Just ordered vandas, cattleya, Phala and Dend's many questions

[Tami Bell]

I was grazing around ebay the other night and came across an orchid store that had incredible deals so I decided to make an order. This is after having killed 7-8 various orchids by not potting them correctly, not watering them correctly, not feeding them correctly, not giving them the correct light for the species, a cat that loved to chew on the leaves and did I mention looking at them wrong?

I also placed the order before finding OrchidBoard and discovering the person I purchased from does not have a good reputation on here. Hint, his first name is Bill and he thinks he’s Royalty from somewhere in Asia. After reading the problems people have had and all they had to do to get his plants to thrive, well I freaked out a bit. More like kicked myself in the rear end.

I should have just gone orchid shopping this weekend, I live in Homestead, FL and you can buy orchids at convenience stores here!! But I digress….

I ordered from him:

Phalaenopsis Ching Ruey's Tiger X -2 Pre-flowering
Oncidium Maureen X Haematochilum X -2 seedling
Vanda Manuvadee 'Blue' FCC – 4 seedling size
Vanda Penang Currency FLOWERING SIZE – 1 seedling size
Dendrobium Bangkok Fancy -2 seedling size
Cattleya LC Maris Song 1 Flowering size

After ordering my plants from him, I did some research and ordered supplies

10 5” round plastic orchid pots
10 4” teak square wood baskets
Superthrive
Dyna-Gro Formula 3-12-6
Dyna-Gro Formula 7-9-5
Hangers, clips etc.

So after this book I’ve written I do have a bunch of questions.

I know from reading on here and having already asked that receiving these plants dry root means I will need to soak them to plump up the roots. I’ve been advised to use filtered water with a few drops of Superthrive. If they come in really bad/dryed out shape, should I add anything else to the soaking liquid?

I read up on the sphag and bag method and will employ that as a last resort. In fact, I attempted the method today on two Phala’s that still had 1-2 roots that looked alive. Keeping my fingers crossed.

My plan is to use baskets for the vanda’s, should I add moss or not?

The Cattley’s Oncidium and phalaenopsis I plan on putting into plastic, should I use regular grow medium (I used better-gro medium before) or should I use moss, a combination of the two or something entirely different.

Aside from using Superthrive in the initial soak, how should I use it and how often?

and finally

with Dyna-Gro, when and how do I use the different formulations.

Who ever decides to take on this thread is a complete angel!!
Thank You!!!!

[frostedeyes]

Vanda- I prefer to be mount of orsmuda fiber bark - they enjoy light and heavy feeders.
Cattleya - Clay pot for orchids (with holes around), osmuda fibre and some pieces of charcoal. morning sun water them as long as they'll get dry by nyt.
Oncidium- Clay pot for orchids (with holes around), osmuda fibre, morning sun water them as long as they'll get dry by night.
Phal- clay pots, i use some coconut husk and charcoal, again pots with holes for orchids, morning sun, water them as long as they'll get dry by night.
Dendro- pots with holes, morning sun, i use osmuda fiber + small pieces of coconut husk and charcoal / can use charcoal alone, water them as long as they'll get dry by night.

you need plant food ( root hormone 10-15 drops per gallon, mix with your choice of fertilizer just a pinch per gallon)
good luck! fertilize WEAKLY! (in short small amount) depends on how you fertilize it * i do it every other day but only a pinch of my fert + 10-15 drps of root hormone (i use hormex) per gallon of water then the next day i use water.

*water - dechlorinated (leave it for at least 24 hours)
Rain water is the best!

dont cut your phal's flower stem it might rebloom and if you're lucky you'll get a baby plant!

for oncidium and dendro seedling try to buy the smallest clay pots!
clay pots is better because it allows the medium to dry faster. depends on your location.

Only you will know if your doing it right.
check this site
Orchid Care - Dendrobium

AND ALOT OF PATIENCE!!!! hope u wont get the itch! LOL! and treat all your dead orchids as a lesson! its all trial and error!

[Jkelee]

Good luck Tami!! As yes, Bill_Asia is not a Good chid seller, not an honest one. I've spend $$$ with him, and recieved the worst chids ever. I had to spag and bag every last one of them. I hope you get better than I did.

[Sandy4453]

Don't be too surprised if these plants are a lot smaller/younger than you may have thought they'd be. My last purchase (over a year ago and never again), from Bill_Asia was a Phal, that when it bloomed, was not the Phal I had purchased. He sent me the wrong one and too late for me to do anything about it by then.

You'll want to soak the Phal in whatever rooting hormone you have for about 15 minutes. Better-Gro bark is what I use and like best. I add some tree fern fibers to keep the mix aerated.

If you purchased his "small" Oncidiums, I trust you'll be receiving very tiny ones that will need a lot of time before they're blooming size. You may want to mount these with a blanket of spagh. to keep them moist, plus daily wetting. I originally had mine (from him) in pots and they didn't really start growing till I switched them to mounts.

I would advise putting the Vandas in plastic baskets, not the wooden ones. When those roots start growing, you'll want them to hang freely; the roots will stick to the wood and have a harder time than in plastic...I know...from the 4 I have in wood, regretfully. Placing some spagh. in the basket around the roots, is also a good idea.

Cattleyas and alliances...I've had the best success with non-organic medium, use Hydroton and they love it, a very big difference between this and bark. Their roots don't rot in LECA and overall, grow much better in it.

Hope you're happy with your delivery.

[cb977]

Hi Tami

First...you live in Homestead!?!?!?!?

Unfortunately, all that's been written above is, from what a number of us have experienced, true

The good news is that you have friends here at OB who will help you make the most of what you get from him.
When you get your delivery, post some pics and we'll get you set up for the best outcome

[cloudswinger]

You live in Homestead and didn't buy locally? Some of the best vanda growers in the country are there.

Those 5" pots will be too big. Most seedling size plants are in 2" pots. If you're lucky they might be big enough for a 3" pot, but not based on the seller you're buying from. Moss on the vandas will depend on how young they are. I'm in S. Florida too, and I found the big ones grow great without moss. But I had one young seedling from another not so great ebay grower that needed a little moss. We're getting into the dry season soon, so moss probably will be fine, but once the rainy season starts, the moss stays too wet. Assuming of course that you're growing outside.

Better-gro bark mix is what I've been using for my Phals, and they all seem happy. I also use an aliflor mix for my seedlings from green barn orchids. I don't use moss for much, and around here it's not very popular. It's either too wet or too dry.

[Tami Bell]

Yes I know, kicking myself in the rear end for making such a snap purchase. You know when you're at line in the grocery store and that candy bar just screams your name? It was one of those.

I'm heading over to a few of the nurseries around here this weekend when hubby is off work for additional pots and maybe a plant or two in bloom.

I had a serious back injury and needed surgery a few months back and am still not cleared to drive or I'd go myself.

I figured I'll need to spagh and bag most if not all of them and needed smaller pots, I just know the guy I got my supplies from and he gave me a great deal on the 5" but was out of smaller sizes.

[Tami Bell]

In my defense, it was a snap purchase after I finally killed off two more orchids, espcially one of largest Phalanopsis I've ever seen, the leaves would get close to 22" and the blooms were incredible. Desperation purchase maybe?

Plus, as I said in an above post, I had a back injury and surgery (twice) and am still not cleared to drive myself. I rely on my husband to get me around - so you get the idea..he's supportive but doesn't want to spend his entire day running from nursery to nursery. Sunday's this time of the year is church followed by football, we're both big sports fans.

Next time I'll know better....

[Sandy4453]

Tami, don't fret about this. You won't be receiving dead plants and if you get them primed for growing, they'll probably do fine. It's probably safe to say that these are far from blooming size (he uses the word, "small" when he shouldn't) and the Phal., which is probably blooming size will be fine if you give it a good soak before potting it.

[cb977]

In my defense, it was a snap purchase after I finally killed off two more orchids, espcially one of largest Phalanopsis I've ever seen, the leaves would get close to 22" and the blooms were incredible. Desperation purchase maybe?

Tami, there's no need to defend yourself...we have all made purchases that in retrospect weren't the best idea

Your plants are most likely going to be smaller than you expected and maybe not as healthy as you'd like them to be...but they won't automatically be a lost cause. With a little TLC and some they have a very good chance of doing a turnaround...you just might have to wait a little longer than you hoped for

I hope your back is doing better, don't overdo anything...

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