shape
carat
color
clarity

Orchid enthusiasts, please help with forum recommendations

Tuckins1

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Apr 13, 2008
Messages
8,614
I am a (very) amateur orchid grower, and I am looking to become more knowledgeable. I tried to Google some forums, but i'm not sure which one is the best. Which ones do you use (if any)? Thanks for the advice!
 
Re: Orchid enthusiasts, please help with forum recommendatio

The only one I've ever browsed is gardenweb... Not sure if others have more traffic but I found archive searches pretty useful.
 
Re: Orchid enthusiasts, please help with forum recommendatio

My BIL is an orchid enthusiast, but he doesn't grow them - he finds them in nature. He produces yearly calendars of them and everything, not unusual for him to drive 5 hours each way to get a photograph of a particularly rare orchid.

This is his page, in case you're interested in looking as much as you are growing: http://orchids.chookman.id.au/
 
Re: Orchid enthusiasts, please help with forum recommendatio

justginger|1356698179|3341362 said:
My BIL is an orchid enthusiast, but he doesn't grow them - he finds them in nature. He produces yearly calendars of them and everything, not unusual for him to drive 5 hours each way to get a photograph of a particularly rare orchid.

This is his page, in case you're interested in looking as much as you are growing: http://orchids.chookman.id.au/
WOW!! impressive photographic collection!
 
Re: Orchid enthusiasts, please help with forum recommendatio

Yes, gorgeous pictures!!
 
Re: Orchid enthusiasts, please help with forum recommendatio

He will be most pleased to hear you like them. He's a photography and nature enthusiast, so the passions meet here (and with all of his train photos!). I like the ones that look like their names, like the donkey orchids and the flying duck orchids. :))
 
Re: Orchid enthusiasts, please help with forum recommendatio

i kill about 5 plants every year... ;(
 
Re: Orchid enthusiasts, please help with forum recommendatio

I joined 2 orchid forums but have not been active for the past few years since I've been able to get my orchids to bloom year after year. I'll have to go digging around to see if I have the forum names.

ETA
Big Leaf Orchids
Orchid Forum Orchid Care Wild Orchids
 
Re: Orchid enthusiasts, please help with forum recommendatio

Waldor Orchids has a lot of information on how to grow and care for them. I'm not sure if I should post the link, but you can google them. They exhibit at the Philadelphia Flower Show every year. Their site has links to other good sites, too.
 
Re: Orchid enthusiasts, please help with forum recommendatio

Chrono|1356721427|3341600 said:
I joined 2 orchid forums but have not been active for the past few years since I've been able to get my orchids to bloom year after year. I'll have to go digging around to see if I have the forum names.

ETA
Big Leaf Orchids
Orchid Forum Orchid Care Wild Orchids
Chrono
so what is the secret??.. :read: how often do you water? i need some good tips.. :(sad
 
Re: Orchid enthusiasts, please help with forum recommendatio

Too many variables for a single recipe.
Type of orchid? Each orchid type has very specific and different needs.
What is the potting medium?
How much light does it get, when and from what direction?
How high or low is the humidity?

All the conditions above will dictate how much to water, when and even how to water your orchids.
 
Re: Orchid enthusiasts, please help with forum recommendatio

Chrono|1356747753|3341920 said:
Too many variables for a single recipe.
Type of orchid? Each orchid type has very specific and different needs.
What is the potting medium?
How much light does it get, when and from what direction?
How high or low is the humidity?

All the conditions above will dictate how much to water, when and even how to water your orchids.
they get about 2 hrs of morning sun from the east. i don't know the answers to the rest of your Qs... :oops:
 
Re: Orchid enthusiasts, please help with forum recommendatio

2 hours is too little sunlight even for the hardiest orchid. The first step is to find out what you've got. Can you take a picture of the plant and leaf? If you've none at the moment, I suggest starting with phalaenopsis as they are the easiest to care for. In general, they have 3 to 8 leaves, are broad and fat ranging from 6 inches to a foot each.

_2671.jpg

_2672.jpg
 
Re: Orchid enthusiasts, please help with forum recommendatio

Tuckins1|1356695412|3341345 said:
I am a (very) amateur orchid grower, and I am looking to become more knowledgeable. I tried to Google some forums, but i'm not sure which one is the best. Which ones do you use (if any)? Thanks for the advice!

Tuckins - do you have any orchids and how long have you had them? I'm just curious. I've been growing houseplants since I was a teenager and currently have at least 20 of them (maybe more - I just bought some new little ones) and seem to have a green thumb except when it comes to orchids. They are SO dang hard. If you figure out the secrets for a novice to grow beyond that stage, please post!

(I have so many plants right now that I have decided to set up a spreadsheet to be sure everyone gets transplanted, if they need it, and to start tracking feedings!)
 
Re: Orchid enthusiasts, please help with forum recommendatio

I have a few Phals... I have had them for around 5 years or so. One of them has sprouted 2 clone plants, and one has actually bloomed. My problem is once the blooms all fall off, I can never get them to bloom again. I have re-potted in a good orchid potting medium, I water as often as needed, never letting them get totally dry and crispy, but net keeping them super wet. They get indirect sunlight (south/ west facing side of the house) all day long. The leaves are a healthy color, and they are sprouting new, strong looking roots. I think my problem is what to do with the old, dead roots. Prune them? How much? How?
 
Re: Orchid enthusiasts, please help with forum recommendatio

I repot once every 2 years or so only, right after the blooming stage, at the start of the leaf and root growth. If they get a nice temp change, 60F to 70F at night in the fall, it triggers the phals to bloom. A bit of fertilizer once every 2 week with the weekly watering session will help it get that extra strength to bloom. My crazy phals have 3 stems of flowers this year, the most ever, and I'm worried it'll tax its health. After blooming, do not trim the stem. Leave it until it falls off or reblooms next year.
 
Re: Orchid enthusiasts, please help with forum recommendatio

thanks,i'll try to give them more hrs of sunlight.
 
Re: Orchid enthusiasts, please help with forum recommendatio

How do you deal with the flower spike after the blooms fall off?
 
Re: Orchid enthusiasts, please help with forum recommendatio

Tuckins1 said:
How do you deal with the flower spike after the blooms fall off?
Cut it off at the base...
 
Re: Orchid enthusiasts, please help with forum recommendatio

For other types like dendrobium, cymbidium and etc, you can cut off at the base. For phals, they often rebloom on the same stem or have an "anak" or clone so leave it as it is unless the stem dies off naturally. To further encourage blooming on the same stem, you can cut it while leaving at least 3 nodes. If you look closely at my pictures, I only cut one stem to the base. I have reblooms on 2 old stems that I left as is after the original flowers have fallen off. After a second rebloom, I always cut to the base to give the orchid a much needed rest.

DF,
Orchids grow in temperate to rainforest conditions so they need very strong but filtered light for about 8 to 12 hours a day. I'm not crazy enough for specialized lighting so an East window is sufficient for me but the blinds are up from 6 am to 6 pm, sometimes later in the summer.
 
Re: Orchid enthusiasts, please help with forum recommendatio

I have tried cutting the spike, leaving at least 3 nodes. (I watched some videos on youtube.) They never re-bloom, and the spike always ends up shriveling and dying. Am I broken? Is it something that I am not doing right to get them to re-bloom?
 
Re: Orchid enthusiasts, please help with forum recommendatio

Thanks for starting this topic!!! I have the same problems as described above, but I've never been active enough to find a forum to follow. Nothing to add, just voicing my lurking :naughty:
 
Re: Orchid enthusiasts, please help with forum recommendatio

Tuckins1|1356820683|3342446 said:
I have a few Phals... I have had them for around 5 years or so. One of them has sprouted 2 clone plants, and one has actually bloomed. My problem is once the blooms all fall off, I can never get them to bloom again. I have re-potted in a good orchid potting medium, I water as often as needed, never letting them get totally dry and crispy, but net keeping them super wet. They get indirect sunlight (south/ west facing side of the house) all day long. The leaves are a healthy color, and they are sprouting new, strong looking roots. I think my problem is what to do with the old, dead roots. Prune them? How much? How?

I just noticed Chrono has her orchids on pebbles. How's the humidity with your orchids, Tuckins? Maybe try upping it a bit?
 
Re: Orchid enthusiasts, please help with forum recommendatio

Also, she is using clay pots. What are you using? I'm just tossing out ideas as I use different types of pots for certain plants. With the two orchids I had (both presents from DH), I never transplanted them out of the original plastic pots they came in and they eventually just looked terrible. Some plants I ALWAYS use plastic pots for, such as African Violets, which I've had extreme success with, while others do better with clay as it absorbs the extra water and keeps the soil from staying too moist.
 
Re: Orchid enthusiasts, please help with forum recommendatio

Tuckins1|1356887972|3342877 said:
I have tried cutting the spike, leaving at least 3 nodes. (I watched some videos on youtube.) They never re-bloom, and the spike always ends up shriveling and dying. Am I broken? Is it something that I am not doing right to get them to re-bloom?

Let's try something a little different this time if it ever blooms again - leave the spike untouched. In the meantime, can you share a few growing details?
1. How much sunlight and how strong?
2. How many leaves and how long and broad?
3. What is your day and night temps?
4. Do you fertilize? How much, how often and with what?
5. Do you know the humidity level where the orchids are?
 
Re: Orchid enthusiasts, please help with forum recommendatio

MC,
You are very observant. I have a strong preference for clay pots with multiple drainage holes because they hold water well, dry quickly and tells me when it is wet / dry by look and heft. I prefer a bark and charcoal mix over moss for the same reasons. I water by soaking each pot in a sink of water for about 15 mins (depending on how wet or dry the medium is, could be longer or shorter), drain and it goes back on the pebbles for a mess free stand. Excess water drips down without dirtying my room and helps with maintaining humidity. If needed, I add fertilizer to the water mixture once or twice a month. I only soak once a week, with no further watering of misting.


I tried plastic and glass containers with moss with poor results, eventually coming back to clay pots and bark / charcoal before the orchids died and managed to save them.
 
Re: Orchid enthusiasts, please help with forum recommendatio

Chrono|1356911936|3343131 said:
Tuckins1|1356887972|3342877 said:
I have tried cutting the spike, leaving at least 3 nodes. (I watched some videos on youtube.) They never re-bloom, and the spike always ends up shriveling and dying. Am I broken? Is it something that I am not doing right to get them to re-bloom?

Let's try something a little different this time if it ever blooms again - leave the spike untouched. In the meantime, can you share a few growing details?
1. How much sunlight and how strong?
They get south/sw facing, indirect sunlight all day long
2. How many leaves and how long and broad?
They have 6 leaves each, 8-10 inches long (approx) and 2-3 inches wide
3. What is your day and night temps?
Daytime temp is 70-72, nighttime is approx 68
4. Do you fertilize? How much, how often and with what?
I have orchid fertilizer, but rarely use it
5. Do you know the humidity level where the orchids are?
I don't know the humidity, but the ones in the kitchen fare batter than the ones upstairs, I think due to moisture in the kitchen
 
Re: Orchid enthusiasts, please help with forum recommendatio

Your plants sound very healthy. There are several possibilities of why they are not flowering:

1. Insufficient light
Seems like they are getting enough light from your description though. Are they getting about 12 hours of sunlight? Are the leaves a bright green or dark green? Dark green means they are not getting enough light. If they are looking a bit reddish or blotchy, then they have sunburn and need to be shaded more.

2. Nutrition
Can you take a look at the fertilizer and tell me the type? There are 3 basic "readings" which are Nitrogen - Phosphorus - Potassium. N is for leaf growth. P is for root and flowering, K is general growth. You can use 30-10-10 if potted in bark and 20-20-20 for other types of potting medium. You can do it every week with your usual watering, only that it must be very diluted. Flush once a month with plain water to prevent salt buildup.

3. Temperature change
Spiking tends to occur in response to a cooler temperature change. Your temperature looks to be too constant. Have the temperature at night in the low 60s for a few weeks before bring it back up to the low 70s. I've read recommendations as low as in the 50s but I've never heard of the tropics ever being that cold at night. :bigsmile:
 
Re: Orchid enthusiasts, please help with forum recommendatio

Chrono|1357148783|3345537 said:
Your plants sound very healthy. There are several possibilities of why they are not flowering:

1. Insufficient light
Seems like they are getting enough light from your description though. Are they getting about 12 hours of sunlight? Are the leaves a bright green or dark green? Dark green means they are not getting enough light. If they are looking a bit reddish or blotchy, then they have sunburn and need to be shaded more.

The leaves are a fairly bright/ medium green tone. No dark splotches.

2. Nutrition
Can you take a look at the fertilizer and tell me the type? There are 3 basic "readings" which are Nitrogen - Phosphorus - Potassium. N is for leaf growth. P is for root and flowering, K is general growth. You can use 30-10-10 if potted in bark and 20-20-20 for other types of potting medium. You can do it every week with your usual watering, only that it must be very diluted. Flush once a month with plain water to prevent salt buildup.

I have a few types of fertlizer, none of them say N, P, or K. The bottle just says "Orchid Food" for growth, so I guess it would just be "K"...

3. Temperature change
Spiking tends to occur in response to a cooler temperature change. Your temperature looks to be too constant. Have the temperature at night in the low 60s for a few weeks before bring it back up to the low 70s. I've read recommendations as low as in the 50s but I've never heard of the tropics ever being that cold at night. :bigsmile:

This is the hard part... I have a baby, so I really can't fuss with the temp too much. This may be a sticky spot until he's a little bit bigger and can handle cooler temps in the house.
 
Re: Orchid enthusiasts, please help with forum recommendatio

I just inherited these today from my husband's grandmother. They have been severely neglected, and have still continued to grow and flower! I am going to attempt to re-pot these... Any tips?

dsc00397.jpg

dsc00398.jpg

dsc00399.jpg

dsc00400.jpg
 
GET 3 FREE HCA RESULTS JOIN THE FORUM. ASK FOR HELP
Top