I have been growing orchids for a year now: the good, the bad and the ugly

[SaraJean]

Originally Posted by No-Pro-mwa

You shouldn't feel to bad I don't even know how many I have killed. But many more than you have and I'm not done just yet either. I have a bad habit of burning leaves on my plants, chock it up to me wanting them to have as much light as I can get them to take. And also not getting them moved soon enough as the sun changes from winter to summer. I never cut them off I like to leave them there as a reminder.

You hang in there girl. It looks to me like your bulbo is over potted.

hahaha! leaving the burnt leaves as a reminder is a pretty excellent idea. Now the bulbo; I'm sure you are right about it being over potted. I am wondering if I should just let it be for now or go ahead and repot it. It hasn't shown any signs of growth in 6 months, so I don't know what to do. I was actually thinking about mounting that one to a piece of cork or a tree fern pole (if I can ever find one). I have a couple of other bulbos that are mounted and they seem to be pretty happy. I am just trying not to stress this one out any more than I already have, but I am itching to do something to it since it clearly isn't a happy plant

[No-Pro-mwa]

If you can manage a mount then that just may be a good idea. It's so dry here I have been to scared to try a mount but they look so cool. I have only 2 Bulbo's 1 grows new growths but hasn't bloomed yet and my medusa is not doing well at all. They may not be in the cards for me.

[WhiteRabbit]

I always have a few uglies, and often get burn (happens when temps suddenly get significantly higher, and I didn't realize)

[Jenascrich]

I liked your post. It was kind of funny because I can relate. It made me wonder how my first year in review will look like.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[terracotta7]

I think that you did pretty well for just starting out! Each one you lose will teach you something...even if that kind of orchid is not for you . I myself have had especially bad battles with zygos and dendrobiums. In the beginning I used to buy things without much thought. But I am much more particular now and ??? whether I can give proper culture.

Sunburn happens in the best of plant owners. So do pests. And awkward dumping of pots and breaking of roots and spikes. I know I have had all these problems and still do.

Orchid on!!!!!!!!

[SaraJean]

Originally Posted by No-Pro-mwa

If you can manage a mount then that just may be a good idea. It's so dry here I have been to scared to try a mount but they look so cool. I have only 2 Bulbo's 1 grows new growths but hasn't bloomed yet and my medusa is not doing well at all. They may not be in the cards for me.

I tried mounting a few of my orchids last year and, for the most part, they seem to be thriving. It is nice and humid here almost year round, so that probably is a huge part of why it's working for me. My bulb. grandiflourum has giving me 3 new growths since switching it from a pot to a mount in december (though I now realize i need to pay more attention to WHEN I repot), my little paph. schilleriana seedling is doing great on a piece of cork and I am just obsessed with the mottled leaves and all of the silver roots creeping up the plaque, and my bulb lasiochilum is growing like crazy with nice fat, squatty little pseudobulbs. No blooms on any of these yet and I am thinking that the light requirement isn't quite right. I really need to get a light meter.

I have been struggling with my medusa, as well. It wasn't the healthiest when I got it and it went from 6 pseudobulbs, down to 4, then only 2... But it recently threw out a healthy looking new growth that is starting to fatten up, toss out roots and is as big as the bulb it was coming off of; so fingers crossed!

---------- Post added at 06:52 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:40 AM ----------

Originally Posted by terracotta7

I think that you did pretty well for just starting out! Each one you lose will teach you something...even if that kind of orchid is not for you . I myself have had especially bad battles with zygos and dendrobiums. In the beginning I used to buy things without much thought. But I am much more particular now and ??? whether I can give proper culture.

Sunburn happens in the best of plant owners. So do pests. And awkward dumping of pots and breaking of roots and spikes. I know I have had all these problems and still do.

Orchid on!!!!!!!!

Ohhhh the pests, I kind of forgot to write about that one. I was out watering my orchids last summer and i was like "oh hello cute little baby snail!". and then... Wait! What?! Snails??!! AHHHHHHH!!! Almost lost a bulb. fascinator, my beautiful little dtps. purple martin, and a blc. Marcella Koss 'pink marvel'. Those nasty things went to town on my roots and probably munched off a good 80%. The orchids are starting to rebound, but I an trying to be more proactive than reactive with pest problems this year!