Hi from Colorado (noob)

[BluGnat]

Hello! I've long admired Orchids, but have always been afraid to try owning them (and the prices are especially daunting). I lost my resolve a several weeks ago when the local grocery store had them for sale for...$9.99 (and later, $7.99)! I brought my first one home, and I held my breath as I cared for him...and now he's growing a new leaf. Since then, around town, it seems like everyone has them on sale (grocery store, Home Depot, Wal Mart). I now have seven - five Phal and two Cym (see, I'm so new I can't even spell them without looking it up). They are all clustered together to help with the humidity, and they have a grow lite, as they're in the kitchen and don't really get any real sun. Brightness, but no real sun. I've been looking around and have found a few places that have classes, and will be attending those. There's also an honest-to-goodness orchid farm a couple towns over. I spray their leaves daily, as we're in Colorado and things dry out really quickly here. I water them once a week, and have purchased orchid fertilizer, but haven't used it yet.

Anyway, thank you to the creators and maintainers of this board - I look forward to exploring and learning!

[RenéeS]

Hi Blugnat, to OB! Looks like you're doing your best to provide a nice growing-environment for your orchids
Happy reading & learning.

[Zoi2]

Hello and welcome to the Orchid Board.
Joann

[Ranchnanny]

Welcome to the OB BluGnat ....

Well well your on your way to being obsessed Have you checked the roots on all your new orchids? Are any of them packed in moss? If so you should remove the moss and repot them in bark. Moss stays to wet and gets packed which smothers the roots. The roots need air and bark allows air to move through. Good Luck and Good Growing
and post lots of photo's.

Sheridan

[Nic100]

Woohoo! I love to hear when someone else looses their resolve! Makes me feel so much better for losing mine! Welcome!

[RosieC]

Welcome to Orchid Board

[johnblagg]

welcome to the OB

[BluGnat]

Thank you all for the welcome!

Originally Posted by Ranchnanny

Have you checked the roots on all your new orchids? Are any of them packed in moss? If so you should remove the moss and repot them in bark. Moss stays to wet and gets packed which smothers the roots. The roots need air and bark allows air to move through.

Thanks to you, I did check - and found out that FOUR of them needed to be re-packed. I had a bag of orchid mix, as my son knocked over one three weeks ago, threw away the bark that came out, and re-filled it with miracle grow potting soil . So, this morning, I hunkered down on the kitchen floor and got them all re-situated. Hopefully they'll be happy long-term now. Thank you for letting me know to do that!

[Ranchnanny]

Regular potting soil is not good. I like the medium type of bark to which I add charcoal and some perlite if needed. Sounds like you are off to a great start. Keep an eye out for new growth like new leafs, roots and spikes. I am posting a few photo's of spikes (nubbins) so you will know what they look like. The new spike looks much like a mitten.

Happy Growing

Sheridan

[Country Gramma]

Hi BluGnat,
This is a great place.
As the people say, potting soil doesn't make it for orchids. But you'll get the scoop here on the OB.
Karen