Hi from denver!

[Wolfe4372]

my name is megan and i have 2 orchids, 3 fish tanks (salt, brackish, and fresh), and 3 dogs (2 mutts and a corgi). oh yea i have 3 year old as well who spelled doom for one of my moms phals, but he hasnt touched mine!

this is one of my orchids, and my phal i didn't take pictures of when it was in bloom which was stupid of me. :P

[CTB]

Nice paph, you'll soon have many more. Orchid growing is an addiction that consumes you. Welcome aboard, a great bunch of people willing to help you get addicted. Enjoy!~

[Wolfe4372]

Originally Posted by CTB

Nice paph, you'll soon have many more. Orchid growing is an addiction that consumes you. Welcome aboard, a great bunch of people willing to help you get addicted. Enjoy!~

as long as this one survives and i can get the phal to bloom i might be hooked (hey i might be hooked even if i kill these guys)

[ardera]

If you ever head north, there is a great nursery in Louisville called Fantasy Orchids. Beware though, it is hard to walk out empty handed. I live in Boulder and tend to gravitate to that place. I think that I only made it out ONCE with only 1 orchid.

[Wolfe4372]

Originally Posted by ardera

If you ever head north, there is a great nursery in Louisville called Fantasy Orchids. Beware though, it is hard to walk out empty handed. I live in Boulder and tend to gravitate to that place. I think that I only made it out ONCE with only 1 orchid.

i lived in Lafayette, and i wish i had known about that place then. one of my pipes burst when i lived up there and the pipes had bleach in them thanks to my complex and well my poor phals got bleached. i would have liked to replace them.

[Ysa]

[Wolfe4372]

also i would like to know if there are any special instructions for my orchids i should take.

[RosieC]

Welcome to Orchid Board

General instuctions can be difficult as orchids range so much but here are a quick few things I can think of.

Phals
1. Water when the roots go silvery. A clear pot is good so you can see this right down at the bottom.
2. Water with plenty of water when you water, make sure that water can run out the bottom and let it drain fully.
3. Don't leave them standing in water for more than about 15 to 30 min (you can get away with more on ocasion but the principle is that you don't want them left with water in the bottom long term).
4. Protect from Direct Sunlight but don't keep too dark either. They like bright indirect light.
5. General household temps are good
6. Repot in fresh medium regularly when existing medium breaks down, removing all existing medium. A good rule of thumb is that if it's in moss it needs repotting every year, if it's in bark then every two years.
7. You don't always have to increase the pot size when you repot, choose a pot which can just fit the roots.

Paphs
Much the same as above, except in 1 you water just as the medium is drying out all the way down. In 4 some take a little more light than phals but still not direct, it depends on the paph. All the rest of the points are the same I think

Hope that helps, it's only brief and you may know a lot of it already.

[Wolfe4372]

Originally Posted by RosieC

Welcome to Orchid Board

General instuctions can be difficult as orchids range so much but here are a quick few things I can think of.

Phals
1. Water when the roots go silvery. A clear pot is good so you can see this right down at the bottom.
2. Water with plenty of water when you water, make sure that water can run out the bottom and let it drain fully.
3. Don't leave them standing in water for more than about 15 to 30 min (you can get away with more on ocasion but the principle is that you don't want them left with water in the bottom long term).
4. Protect from Direct Sunlight but don't keep too dark either. They like bright indirect light.
5. General household temps are good
6. Repot in fresh medium regularly when existing medium breaks down, removing all existing medium. A good rule of thumb is that if it's in moss it needs repotting every year, if it's in bark then every two years.
7. You don't always have to increase the pot size when you repot, choose a pot which can just fit the roots.

Paphs
Much the same as above, except in 1 you water just as the medium is drying out all the way down. In 4 some take a little more light than phals but still not direct, it depends on the paph. All the rest of the points are the same I think

Hope that helps, it's only brief and you may know a lot of it already.

thanks! the moss thats in there made me nervous but now i feel better about it

[RosieC]

Moss can be more difficult for many people, but others like it.

If you are using moss it's even more important to make sure it dries between watering. If in doubt try a wooden skewer pushed into the pot, if it's damp when you pull it out then it's not time to water again, even if the top seems dry.