Two things I learned this week - Orchid Board

terracotta7 · #1 09-06-2013, 02:16 PM

I am sure that these two things are probably old hat to many of the more experienced growers, but I thought maybe I would share them for the sake of beginners to the orchid hobby...

...1) It is OK to throw out an orchid. I know this because I did this yesterday for the first time with an orchid that was still alive. It was a phal that somebody gave me as one of the first orchids I had. You know: Someone gave me this for my birthday, I enjoyed the blooms, you enjoy a challenge, right? Here take this orchid and see what you can do.

Now, I have learned a lot from this particular orchid. It was the first one I repotted myself. In MiracleGro *gasp*. I held on to that thing as it grew lots of roots, but not too many leaves, got case after case of mealybugs, finally bloomed earlier this year (just 5 blooms) and those blooms had some kind of disease as well. The thing was a lesson in persistence, let me tell you.

Well, yesterday I was moving plants inside because it is getting too cold at night, and here is this pesky thing with its about two inch new leaf growing in the center, with a slug on it (of course!), and when I went to get the slug off the leaf broke off in my fingers. And I just could not bring myself to expose the rest of my other beautiful orchids to that recalcitrant phal. So I threw it out. I know...give it away, you say, someone will love it. No! I just couldn't do that to someone. It's gone and I am relieved...thankful for what I learned...but relieved!

#2) Misting orchids really helps. Again...I know that this is basic, but I had resisted for a while for a couple of reasons. I had a bad experience when I first started a couple of years ago because I did not do it properly and I rotted a bunch of crowns and killed things. Also, I am kind of messy and I was having a hard time keeping the misting from making a wreck of my windowsills. (I do not have a greenhouse).

Anyhow, I got a miltonia regnellii in a 2 inch pot and it just was not thriving despite my best efforts. So I decided that I would stick it in my sink first thing in the AM and give it a light mist with a new mister that I bought that sprays nice and fine. Well, within days it started new growth which as I write is now about an inch long and the rest of the plant is a much better color, too. So now I have a few seedlings like the miltonia that get their morning mist before anyone has to use the kitchen sink and I am amazed at the overall improvement in color and health I am seeing.

Did any other beginners learn something this week?

RandomGemini · #2 09-06-2013, 02:37 PM

I did! I just learned something from you! I've been avoiding misting my phals. I didn't think they would need it and crown rot sound very ominous to me, so I would like to avoid it. Now I feel very encouraged to try it this winter.

I learned that the blooms on orchids can also be sunburned.

I also learned a whole lot about vivariums and terrariums because I saw someone post a picture of one they'd just set up and thought it was cool.

And I am currently googling up a map on the anatomy of a phal and would be glad to share it here if anyone's interested!

My Green Pets · #3 09-06-2013, 02:57 PM

That's interesting what you've said about misting, because I've read more than once that misting doesn't really do much for the plants because it evaporates within minutes.

Maybe your case offers some evidence to the contrary? I have a spray bottle sitting near my plants as well. I don't know if it does anything for them, but it does something for me: it gives me a way to show them some 'love' without handling or otherwise messing with them, which they seem to hate!

DweamGoiL · #4 09-06-2013, 04:08 PM

The thing about misting is that if you do it, you need to do it in a place where the air circulates well. If not, I can guarantee you that fungus and other nasties will propagate within the foliage of your orchids. I mist. I do it because my air is pretty much dry a lot of the times. I mostly do it in the mornings and ensure I get some of the top layer of the media since I grow Paphs mostly and they love it. I also don't mist every single day, but in between waterings so the roots don't ever get totally bone dry.

I don't do this with Phals though. I already experienced crown rot with a Mini Phal and that was not fun at all. I find they really don't need to be misted. If you absolutely must, I would just recommend very lightly misting any air roots and nothing else.

Priya_H · #5 09-07-2013, 02:17 AM

I have been through what you have. I threw out 2 phals, after trying my best to nurse them back a few years ago. I had to tell myself that it's OK and I guess it was. In fact i just threw out 3 others plants in a span of 2 days this week. I just couldn't handle them anymore, all hope was lost (a gerbera daisy, a big leaf philodendron and the 3rd, a white curcuma...which is a ginger plant. As much as i really liked them, never again).

I also found out misting really helps. So does sunlight. Funny how my orchids (all phals) just started growing like craaazzzyy after I put them on the Southern windowsill. They were just sitting dormant on my countertop (under tons of potlights in a VERY bright room) for 6 months. It was really after starting misting and putting them there that they started growing roots and leaves. It's been 2/3 months and they're still growing new roots and leaves

---------- Post added at 02:17 AM ---------- Previous post was at 02:10 AM ----------

Just mist during the day which will give the water time to evaporate before the sun goes down. Hell I even mist them at night man..I just make sure to wipe the water off the crown and leaves and wick the nook and crannies with paper towel. No problem for me! I even got them mounted recently so I have to give them good watering everyday (they dry out quickly in my home because it's very warm in here). Sometimes I give them such good misting that it doubles as a watering. They're all thriving, as mentioned in the above post. You just HAVE TO make sure noooo water is sitting on your leaves, crown and specially in the nook & crannies. And don't get ANY water on your buds or blooms. It will kill them.

RosieC · #6 09-07-2013, 05:59 AM

Just another thing on the misting. I learnt this last year so not really this week but thought I would share.

Misting Phals leaves doesn't really help, and can lead to rot. Misting the aerial roots is good and something I do one ones struggling a bit that have aerial roots.

Misting Oncidium types (including miltonia, odontoglosum and all the similar hybrids) helps a lot. I don't actually mist, but in the summer I pour water over the whole plant in the green house on a regular basis (ever time I water). Someone in an orchid nursery told me that wetting the actual plant as well as the roots is really helpful with keeping this sort healthy.

---------- Post added at 09:59 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:57 AM ----------

And yes I agree about throwing out orchids. I tend to keep them until they are really dead but sometimes just decide one is too much effort and I've learned a lot from it so it's time it went, in favor of getting a more healthy one to put what I've learnt into practice

MattWoelfsen · #7 09-07-2013, 06:36 AM

I learned this about orchids from, I think RJ Squirrel? Or maybe it was James Mikelso (?)...one of them posted a comment about "cold, wet roots and stagnant air are the quickest ways to kill a plant" I keep this observation in mind when I water my orchids. I have lessened my mortality rate to almost nil.

The second thing I learned from this forum is "water weakly weekly".

Actually I've learned a lot more from this forum, these are the only two that come to mind. If I was giving a newbie advice, I would encourage joining this forum as a sure way to learn about orchids.