

PJPerez — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 01:29:06 GMT

So being a newbie to orchids and well, caring for anything other than a cactus, I fell for the gimick of Just Add Ice orchids. Now that I've done some research it seems like the whole ice idea is a crock and actually harmful for my phal. Should I just ignore the instuctions and water it the normal way?

Where these good buys for $5 each? Laelias!

Singingirl96 — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 23:11:17 GMT

Hi all,

I'm pretty excited about these finds. I got them from a woman from an ad on craigslist.

One is Laelia purpurata var carnea, the other is Laelia pacava. I'm so curious to see if they'll do well in my house.

I have them on a west facing window sill. At her house, she had them under lights.

Here you go. Please look at these images and let me know if you see anything I should worry about... but overall I think they look good and healthy.

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Was this a good buy for $5? Sherry Baby Oncidium

Singingirl96 — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 23:01:53 GMT

Hi Folks. I can count on you to give me the straight dope.

I don't currently own any oncidiums so I'm not 100% sure if this is a healthy plant or not.

I purchase this plant along with two laelias for $5 each through an ad on Craigslist. I think it is a great buy, but it has some spots on the leaves and some of the bulbs are wrinkled and all.

Please take a look at these images and tell me if you see something that should be of concern.

I'm mostly worried by the spots on the leaves. It appears to be overall healthy with a nice root system.

The plant itself was very dusty and dirty. I thoroughly cleaned it with a damp cloth....

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Eastern Exposure

Douglas Scanlan — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 16:50:13 GMT

Every orchid growing manual suggests using an eastern windowsill for Phals and they only seem to suggest using a shade on the window if it is Southern. The sun shines directly in my Eastern window every morning. Do I need to protect my Phal from the direct morning rays which in the winter last until 10:30 or so?

Liquid MSU type fertilizer turned grey-blue is it ok?

Becca — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 16:30:11 GMT

For the fertilizer guru's....my liquid MSU type fertilizer has turned a grey blue color. I mix it into a liquid concentrate and keep the big batch in a gallon container, and then a smaller proportion of it in a 32 oz opaque bottle and refill it as needed. I keep both containers in two separate places...one in the basement in the storage room where it stays dark and the other under my kitchen sink where it is handy! Both containers probably don't get any cooler the 50 or 60 degrees. Anyways....I've noticed lately that both containers changed colors....from it's vibrant blue color to a dark grey-blue....is it ok to use? Is it still good? I got scared and started to poor it out and then stopped thinking some one on here might be able to tell me if it is still any good before I waste it all down the drain.

new leaves to grow

aries23 — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 19:28:10 GMT

Generally speaking how long would it take for an orchid to grow a new leaf? Weeks or months? A new spike? Anyone know?

How much light for Vanda Pachara Delight?

Tori — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 04:16:48 GMT

Im not sure how much light is enough or too much for my Vanda. I live in south Florida and have a balcony with western view? Any tips? Also, bloomed a week ago and flowers never fully plumped up. What did I do wrong? Help if you can, Im a total newbie but want to learn!!! Thanks! TORi

Leafless Phal

Billyc — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:33:04 GMT

Hi All,
I'm enclosing a photo of Phal Melody, which I purchased at a spring show.
It was outside May to Sept where it spiked.
Brought it into the house in late Sept, but all the leaves yellowed and dropped off. However the spike continues to elongate.
Photo shows freshly-watered roots which appear to be healthy.
Will it live to flower in this condition?
Attachment 38321

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Brassia Leaves Turning from green to yellowish

Robi — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:44:47 GMT

Brand new Brassia (not sure what kind) it was doing fine about a week then today I noticed the leaves are all turning yellow...please help I don't want to lose this plant.Also the flowers from the bottom are starting to wilt could that be because they opened first? Please tell me about light, watering etc for this type of orchid.
thanks,
Robi

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From seedlings in a flask to adulthood

Ephemere — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 01:47:56 GMT

I have many orchids in my collection, but they are all potted and doing well. I have never purchased seedlings in a flask, so am a novice in this field. My interest is in buying cattleya seedlings in a flask (price is $37.00 per flask before shipping, is that reasonable?). Approximately how many plants do flasks normally contain and how does one take care of these? Also, when can one plant the seedlings individually (size) and especially how does one go about that (procedure) since they are in a flask?

Thank you very much for your help and guidance!

Cheers, Michael

leaf clinic

jmforan — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 23:11:19 GMT

This Brassada (ada + brassia) Orang Utan Blc. King of Taiwan plant has leaf issues. Any ideas as to the cause? It grows in 2-3000 fc in G/H, 70% humidity between 65-85 F. Have had a little over a year. No blooms. Thank!!

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brassia blues

jmforan — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 23:06:15 GMT

This Alcra. (Aliceara) Pacific Nova "Butter Buds" has leaf issues. I've had it about a year now. Initially was in spike and had bloom shown but none since. It grow in G/H ~70% humidity temps 65-85 and southern indirect light varies 2-4000 fc, no shadecloth (under an oak tree). Fertilize weekly weekly. Any thoughts as to what to try? Thanks. :)

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Plastic Basket Removed from Vanda, Now What

Robi — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:24:53 GMT

I know you mentioned do it when it stopped blooming but I just couldn't look at that ugly basket anymore...I know you're thinking but it's still there...but at least its free from the bottom!!! I soaked the roots for about 40 minutes and cut the plastic away and where the roots where stuck I pried them off slowly only one spot did I break about an inch of root off... then I got some of the black dried out stuff as well... now how do I proceed? Should I let it rest before continuing? I don't want it to die. Thank you to everyone who has helped me in this process!!! I love this board!!

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what's happening to my orchid?? help

winterain — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:57:39 GMT

i'm new to orchid. bought several orchids last month... but 2 of the orchids got this "yellowing" leaves & "drying" spots on the leaves.. what causes it? could it be lack of fertilizer? or too much direct sunlight? too much watering? or too little watering? can somebody help me? here are the photos of my orchid...

thanks for your replies :)

Where can I learn... ?

Acharn — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 05:35:01 GMT

I'm pretty new to this. I did have some orchids about twenty years ago, and at the time I had a couple of pretty good books, but life intervened and that's long gone. I now have about a dozen plants that have been given to me in the last three months and one book, Ortho's All About Orchids which has the imprint of the American Orchid Society. It's very limited, only shows about 15 genera in its "gallery", but seems to be a good starter for beginners.

At this point I'd like to learn more about monopodials. So far I've got three. Two of them have bloomed and I'm sure they are vandas of some kind. I'd like to learn more about other monopodial genera. I don't have a lot of time available to search right now, so can anyone suggest good web sites? I'd also be interested in hearing recommendations for books that I should make part of my library. I'm probably never going to get into propagating or hybridizing, but I probably should learn more about those subjects as well. Oh, yeah, I should mention that I live in Thailand, so I'm more interested in those genera that are native to Asia.:biggrin:

Where to cut the stem? and any suggestions for better care.

kjp8128 — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:39:13 GMT

My Phal dropped its flowers, but a stem is peeking out see stem photo of a nub. I have posted a picture the nub is where the clip is. I already cut off the brown part of the stem but should I cut further down?
See roots photo-Also, last time I watered I noticed some of the roots deflated and turned brown. I do not prefer the medium that this plant is in. Is it possible to repot this plant or should I leave it alone?
If you look at the photo named pot of orchid you will notice that these roots look good. You will also notice that I had to cut two leaves off because they were yellow and about to fall off. I put some cinnamon on the orchid so it would not get infected. This picture is just to show that part of the plant. After seeing this pic should I do something to better care for this plant?

Thank you very much,
Katie

P.S. first time photo upload let me know if you cant open them.

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Three New Orhcids!

PitcherASAMD — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:47:21 GMT

:hello
Two packages arrived today from two great friends who sent me orchids! It's been a GREAT DAY!! Thanks Girls :)

Here at the pics:
1. Gastrochilus acutifolius
IMG_0120 on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
2. Oncidium sphacelatum 'Dancing Lady'
IMG_0121 on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
3. NOID Cattleya
IMG_0122 on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Enjoy!

-- Katie :)

Princess Mikasa dropped all leaves

Calvin — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:53:41 GMT

I'm new here, and also to orchids - got my first about 9 months ago.

Among the beginning orchids was a Princess Mikasa, Blue. It's in a slatted wood container with coarse cork. It has been doing well, bloomed in late spring.

I water it weekly and mist between, light fertilize bi-weekly.

Within the past couple weeks it suddenly dropped all its leaves. What might have caused it?

If I leave it and continue watering is it possible it will eventually send up a new stem and leaves?
Should I cut off the existing stem or just pitch the whole thing?

Sickly buds

Viperalus — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:11:38 GMT

After 5 months of blooming, my multiflora has produced more spikes as extensions to the previous ones and also some small new spikes from the old ones.

Of course she produced also buds but some of them got withered (or sickly is the correct word?)

They don't open. Especially at the first photo you can see one bud it was just one to two days before opening and started to wither.

Is this normal to occur some times or it is me that I am not doing something correctly?
:roll:

flowering

thakshila smith — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:08:08 GMT

These days my orchids are flowering . I gave them fertilizer
regularly and they bloom well.
Some bushes got three canes of flowers.
Oncediums too. Even Vandas.
:waving
Thanks all.

Rare Orchid Collecting

Gareth — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 02:11:53 GMT

Don't know where to post this question so here goes. I was on the web looking for rare orchids. Found some beautiful pictures but am very leary of whipping out my credit card across the world to buy what????

Does anyone have experience with this? I am planning to start collecting some rare orchids next year. I want to see that I can keep the ones I am currently collecting from U.S. suppliers healthy first.

Who is trustworthy in this field as a supplier? Is there resource material on buying and growing such orchids? Somebody out there has a few stories to tell I'm sure.

Keikis, "pups" & babies.... Help!

rye — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 01:49:17 GMT

I have several orchids, mostly phals and dendrobiums given me as gifts. Both varieties are now developing heavily rooted "babies" on their upper stems, one phal just below a bloom!!

Should I break off these new plants and pot them, or should I cut the stems of the parents on either side of the new plant, and try to propagate them that way?

THANX!!

B. nodosa/Little Stars

Mulchlady — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 22:58:35 GMT

I just purchased several catts. from Carmela's Orchids in Hawaii. Along with my oder I recieved a free plant, B.Little Stars. I'm trying to find information about this plant. I see it talked about on this forum along with B. nodosa. I thought Little Stars was a nodosa. Can someone tell me about this plant and how to take care of it? It's very cute, came in spike and is supposed to be fragrant.

repotting a very large over crowded cattleya

springtime — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:00:02 GMT

Hi, I am fairly new to orchids (see my post on the intro section) and have a very large cattleya to repot. It was given to me and I have finally gotten around to repotting it. I have repotted another one like it and have had good success.

My question/problem is about how to care for the divided plants (16 regular size and 5 small divisions) untill I can get them properly potted. I got a bug to finally tear apart the pot so I have done this. I layed them out on the grass and watered them well. I am thinking of putting them on my north side patio (w/roof) and work on them the next few days. Is this ok?

Also, I have been using the small bags of orchid potting mix from Home Depot and it is going to be quite expensive to use that for all of these plants. I have read in my books and online that you can use packing peanuts (not the biodegradable one) to pack in the bottom so I am thinking of getting some of them.

Any help on how to save money and handle so many plants at once would be appreciated. I am going to give some to an orchid growing friend. My other friends kill regular plants so I don't dare give some to them. Thanks:)

Gabriele

Help with my Dend... a lot of problems?

christinalkc — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 19:47:40 GMT

Hi... :waving

My husband bought me a Dendrobium Orchid back in August and it was gorgeous. I have no idea about flowers/gardening so I thought I let that be my first try.

Then the flowers started to fall off and I did not cut the stem. I continued to water the orchid by putting in a water bath once a week. The orchid was potted in sphagnum moss.

Two weeks ago, I realized a couple of the leaves turned yellow and had a black spot in the middle. I guess it was root rot, so I removed the orchid from the medium which was moist, and checked the roots. Well, they were brown and some where green and some white. I removed the brown ones (90%) and as a result very little white and green roots left and they were so short.

I went to Wal-mart and got some Miracle-Gro orchid mix (I had no idea what to get, I wished I got more assistance from them) I repotted my orchid but it is a little wobbly since the root system is very short and not enough support.

I left the pot near the window and a few days ago, I left the blinds opened and got some direct sunlight and I forgot about removing the orchid from there. Today, I noticed a black spot on the edge on one of the leaves where it was exposed to the sun. Is that sun-burn or something else? I have attached pictures and the medium looked a little moist because I just put the pot in a water bath for 15 mins.

Please advice... I really want my orchid to grow... Thank you so much for helping this gardening newbie!

Cheers... from Charlotte, North Carolina :biggrin:

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Can anyone help me?

ReneeCody — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 02:44:19 GMT

This is my first orchid it is a Phalaenopsis, I have had it for about a year. I have something growing on one of my spikes that looks like leaves. I have attached the pictures that I took. I am hoping that someone can give me some information regarding what it is and how I handle taking care of it.

Thank you so much!

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Help....what do I do?

ReneeCody — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 01:28:57 GMT

This is my first orchid it is a Phalaenopsis. I have something growing on one of my spikes that looks like leaves. I have attached the pictures that I took. I am hoping that someone can give me some information.

Thanks!

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The suspence is killing me!!

Keltera — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:33:09 GMT

They need to bloom! now!! D:! i want to bring them to a show on the 7th....

Gastrochilus Acutifolius

Onc. Twinkle 'Red Fantasy'

Epi Catt. Atrowalker

Pot. Hoku gem "freckles"

Help for repotting a Pat Delight Vanda in full bloom

Robi — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:00:41 GMT

Hello my husband just gave me a beautiful Pat Delight Vanda...it's absolutely gorgeous...the only problem is that it is in the ugliest plastic basket and I really really want to put it into something nicer (like a wooden basket) I have read a lot and many people say not to repot it, until I came across a post on this board saying to soak the entire basket it water and then gently remove the roots from the plastic pot.... can I really do this without harming my vanda? If not PLEASE tell me what my options are!!!

thank you so much,

Robi

I have also attached a picture of the plant and a close up of the basket!

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Cork mounting???

kjp8128 — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:57:34 GMT

Does anybody know if cork is a good mounting post for a phal orchid? If not what else should I use. Some sites had raptile cork but I did not know if this was good. Just want to get a little creative with orchid growing.

Brassavola Nodosa purple leaves

judyok — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:56:29 GMT

I purchased a Brassavola Nodosa about 4 weeks ago and we have had nothing but rain since then. It is in a south facing window under T12 daylight light bulbs about 6" away. We finally have sunshine this week:biggrin: and the leaves are turning purple on the edges and on the back of some of them. I'm thinking that is a good sign that they are getting the light they need (no signs of burning). Just looking for a little reassurance.

Vandas Under Florescent Lights

Captainjohn — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 03:01:07 GMT

I grow a few vandas outside during the summer. I have now brought them indoors for the winter and put them under florescent lights.

I recently read in an orchid guide book that "vandas do not do well under florescent lighting". I have two questions: Why don't vandas do well under florescent lights and if this is the case, would I do better putting them in a bright, lighted window for the winter? Thanks..

Orchids sitting on moist sphag? Good idea?

Maree — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 23:04:08 GMT

I recently bought a Brassia, Zygo and Massi. They all seem to dry out within a day or two. They are in what looks like bark, perlite and charcoal. I hate to transplant since they are all in bloom. Would it be a mistake to sit their pots on a bed of damp sphag to help them retain moisture for longer than a day or two? I made some sphag moist and put it between the plastic pots and decorative pots they sit in. I would love to get them on a 7-10 days watering schedule with my catts and phals. Any info appreciated.

Unusually large leaf

Lena — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 20:08:38 GMT

One of my phals is growing a leaf..And it won't stop!:rofl:

I'm not sure why, but it just keeps getting bigger and bigger. It's all floppy now since it seems like it is too big for its own good. Will this be okay?

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What is your favorite Genus

judyok — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 04:05:55 GMT

I've seen a few post where a few of you will mention a certain genus that you feel is your favorite or new favorite. I would love to hear what you consider to be your favorite genus or group of orchids a why you lean toward growing them.

Be careful what you eat around orchids

lily99 — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 03:02:25 GMT

My father in law was taking care of the orchids while I was on vacation. He was eating a mix of nuts, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds while he was watering some of the plants. Some of the seeds fell in one of the pots and they actually grew! I had to pull the weeds out before they took over.

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Phals - great roots, pale leaves

angeleyedcat — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 19:07:44 GMT

I've had a bit of luck with box store mark downs with no roots using bark, mounts, or spag and bag, but this group is different. These are the phals that come in the small ceramic containers. They each have an amazing amount of healthy roots but had been forced into that small container with about a cup of spag. I can't imagine how they were able to pack all that in and the plant lived at all. It was dry, packed solid, and hard as a rock. Water or air could not have gotten in. Most of the leaves are a medium to pale green, several have yellow areas.

I've removed each from the container, removed all spag, let the roots soak for about an hour in water and they've plumped up wonderfully, look great. The leaves tho still look the same at this point. I've repotted them in the chunky Better Grow Phal bark mix (all I have) which just happened to have been soaked yesterday while I was doing some potting. They aren't over potted - the roots fill about 3/4 of the 4 inch pots. Since they have great roots I also very weakly fertilized with Schultz Orchid Food (it's what I've got). I just got Eleanor's VF-11 - does anyone recommend using this on these plants?

Any suggestions how to help the leaves? I assume they will either improve or die off hopefully to be replaced with others? The flowers look fine but if the plants don't improve in a few days I'll definately remove them.

Thank you!

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Is this normal for a Cattleya or do I have a problem?

Ingrid76 — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 18:42:02 GMT

I just bought this NOID Cattleya at a local orchid festival about a month ago. Everything seem to be fine, the blooms faded about two weeks ago, I cut them off and treated it with cinnamon, and placed it out side with the rest of my larger orchids. Well two days ago I noticed that the sheath on the pseudobulb that recently bloomed had an oval shaded brown spot. This spot is now turning the entire pseudobulb black. Is this normal for Cattleyas or is this some type of root? Could it be stained by the cinnamon?

Thanks,
Ingrid76

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epidendrum radicans -- Qs re care

pdxmaven — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 17:41:48 GMT

I have three of these. They have grown quite tall and floppy. My reading from other posts suggests I just chop off the long floppy stems, right?

I assume I can I root these stems? How best to do that?

Also, do they like to be crowded in the pot or they don't care?

I have some space in a friend's greenhouse. I keep my cool orchids there, as it gets down to 45 degrees sometimes. Would these be OK there over the winter, or should I keep them in the house?

On of the three (must be a different species) has lots of above ground roots. Just ignore, or replant it deeper?

thanks in advance for your help!

Odontocidium without leaves

culpina — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 16:21:31 GMT

I finally got some help and can show a photo of my Odontocidium Tiger Crow Golden Girl. My questions were will it grow new leaves? How should I care for it? And many thanks to all who replied the other day. culpina

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Miltoniopsis not growing. When should I worry?

Kaykay — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 13:55:34 GMT

:waving :hello

As the title says, it's not showing any signs at all of new growth, and hasn't since I rescued it in July.

The history is: I got this NOID at a discount as had been left outside during the heatwave and was very burnt. Only one of the spikes survived the burn and went on to flower about a week later. All seemed to go well until the spike stopped flowering, then a fungus infection set in soon after. (It's now cleared up)

With all of that trauma, maybe I shouldn't be surprised that there has been no sign at all of growth, but now some of the leaves are starting to drop (looks like normal pbulb becoming backbulb to me) and I'm worried that with no growth I''ll end up with not too much orchid left for next year.

It's grown in an East facing LARGE window, in the cooler end of intermediate temp. I'm feeding once a fortnight with slightly weaker than directed 5.3-2.2-0.85 (seedling Brassia grown in same place has just finished putting out a new growth, is sprouting roots and generally happy, as is Vuyl. Cambria) Oh yes, I'm in London, England.

It's in a clear pot, and the roots are fine,but again, no growing tips, nor any sign of there having been any growth since I acquired it.

Any ideas? Or am I just suffering from Orchid-induced neurosis :blushing: I do so love this little one, and want it to survive the winter!
thanks!
Kay

Need help with root problem

kjp8128 — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 03:47:16 GMT

I have been through the same thing with my orchids I have had in the past. Currently I have 11 orchids and some are suffering from root rot. Could you please share more detail about how you managed to control the orchid with root rot. I would love to try it. Also a picture would help greatly. Please spread your success! I am will in to buy or do what it takes. I basically have two of the 11 orchids with little roots left and some decent looking leaves and would like to save them as well as use the aquarium method you talked about to help my other orchids strive. Thank you!

Phal Puzzle

Windy — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:42:32 GMT

I have 2 phals that lost their blooms which I felt was normal since we're going into winter here. I had thought the spikes would start to die off. They didn't. One phal has now grown one blossom and several buds are starting on the spike. Also have buds starting on the 2nd phal's spike.

I'm a newbie and from all I've read, this isn't normal.

Anyone have a clue as to what's going on?

I'm not complaining...I love the blossoms. I'm just concerned these phals are overproducing.

Sapphire Child Orchids

jkhom — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:04:36 GMT

Anyone ever do business with Sapphire Child Orchids in Thurmont MD? What did you think about them?
I am looking to buy a dendrobium tetragonum and it looks like they have some.
Thanks.

so many questions!!!

Wrebbitrocks — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 05:17:57 GMT

ok my mom moved this following plant from one part of my living room to another. to my regret and all the blooms shriveled and fell off. so i unpotted my phal baldans kaleidoscope 'golden treasure' from spagh and it had a mass of rotting roots. i cut all of them off and was left with a few dying looking things. i dont have any fresh spagh or a pot so im putting it in a vase. the leaves feel a little limp but the whole plant looks healthy still. its plump and i see the beginnings of a new leaf in the center. its been in the vase for like 5 days now and idk of itl do good and i dont want to lose it. the roots are broken in several plaves where theres black mush but smaller segments of helthy root attached together by the center filament. are they still helping the plant even though they aren't attached to the plant with root just that cord thing in the center? the leaves have some small blister looking things. whats the cause? im afraid that the vase is getting too cold and might hurt the plant. when i touch the leaves theyre super cold. plus its alone in the living room without humidity or heat. is that bad? how do i cure the roots and get rid of the rotten sections so that i can maybe repot it(hydrogen peroxide, alcohol, mouthwash?) its wierd how the moss in the center of the root mass(i found like 5 layers of different mosses still condensed in the shape of the previous pots where im assuming the grower dropped on the plant)was fresher than the outside moss. oh yeah, i left the spikes on it beacause one of the nodes seemed promising but seeing as how its being stressed out right now, should i cut them off so the plant concentrates on growing? my three phals including the one above havent grown ANY new roots. they just have the same ones they came with. why is this? the other two(dtps. i-hsin sun beauty and dtps. shih hua gold) are in bark. the third (baldan)is the one i wrote about above.

a few months later and some growth 1 or 2 spikes!

stefpix — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 23:06:53 GMT

So I started in June with some rescue phals and then some ebay and exchanges.

the Phal equestris grew a lot and now has what looks like it is spiking [it was way smaller no spikes when I got it from Larry's orchids]. I got it with a P bastianii taht is smaller and doing well and a P. manny that came with poor roots and I wonder if it will make it or wilt to death.

I see new roots in the Catt guttata I put in SH. And the Vanda pak chong from Smileys [best seller ever] is spiking [i was not able to see the spike a month ago].

Small Vandas from royal orchid club that came with no roots almost are growing new roots. and My CP Pinguiculas and Droseras are fine also my Den keikis [cucullatum, loddigeseii! thanks for the exchanges/ give aways].

what is growing really fast is a reed stem epi that I got.
My Spathoglottis plicata has new growth - wonder if it may spike or is it just new leaves/divisions.

and a cutting of Ludisia discolor seems to be rooting.
and I have a nice small Enc tampensis.

what I am worried about is the Den formosum that grew very lush in the summer and I tried SH but did not seem to like it [like the Catlleyas and others] i repotted it in traditional medium [bark mix] bI see no new roots. I wonder if yellowing of leaves is normal in the fall.
Anyway I really appreciated being on this board.., even if with the information etc i caught a virus maybe!
not a computer virus!

I also put a piece of sugar cane in a pot - horizontally and is rooting from 2 ends.
stefano

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What orchids to choose?

Zdenglan — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 23:06:50 GMT

Hi everyone!

I am a proffesional gardener in the NW UK and I have been presented with an opportunity to grow a couple of orchids to be displayed in our garden tearoom when in bloom. We have a 2 compartment heated glasshouse with winter minimum temps being 5C and 10C. I am looking for a max. of 10 relatively easy and compact orchids that I could grow in these conditions and possibly achieve perpetual flower display from march to september.
Those that I know I should be able to grow are:
Couple of Pleione species and hybrids
Coelogyne cristata
Coelogyne intermedia
Coelogyne ochracea

Please can you advise on other cool/very cool growers that are from your experience reasonably easy and reliable? Winter rest is a bonus - that means less work for me.. Scent is important to me too..:)
Thanks ever so much for your ideas!
Happy growing!

Thinking of trying a Bulbo or two

Phyrex — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 19:33:49 GMT

I'm going to mount some of my dwarf phals shortly but I would also like to try a Bublo or two that is nice and compact and would work in an apartment with less than optimal humidity at 40-60% throughout the year. Any recommendations are appreciated. I've found lasiochilum and Dinema polybulbon so far that I like.

Neostylis Lou Sneary - spiking

Phyrex — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 18:33:15 GMT

When is this one expected to flower or does it spike randomly when its culture requirements are met? I'm wondering since all my neos are done for the season but Lou Sneary just spiked and it's growing at an alarming rate. It'll be the first rebloom for this guy in my care.

Hi - My orchids need a bit of help - they're not flowering!!!!

Nelly4 — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:08:07 GMT

Hi all

I first discovered orchids a few years ago when I purchased two from an Orchid show here in my local town in Victoria, Australia. They were dendrobiums and since then, they haven't flowered. I think I've done everything wrong but they are still here.

I since received another dendrobium from my father in law (its flowering now) and I am determined to keep it and try to help my other ones get better - that's why I'm here for help.

The weather in Australia is coming into summer so I have moved the orchids under my decking out of direct sunlight and heat. I am feeding them a fertiliser for growth as I assume that's what they need. Over winter, they suffered a bit in the frost and I think they were also damaged by the sun. Some of the leaves have black spots and I'm not sure what that is. My really big dendrobium had black patches on many leaves so I have cut those leaves off (is that the right thing to do?)

My question is - how do I take care of them over these summer months - how often to water or feed etc?

I have posted some pictures of my orchids so you can see what I have and I'd love to know how to care for them better. Thanks in advance - I don't know what the first tall orchid is but I think its probably dead?
Janelle

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Minature Orchid Accents for Bonsai? Help please?

Triffid — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:11:25 GMT

The Newbie has a query :)

One of the other house interests we have is Bonsai. And we are looking to do a rock display piece which will hopefully encompass some Miniature Orchids.

However being new to this I am unsure how to proceed with the selection process.

The idea we have is an island style. I know that humidity and drainage are considerations that need to be addressed. We were planning to put the tree (Still to be selected depending on Orchid selection) at the base of the display, with the mini orchids to be displayed higher up the rock. As of yet we are still in the planning process and wont be doing any manual work on this till at least Spring 2010.

Ideally the flowers should not be more than 1cm in size. Could anyone with some miniatures or experience please advice me on which one's might prove more successful for this project.
Or perhaps there's someone out there who's already done this?

Any help on this would be most appreciated.

Wanted to share my spike

Pilot — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 05:20:56 GMT

My favorite phal is in spike.... check it out!!! Its about a month into growing and the top is full of potential little buds.

Here is a close-up of its crazy roots. S/H has done well by this plant.

I'm so excited. This will be my first repeat bloomer (getting the phal to bloom again after the originally purchased blooms!).

Feeding Seedlings?

Shere Crossman — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 03:11:17 GMT

Hi all,

I have several seedlings and have been doing alot of reading... What I'm trying to find out is how do you feed your seedlings? My mature plants get better grow orchid plus and when I water ( weekly) and better grow bloom booster every 4th feeding... But if I am reading correctly I should be feeding the better grow during spring and summer and the bloom booster in the fall? Im SO confused!!! :)
IF this is right, do I feed seedlings the same way even tho they are no where near mature enough for blooms? ( they were unflasked this spring)

I have Phaleanopsis, Cattleyas Lc. Always Dream and Blc. Arom Gold, and Aspasia silvana 'Marie' � self seedlings.

The Phals are doing great! The Cattleyas and seedlings are new species for me. Any tips are appreciated!

Thanks in advance

Shere

Aspasia silvana 'Marie' � self seedlings in compot... need help

Shere Crossman — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 02:55:37 GMT

Hi all,

This is my first post here and I have a question about some plants I received from the Meyers Conservatory ( great place!!) They were just unflasked before shipping and I planted them into several com pots ( fine sphagnum). Most have done well but lately I have noticed some yellowing on some of the leaves. The Sphagnum tends to stay moist so do you think they are overly wet? I do see healthy white roots with green tips on most. This is my first attempt with these plants so any tips are appreciated! I have grown Phals with good success and am beginning to branch out now into other species/hybrids.

Thanks in advance

Shere
Crossman Family Farms

Phaleanopsis blooming habits

Gareth — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:45:38 GMT

I bought and fell in love with the first orchid I ever saw in a grocery store in May of this year. It was in full bloom. No ID.

It is still in full bloom and won't let up. That's ok with me of course. What is their typical blooming habit? How much longer can it go in the current cycle? And no, it isn't made of silk.

Phal question

Hatteras — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 21:56:01 GMT

I have a phal, with a keiki growing on the spike. The keiki has a spike and the plant looks great overall. My question is on the mother plant earlier this year, what started out to look like a spike turned into a small leave that grew out from between mature leaves like a spike would. It stayed real small. It looks like it's making another one that I was hoping was finally a spike but it looks like another leave. I'm fairly new to this and have never seen this before. Any ideas ?
I know the mother plant is helping the keiki but the keiki roots are down into the wood chip medium.
I tried to take a picture but my camera is acting up so I can only describe it for now.
The name is Wataboshi x Yukimai

Phalaenopsis sap droplets under leaves

June Bud — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:40:35 GMT

I'm a beginner when it comes to cultivating a variety of orchids, but I've had a few phals for years. For the first time, I'm seeing many sticky clear sap droplets on the underside of the leaves on several of my phals. I've seen sap on flowering spikes before, but not under the leaves. Does this need to be cleaned off the leaves?

Brenda

brown tips on Coelogne trinervis

Forestriverorchids — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:27:12 GMT

Have had this plant for many years but it rarely blooms and constantly has large brown tips(about one inch). I have tried different growing areas, watering, etc. I can't find good growing info.

ID terminology Help

FrankP999 — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:59:01 GMT

I have a plant labeled "Pot. Kozo Scarlet" "VI-EMI". I determined it is in cattleya family. Can someone help with the terminology? What do VI-EMI and Pot. mean? Thanks

Frank

Healthy roots at last!

stever_sl — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 01:21:35 GMT

After losing orchid after orchid to root rot (no matter how infrequently I watered, it seemed) I finally took the advice of some of this forum's fine people about water culture, or semi-water, and saved a plant! The poor thing (unidentified, naturally) had one sickly root left to support 3-4 leaves, and was clearly not going to make it. So I trimmed off all the rotten brown junk from the bottom and suspended it in a large drinking glass half-full of water, so that about 1/2 inch of the lowest part of the plant was in the water. The hardest part - I just left it alone in an open-topped aquarium in front of a south-facing window with partial screening. Now, two months later, there are roots everywhere! Roots under the water, roots above the water. The plant has lots of new leaf growth, too. Right next to it I have a Phal in a cage with bark, and that's part 2 of the experiment - I don't water it directly, I just keep a bare skim of water in the bottom of the aquarium. The bottom layer of the bark stays wet, the rest just sees vapors, and that plant is also throwing out new roots and leaf growth for the first time. So I'm convinced - these plants CAN be saved after all!

understanding creation of new horticultural hybrid names

kavanaru — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 22:40:52 GMT

I have a question... I am quite confused how the RHS decides what and when a cross should be part of the new hybrid XXXXara or part of the old hybrid YYYY..

example:

As for my understanding (please correct me if I am wrong!!): a cross of 3 or more genera, have now the ending -ara, e.g. Wilsonara, Fredclarkeara, etc...

let's continue with Fredclarkeara... The first plant registered under this name was Fredclarkeara After Dark (Mormodia Painted Desert x Catasetum Donna Wise) in 2002. Mormodia is the cross between Clowesia and Mormodes. Therefore Fredclarkeara is Clowesia x Mormodes x Catasetum.

so, my question.. If in 2002 it has been accepted that Mormodia x Catasetum = Fredclarkeara, why in 2003 the cross Mormodia Jumbo Ruby x Catasetum Susan Fuchs has been registered as Mormodia Jumbo Susan (and not Fredclarkeara Jumbo Susan)? Then we can add that in 2008, Mormodes badia x Clowesetum Jumbo Lace, was registered as Fredclarkeara Jumbo Lac!

Si I can assume that any cross involving Catasetum, mormodes and Clowesia should be called Fredclarkeara, right?

then we have:

1996. Clowesia x Mormodes = Mormodia
2002. Mormodia x Catasetum = Fredclarkeara
2003. Mormodia x Catasetum = Mormodia
2008. Mormodes x clowesetum = Fredclarkeara
2009. Mormodes x Clowesia = Mormodia

Would the following crosses be:

Catamodes x Clowesia = Fredclarkeara (Note: Catamodes = Catasetum x Mormodes :)

and

Fredclarkeara x Catasetum = Fredclarkeara x Clowesia = Fredclarkeara x Mormodes = Clowesetum x Catamodes = Mormodia x Catamodes = Mormodia x Clowesetum = Fredclarkeara

can someone explain how this is actually done at RHS?

two leaves at once

Keltera — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 20:32:00 GMT

Do phals often shot out two leaves at once? ive only ever seen just one at a time, could be be that its because my plant was in distress and i nearly lost it? its finally recouping but i haven't seen any new roots :/ but it has good roots at the moment. Its in bark, with moss on the top to keep some more moisture in.
i just watered all my orchids aswell, which is why i noticed the two growths

How to mount a Staghorn Fern ?

jowben1 — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:36:24 GMT

I just purchased a Staghorn fern and it is in a 2-1/2" pot of bark, hanging on a wire/. I would like to mount it on a piece of wood, so as to look more natural. My question is, as the plant gets larger, how do you replace the moss, or other medium?Or do you not have to? Will the plant "attach itself" to the wood? I would guess as the moss rots away, the plant would become dependant upon fertilizer for it's nourishment. Any advice ??? Thanks

Orchids with most surreal flowers

junglejane — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:42:13 GMT

Hi there,

I'm new to this Forum and I'd like to ask a question right away to all of you:

I'm totally obsessed with strange and surreal orchids. I got my first orchid 3 months ago and now I've already got 15 orchids.
Which ones are most magical to you? You know, these fairytale blooming ones... I need ideas for my next wishlist... :biggrin:

I'd like to start with

-Psychopsis papilio
-Stanhopea insignis
-Beallara Peggy Ruth Carpenter

Thank you for your replies,

Jungle Jane

Unknown little insect in new orchids...

musicloveranthony — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 10:08:01 GMT

I recently purchased 4 plants from ebay (won't be doing that again, unless I know the vendor). One is a really large Paph Prime Child (10+ growths), another is a 4 growth Paph Oberhausen's Diamant. They're both plants I'd been really looking forward to. Imagine my horror at finding they had pests. The Prime Child has at least got orchid snails, if not more.

My question is about what I've found in the Oberhausen's Diamant. I repotted the plant into a clear pot and while watering, I noticed several tiny, extremely fast moving little bugs. They are really tiny, about the size of this slur ~

I left the plant alone to make sure I wasn't hallucinating. When I came back I couldn't see them, until I moved a lower leaf. Out scurried two of the bugs. They really do move FAST. I have no idea at all what they are. They are either silver, or a silvery white. I know they're not fungus gnats, or spider mites, or slugs, or scale insects. I tried doing an immersion in a soap/oil bath, but it didn't kill them.

Again, these are plants I was really looking forward to, but I can't risk the health of my other orchids...I'm at a loss.

Any help would be much appreciated

Orchids i have so far

Keltera — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 03:04:42 GMT

i figured i would make a list!!!

Catts

C. trianea
C. skinneri var. alba
Pot. Burana Beauty
Pot. Hoku gem "freckles" (in spike)
Pot. Roys magic
C. Intermedia v oriata x Intermedia 'Coronado'
Mem. Crispin rosales
Epi Catt. Atrowalker (wich is my newest addition, also in spike)

Dens

Den. aussies chip
Den. spectable
Den. jodi ann

Onc.

Onc. Twinkle 'Red Fantasy' (in spike)
Onc. Sharry Baby 'Sweet Fragrance'
Onc. Sweet suger

Paphs

Paph. kolopaking x hookerae

Milts

Miltonis spectible

Misc
4 noid Phals
6 noid oncs
2 noid Catts

Gastrochilus Acutifolius (in spike)

And thats it so far... it might stay this way for awhile

Phal amboinensis x phal minus- it bloomed!

seamonkey — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 18:48:33 GMT

This is the second mini phal I got from Forestview Orchids at the last Van Dusen orchid show- labeled as a hybrid of phal amboinensis x phal minus. I've been waiting for it to bloom for sooo long... and a few days ago, it finally did! Here are some pics- I did a bit of PS editing on the second one. ;)

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Help for a Sick Phal

kcole321 — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 15:14:18 GMT

:hello

My sister received a gorgeous white phal with purple accents as a gift. Everything seemed to being going OK for about a year. Then the plants leaves started turning yellow and it dropped them all. At the same time a new plant started growing at the base of the original plant. Then one of the new leaves dried up, leaving only one small leaf. She asked me to see if I could save it.

I've repotted it in orchid bark. It was potted in sphagnum moss and many of the roots were mushy. I guess that the roots were getting too much water and not enough air. I cut off all the bad roots when I repotted it. It still has plenty of good root, but I'm not sure it can survive with only the one small leaf. I've put it with my other orchids under grow lights on a humidity tray. Is there anything else I should be doing to try and rescue this plant? Is there any hope?!! Should I be fertilizing it or not?

Your advice would be greatly appreciated.

KC :(

dendrobium spike

Danica — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 10:53:30 GMT

My only and precious Dendrobium bloomed whole summer. Now it should end flowering and go dormant for winter (should it?). But a new spike appeared. What a crazy plant, starting new before even ending first one. My question is, is this kind of normal?

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help with mold on dendrochilum moss

HItransplant — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 02:54:25 GMT

I have an dendrochilum which is planted in moss. The plant has just started to spike (and there are a lot of spikes-- will more than double the p-bulbs on the plant). Unfortunately I just noticed a fair amount of gray mold has formed on the moss. This moss was not there a week ago.

background: I have had this plant about a year with no mold troubles to date. I water when the moss is drying out which is roughly every 3-4 days. water has 1/4 strength fertilizer just about every time. Now, as it is colder, I have been watering less. These bulbs are the first growth the plant has demonstrated since I got it.

Any suggestions on how to remedy this situation. I really dont want to disrupt these bulbs.. but obviously dont want to lose the plant either.

help help help.

thanksplease.gif

Lighting My Orchid Cave

Gareth — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 01:25:17 GMT

What formula do I use for how many grow lights and what kind I need for a 7' long x 6' high x 5' deep growing chamber i.e. (orchidarium)?

My plan is to have this chamber for orchids demanding more light. I want to use big lights, or as big as would be required. The chamber will house as many orchids as practical using shelving. Low light orchids will be in a different grow chamber.

Thanks for helping me design what I call my orchid cave.

Dried and split edges on phal leaves

ayumiko — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 20:41:42 GMT

Hi Everyone,

I bought this phal few days ago at a local garden centre. The leaves were already like this when I bought it. (This was the only orchid there that didn't have brown spots on the leaves) Can anybody tell me what's wrong with the leaves/plant? and is there anything I can do?

Thanks!

Phal post-mortem...

Nic100 — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 19:40:01 GMT

Well, I have killed my first orchid. I feel worse because it was my mother's, and I've been reassuring her for months that she won't kill it! I was right... she didn't but I think I might have. :(

Last weekend all the flowers fell off, almost overnight. Turns out my Grandmother had turned the heating up during the day and then overnight the temperature had dropped quite significantly. I trimmed the spike, and repotted in bark with perlite. It had been in loose sphag, and some of the roots weren't in great shape, so I trimmed them too. The leaves looked great, and I moved it upstairs to a bedroom on a shaded east facing windowsill. Mum didn't water it again till this morning when she noticed all the leaves were just lying in the bark!!!

What I'd like to know is where you think I went wrong so I can make sure I don't do it again! I'm not 100% sure what this one has been a victim off - my first thought was crown rot, but I wonder if it's root rot? There is a big mushy mess where the leaves have fallen off. There was a white furry mould growing around the base of the roots and crown, but I rinsed it off to get a better look. Some of the roots are black, smelly and mushy, too.

Mum has ask me to rescue it... I've told her that I don't think that the whole of Orchidboard could put this humpty back together again!

I've got 8 thriving (I think) phals myself, and have repotted all of them without a problem. However there are some things I did or didn't do this time, which may have contributed!

1. Didn't dab the cut roots with cinnamon.
2. Didn't sterilise the scissors.
(I always do these things usually - I have no idea why I didn't this time!!)
3. Potted it quite deep in the bark - can the crown rot from lower down??

Could those have been the cause in just 7 days? Or do you think it started earlier, before I repotted?

The pics below aren't some creature from the deep... they actually are the remains of this poor fella. :(

If you've any thoughts I'd be glad to hear them!

Nicky

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Building an Over Sized Growing Chamber

Gareth — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 02:42:14 GMT

I have space in my (Iowa old house cold basement) to build a 5'x6'x7' growing chamber for orchids. The basement is 50 to 60 degrees f. in winter.

Should I heat the area around the chamber or is inside only ok? The back and sides will be insulated. Only the front will have a plexiglass section for viewing.

How can I safely mix heat and humidity in the chamber?

I can ventilate to the outside of the house for humidity problems.

Any advice will be appreciated. Thanks for your thoughts.

where to cut a Paph?

Dooyen san — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 23:33:53 GMT

Okay so my Paph's bloom has just died out...I've read that after the bloom is gone, you have to cut the stem down the base. I'm so new to growing orchid so I don't know if there are different methods for different species. Do you still cut it down to the base if it's a Paph? Thank you in advance!

Brown spots on Oncidium

grasshopper — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:27:55 GMT

My office building changes out the orchids in the common areas each month and has recently begun to offer to the tenants the old orchids. I've picked up 3 - 2 Dendrobiums and 1 Oncidium varicosum. I scoured the internet looking at pictures to find orchids that looked like the ones that I have, so I can't get any more specific on the type of Dendrobium. However, I'm pretty sure the Oncidium I picked up is Oncidium varicosum. I'm currently at work and do not have my camera, otherwise I would post a picture. I'll try to remember to do that soon so you can see what I've got.

On to my questions....

The Oncidium is still flowering and it's lovely. The psuedobulbs are pretty shriveled, though. Is this normal? If not, what should I do? Soak? If so, how long and how often?

Also, one of the pbulbs has just one leaf and it has brown spots all over it. (Note that all leaves are green and appear to be healthy, except for the spots on this one leaf.) What is causing these spots?

One of the Dendrobiums looks very healthy. It has one large cane with six leaves, all healthy-looking and one very small, older cane that is very soft (no leaves). Is this small cane dead? Should I remove it? Oh, and there are 2 new shoots (lack of specific term) coming from the base of the larger cane. They each have 2 leaves with a 3rd growing. I just cut the flower spike on the large cane to about 1/4 inch. Overall, I think this plant is in great shape, I just don't know what to do about the smaller cane.

The other Dendrobium appears to be the same type as the one described above, however, it looks less healthy. It has 2 large (tall) canes, and the tallest of the 2 still has one flower left on the flower spike. However, this cane has dropped all of its leaves - it had 2 when I got it a week ago and both have yellowed at their base and fallen off. The other cane has 2 leaves and both look healthy (the flower spike was cut to 1/4" before I got it). Please advise on the leaf loss and watering needs.

Currently, all three orchids are growing on my desk, which is walled by an east-facing window. I leave my blinds open all day, so they get quite a bit of light, but only a little direct morning sunlight. I would rather keep these guys here at the office as my cats at home will try to feast on them and I don't really have a lot of windowsills at home that get adequate lighting. In the summer, I can put them on my back patio which gets filtered sun throughout the day; however, it's already in the 50's at night in Dallas, so I think leaving them outside is out of the question. They are inside for the winter.

Oh, I almost forgot...all 3 plants are potted in 4" pots in bark medium topped with spagh moss. I was going to wait to repot them once they stop blooming (which I can do for 2 of the 3 right now just havent gotten to it yet), so I have not had a chance to inspect their roots.

Thanks!
Mary Helen

Bottom Leaf on Phal Turning Yellow on the Side

Torja — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 04:49:52 GMT

Hi,

I'm a beginner in caring for phal orchids. I've managed to kill two of them. :( I recently bought another phal and want to make sure that I take care of it properly.

I've noticed that the bottom leaf is starting to turn yellow on the edge, and has begun to spread towards the middle of the leaf. All the other leaves look healthy and strong, and my plant continues to bloom their flowers, with new buds opening up each couple of days.

Does anyone know what is wrong with it? I keep it in a pot with moss that has a drainage hole, and it sits on a table in front of a window with northern exposure.

Any feedback or advice is appreciated, I'd love to make sure that I can keep this one! Thanks.

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Did I repot my phal correctly?

melinda_az — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 18:16:00 GMT

I re potted my phal several days ago & was wondering if I did it correctly. I wasn't sure how much potting medium to use. I repotted because I wanted to take it out of the plastic container it originally came in. It looked very cramped. This orchid was purchased at Ikea. I used Miracle Grow Orchid Potting Mix. Also, about 2 weeks ago I had to cut brown patches off the leaves due to what I believe to be sun exposure. I wasn't sure if repotting so soon after doing this would cause too much stress to the plant. It seems pretty healthy otherwise.

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Do I remove Dend keikis?

nutgirl — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:28:26 GMT

This is a rescue noid dend (phal type I think). I've had it for a couple of years and it is now blooming. It is also growing keikis on a couple of the old canes.

Is this a normal thing for this plant? Does that mean there's something wrong with the parent plant? Is it being stressed in some way?

Maureen

Sphag 'n Bag

Therion9116 — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 04:20:13 GMT

Hi all.

This is my DTPS. that lost all it's roots; it was in bad shape when I bought it and then continued to rot from the pot up. Following a friend's advice I decided that I might as well try and bag it up with some moist sphagnum moss, and see if it could rejuvenate. It seems to be working and I thought it would be interesting to document the progress. This is how the plant is doing right now, about 3 weeks after going in the bag.

I keep the sphagnum damp (like squeezed sponge damp), and take it out of the bag for a little while every day just to keep the air fresh, and to make sure there isn't anything bad forming on it. I noticed a few bumps around the leaf base, where there was a dried piece of a former leaf. I peeled it away and these were hiding underneath. Pretty neat.

~Brian

If I use this potting mix....

ayumiko — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 03:03:05 GMT

Hello everyone,

My moth orchid is using this potting mix right now : Schultz :: Orchid Potting Mix - 20248

would this fertilizer be ok with it? Schultz :: Orchid Food Water Soluble Plant Food - 10910

the tag attached to my orchid said to use fertilizer of 20-20-20 but I read if you use barks instead of moss, the middle number should be higher. Is that true?

Thanks!

Orchid growing equipment

Gareth — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 02:16:01 GMT

Just getting started and am preparing to put together a grow room for orchids. I need a min/max thermometer to see how my cold basement needs to be modified for orchids. I stumbled on a grow tent site and looks like they are into weed. Not me. I want to see my orchids.

deal with D. Loddigesii

Louder Than Hell — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 13:29:57 GMT

:hello:waving

D. Loddigesii is my first dendrobium and as winter is approaching I'm concerned about the winter rest

The plant is hanged in my mini greenhouse and is growing roots right now, the actual min temp is 18 C (65 F) and i expect to reach 15 C (60F). I really dont know what to do :roll:

How should i change my watering routine now? Should I move it outside where may get as low as 0 C (32 F) tough wind and RH may be a problem:hmm?

thanks in advance:bowing

Phal. Identification

Ming84 — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 03:05:45 GMT

Anyone know the name of this Phal.? Thanks!

And no, those are not store bought flowers:biggrin:

http://image68.webshots.com/468/2/55...3UTgOnK_fs.jpg

Help! What's wrong with my phal?!

wheresmyshoe — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 02:41:35 GMT

I'm a relatively new orchid owner and I've had this phal for approximately 6 months. About a month or so ago I noticed 2 new roots, and I thought everything was going well. This past week, the leaves have taken on an old and weathered look, and the stalk is dying. I know that phals don't rebloom on the same stalk, but my last phal died when I cut the stalk so I left this one. Any ideas what I can do? Is it okay? I live in FL and the phal sits in the east window. I water it once a week.

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Should Howeara dry between waterings?

scerdena — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 22:56:24 GMT

I have a new Howeara and am wondering about the water requirements. Should it dry out between waterings or should I treat it like my phals? It's in a bark mixture in my living room.

Shirley

Is there a hope???

phaladdict — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 20:52:19 GMT

Hi everyone! Yesterday, I bought beautiful phalaenopsis orchid from one of those big-box store. I didn't realize until later that the stem was bent, but not completely broken. Being desperate, I decided to tape it and hoped for the best. However, this morning I noticed blooms are welting! Is there a hope for this phal? I am worried about those buds. Is there anything I can do to restore this beautiful phal? Any advise is greatly appreciated. Thank you!

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cold and blooming

Danica — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 07:55:25 GMT

These two or three days we haven't had central heating, and it was very cold (freezing:cold)
Now when ch is back I noticed new buds-spikes, but extremely young- on two phals and dendrobium. So i was wondering, does that have something to do with cold or is it just a coincidence?

Bought my first orchid the other day - says it needs "food"?

agoutihead — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 01:45:08 GMT

I just bought a white orchid with pink highlights a couple of weeks ago from my local grocery store for $10. It was a great deal as it had probably 10 heads on it.

But now the flowers are starting to look a little wilted. Does it need more water? Or does it need this "food" that it suggests on the tag it came with?

What's up with my Cattleya's?

Jmerk — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:43:55 GMT

For the last few years, my 2 different cattleya's haven't bloomed. One has actually grown the sheath but the other just continues growing roots and pseudobulbs and such. I grow my orchids under lights (cheap florescent ones, unfortunately) so I suspect that that may be the problem, in some way, I have them on 12hr in winter, 14hr in spring/fall and 16hr in summer.

Would moving them to an east window be better?

*I can get pics if needed.

Soaking vs "watering"

ardera — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 00:44:25 GMT

I've seen that quite a few of you actually soak your orchids, to water them. I was wondering why, what the benefits might be? I was originally told to just "water" them for about 30 seconds. I have actually bumped up my watering from 2 twice a week, to every 3 days, because I was getting the wrinkly leaves. But apparently that isn't enough, as another one of my plants is showing some wrinkling now too.

Help?

What does a dry orchid look like?

annaverity — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 19:00:26 GMT

Hello again! I'm a newcomer to this orchid thing (see this post), and as such, I've got yet another question about caring for my plant:

What does a thirsty orchid look like?

These pictures are of my plant (a Dendrobium phalaenopsis), and I'm worried that (1) the base of the stems are drying out; and (2) the leaf that's cracking is dead.

I just ran water through the pot, and it's draining now, but other than that, is there anything else that I can do to bring my plant back to full health? Thank you all in advance for your help! :bowing

Is this a cymbidium spike?

nona — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 08:15:03 GMT

I have it since year, but only bulbs are growing. The right one seems to be a bulb, but the left one? What you think?

Thanks.

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When should cymbidiums start to spike?

andrew__ — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 02:33:09 GMT

I bought my first Cymbidium last December already in bud so I don't know when I should start to see any development (assuming of course that it got cool enough this fall to set spikes at all).

phal spike

VickiC — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 18:37:06 GMT

I haven't had any experience with a phal whose spike is growing under a leaf--toward the leaf tip, as this one in the picture below is. Could someone please tell me how I should position the pot? In the picture, the spike is growing towards the light. I would appreciate your advice.
Vicki

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Oncidium and Intergenic losing blooms

zxyqu — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 03:41:49 GMT

Hello OB. Hopefully I can get some expert help on a problem that seems to keep happening to me. I used to only prefer Phals, but recently several Oncs have sparked my interest. I've bought 4, a sweet sugar, an Alexanara (alxra), and some noID "wildcat" like intergenics.
I bought them with some still in bloom, except the sweet sugar which was fully bloomed. Anyway, those with buds almost all blasted, and the spike quickly died and went red then brown. Only one went to heaven, quickly
lost it's leaves and the pbulbs didn'take a new growth.
Anyone had this happen before. I water about once a week, and they are in a sunroom getting some East/North/West lights. Would love some
comments

fertilizer for paph

Dooyen san — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 02:16:57 GMT

Hello. I bought two paphs a month ago because they were so awesome looking!! I'm a new orchid lover so I don't know anything about growing and maintaining them. I've searching for a fertilizer but I can't find anything...maybe I looked at the wrong place? I was trying to find out what's the best store bought fertilizer I can use for my plants. I really want to keep my plants happy and healthy so please help me. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

I don't know what it is, but I want it to live!

annaverity — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 00:16:08 GMT

Last night, my boyfriend came home from a trip to Sam's Club with, of all things, an orchid:

It's pretty and pink, but that's about all I know about it, as there was no kind of identification included with the plant. Some cursory Google searches have led me to figure that it's a type of Phalaenopsis, but other than that...:dunno:

So, if you all would be so kind: What, exactly, is it? And more importantly, how do I keep it alive? I live in Honolulu, HI, so I somehow that temperature will be an issue, but when it comes to lighting (I live in an apartment downtown) and watering and whatever else is important, I'm pretty much clueless.

Thank you so much in advance for your help. I'm really excited to learn how to take care of this plant. :)

Repotting to s/h

Gareth — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 01:49:33 GMT

Am lost again. I have 6 orchids, not blooming but putting out new leaves and new roots. I have my s/h supplies coming this week and intended to repot the orchids into s/h. Should I wait till spring or repot in the type medium they are now in? They need to be in bigger pots.

Thanks for the help. Gareth

An update.

Therion9116 — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 23:30:22 GMT

So I got my first orchids a few months ago, and have actually been able to limit myself to just the 2 I originally purchased (VERY trying at times. I want them all!! :) ). My DTPS was suffering from major root rot, and proceeded to lose ALL of it's roots. I'm trying to bring it back with the good old Sphag 'n Bag, which seems to be working, though only time will really tell.

My Phal, which was preggers when I got it, has been growing like crazy. Even with the seed capsule drain it has quickly put out a new leaf. Today, when I got home from work, it was on the floor... Potting media EVERYWHERE. It isn't damaged at all, and while I was looking at it, I noticed a TON of new roots. I guess it's happy, because it looks like it grew so much that it knocked itself off of the shelf.

I'm just happy that one of them is doing well, and I had to share with everyone.

~Brian

orchid crown

se7en0ne0ne — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 22:09:13 GMT

Hi, I've seen many places warning about becareful in getting the orchid crown to rot. May you please explain where is the orchid crown? thanks xD

Aerial Roots and Velamen - myth or fact?

redperphexion — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 19:54:14 GMT

Hi all. I've recently taken to putting damp sphagnum moss over the newest roots on my brand new mini-phal at work, and they're growing like mad, so I did the same with my normal phal at home last night... today I found this article about aerial roots:

Orchid Roots � Repotting | River Valley Orchidworks

I'm assuming that the new roots on my mini will be ok, since they're growing -into- this damp environment. I'm hoping, though that the moss over the roots on my normal phal will be able to hold more humidity in the media, as my apartment is really much too dry for an orchid - I was finding the top-most roots tend to be slightly wizened by the time watering day rolls around. (I have started running a humidifier in my little bachelor's, and repotted in a clay pot with lots of drainage sitting in a shallow dish of water (sort of minor s/h?).)

My question is, do you agree with this article, and do you think that a thin layer of damp sphag can damage aerial or semi-aerial roots? Do you think new roots can be "trained" one way or the other? Can old roots be gradually adjusted over long periods of time (I'm thinking of situtations like mounting, s/h, etc.) or not, and that's why we wait for 'new growth' before mounting or s/h, etc? (Wouldn't it be cool to gradually 'train' and orchid out of it's pot and onto it's mounting media? I suppose it would take years and years, though.)

Thanks in advance for your replies and suggestions! :jack-o-lantern:

Bloom spike changed to aerial root

r.u.'chiding — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 19:26:39 GMT

I received a phal, Hsin Black Jack, a couple of months ago. It arrived with a bloom spike about 1 1/2 inches long. Due to a pre-shipping holding period, it arrived very thirsty and lost ~75% of its basal roots. It has taken these 2 months to get the leaves turgid enough to support themselves and coax the plant out of 'dormancy'.

Just recently, I noticed my bloom spike was no more ... now a sheath with an aerial root growing from the tip. I've not seen, or read, of this before in my limited exposure and was wondering if any others had witnessed this phenomenon.

While it is disappointing, blackie is in no shape to be flying any colors ... maybe next year.

Dendro in need of new potting mix

irrka — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 03:58:44 GMT

Hi! I just got a really healthy! looking dendro from HD for $12!!! the problem is the mix looks really degraded. There is one flower spike and one fresh looking shoot (see pictures). Any suggestions on when i should repot it? I thought maybe to wait a little until the new shoot is a tad stronger looking?
here are the pictures
[IMG][/IMG][IMG][/IMG]

Two of My babies, Den. oriental carnival and Den. star saphire

smalltownsboy — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 02:37:23 GMT

I bought these Dens back last summer 08 and now after a year they have both rewarded me with these wonderful blossoms I thought I should share with everyone. I am just really excited as just usually I purchase small plants to try in keep my pocket book intact and every time I am rewarded with more spikes it actually makes me go add more to my collection! :blushing: So much for saving money.

Pic #1 is of Den. star saphire
Pic #2 is of Den. oriental carnival

Shawn

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My First Hybrids

raindeepak4u — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 14:11:18 GMT

Awaiting for long time to get in to the Hobby, got my First hybrids recently.Den sanan red and cattleya sp