Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Purple and white Phalaenopsis
Potting mediums
Hi everybody, well, started off the morning by finding out there is another "Orchid Whisperer" out there, but he does not blog. Unfortunately he seems to be better educated in the world of orchids. Hmmm, maybe he will buy this blog from me....lol. Anyway, I thought I would talk about potting mediums and other forms of mounting today.
I have seen some vandas, mounted to pieces of wood as they do not require any soil to thrive, and this mimics their natural environment; attached to trees in tropical locals. Few orchids grow in actual soil. Orchids do not derive their nutrients from soil but rather pick them up by way of runoff rainwater that is soaked up through the roots. Example, it rains, the water runs down the tree trunk picking up trace elements from the tree, and passes over the orchids roots.
A pot with a combination of perlite, fir bark, and charcoal, sometimes even packing peanuts makes a great potting soil. Attention needs to be paid to the thickness of the roots: A bigger root prefers a courser grade of soil, whereas a fine root will prefer a finer grade of soil. The aim is to give the orchids roots something to anchor to, so that it does not fall over and damage the flowers or leaves. Make sure that whatever your soil choice is, that it drains well. I recently added Sorghum moss to two hanging baskets lined with coconut husk to trap more moisture for my vandas. This cut down my need to water them everyday. I still will need to take them out and soak in a bucket of water once a week for 15 minutes. Other varieties don't need as much water;but some can be grown hydroponically! That would be interesting to try. If you have any questions about what medium to use, please let me know. I saw a very cool planting solution today on you tube, where a phalaenopsis was in a glass vase, filled with glass beads, very cool because you could see all the roots filling the cracks and crevices, and it would make visual inspection of the roots extremely easy, just hold it up and look! I might try this too! I am sure the bottom of the vase had a drain hole, or when you water you just fill it up, and then pour out the excess H2O!
Til tomorrow,
Happy Growing
The younger Orchid Whisperer (LOL)
I have seen some vandas, mounted to pieces of wood as they do not require any soil to thrive, and this mimics their natural environment; attached to trees in tropical locals. Few orchids grow in actual soil. Orchids do not derive their nutrients from soil but rather pick them up by way of runoff rainwater that is soaked up through the roots. Example, it rains, the water runs down the tree trunk picking up trace elements from the tree, and passes over the orchids roots.
A pot with a combination of perlite, fir bark, and charcoal, sometimes even packing peanuts makes a great potting soil. Attention needs to be paid to the thickness of the roots: A bigger root prefers a courser grade of soil, whereas a fine root will prefer a finer grade of soil. The aim is to give the orchids roots something to anchor to, so that it does not fall over and damage the flowers or leaves. Make sure that whatever your soil choice is, that it drains well. I recently added Sorghum moss to two hanging baskets lined with coconut husk to trap more moisture for my vandas. This cut down my need to water them everyday. I still will need to take them out and soak in a bucket of water once a week for 15 minutes. Other varieties don't need as much water;but some can be grown hydroponically! That would be interesting to try. If you have any questions about what medium to use, please let me know. I saw a very cool planting solution today on you tube, where a phalaenopsis was in a glass vase, filled with glass beads, very cool because you could see all the roots filling the cracks and crevices, and it would make visual inspection of the roots extremely easy, just hold it up and look! I might try this too! I am sure the bottom of the vase had a drain hole, or when you water you just fill it up, and then pour out the excess H2O!
Til tomorrow,
Happy Growing
The younger Orchid Whisperer (LOL)
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Cozy roots make happy orchids
When you receive an orchid from a shop or florist, the first thing you are going to want to do is to buy a bigger pot, so that the poor cramped orchid can breathe. Well, you want to hold off on that, because most orchids like to be stuffed in their pots and really thrive.....all the energy goes to the flowers and leaves, creating larger more vibrant blooms. Some good reasons to repot an orchid include: the medium has broken down and no longer drains well, the orchids roots are overgrowing the pot, and if the plant has just finished its blooming cycle, and you want to allow the root system to get larger perhaps for propagating it into more orchids. Another reason could be that you need a bigger pot to provide more stability for an orchid that has really long flower stems with big heavy blooms on it, that keeps falling over (just don't do it until the blooms have died).
When picking out pots, always choice something just larger than the previous pot, and make sure it has holes to drain extra water. Nothing will kill an orchid faster than if it is in a pot that does not drain, and the roots sit in water all day long. Most orchids like to dry out in between waterings, very few thrive in soggy conditions.
The Orchid Whisperer
When picking out pots, always choice something just larger than the previous pot, and make sure it has holes to drain extra water. Nothing will kill an orchid faster than if it is in a pot that does not drain, and the roots sit in water all day long. Most orchids like to dry out in between waterings, very few thrive in soggy conditions.
The Orchid Whisperer
Monday, April 26, 2010
More Blooms for your Buck!
My wife suggested my topic for today be about blooms and the fact that some beginners out there don't know what to expect or do after those blooms die. She thought that some people might actually think that like some other flowers, once the blooms died, that the plant also died. This happens to be a very basic topic, but important to discuss nonetheless.
By far the most popular type of orchid is the Phalaenopsis. First of all, phals are simply more common and available; hence more affordable. They also come in tons of colors, sizes, and shapes. The best thing about phals in my opinion is their ability to bloom over and over again. Now, with that mentioned, it needs to be said that you can exhaust your orchid (and it can get sick) if you bloom it too many times. Sometimes you need to "rest" an orchid and let the leaves and roots recover after two blooms a year. Another strong case for purchasing phalaenopsis, is that the blooms can last up to 140 days (with the help of worm tea)! Typically phals will blooms 1 or 2 times a year and the range can be from 60 days to 140 days. I am happy to report that all of my phals last over 100 days, and two for an eternal 145days!
A little correlation I discovered is that the larger the blooms, the fewer blooms, and the shorter life of the blooms. This makes miniture phals a great option, because the blooms are more plentiful and last longer. But really it is a matter of personnal choice. I like both large and small blooms for various reasons, so you should probably just buy one of each, or five of each...LOL.
Some other varieties along with blooming frequency and number of days in bloom are as follows:
Cattleya 7-12days, 1 time a year. Don't let this deter you from getting a cattleya, because they are beautiful plants without blooms, and when they bloom they are spectacular!
Cymbidium- 30-45 days, 1 time a year. Make sure you have plently of room for a cymbidium, they can be very large. A red and white cymbidium is posted on this blog which I got at Kroger for $14.00. A great buy, this orchid is one of my favorites.
Dendrobium (several types of these) 30-45 days, 1-2 times a year
Oncidium (many fragrant types) 30-45 days, 1-2 times a year (Sharry Baby, or Ruby Doll has a chocolate and coconut smell)
Paphiopedilum 60-90+ days, 1-2 times a year
Vanda (king of orchids) 30-90+ days 2-3 times a year! Vandas can be planted in hanging baskets, beware the very long roots. They can also be grown on trees etc. they don't need soil, just something to cling to! I have a very big one and old, and a baby I rescued from Home Depot (free). I would not suggest these for beginners because they can take as long as 7 years before blooming, and need water everyday. But if you are willing, they will amaze you!
Well, I think that is a good stopping point, I welcome your comments and or questions!
The Orchid Whisperer
Brandon Abshire
By far the most popular type of orchid is the Phalaenopsis. First of all, phals are simply more common and available; hence more affordable. They also come in tons of colors, sizes, and shapes. The best thing about phals in my opinion is their ability to bloom over and over again. Now, with that mentioned, it needs to be said that you can exhaust your orchid (and it can get sick) if you bloom it too many times. Sometimes you need to "rest" an orchid and let the leaves and roots recover after two blooms a year. Another strong case for purchasing phalaenopsis, is that the blooms can last up to 140 days (with the help of worm tea)! Typically phals will blooms 1 or 2 times a year and the range can be from 60 days to 140 days. I am happy to report that all of my phals last over 100 days, and two for an eternal 145days!
A little correlation I discovered is that the larger the blooms, the fewer blooms, and the shorter life of the blooms. This makes miniture phals a great option, because the blooms are more plentiful and last longer. But really it is a matter of personnal choice. I like both large and small blooms for various reasons, so you should probably just buy one of each, or five of each...LOL.
Some other varieties along with blooming frequency and number of days in bloom are as follows:
Cattleya 7-12days, 1 time a year. Don't let this deter you from getting a cattleya, because they are beautiful plants without blooms, and when they bloom they are spectacular!
Cymbidium- 30-45 days, 1 time a year. Make sure you have plently of room for a cymbidium, they can be very large. A red and white cymbidium is posted on this blog which I got at Kroger for $14.00. A great buy, this orchid is one of my favorites.
Dendrobium (several types of these) 30-45 days, 1-2 times a year
Oncidium (many fragrant types) 30-45 days, 1-2 times a year (Sharry Baby, or Ruby Doll has a chocolate and coconut smell)
Paphiopedilum 60-90+ days, 1-2 times a year
Vanda (king of orchids) 30-90+ days 2-3 times a year! Vandas can be planted in hanging baskets, beware the very long roots. They can also be grown on trees etc. they don't need soil, just something to cling to! I have a very big one and old, and a baby I rescued from Home Depot (free). I would not suggest these for beginners because they can take as long as 7 years before blooming, and need water everyday. But if you are willing, they will amaze you!
Well, I think that is a good stopping point, I welcome your comments and or questions!
The Orchid Whisperer
Saturday, April 24, 2010
What to do if someone unexpectedly buys you an orchid
Wow, what a beautiful day here in Pearland, Texas! Orchids really enjoy this type of weather, therefore all sixteen of mine are outside enjoying it. Well, on with the blog.....what to do with a newly acquired orchid?
First you will want to know what type of Orchid it is, and there are a lot of sites on the internet that can help identify your species like the American Orchid Society, or take a photo of it and send to me.
Second; you want to figure out how often to water your plant. This can be done with a simply weight test. Pick up the plant and feels its weight when the soil is dry, and when it is wet, then water when it feels like it is getting light. Some types orchids need more water some need less, there again, I can help you with that.
Third; fertilizers or orchid food are essential to vibrant and healthy blooms. You can use all natural worm tea, or I like Carl Pool BR 61 super bloom, and Carl Pool Orchid food as well. Worm tea can be purchased online from several vendors as well as the Carl Pool products.
And last; sunlight required can be divided into three groups depending on the orchid, high, medium, and low. You can do a simple shadow test to determine what windows in your home give you what light. High light would cast a dark shadow with your hand 1 ft. above the plant, Medium would cast a medium shadow, and low would not cast a very dark shadow at all. Different seasons will bring different light levels into different windows in your home, and you should adjust the position of your orchids accordingly.
Well that is a good start, I am off to play some disc golf...yippppeeeeee!
Thanks for reading
The Orchid Whisperer
Brandon Abshire
Worm tea
http://www.americanorchidsociety.com/
First you will want to know what type of Orchid it is, and there are a lot of sites on the internet that can help identify your species like the American Orchid Society, or take a photo of it and send to me.
Second; you want to figure out how often to water your plant. This can be done with a simply weight test. Pick up the plant and feels its weight when the soil is dry, and when it is wet, then water when it feels like it is getting light. Some types orchids need more water some need less, there again, I can help you with that.
Third; fertilizers or orchid food are essential to vibrant and healthy blooms. You can use all natural worm tea, or I like Carl Pool BR 61 super bloom, and Carl Pool Orchid food as well. Worm tea can be purchased online from several vendors as well as the Carl Pool products.
And last; sunlight required can be divided into three groups depending on the orchid, high, medium, and low. You can do a simple shadow test to determine what windows in your home give you what light. High light would cast a dark shadow with your hand 1 ft. above the plant, Medium would cast a medium shadow, and low would not cast a very dark shadow at all. Different seasons will bring different light levels into different windows in your home, and you should adjust the position of your orchids accordingly.
Well that is a good start, I am off to play some disc golf...yippppeeeeee!
Thanks for reading
The Orchid Whisperer
Brandon Abshire
Worm tea
http://www.americanorchidsociety.com/
Friday, April 23, 2010
The Orchid Whisperer
Greetings:
I would like to help all those of you out there that are nervous about caring for Orchids. I tried doing so over Facebook, but found that approach to be inefficient. Therefore, I started this blog so that more of you would realize that growing and caring for Orchids of all varieties should not be a scary thing. I know people that have received a beautiful orchid, and instead of being thrilled and able to enjoy the flowers, they were apprehensive about killing it, not to mention the guilt that comes along with that.... Anyway, fear no more, orchids usually die from being given too much attention, and they actually thrive when neglected a little. Now that is not to say they are as easy as some other plants, but they can thrive with a little schedule and some great and relatively cheap products. Please tell all your friends about this blog, and I look forward to answering any and all questions to the best of my ability.
I would like to help all those of you out there that are nervous about caring for Orchids. I tried doing so over Facebook, but found that approach to be inefficient. Therefore, I started this blog so that more of you would realize that growing and caring for Orchids of all varieties should not be a scary thing. I know people that have received a beautiful orchid, and instead of being thrilled and able to enjoy the flowers, they were apprehensive about killing it, not to mention the guilt that comes along with that.... Anyway, fear no more, orchids usually die from being given too much attention, and they actually thrive when neglected a little. Now that is not to say they are as easy as some other plants, but they can thrive with a little schedule and some great and relatively cheap products. Please tell all your friends about this blog, and I look forward to answering any and all questions to the best of my ability.
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