The official Orchid thread!

[orchidman]

Originally Posted by DogFish

I really need to not be on this thread. I bought one as a Christmas present for my wife from Home Depot. Watered it 4Xs in 9mos. the flowers lasted until April. Getting hooked on them now.

Since then I found two out of bloom, marked down orchids one at Home Depot one a Lowes for $4.99 and $1.49. I repotted them in the American Orchid growers mix and a little spagnium moss. They are both rebounding.

You guys have some amazing orchids.

Question - After my blooms are done, am I correct to just leave the flower stalk alone? I would think new buds will grow on the existing stalk? YES?

I'm water with W/C water and it seems to be working well as it does on all my house plants.

It certainly is a dangerous thing!

As for the spike, if you leave, it could throw a branch and give you more flowers. However the display and flowers will be smaller. If you cute the spike then next time it blooms, the blooms will be bigger and more numerous and they will display nicer.

[DogFish]

I watched a few youtube videos about this.

I cut the one from last Christmas down to a node. Mr. $4.99 has a flower so I won't touch it. Mr $1.49 is the weakest of the 3, so I removed the spike at the base. The last one does have a new leaf that is growing since I've watered and repotted.

[DogFish]

Originally Posted by orchidman

Maxillaria tenufolia! I basically gave up on ever getting this plant to bloom! i got it in summer of 2010, and this is the first time ive bloomed it. its a huge plant though! it smells AMAZING just like coconut!



DSC_0043.jpg by orchidman10, on Flickr

I really like this one, is it very demanding? Expensive??

[jbrady33]

Ok, I'll play

My desk at work:



And this one live on the back of our toilet



just NOID Phals, but I like em. The stuff at work was rescued from the bargain bin at Lowes.

[toksyn]

Originally Posted by DogFish

I really like this one, is it very demanding? Expensive??

Neither in my experience. I have mine growing in the front entry to my house and it's doing great despite being largely ignored.

I like creepy things, vines included.

[jflng]

Originally Posted by orchidman

Maxillaria tenufolia! I basically gave up on ever getting this plant to bloom! i got it in summer of 2010, and this is the first time ive bloomed it. its a huge plant though! it smells AMAZING just like coconut!

Same story with mine. I never could get it to bloom. It finally did when I put it in almost full sunlight. It's nice to see you're growing yours in s/h too. I wasn't sure how well this plant would take to it. I might have to move mine over as well.

Originally Posted by DogFish

I really like this one, is it very demanding? Expensive??

You can usually get them off ebay for little $.

[orchidman]

Originally Posted by DogFish

I really like this one, is it very demanding? Expensive??

No and no! I paid 8$ including shipping for this plant. Although it was half it's current size, it was still large when I got it. It's unlikely they have specials like that anymore, but it's not expensive.

It grows fast for me. Likes to be moist all the time and thrives in semi hydro. It can take very high light as well mine gets medium to high light. You definitely have to try it!

[DogFish]

Originally Posted by orchidman

...It grows fast for me. Likes to be moist all the time and thrives in semi hydro. It can take very high light as well mine gets medium to high light. You definitely have to try it!

I went to google and yes, I found it in the $15+ range, which fits the budget. It's at the top of my want-to-buy list.

Would you say it like it's toes wet? It looks lie yours in in Hydroton with just water at the tips of the roots?

[orchidman]

Originally Posted by DogFish

I went to google and yes, I found it in the $15+ range, which fits the budget. It's at the top of my want-to-buy list.

Would you say it like it's toes wet? It looks lie yours in in Hydroton with just water at the tips of the roots?

definitely likes its toes wet! you could grow yours in moss. most people do. im growing mine using a method called semi-hydroponics. its potted in pure LECA (im using Primagra. the pot has a 2" reservoir in the bottom that stays constantly filled and the LECA wicks the water up and keep the roots moist. i have it outside for summer so i usually flush the whole pot a few times a week. but you dont really need to do that more then once a week

[orchidman]

here are some of my latest blooms!

phal Angdi Kolopaking


DSC_0007.jpg by orchidman-10, on Flickr


DSC_0017.jpg by orchidman-10, on Flickr

Bc Kosh Wallis 'Paradise'


DSC_0053.jpg by orchidman-10, on Flickr


DSC_0048.jpg by orchidman-10, on Flickr


DSC_0052.jpg by orchidman-10, on Flickr

noid phal


DSC_0039.jpg by orchidman-10, on Flickr

massive phal amboinensis getting ready to flower


DSC_0043.jpg by orchidman-10, on Flickr

[amphirion]

wanted to share my lepanthes calodictyon's progress


and an orchid-ioides Utricularia species, Utricularia asplundii

[howze01]

Now here's a thread I can get into! My roommate is a plant science major at Rutgers and has spread the Orchid bug to me. Once I can post pics I will load some up!

[Wy Renegade]

I recently reduced down to only 50 plants in order to have a bit more time. Have newer pictures I should upload at some point, but here are a few of mine;

[howze01]

Here are a couple shots I have of ours.

SLC "Marie Nohava"



Candy Stripe Phal

[amphirion]

those are some nice phals. im a sucker for candy stripes.

here are a few more of mine:

masdevallia exquisita


stigmatostalix ibis


pleurothallis mystax


lepanthes martinae


cadetia chionantha