An old newbie

[Nita M]

Old, as in age, new as in orchid ownership - sort of. Tried growing orchids many years ago, but I think I froze them out more than anything as they were in my walkout south facing basement and got VERY chilly down there in the winter. I do remember having paphs (which I think are my favorites). However, we've retired and now live 6 months in northern Illinois in the summer in a motorhome - and when weather is warm enough, they are all going to hang out amongst the trees. For six months we live in Ocala, FL. I've always loved orchids and when we bought a house a year ago, I walked into Lowes one day and they had a bunch of vandas in little plastic packages and the price was something I could afford and not feel tooooo awful if it didn't survive. Much to my surprise, it has lived - survived trip up to IL and back to FL without missing a beat. The clerk at Lowes told me to water it every day (I put it in a wood slat pot) which I did - never got an ounce of fertilizer tho. That gave me encouragement and I bought another vanda in a plastic package (different color) and now all of a sudden, I have 4 phals (NOIDs), 4 vandas, one oncidium and my newest acquisition, from daughter for Mom's Day - a Wils. Red Pacific 'Deep Shadows'. So far, I've found NO info on this plant. A little card that came with the plant says: (or illustrates what looks to me like a full sun) for exposure and to "keep consistently moist. Do not allow plants to stand in water. Mist in hot weather."

Can I treat it like my vandas? (yes, they get watered every day and they DO get fertilized now)

The vandas I purchased at Lowes have not bloomed yet, but am assuming they're not old enough.

Sorry this was so long, but I seem to have diarrhea of the fingers frequently.

Am glad to have found this forum and hope y'all can give me good tips for my Deep Shadows.

Nita M

[Dorothy]

Nita
Glad you have joined us at the OB
I moved your post to it's own thread
Wils = Wilsonara which is the oncidium intergeneric hybrid of Cochlioda, Odontoglossum and Oncidium (Cda x Odm x Onc)

Here is a link for info - Winsome Orchids - Providing high-quality orchids to Fine Florists & Garden Centers
as you wait for others to respond

and this - as per Care of your Hausermann Orchid Cultures
"ONCIDINAE*
Temperature: The ideal temperature for Oncidinae is 60-65 degrees Fahrenheit at night and 70-75 degrees F. during the day. It should be understood, though, that they can tolerate lower or higher temperatures and still successfully grow and bloom.

Light and Shade: Oncidinae require a rather low amount of light (1000-1500 foot candles) for good growth. If greenhouse grown, light shading should be applied during fall and winter months; a heavier application during spring and summer. If grown in the home, an unobstructed north or filtered east exposure is considered best.

Humidity - Watering: Humidity and moisture are two important factors in Oncidinae group culture. Humidity of 60-80% is considered ideal. When the days become warmer during spring and summer, misting once or twice daily is beneficial. This helps keep the humidity up and leaf termperature down. If greenhouse grown, evaporative cooling is highly recommended. Oncidinae should never experience complete dryness at the roots. When watering, soak them thoroughly. This may need to be done 2-3 times weekly during warm weather, 1-2 times during cool weather.

Air Movement: A gentle movement of air is essential to Oncidinae. When warm weather arrives in the spring, give as much ventilation as possible. As mentioned earlier, any form of evaporative cooling is very beneficial at this time.

Feeding: Since Oncidinaes do not have a dormant season, a very light but steady diet of fertilizer is recommended. A 30-10-10 or 20-10-20 formulation at half strength is best.

Potting: Oncidinaes can be repotted at anytime of year, but it usually is best in spring when new roots develop. Plants should be somewhat underpotted (small pots) for good growth. Repotting should be done once a year. Our Paphiopedilum mix has proved excellent for Oncidinaes.

* Includes Burrageara, Brassia, Colmanara, Miltassia, Miltonidium, Odontocidium, Odontoglossum, Vuylstekeara & Wilsonara."

Again, welcome

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[Ross]

Welcome, and few here are older than me! I think Paphs are your best bet with the moves. They'll take to the change best. Just my

[kiki-do]

Hi Nita, Welcome!
Glad Dorothy moved you over here so everyone can say Hi! You'll have lots of fun here.

[Chubidubi]

Hope you have lots of fun here.

[DebsC]

Hi there, Nita! Glad you joined the OB. Your unique way of growing your orchids is fascinating. I hope you post often and tell us more about your plants.

[Nita M]

Originally Posted by Ross

Welcome, and few here are older than me! I think Paphs are your best bet with the moves. They'll take to the change best. Just my

Hi there - well, you just never know, I could be old enough to be your mother!!! Thanks for the welcome. Well, paphs may be my best to transport, but alas, I have no paphs at present. The vandas actually did quite well. Hung them all from the shower bar across the bath tub and they just swung away. The biggest problem with them is that when I carry them outside when weather cooperates and then back inside when it doesn't is that I step on the roots as I'm going up and down the steps!!! Poor things. Anyhoo, they're now hanging in my daughter's upstairs bathroom which has a west window and so far so good - but then, I guess it's pretty hard to kill them in just a couple days.

I'll post intermittently to let y'all know how they're surviving. It ought to be interesting on our trip out to Wyoming this summer. Thank God my hubby is such a good sport about all my hobbies. It's probably a good thing that HE doesn't have any.

Nita

[Nita M]

Originally Posted by kiki-do

Hi Nita, Welcome!
Glad Dorothy moved you over here so everyone can say Hi! You'll have lots of fun here.

Thanks. (waving back at ya) -
??? - how do you just reply to posts without hitting the quote button?

Nita

[Nita M]

Originally Posted by Chubidubi

Hope you have lots of fun here.

Thanks for the welcome.

Nita

[Dorothy]

Originally Posted by Nita M

Thanks. (waving back at ya) -
??? - how do you just reply to posts without hitting the quote button?

Nita

Scroll to the bottom of this page and you will see a blank box for a Quick Reply or you can hit the 'go advanced' button if you wish to attach smilies or a photo ..

or
you can hit the little button that says "Post Reply" (to the left) and it will send you to the same larger blank screen you would get if you hit the 'go advanced' button.