New Member - Hello everyone

[Periwinkle2020]

Let me introduce myself. I am a plant lover and budding environmentalist. I just completed a year long master gardener course, and graduated. During the course of my studies - the class visited "Doris Duke Farms in Somerset, New Jersey, and toured the farm's greenhouse which is an acre in size (the greenhouse) The farm rests on 2000 acres! During the tour of the greenhouse - I saw some of the most beautiful orchids growing there. This touched me! I have just purchased 2 phalaenopsis' orchids this week, and would like everyone's input is nurturing them. I have never grown orchids before. We are in spring now - here in New Jersey, and I am proud to say that my house plants strived beautifully- as I nurtured them all winter. In my heart of hearts I would like to grow my orchids in the two tall terrarium I have . So lets embark on this orchid growing journey everyone.

[cb977]

Hello and to Orchidboard

Congrats on your graduation

That tour must have been awe-inspiring! I can just picture the line of drool I'd leave in my wake on a tour like that!

You've come to the right place for information. Our members have a largely diversified amount of knowledge, accumulated over years or just a few months here at OB and they're all very generous in sharing it with the rest of us

We have an entire forum dedicated to just terrarium growing, take a look around.

I look forward to hearing more from you

[justatypn]

Aboard it's great that you have found the OB and especially now that you have the bug

The OB is so informative and will help make the growing experience one of the best and smooth sailing.

The OB love's to see s of your new orchids and once again

[Periwinkle2020]

My orchids where purchased in glass pot with a bead like gel soil on the bottom, topped with soil on top of the gel beads. there is no drain hole in the square pot. I can see the roots on top - which is good right?
the soil is moist. I have my orchid (one of them) in the terrarium. Any starting suggestions about pots and or soil.

[cb977]

Originally Posted by Periwinkle2020

My orchids where purchased in glass pot with a bead like gel soil on the bottom, topped with soil on top of the gel beads. there is no drain hole in the square pot. I can see the roots on top - which is good right?
the soil is moist. I have my orchid (one of them) in the terrarium. Any starting suggestions about pots and or soil.

That scares me!!! Orchids in gel...with no air circulation to the roots...and no drainage...

Just wrong on SO many levels!!!

Here's a sheet on info for Phals:
http://www.orchidboard.com/Phalaenop...ure-Care-Sheet

You can pot Phals in a bark mix, in sphagnum moss or in LECA (expanded clay pellets) but I really don't think they should be potted in what you've described

[CoolPhrog]

Congrats on your graduation! Sounds like that would be a fun course to take...

[Periwinkle2020]

Thank you Cb - I read your recommended link on phal's and will transplant them out of the gel medium, into a well draining pot in mixture of bark and moss.

[cb977]

I think you're doing the right thing

If you have any other questions, feel free to ask.
Our members are very knowledgeable and very generous in helping others.