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