Psychopsis Mendenhall 'Hildos'

[gardengirl13]

Oh you're making me jealous!!!! I would LOVE LOVE to live in BC!! Here we still have almost 2' of snow on the ground!! We haven't been above freezing, aside from today and two days in jan, since early dec! It's been a horrible year! I'd love to be able to be outside and garden almost year round!

[Vanda lover]

Originally Posted by gardengirl13

Oh you're making me jealous!!!! I would LOVE LOVE to live in BC!! Here we still have almost 2' of snow on the ground!! We haven't been above freezing, aside from today and two days in jan, since early dec! It's been a horrible year! I'd love to be able to be outside and garden almost year round!

We have been having a very mild nice winter, but we have our normally heavy rains now. It only goes a little below freezing a few times a winter, most years. There are nice things about living here. Mild winters are one of them.
We have taken the cover off the palm tree.

Sorry Bud, we have hijacked your thread!

[Bud]

No worries...its no hijack at all...it is very interesting to learn about Canadian customs and I envy your yard sale of orchids all year round....besides it is an exchange of friendly information....so its all good

[Vanda lover]

Originally Posted by Bud

No worries...its no hijack at all...it is very interesting to learn about Canadian customs and I envy your yard sale of orchids all year round....besides it is an exchange of friendly information....so its all good

I'm afraid our yard sales don't have any orchids. At least, I have never come across them. But yard sales are something to do in the winter. i have founds some nice orchid pots at some. Some people here also wear shorts all year. Not me.

[gardengirl13]

We lived in San Diego for a year and it was my husband's goal to wear shorts every single day. He did it too. In winter when it was about 55* out we wore thin sweatshirts thinking it was great, everyone else was wearing parkas like it was below zero out! ha ha!


Any way to my Norman, you said to keep him in a humidity tray. I had him near one in the old house, I bought cookie sheets that were about 3/4" deep and put fishtank gravel in them, then water. Right now he's on a window sill, so those won't work. I do have a room humidifier right under the windows though. I move it each night to keep it going from one side to the other. Maybe this isn't enough? I's been VERY dry this winter due to the cold. Maybe I'll find something to put under him and fill it with water. I see people going with the suggestion of putting it directly in the water and not on rocks. This won't rot the roots?

[Vanda lover]

Ii think that should be enough humidity. Perhaps you could get a hygrometer. That way you could have an idea of what your humidity is. I have one that also shows temperature. They are usually not too expensive.

[gardengirl13]

Oh oh oh!!! I think I got it!!! I had issues with my glazed pots last year (a couple phals roots broke off and dried right up in other spots) so I switched everyone to regular terracotta. This was in April. I think I remember reading that the psychopsis hates getting repotted. Now I just pulled him out and transfered him, no new medium or anything, but I wonder if that's why he's still sulking!? I remember hearing that when you repot it can take a couple years to get a spike. Is this true??

[MrsSky]

I just purchased one in spike today (I actually bought it for its gorgeous leaves)-thank you for posting the helpful growing tips!

[Vanda lover]

I think that if you were that careful transplanting it, that shouldn't be the cause. It isn't like you hacked back the roots or anything.

[Bud]

This time, this orchid plant gave me two large flowers that opened its blooms early with such vivid colors and four more unopened buds....I also noticed two new growths.