Orchid Care

[Ross]

Originally Posted by camille1585

Great thread! Makes me really really wish that my nomadic student life could hurry up and finish so that I can settle down and get down to some serious growing! My little collection of 7 orchids (hopefully getting another one this weekend!!) is kind of pathetic compared to your collections!.
My sole goal in life: Have a big greenhouse crammed with orchids At least I can pick up tons of info here until that time comes!

How about this bad boy: Could you have fun filling this with orchids?

[cb977]

Camille, your education far outweighs the need for orchids...way to go! Your day to sit back and enjoy the 'chids in your large greenhouse will come

[Vanessa]

This IS an excellent read. Thanks kiki-do for starting it. I too love looking at people's set ups. I'll try to post a few pics of mine. I switched from growing outdoors to indoors (still have a Dendros on the lanai..old timers they are). It has been very rewarding as well a challenge. I have about 100 chids now give or take a few. I had perfect light in a spare bedroom with 2 banquet tables and 4 three tiered plant stands a small humidifyer and ceiling fan that worked nicely up until THE SUN DECIDED TO CHANGE DIRECTIONS FOR THE WINTER... .....So now the morning room off my kitchen has the 4 plant stands. There is enough room for hubby to read the paper and have coffee....for now

I need to get some kind of light set up for the dungeon room which brings me to this:

Question for Ross.......what kind of lights do you have in your first and second photo in this thread? Please advise me like I'm a six year old...I know very little about lights even tho I've asked questions about them before. Where do I purchase them also.

Way to go kiki-do...great topic.

[Ross]

Originally Posted by Vanessa

Question for Ross.......what kind of lights do you have in your first and second photo in this thread? Please advise me like I'm a six year old...I know very little about lights even tho I've asked questions about them before. Where do I purchase them also.

Well I won't take you up on that! The first photo upstairs grow area uses these 55w Compact Fluorescent Lamp Full Spectrum Lighting makes lights that replicate the "full spectrum" of daylight and they are targeted for "seasonal disffective disorder" patients. As such they replicate the full spectrum plants need as well. I use these 55 watt (actual) which are equiv to 250 watt incadesecent. They are mounted onto plain extension cords using fixtures from Home Depot.

The lights on my orchidarium are from .: Sunlight Supply - horticulture and aquarium lighting systems :. Website and I use the Sunblaze t5-44 4 tube fixture. I purchased it locally from a hydroponics store. There are lots of t5 fixture suppliers on web as well. I just wanted local support.

[Vanessa]

Thank you Ross. This could work for me. about the coily light bulbs/CFLs. Can these be used on a regular lamp, like a table lamp? Sorry to get off topic kiki-do.

[Vanessa]

Ok, I found my answer on the link you gave me........thanks again.

[JAMMINJOE]

Hello,
ok im a newbie too but ive accumulated over four hundred of all types in about a year. i learned several important tips by attending cocoa beach orchid club meetings and by volunteering at a commercial greenhouse. First biggy of insight was that it is important to separate certain varieties by type. when i tried to get enough water to vandas i was overwatering others with potting mediums. so one side of my house has all my vandas with a water sprinkler heavily watering them. other sides like cats and dens prefer good and fast drainage in the potting mediums and then drying out. i use a regular watering hose once or twice a week.(depending on the season) this is quick and fast. other varieties love the spagnum moss medium and you just have to experiement. (remember you cant kill orchids....they sometimes commit suicide.)
how do i feed this many orchids. after watering them is ideal to mix a small amount of fertilizer in a bug sprayer and spray them all once every week or two. i rotate between a bloom enhancer or 20-20-20 but this is easy and fast since i work tool
dont know if this is good info or not but it works for me.
Jammin joe

[kiki-do]

This is all great info and much appreciated. I envy Florida weather as far as keeping orchids outdoors and watering with a hose. It's funny, but I do look forward to winter....snuggling up by the fireplace and not thinking about all the outside chores we do in the summertime. It limits us but also gives us a much needed break. I think I'm half bear. Anyway, when it becomes snowy and blustery outside, I will look around my livingroom and I see blooms from all my phals (which I have in every nook and cranny) and I will think "Life is good!" Having put heat out on our sunroom for the first time, I have orchids spread out all over the house now. It's amazing how much of a lift that is. I have other plants mixed in here and there, but they are all green plants with no blooms, no fragrance. Even my husband has been smelling the Cattleyeas... he is starting to love them. I have mostly young Catts so I only have one blossoming at a time. They are few and far between, but I will rectify that, trust me!
One day my husband smelled a Miltoniopsis that I had just purchased (What, that old thing? ). Anyway, he loved it and made the mistake of saying "You should by this kind from now on!" But then he quickly retracted that once he saw that glaze go over my eyes. :iagree:
I noticed a spike....small but sure....from a rather large Rehfeildara Jerry 'Pacific Empire' that I've had for a year now and pointed it out to him. I've noticed he is watching it grow now. He reports the progress to me every day. He also said a work buddy wants to come see my orchids some day. Guess he is talking about them to people at work. Heaven help me Hanna, I thought one of us would keep the other in check.
Thanks everyone for all your imput. Pictures are great too! I've been reading and rereading everyone's methods. Hope you keep them coming. kiki-do

[cb977]

I envy Florida weather as far as keeping orchids outdoors and watering with a hose.

I don't water with a hose. The 'chids only get rain water so my husband fills all the gallon jugs I've accumulated and I then use that water in one of the sprayers.

Your house must be looking great right now...and I'm happy to hear hubby has been paying attention

[JAMMINJOE]

Hey kiki do how do you keep the orchids from drying up inside the rooms with heaters?this is a problem i encountered my first winter with orchids.
yeah my wife has also become a reluctant enthusiast closely following any and all breakthrus with my collection. The addiction is real...
Jamminjoe