She spiked!

[Phal Gal]

I'm here to celebrate success today. My last surviving orchid (lost the other one to root rot over the winter) spiked last week. How exciting. She was a rescue, so I'm uber stoked to see what color her blooms will be

The blooms also warrant a new orchid. Perhaps one healthy to start. Are there any Albertans out here that can tell me where I would obtain a list of dates for Orchid shows in the province? Or has anyone in Alberta had any success with mail orders?

Thank you,
Amber.

[Oscarman]

Hi Amber, congratulations on your progress to flowering! I'm in Edmonton, where are you located?

For Canadian shows and dates, check out The Canadian Orchid Congress (COC),
The Canadian Orchid Congress


There are really only 2 societies in Alberta which hold annual shows.

• My society which is the Orchid Society of Alberta (OSA), Edmonton. We just had our show Feb 22-24 and next year we changing the date to April 4-6, 2014 and also the venue. Orchid Society of Alberta Home Page
• There is another society based in Calgary, the Foothills Orchid Society (FOS). Their show will be May 24-26. FOOTHILLSORCHIDSOCIETY.COM
• If you are heading to a show, check out the show vendor list. Many of them will accept pre-orders for pick up at the show.

I have placed many orchid mail orders over the years. In fact my first ones came to me that way. We have some fantastic growers in Canada! Again, please check the COC website for a list of vendors. Ones that I have used with excellent results and service:

• Forestview Gardens
• Paramount Orchids
• Cloud's Orchids
• Orchids in Our Tropics (also distributor for Carter and Holmes, US)
• Kingfisher Orchids
• Crystal Star Orchids
• Flora Peculia
• Windsor Greenhouses
• Zephyrus Orchids

[WhiteRabbit]

Congrats!

[Phal Gal]

Thanks! And thank you for all the good info. I will definitely check out the website. I have ordered VFTs and Tillies online, and they did well, but I think I like to see what I'm buying.

I'm about three hours from Edmonton, and we go there often. I can definitely make arrangements to make it to a show.

And as always, I have more questions. I'm "souping up" my growing area tonight by putting in a t-5. Can I guide the spike to grow laterally or does it have to grow vertically?

Can anyone offer me any opinions on growing an orchid in cactus soil? Personally I won't do it, but I'm interested in feedback.

[iammadeofdreams]

I bought a phal that had one of it's spike trained so that it was bent at nearly a right angle. The plant seemed the be alright with it, as far as I could tell. However, it needed repotted before the blooms faded and I couldn't get it restaked right and it kept toppling to the side. I ended up having to cut that spike off to keep it from falling over.