One of the great things about this board; get reminded about good advice you've gotten in the past and forgotten about. Thanks for refreshing my memory guys!
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Originally Posted by Raqsharqi
I think when they grow well, they do it in spite of us and not because of us. I have friends with orchids in the same sphag as they started out in...never repotted...and the flowers are huge and frequent. One grows hers in individual glass jars, and claims they are never out of bloom. I get good potting mix, watch over them, and stop just short of playing Mozart in the greenhouse, and if I get one good bloom and one half-hearted one, it's been a good year. I don't know what matters most: water, light, potting mix, humidity, or something I don't know about. I was watering all my phals at least once a week because the sphrag was totally dried out. Some grew great roots and leaves, and some just sat there listlessly. A few rotted. I have a long way to go before I understand them.
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This is so true. I've always felt incompetent compared to my friend and her ability to grow Phals. The Phals come home to me and slowly shrink no matter what I do or don't. The Phals come home to her, she put them on a windowsill and after a couple of years they're trying to take over the world. This despite her keeping them in glass jars and other things you really shouldn't be able to get away with.
I have, after about 8 years, finally figured out the biggest reason
why her Phals are doing so much better than mine. I bought two Phrags 1-2 years ago. These two orchids have really gotten bigger since I got them home. The Sunset Glow's new growth has at least doubled in size (I thought I had bought a relatively compact Phrag; it turned out after a year that I hadn't) and this flowering it seems it might go for 5 flowers compared to the 2 it got when I had just purchased it, and the flowers are bigger as well.
So, why do the Phrags love me and not my Phals? The answer is; temperatures. It was that easy, but I failed to see it. Phrags, the ones I have at least, like to have it colder than Phals do so it's no bloody wonder my Phals grow so badly for me; the average temperatures during the year are too low for them. My friend, however, lived in a very warm apartment earlier where the temperatures never dropped below 20ºC (68ºF). I honestly think the lowest temperatures were around 22ºC (71ºF)...
I just wish I had figured it out sooner. I have one Phal that has grown well for me, but that one has been kept in a warmer room (no thought behind that decision, I just couldn't fit it in with the rest), but it has only flowered once. I've now decided that I'll move my orchids between the two rooms as the seasons change, to make sure they at least have a chance to develop as they should.
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Originally Posted by snowflake311
You are never going to get a straight answer because everyone's growing conditions are different and people us different pots and so on.
The only thing you can do is use your best judgement and learn what works best for you and your plant. Try and let them dry out but not totally dry out. That's really it. I go around and feel all my pots do the touch test to if I need to water.
If your not sure you plant needs water don't water wait a day they will be ok better to under water then over water.
Using clear pots is the best you and see how wet the plant is. I make my pots out of clear food storage containers it works great. This way I can see and feel to know when I need to water.
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Thanks for reminding me about this one. I think I'll write it down on a post-it note and stick it on my forehead.
Quote:
Originally Posted by oscar freak
i have some phals in clear plastic containers so that helps alot,the weight thing works sometimes so trying the stick thing now,hopefully the plants will survive while i learn.
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I also hope they will so you don't end up an orchid serial killer like me! I'll keep my fingers crossed.
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