New Orchid Enthusiast! - Orchid Board

isiseyes · #1 09-07-2008, 07:05 PM

Hello!

Though I love plants and gardening in general, I'd stayed away from orchids for a long time because they seemed to be a little more complicated than I was looking for in a house plant. Then a year ago a beautiful Sorcerer's Apprentice caught my eye and I just had to bring it home.

Now, a year later, I think I'm not taking care of it properly... so I'm hoping to share information with the friendly folks here, and get her blooming again!

And of course, once I prove to myself that I can take care of this one, I would love to bring home many more

quiltingwacko · #2 09-07-2008, 07:31 PM

I used to feel the same way, until my husband got too busy and asked me to take care of his dozen or so. First thing you know, I was the orchid nut in the family!

Now I am pushing 40 chids and loving it. What an intriguing name for an orchid. Do you know what family it belongs to? If you can post a picture, it will be easier for someone to help you with it too. Carol

isiseyes · #3 09-07-2008, 07:48 PM

Oh yeah, someone else here has the same plant! Here's the thread: http://www.orchidboard.com/community...pprentice.html

His looks MUCH healthier than mine... I'll try to get photos, but mine has solid leaves that are a medium green (and even shot up a new leaf a couple of months ago). It flowered once about 2 years ago (I thought it was only a year but I was wrong), and it hasn't really done much since.

Lagoon · #4 09-07-2008, 08:07 PM

Hello isiseyes, Welcome to the OB forum - Glad your here

You will take good care of it and bring more home - you wait and see, We able terrible enablers here (you've been warned)

Can you give us more info - a photo? What are you growing in (media?) - lighting? watering? fertilizer?

These phrags are water babies, love to be kept very moist with good lighting & air flow.
Let us know more info ....

Chubidubi · #5 09-07-2008, 08:09 PM

isiseyes. I'm glad you decided to join

HAVE FUN LEARNING

quiltingwacko · #6 09-07-2008, 08:09 PM

Oh that is a Phragmipedium, also known as a slipper orchid. It likes lots of indirect light and is very sensitive to fertilizers or salts in the water I have noticed here. I have to give it distilled. It likes a great deal of water too but then mine is in coconut husk which drains well. Great name and a beautiful orchid! I'll bet with more light it will bloom for you. Where do you have it? Also check the information on phrags on this list. That should be helpful. I only have one so I am hardly an expert.

Someone else will probably answer too after a while. Welcome to the board!

isiseyes · #7 09-07-2008, 08:15 PM

Thanks!

I have it sitting in a pot filled with the bark and moss potting mix I bought it in... I was thinking about repotting it, but all the sites I read said not to do it unless the roots are starting to grow over the top and they aren't.

It's sitting in a south-facing window, and I'm probably not watering it enough (it often gets dry between waterings) but the leaves are still smooth and firm.

It basically hasn't changed at all since I got it, except for the one new leaf recently. It was blooming when I bought it, and I screwed up and cut the entire bloom stem off when the first two blooms fell off instead of just cutting it beneath the nearest node. It hasn't grown any new stems since.

quiltingwacko · #8 09-07-2008, 08:49 PM

Aaah, don't be too mad at yourself, the thing is alive! That is far better than I did with some of my first orchids. I am trying to look up your orchid in my phrag/paph book. It doe not appear to have exactly that one so maybe I can look up it's parents. Give me a minute here.

cb977 · #9 09-07-2008, 08:52 PM

Hi isis

I really don't do well with Phrags so I won't offer any advice other than it probably needs to be repotted since it's been a year you have it and it could have been potted like that long before you found him.

quiltingwacko · #10 09-07-2008, 09:11 PM

Finally found it in the book. It does not dictate conditions for each individual phrag but says the phrags like continual moisture and even like to sit in about a 1/4 inch of it. They are very sensitive to salts so clean water is essential. Though I lived in Fremont for years I don't know anything about the water quality in Castro Valley. If you have Hetch Hetchy water, you should be good there. Southern window is good light, though should be indirect. Repotting it may be just the ticket. Shake that puppy up and get it to do something.

Are you fertilizing? If so, what with? The slipper orchid book says feed often but weak and no urea. Good general rule for chids. Oh, also says slippers need to be repotted annually! Glad I read this, I just discovered I have another one I forgot about! Sukhkali. I knew I had a Dick Clement. These guys are so beautiful! No wonder I sprang for the book.