New member from Raleigh, NC

[Kelly R]

Hi everyone! I have searched the collective wisdom of this board for quite some time, but finally decided to join. I got bit by the orchid bug after working in an orchid greenhouse just out of high school. My collection is probably considered small by many, but I am starting to focus on the more unique varieties.

I acquired a pleurothallis allenii and a tolumnia pulchella today. The pleuro is so huge that it is hard to see the little flowers, so I will make another post for guidance on dividing it. Attached are pictures for everyone!

[cbuchman]

Welcome. Looks like a nice collection

[WhiteRabbit]

Glad you joined!

[tucker85]

Welcome to Orchid Board! You have some very well grown and healthy looking orchids.

[Phalchid]

Welcome! Really healthy looking orchids! You're surely doing things right

[Kelly R]

Thanks! My little Oncidium Tisiku Marguerite is throwing me for a loop though. It came to me a few months ago in spike, but several leaves dropped in shipment. It had about 8 short spikes on it. One has really taken off, but within the week, 2 turned brown, a few weeks later, 2 others turned brown. I am left with 5 - the one that is doing just dandy, 2 had the tips turn bright green like they were going to take off and one of those is turning darker now, and one of the other dormant seeming ones is turning brown. I have no idea what is going on. It has 2 new growths on it that seem to keep growing. One of the front bulbs 3 weeks ago look like it had a little loop growing that was going to be a new spike, but that has shriveled up. The only thing I can think of is the space heater I added to my work area 3 weeks ago. Maybe it is giving off fumes or something that the plant doesn't like?

It gets watered about once a week - with Dyna Pro orchid food (not the bloomer food) at not full strength every other week, and regular water in between. It gets good light right by the window (south east). I will put this post as a new thread in the appropriate section, but any helpful tips would be great!

[RosieC]

Welcome to Orchid Board

[Stray59]

Welcome to the Orchid Board KellyR!!!
Your collection looks great - very healthy. The only concern I have is it looks like you have low light plants (phalaenopsis) mixed with high light plants (oncidium and maybe a BrassoCat. or two) - not really sure what I am looking at exactly, but it seems you have blended plants that will need different light requirements. The phalae's look great, which tells me that some of the others, although they look very healthy, may like more sun in order to bloom their best.
You fertilizer should be fine; again, the urea based ferts are in question, so be sure and flush the potting medium well in order to avoid build up.
As far as a space heater - what fuel does it burn? If it is electric, then there are no fumes to worry about, but it may be drying out this plant too much. If it is kerosene is should not be used around plants as the fumes are harmful to them. Natural gas heaters shouldn't be too bad, depending on whether it is vented or not Oncidiums want very bright indirect light and your may need more sun. Your description sounds as if an increase in humidity may be beneficial. If the pleuro and the phalae's are happy, an oncidium probably isn't.
Have you had any of these plants bloom for you, and if so, which ones?
Really nice, healthy collection - could you list what all is in it? What is the plant on the far left in the front in the first pic and on the far right in the front in the second - the two with the large psuedos and big somewhat strap-like leaves? They looks familiar, but I just can't call the names to mind.
Steve
P.S. You also have some very nice McCoy pots you are using!

[RosieC]

Originally Posted by Stray59

The only concern I have is it looks like you have low light plants (phalaenopsis) mixed with high light plants (oncidium and maybe a BrassoCat. or two) - not really sure what I am looking at exactly, but it seems you have blended plants that will need different light requirements. The phalae's look great, which tells me that some of the others, although they look very healthy, may like more sun in order to bloom their best.

That's a good point. In the winter I have mine all mixed together as it's all pitiful light anyway (light fixtures would be better but not something I can easily do). I put my higher light ones in high light for spring/summer and that seems to be enough for them, so that's worth considering as Stray59 is right they might not flower well if they don't get enough light.

[Kelly R]

Originally Posted by Stray59

The only concern I have is it looks like you have low light plants (phalaenopsis) mixed with high light plants (oncidium and maybe a BrassoCat. or two) - not really sure what I am looking at exactly, but it seems you have blended plants that will need different light requirements.

You are right that I have mixed plants here. I just moved to NC and am living in my parent's basement until we get a place of our own, so I am kinda having to make due. That being said, the window is a south east facing window, so there is direct sunlight at an angle for 2-3 hours in the morning. So the plants on the far left get pretty much direct light during those hours. I moved my higher light plants to that side and tried to keep the phals on the right and in the back. I do have one little cattleya in the front on the right, which probably isn't as much light as it would like to bloom, but it is still a year or two away from getting to blooming size in my opinion.

Originally Posted by Stray59

As far as a space heater - what fuel does it burn?

It is a little electric one. I don't feel comfortable using a space heater that burns a fuel inside due to fumes. We have since swapped out the little one for an oil filled radiator and put it on the opposite side of the room. The house has a humidifier/dehumidifier on the system to keep the main floor at 55% year round and my little humidity gauge down here reads right around 60% most of the time.

Originally Posted by Stray59

Oncidiums want very bright indirect light and your may need more sun.

The one oncidium hybrid I have is on the far left right in front of the glass, which is the best I can do at the moment unfortunately. I just got it around 5 months ago and it had a long bloom spike on it then, so it probably won't bloom again for another couple months. It does have a really nice and healthy new growth on it though.

The little Tolumnia onc. is in spike now though - which I am super excited about! The Onc. Margarette has had the other 2 little spikes start to turn brown, but the long spike continues to develop. I have the beginnings of little buds starting to develop now.

Originally Posted by Stray59

Really nice, healthy collection - could you list what all is in it? What is the plant on the far left in the front in the first pic and on the far right in the front in the second - the two with the large psuedos and big somewhat strap-like leaves? They looks familiar, but I just can't call the names to mind.

Thanks! The running list is:

Colm. Catatante Pacific Sunspots
Miltoniopsis
Grammatophyllum Multiflorum
Cattleya (noID)
Onc. Tsiko Margarette
Pleurothallis Allenii
Tolumnia pulchella
Phalenopsis (random noID)

On the way to me - Masdevallia pinocchio

The two plants you asked about are the Grammatophyllum Multiflorum. I had purchased the smaller one in the second photo initially and had issues with half the leaves dropping and the tips turning brown as soon as it got here. The seller sent me a second plant instead of returning the initial one for a refund, which is how I ended up with two. I know grammatophyllum like really bright light, so my goal is to keep it happy and healthy until the weather turns warm again and then have it outside.

Originally Posted by Stray59

P.S. You also have some very nice McCoy pots you are using!

Thanks! That yellow one in the front was my latest find - really cool and unusual pattern!