Hello Hello!!!

[PURESNOWCHIC]

Hi everyone! I am new to Orchids, want to get into them, and looking for basic info on two Orchids that I have. ( food, light, water, temp) I have had a phalenopsis for about 5 months now and I just bought a huge dendrobium that I've had for like a week. The phalenopsis had blooms when I got it but not now, although it just started a "bud" that I believe will turn into a flower. I read the "tags" but need more info. I have been watering with room temperature RO water, and feeding with that new "Peters" orchid food. Both are inside the house next to a west-facing window. I am also worried about temperatures. It's soon going to get hot here, and even with the air on it's still hot inside the house. Possibly high 80's. Any help would be greatly appreciated. THANKS!!!!!!!!!


Cari

[Sandra Billeter]

Your second purchase just made your care requirements change. Phals have a low light requirement and will do quite well on a west windowsill. However, Dendrobiums have a high light requirement and a west windowsill just won't do it in my opinion. We have a GH and hang most of the Dens about 2 feet below the glass roof where they are doing beautifully. We use 20-10-20 urea free fertilizer mixed at label directions but any standard fertilizer (20-20-20, etc.) should be fine. Watering depends on the medium the plant is in and how fast it dries out. If your Phal is doing well after 5 months, your watering and growing conditions are fine for it. Give the Den more light and do everything else like you've been doing and it probably will do well too. Be sure to check the medium and make sure it is similar to the Phal's to use the same watering schedule. Phals and Dens both like intermediate temps but it got to about 100 degrees in our GH last summer and we just lost a few blooms while the plants did fine. Air movement is really necessary during high heat times. Also, your Phal will need 4 to 6 weeks of a 10 to 15 degree temperature drop (daytime high to nighttime low) in the fall to reliably set blooms for next spring. You can put it out on a patio overnight and bring it back in in the morning but that temp drop is hard to achieve in the house.

You also might want to buy Ortho's "All About Orchids". The big box retailers (Home Depot, etc.) usually have it and it is the best general instruction manual in my opinion. Good luck!

Sandra in South Carolina

[PURESNOWCHIC]

Hi!!!

Yeah I figured the dendrobium might need more light so I have been putting it in the doorway (direst sun) inside the house for just a few minutes each day. Will that work?

As for the temperature drop it's not to hard for me to have that because I live in an RV. So i always get temp drops. I was worried it would hurt them but so far everythings been ok.

Last one is the planting medium. I just repotted both as the pots were WAY to small. They had a 3' tall dendrobium in a 4" pot. It wouldn't even stand up!!! I just bought basic coarse orchid mix. The pieces of bark are a little bigger than nickel size but smaller than a quarter. Is this good??

Thanks for the feedback!!!!

~Cari

[Sandra Billeter]

The bark sounds fine but you might want to mix in some coarse Perlite. This has pieces about 1/4 inch diameter. A lot of the Perlite sold in big box stores is real small and not as useful in orchids so you might have to try a nursery. The Perlite is to maintain air spaces so the roots can breathe. I use 3 parts bark to 1 part Perlite and 1 part medium charcoal chunks. My husband also puts 1/4 inch air holes in the plastic pots using a glue gun. 6 to 10 holes per pot depending on the size of the pot. This again is to give the roots plenty of air circulation.

Putting the plant in the doorway for a short time probably isn't going to be enough. It needs brighter light all day. Also, be careful of too much direct sun on the leaves. They might get sunburned - just like you do, and that doesn't help them either. Good luck!

Sandra in South Carolina