I'am a loser!!

[charlesf6]

Originally Posted by estación seca

Return to easy-to-grow plants. Not too many. Look at each plant each day. Try and see what is happening with them. Give them what they need. When those are doing well, look for others that will do well in your surroundings.

Learn which kinds of cultivation errors you are more prone to make. Then avoid plants that suffer with those kinds of mistakes. Do you water too much? Too little? Is your growing space too hot? Too cold? (It's not too cold, we know that!)

I might guess, for you, Cattleyas for bright spots. Phalaenopsis for shade. If you can remember to water frequently, Cymbidiums.

My other Catt. seems ok and just loves lots of bright light, hope I am watering enough at every 7-8 days?
the Cattleya warneri var.Alba I left at my worksite for a week was in poor shape since I purchased her off an e-bay private vendor last year ( It had one bold leaf only and it always appeared dry but I was sort of happy the way I was bringing it along and was hoping for it to suprise me eventually, I prepped her well before my week of absence and even had a co-worker turn on my fan for some circulation when he returned from a short time off himself on Thursday) She was pretty much cooked (lone big leaf outer side brownish and stiff, not sure if I left some water on the leaf (it should have dried rather quickly even so) or if someone did mess with it while I was out. Whatever?

My Phals seem to be ok by me except for the few I lost by not changing the chain store medium (because I was enjoying the blooming so much) quick enough! I keep them from too mjuch light and really withold their watering (10-14 days)

My winter Vanda adventure is kinda 50/50 after losing one completely and very, very slowly nursing Henry the Horse along. (lots of water here)

The Neo collection is holding it's own so far, I am keeping it shaded and watering weekly?

I have a Paph. that must have bloomed 5-6 times successfully since I purchased it from Hausermanns (in spike) that I just now repotted. It's medium was breaking down but I waited until this magic spike was finished producing. I give it lots of shade and water similar to my Phals.

One Cymbidium that sits out on my sundeck and bakes!

I guess I have been given a lesson in someway?

---------- Post added at 09:48 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:32 PM ----------

Oh and two Dendros, one from ebay vendor again late last year that seems to be forever transforming (at one time even trying to bloom) but seems okay with lots of light and I water weekly?
The other is a mini (Dendrobium oligphyllum) I purchased from Kim (Fair Orchids) for a young family member at the NJ NJOS show in Jan.
It is surviving but loses lots of lower leaves as it produces miniscipule uppers, She lets me care for plant as it's behavior frightens her somewhat.
I try to sun it a lot and not sure if I water enough 5-7 days, it is tiny?

[Roberta]

If it's hot, maybe increase the watering? Your conditions are very different than mine, but this time of year I'm watering every day for some things and every other day for the rest (and it is a lot cooler these days at my house than yours, I think). If medium is well drained and is drying out. that's the factor that jumps out at me. It's all a learning game... that is the overwhelming appeal of this addiction!

[katrina]

I agree with Roberta, some weeks i'm watering many every day right now due to the heat.

The other thing that comes to mind is light. You say bright but how bright? Maybe some are light starved. Can you elaborate on that a bit more?

[charlesf6]

Originally Posted by Dollythehun

I've watched your shotgun approach to buying plants and I suggest this:

You are so right here...too funny!
I love this line.

[Dollythehun]

I'd just love to have a shotgun.

[charlesf6]

Cattleya warneri var.Alba officially gone tonight, the large lone leaf it was maintaining finally dropped off.

It was real and I tried very hard to bring you about.

---------- Post added at 09:47 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:27 PM ----------

Originally Posted by katrina

I agree with Roberta, some weeks i'm watering many every day right now due to the heat.

The other thing that comes to mind is light. You say bright but how bright? Maybe some are light starved. Can you elaborate on that a bit more?

Catts So. windows at home and at work

Dendros the same except I have to move my Woodsii in and out of it as the leaves get a little outer
edge burn

Paphiopedilum deep shade in a corner of the room with West windows

Phals in the same corner up front on the shelf but I worry about their lighting as they are making new leaves but not spiking at all & older leaves are darker green

Neos shaded on my dresser with some (little) So. and western exposure ( they are not spiking for the most part either.)

Vanda has been sunning all Spring/Summer on the Outdoor deck & loving it dearly along with daily bathing

Cymbidium sharing the same deck

All the miniatures (troubled) were inside on the same shelf rack (most requiring moderate/low light)

I have a Cochleantes amazonica and a Wilsonera salsa “A” purchased at Christmas time that bloomed superbly in Jan./Feb. that are in the room getting mostly western light.

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by charlesf6

Cattleya warneri var.Alba officially gone tonight, the large lone leaf it was maintaining finally dropped off.

It was real and I tried very hard to bring you about.[COLOR="Silver"]

.

Condolences on the C. warneri alba. I have killed a few of that species...

Suggestion.. in the Cattleya family, try L. anceps or one of its hybrids. Grow outside in warm weather with the Cym and Vanda. Don't bring it in until frost expected (and if you miscalculate and it gets a cold jolt, it's fine down to about 29 deg F, as is the Cym... by that time, of course, the Vanda will have been inside for a month or more) But L. anceps loves full sun. Happy with heat, laughs at cold, likes to dry out (hates pots, baskets better)

[katrina]

Originally Posted by charlesf6

Catts So. windows at home and at work

Dendros the same except I have to move my Woodsii in and out of it as the leaves get a little outer
edge burn

Paphiopedilum deep shade in a corner of the room with West windows

Phals in the same corner up front on the shelf but I worry about their lighting as they are making new leaves but not spiking at all & older leaves are darker green

Neos shaded on my dresser with some (little) So. and western exposure ( they are not spiking for the most part either.)

Vanda has been sunning all Spring/Summer on the Outdoor deck & loving it dearly along with daily bathing

Cymbidium sharing the same deck

All the miniatures (troubled) were inside on the same shelf rack (most requiring moderate/low light)

I have a Cochleantes amazonica and a Wilsonera salsa “A” purchased at Christmas time that bloomed superbly in Jan./Feb. that are in the room getting mostly western light.

In the beginning, I thought some of my windows were sufficient for growing orchids and while some of the lower light orchids did fine...the higher light plants did not. And, I'm talking Southern exposure for the high light plants! That window is great for a couple of month each year (intense enough to purple-up some of the brassavola!) but the reality is that in our area of the world...the sun isn't out long enough and/or the angle is "off" for a large part of the year and the light reaching inside the window is not nearly enough for many high light orchids. It seemed really bright to me...but the human eye is not a good gauge.

I can honestly say that one of the best purchases I made was a light meter. When I finally bought one...I was shocked to see the readings. What I thought was bright in the dead of winter was barely enough to bloom phals. And, worse yet, the light was only available for a short period in the winter so the space really was lacking and it explained all the issues I had seen to date.

You don't have to spend a lot of money for one that works well and gives you good readings. I spent less than $40 on mine and I've seen the same one for less. You can use this to gauge the sunlight coming in the windows as well as fluorescent bulbs...it's not accurate for many LEDs, I believe. But, for you, the biggest benefit will be in seeing how much light you're getting through those windows.

This is pretty much the same meter I got...but this one is cheaper than what I paid. Very easy to use. DIGITAL ILLUMINANCE LIGHT METER 200,000 LUX PHOTOMETER LUXMETER PRECISE OVERRANG | eBay This one item could make all the difference in your results.

[Leafmite]

I know that it is best to always choose orchids that are suited for one's environment but I tend to take a chance with other plants I really want to grow and that has translated to the orchids, too. I find the plant hobby to be a learning process. As with many of my other plants, I sometimes need to do a little research and tweak my growing conditions or care to make the orchids happy. I have found that a few orchids that are 'difficult' just need a little special care to be happy and that I absolutely cannot grow those cool-growing Pleurothallidinae that I really love and I must look for ones that are intermediate-warm growing instead.

Good luck!

[estación seca]

Hi Charles, I am (trying to) water my Cattleyas every 2-3 days this time of year. Every 7-8 days for a warneri in the summer is not enough to survive.

I suspect you're one of the rare people who listens, and you've become afraid to overwater. I don't think you're watering your plants nearly enough now that it's summer.