The official Orchid thread!

[chad320]

Sorry, I mistakenly said Justin and it was Hydrophyte. I keep Phals and cymbidiums and neither of these like salts/ferts/Excel. I cant speak for the rest of them though since I havent tried killing any of the others yet

[Da Plant Man]

Originally Posted by chad320

Sorry, I mistakenly said Justin and it was Hydrophyte.

For some reason I do that too...must be that nice red name

Do emersed aquatic plants enjoy a good misting with ferts?

[chad320]

I wouldnt foliar feed any terrestrials with ferts. Some will like it if you water the dirt with them but the salts are bad for leaves when the water is absorbed or evaporates.

[legomaniac89]

I water all my orchids with tap water, which is liquid limestone here, and I've never had a problem with it. Granted, during the warmer months I put most all of them outside and let them get rained on whenever I can, so that washes out most of the salts, but I've never had a problem otherwise.

As far as ferts go, don't think that fertilizers are bad for orchids, they need their food too. What you want to do is dilute the fertilizer to 1/8-1/4 strength and feed them that way. Full-strength can fry the plants, no doubt, but I wouldn't withhold fertilizer completely.

My Phalaenopsis and Oncidium are kept indoors during the winter with no extra humidity, and again I've never had a problem with it. Some of my more sensitive species (Masdevellia, Neolehmannia, etc.) are kept in a humid terrarium, but the others don't get any misting or humidifying at all. And the ambient humidity inside my house is somewhere around 2% at the moment. Humidity isn't terribly important for the more common species.

The main thing to remember is that most orchids are epiphytes, and thus will never be soaked for more than a couple hours in nature. Overwatering is the easiest way to kill an orchid, so very well-drained medium is very important.

[Dave-H]

Maybe I'll try some out here in Denver. The humidity is always incredibly low here so it will be a chore to keep them from drying out but we'll see how it goes! At our other place the orchids thrive - they are growing wild all over the place, literally, and you can just hike around for a few minutes and find them everywhere. Never seen a wild orchid in Colorado, though!

[Eden Marel]

Originally Posted by Dave-H

Maybe I'll try some out here in Denver. The humidity is always incredibly low here so it will be a chore to keep them from drying out but we'll see how it goes! At our other place the orchids thrive - they are growing wild all over the place, literally, and you can just hike around for a few minutes and find them everywhere. Never seen a wild orchid in Colorado, though!

I joined this site a while ago, and there were other Coloradans who also have orchids of all sorts! Makes me jealous how they are able to keept their orchid alive haha.

http://www.orchidgeeks.com/


I have my supplies still from last time, they are sad because they are not being put to use..... so sad

[orchidman]

Originally Posted by legomaniac89

I water all my orchids with tap water, which is liquid limestone here, and I've never had a problem with it. Granted, during the warmer months I put most all of them outside and let them get rained on whenever I can, so that washes out most of the salts, but I've never had a problem otherwise.

As far as ferts go, don't think that fertilizers are bad for orchids, they need their food too. What you want to do is dilute the fertilizer to 1/8-1/4 strength and feed them that way. Full-strength can fry the plants, no doubt, but I wouldn't withhold fertilizer completely.

My Phalaenopsis and Oncidium are kept indoors during the winter with no extra humidity, and again I've never had a problem with it. Some of my more sensitive species (Masdevellia, Neolehmannia, etc.) are kept in a humid terrarium, but the others don't get any misting or humidifying at all. And the ambient humidity inside my house is somewhere around 2% at the moment. Humidity isn't terribly important for the more common species.

The main thing to remember is that most orchids are epiphytes, and thus will never be soaked for more than a couple hours in nature. Overwatering is the easiest way to kill an orchid, so very well-drained medium is very important.

+7!

i water with straight tap. and my water isnt soft. orchids need food too, but most cannot use nitrogen supplied from urea. so you need to find a fertilizer who's main nitrogen source is not from urea

[chad320]

Yeah, I agree with you guys on the ferts. They do need some and couldnt survive without. I was referring to tank water in particular. Mine do terrible on it.

[Da Plant Man]

I will do a fertilized mist once every two weeks on my orchids, and then daily mist's with r/o water

I just want to use my r/o water right now, I only have one tank up (no plants...african) so I need my fix.

[orchidman]

i dont mist my plants. it really doesnt help with anything. but they will like r/o water if you have it

[chaznsc]

My variegated Vanilla Orchid....

[jflng]

That enclosure is awesome^

Want to trade a small cutting from that vanilla orchid for small chunk of Bulbophyllum lepidum or Dendrobium oligophyllum?

[chaznsc]

Originally Posted by jflng

That enclosure is awesome^

Want to trade a small cutting from that vanilla orchid for small chunk of Bulbophyllum lepidum or Dendrobium oligophyllum?

Im in the market for some Subwassertan or Christmas / Spiky Moss if you have any.

[Eden Marel]

I saw some nice Intergenic Hybrids today, maybe I'll get one next week with my coupon... like Wils. Tigersette Wild Court AM/AOS and Burr. Austin Powers “Sweet Summer Morn”.


Gotta do a little reseach to see which one can do well. And be able to use the Phal soil mix I have..

Do any of you guys buy the cheap orchids that don't have a bloom spike?? They are cheaper... but I don't get them just in case when it does get a flower spike that the flower isn't to my liking.

[amphirion]

i specialize in minis:
lepanthes nycteris

restrepia iris

lepanthes telipogoniflora

lepanthes calodictyon

Dryadella simula

Stelis uniflora

Trisetella gemmata

Masdevallia decumana