New Year's Orchid Resolutions

[The Mutant]

Originally Posted by RandomGemini

Mine that I need to stop is Masdevallias. I've tried three and killed them all. I cannot find the happy balance to keep them wet enough, but not so wet that they rot. I'm giving them up and will admire them from afar.

I'm on my second one on some species and really, the ones I'm trying not to kill aren't even difficult...

Very mature decision of you to stop trying to grow them. I wish I had your self restraint.

[RandomGemini]

I dunno about restraint. LOL! I have no room in my collection for plants I cannot grow well. I have learned over the last two years that I do best with terrarium orchids and second best with oncidium alliance members. I have experimented with others, I have a cattleya, brassavola, bulbo, paph and a neo and a couple of neo hybrids that I haven't killed yet. That's probably enough plants on the list that I have just to see if I can grow them. We'll see if I can get them to bloom next. What gets me is that bulbos like lots of water and somehow, I have managed to get mine to grow new bulbs and to be quite happy without rotting the roots, and I cannot seem to do the same with masdies.

[TOMMYMIAMI]

Hahaha, this is a good one. Ok:
1 - Get rid of all orchids I do not want anymore - the reasons are space,time and "boring". All large once are nearly gone, now the boring once!
2 - Once all I need to be gone are gone, I hope to get with watering under 1 1/2 hour max!!! (nearly 3 hours now!)
3 - in the future, getting only rare species and micro and miniature orchids! (till one day I have house).
4 - this year I MUST get Dendrobium putnamii
5 - make at least half of my cold growing species bloom, especially Dendrobium leucocyanum and at least one Telipogon!
6 - stick to NOT STEPPING to balcony the next day after big watering (I STILL tend to over water!)
7 - stop delaying with taking the pictures of blooms - WHO KNEW so many bloom only for one or a few days :-))))))
8 - AND OF COURSE, GET MORE ORCHIDS :-)

[My Green Pets]

Great thread, I've enjoyed reading everyone's aspirations for 2015.

I resolve to:

1. Get rid of the plants I do not want, hopefully earning some money in the process.

2. Test everything for viruses. My collection went from 0 to over 30 plants last year, and am certain that I have some which are infected. Guessing is just an unnecessary risk, and think I have a lot to lose by gambling.

3. Re-bloom the adult plants, and put a full season of good growth on the seedlings.

4. Get a better fertilizing scheme, and better pest control while I'm at it.

5. Not kill anything. I did all right last year, but I can do better.

[No-Pro-mwa]

Even though I am not doing so well with my Masdevallias, I am not giving up just yet. I have gotten my hirtzii to bloom twice however it is blasting most of them right now. I believe it is air movement. I have also gotten my Ken Dole to bloom. They don't look so good but I have not killed any of them yet so....2015 get my Masdies to grow better and look nice.

[dangerouseddy]

buy more species phals

buy less seedlings

try to resist all those discount phals

forgot:-

buy more shelving and lights

[lotis146]

Originally Posted by The Mutant

Sounds like at my place (except I have over 70 orchids right now) if you replace the bathroom with the kitchen sink.


Now is doable since not that many want to be watered too often, during summer it can take at least 2 hours every day though... But I'll keep it as it is since this way of watering, time consuming as it is, is what works best for me.

But yeah, I also need to organize my collection better but after light- and temperature requirements. I've gotten the humidity trays now so all I'm waiting for is the light fixtures and the T5s.

Oh, yes. I need to buy a new camera. Mine's from when the dinosaurs roamed the earth (they had digital cameras then, I swear).

Thank you and same to you!

Well...I low-balled my actual number on purpose we might be somewhere in the same ballpark.

Do you have pics from the dinosaurs too? You could make millions off them and spend all of it on your Orchids! LOL

Summer is easier for me because last year I had most of them outside and they got a decent amount of rain. Not to mention I don't have to move them to the water or a place where they can drain. I can use the hose and they just drain in place. Even when I fertilize them I can use the hose to fill my jugs, so needless to say I'm really looking forward to warmer times.

Best to you and yours!

[The Mutant]

Originally Posted by lotis146

Well...I low-balled my actual number on purpose we might be somewhere in the same ballpark.

Do you have pics from the dinosaurs too? You could make millions off them and spend all of it on your Orchids! LOL

Summer is easier for me because last year I had most of them outside and they got a decent amount of rain. Not to mention I don't have to move them to the water or a place where they can drain. I can use the hose and they just drain in place. Even when I fertilize them I can use the hose to fill my jugs, so needless to say I'm really looking forward to warmer times.

Best to you and yours!

One of the great downsides of living in an apartment... I can't take my orchids outside really so I'm doomed to slave away at the kitchen sink come summer (for some stranger reason I now have 80 orchids... They're multiplying behind my back). I have a balcony but since there's another balcony above it, no rain will reach any orchids I put there. I tried last summer and all that happened was that my Phags got some slightly wet leaves.

Unfortunately a dinosaur ate the memory card... All I have left are the memories.

[RandomGemini]

I can cross one off! Found a great deal on a new light fixture for my second tier of shelving! Going to install it today!

[lotis146]

Originally Posted by The Mutant

One of the great downsides of living in an apartment... I can't take my orchids outside really so I'm doomed to slave away at the kitchen sink come summer (for some stranger reason I now have 80 orchids... They're multiplying behind my back). I have a balcony but since there's another balcony above it, no rain will reach any orchids I put there. I tried last summer and all that happened was that my Phags got some slightly wet leaves.

Unfortunately a dinosaur ate the memory card... All I have left are the memories.

Oh bummer on not being able to take them out. I'll admit I was super nervous about doing so and didn't take any of the ones I was babying. Hopefully you'll get a good dose of "apartment-living ingenuity"!!

A little while ago my sister asked me how many Orchids I have now. When I told her she kind of freaked out saying she thought last time I talked to her - couple weeks prior maybe - I'd had 30 something. Ya know, I think I'm having that problem you do, the whole multiplying behind your back thing. My psychic abilities tell me that this problem is about to grow in the next couple of months. So be warned friends, the orchids are multiplying!!!

Sue the dinosaurs.