New 'chids! need a little guidance! phaphs, phals, And vanilla oh my!

[peeper]

I don't post much, mostly a lurker... But today, I went ahead and spent a little and picked up some awesome new pretty things!

Little backround, not much but a little, I have 9 Phals that are all big box bought, and have had pretty good success, including all of them re-spiking and flowering over the past year. So, I decided to try some different variaties...

The first, is a Paph, the cross is: Paph Shingletown 'blushing bride' x Paph somers isle 'jewel box'
It's just beuatiful and has 2 spike and 3 blooms, one of the spikes has 2 deformed blooms, but I couln't help it and took it home anyway. I know these need more light than phals... how much light is appropriate? also, do I need to water these more often, are they supposed to stay moist?

second up... Ctna. Jamaica red x Slc. mahalo Jack
"Kat golden eye 'Carmela'" this one is coming into bloom, and is in a hanging basket... I was told for sure that this needs more sun, and definately more water... (than my phals) is there anything else that I should know?

Thrid, is a stunning phal, that an older lady was looking at... somewhat drooling, making comments on how it was a "show winner for sure" it is a Phal, and I am going to go back and get the name to be certain, but it is just the most stunning rasberry color, and it's form really is stunning! this one I think I can handle...

Here is my BIG question... the wonderful woman that owns this nursery, gave me a few cuttings from an orchid I was asking about... the Vanilla orchid. they are literally cuttings, with roots... but I'm sorry, I don't exactally know what to do with them!!!

Any help would be appreciated...

thanks!

[kaarthiik]

As per me the cuttings with the roots and leaves are called Keikeis (baby orchid growing from stem). You can grow a new plant from them.

If it is only the stem with roots, still there is a good chanced of getting a new plant/bud from them.

If I am in you place, I put it in the similar media from where you have brought and take the similar care that needed.
(Certainly close observation and care) needed, about frequency of watering and light to be monitored.

Hope this can be of little help to you

[snappyguy]

Paphs generally need a little less light than Phals. Phals grow epiphytically in trees, and Paphs are terrestrial, so there is a little less light. I grow all my orchids in windows and just put the Paph a little further from the glass.

[mab3362]

for the vanilla, I have had great success just pulling off a few leaves on the base of the cutting and stick it into a plastic pot with miracle grow soil and keep moist, in a few months it will start making more leaves, smaller at first and then gradually bigger. Note this is the only orchid except some terrestrials that can be grown in dirt! Others start vanilla in sphagnum, but the other method works much better for me and i have started a dozen or 2 this way.

[silken]

Usually paphs with mottled leaves take a little less light than the plain green leaved types. They all take similar light to phals and don't like to be completely dry. Their roots are rather hairy and quite sensitive and they grow in a finer mix than phals or catts usually.

For the cattleya types, they do need more light than phals and paphs and likely lots of water when in active growth. But they should completely dry out between watering. They have pseudobulbs which store water and nutrients, so they are a bit different from pahps and phals in that way. Orchiwiz says they MUST dry out for any cattleya cross I have ever looked up.

I'm no help with the vanilla, sorry.

Welcome to Orchidboard and enjoy your new plants!

[peeper]

Thank you for the replies! I have planted the vanilla in a pot with sphagnum moss... I may add a little soil to the layer of bark. Keeping my fingers crossed that I have all of the light requirements met for the rest of them right.

The Kat's golden eye, is acutally outside and the leaves have even picked up a bit. It shot off another bud, so I'm guessing it's liking it's new enviornment.

The Paph, I've placed in my bathroom window, as it's a "frosted" window... still bright but not as direct sunlight.


sound about right?

[silken]

Sounds like a good start to your new chids

[vmijct]

Be careful not to keep the vanilla too moist. It likes to dry out between waterings.