Unpopular Orchid Opinions

[K-Sci]

Originally Posted by Roberta

Good video! Another myth, for "Unpopular v. 2" ... "when repotting remove ALL the old medium." That breaks roots... remove what comes off easily, rinse well, repot... root preservation is far more important than trying to achieve "sterility".

Strongly agree. In addition to damaging roots:

1. New roots grow primarily around the circumference of the pot whereas older media is in the middle.
2. Badly broken down media can usually be removed in the "rinse well" stage.

-Keith

[estación seca]

Different people have different suites of smelling receptors, partially under genetic control, so not everybody experiences scent the same way. I really enjoy the scent of close-up paperwhite narcissus Narcissus tazzeta, and hyacinth, but a lot of people can't bear these when more than just a faint whiff. Same with heavy sweet fragrances like gardenia, Cestrum (night-flowering jessamine) and the different fragrances of jasmine.

Very strong gardenias and the heavily double form of Jasminum sambac smell to me a lot like hot dog sausages. I have friends who share this opinion. The single sambac, used to flavor jasmine tea, doesn't do this; it smells wonderful to me. I have a lot of it in my garden.

[BrassavolaStars]

Originally Posted by estación seca

Different people have different suites of smelling receptors, partially under genetic control, so not everybody experiences scent the same way. I really enjoy the scent of close-up paperwhite narcissus Narcissus tazzeta, and hyacinth, but a lot of people can't bear these when more than just a faint whiff. Same with heavy sweet fragrances like gardenia, Cestrum (night-flowering jessamine) and the different fragrances of jasmine.

Very strong gardenias and the heavily double form of Jasminum sambac smell to me a lot like hot dog sausages. I have friends who share this opinion. The single sambac, used to flavor jasmine tea, doesn't do this; it smells wonderful to me. I have a lot of it in my garden.

That is interesting. Is it a bit like the cilantro problem where people with certain taste receptors taste it as soap? I like hyacinths, paperwhites, strong gardenias, and love Sambac jasmine. I have a 4 foot Sambac (Maid of Orleans) topiary. While I like the Sambac scent, I don’t like regular jasmine.

Some people I know think the paperwhites smell like manure. I think they actually both contain indole. I also have an unfortunately sick, large Cestrum nocturnum. That one is a bit much too close up.

[Leafmite]

That is true. Fragrance can vary depending on our genetics. I am glad that my Encyclia phoenicea (SVO) does smell like chocolate milk powder to me and my family. The flowers brought my family so much joy. Wonder how others perceive the fragrance?

[isurus79]

Originally Posted by Leafmite

Wonder how others perceive the fragrance?

My wife hates all orchid smells

[estación seca]

I might have a bum E. phoenicia. It came from SVO. It hardly grows at all.

[Leafmite]

Originally Posted by isurus79

My wife hates all orchid smells

---------- Post added at 02:12 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:21 AM ----------

Originally Posted by estación seca

I might have a bum E. phoenicia. It came from SVO. It hardly grows at all.

I hope that this year, it will grow better for you.

[camille1585]

Originally Posted by Leafmite

That is true. Fragrance can vary depending on our genetics. I am glad that my Encyclia phoenicea (SVO) does smell like chocolate milk powder to me and my family. The flowers brought my family so much joy. Wonder how others perceive the fragrance?

Chocolate milk, yum! Does it smell differently for other people?

I have a first hand example of the importance of plant genetics too. I have owned 3 Haraella odorata in quick succession (before coming to the conclusion that I'll never be able to keep one alive long term without a high humidity enclosure of some sort).

This orchid is said to smell like lemons. The first one really did smell like lemons, freshly squeezed and delicious. The second one had a somewhat artificial sort of citrusy fragrance that was difficult to figure out. The third one had a distinct lemon scent, but not at all like my first plant! This one was more like lemon scented toilet cleaner (very chemical smelling and not pleasant!).

[Subrosa]

Originally Posted by estación seca

Different people have different suites of smelling receptors, partially under genetic control, so not everybody experiences scent the same way. I really enjoy the scent of close-up paperwhite narcissus Narcissus tazzeta, and hyacinth, but a lot of people can't bear these when more than just a faint whiff. Same with heavy sweet fragrances like gardenia, Cestrum (night-flowering jessamine) and the different fragrances of jasmine.

Very strong gardenias and the heavily double form of Jasminum sambac smell to me a lot like hot dog sausages. I have friends who share this opinion. The single sambac, used to flavor jasmine tea, doesn't do this; it smells wonderful to me. I have a lot of it in my garden.

Every paperwhite I've had the "pleasure" of smelling reminded me of a litter box that needs cleaned.

[Ray]

Originally Posted by isurus79

Actually, switching fertilizers to a bloom booster is probably the most robustly documented orchid myth that i spoke about. The person using bloom booster all year round isn't switching to boost blooms, they're just using it as a normal fertilizer! So it's not an apples to apples comparison.

There is no “perfect” fertilizer formula that induces anything special, and the N-P-K ratios are quite unimportant.

The key is nitrogen management, and finding the spot in between deficiency and excess, and that can be done with any formula, knowing that the other ingredients constitute “extra baggage” that may-, or may not be of value or harm.

The formula that was the culprit was 30-10-10. The ”cure” was 15-30-15. If used at the same bulk dilution rate, the second provided half the nitrogen of the first. What also would have worked is using half the amount of the first formula per volume. (And doubling the second would have quashed the blooming, as effectively as the 30-10-10.)

When it was first released, I jumped on the MSU bandwagon hot and heavy, and used the 13-5-19 formula at their 125 ppm N recommendation. The part I failed to grasp was that they applied it every 7-10 days, while I was doing so every other day. Guess what? I had no blooms. About 18 months after cutting back and learning about managing the N, and for the decade I have used the most extreme-ratio formula out there (K-Lite @ 12-1-1), it’s no longer an issue.