Unpopular Orchid Opinions

[isurus79]

I put together a fun video where I dispel some orchid myths and provide some potentially "unpopular orchid opinions." I'd love to hear what y'all think!

FYI - I think Monnierara Millennium Magic is uuuugly!

https://youtu.be/cmpczQKWsyk

[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".

[Leafmite]

This is very good.

[BrassavolaStars]

Hello all,

This was a very interesting video. I definitely fell for a few of these myths early on when I was learning to grow plants. I must have killed at least a half a dozen cattleyas waiting for them to become dry enough to water, thus letting the roots desiccate.
I think watering is really all about air-circulation and temperature/humidity. I do think if you are a windowsill grower, it can be very difficult to get these conditions to a favorable level.

I think if you grow indoors and have a dark, stagnant growing space, it is very easy for things to rot from watering "too much/at the wrong time." The real problems of circulation, temperature, and humidity are what really need to be addressed but, when you first start growing, none of the care instructions seem to tell you that.

Something else that I would add to the myth list is putting peroxide on the roots when repotting. I'm not ever doing that again. It seemed to worsen the plant's health significantly.

For my unpopular opinions:

• Phalaenopsis are not the best beginner orchids. They can get crown rot pretty easily, especially indoors.

• Phalaenopsis species and novelty hybrids are severely underappreciated and are some of the most amazing orchids.

• Tolumnias, with few exceptions, are ugly.

• Most complex Oncidium intergenerics (I.e. Colmanara, Wilsonara, Vuylstekeara) are boring.

• Den. spectabile and Psychopsis flowers are not that interesting.

• Big flowers and big plants are better. If space is not at a premium, it is better to have larger plants. There is nothing satisfying to me about a micro.

• Why bother buying it if it isn’t fragrant.

• I do not understand why people like Cattleya harpophylla, crsipata, coccinea, or any of those thin, spidery cattleyas. To me, the flowers are very unappealing.

• Phaius look like they should be bouquet filler.

• Jewel orchids are just foliage houseplants with hype.

• Sharry Baby doesn't actually smell that good.

[estación seca]

LOL!

The true mark of a great grower is doing well with a plant the grower doesn't like.

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by estación seca

LOL!

The true mark of a great grower is doing well with a plant the grower doesn't like.

Dissing some of my favorites...

De gustibus non disputandum est ... The wonder of orchids, something for every taste and set of growing conditions!

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by Gardenguru2

Quite a lot of opinions on this thread already. But a lot about growing orchids is differing opinions. I know Roberta advises any new cattleya grower to let the roots dry completely.

Misquote... Catts, generally can go pretty dry but don't need to be totally dry. They do need a wet-dry cycle, and I have, indeed found, that they do better for me once they escape the pot and grow like a mounted plant. Your mileage may vary...

Interesting how an ostensibly new member can jump to such a conclusion...

[estación seca]

It depends on the grower's conditions. Given proper temperature, light and humidity plants tend to tolerate a lot of cultural mistakes.

[BrassavolaStars]

Originally Posted by Gardenguru2

The only trouble I have with phals is either crown rot or stem rot which they can develop easily. Hydrogen peroxide is useful in treating both but if it is too advanced then even hydrogen peroxide cannot help all the time. I wouldn't dismiss it unless one has a different fungicide. Hydrogen peroxide has helped me save dozens of orchids by now. I could also decide to stop using hydrogen peroxide and believe it is saving my orchids but we all lose orchids. It's better to try to treat it than ignore a problem completely and end up throwing the orchid in the compost instead. So either a fungicide, or hydrogen peroxide but certainly not nothing if the plant is ill.

I guess my issue with hydrogen peroxide is when it comes to roots. I think hydrogen peroxide on the leaves or crown is not an issue. I have had people tell me to spray it on roots when repotting and to use it as an anti-root rot. That I think makes plants worse.

---------- Post added at 06:51 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:49 PM ----------

Another myth for the list might be the paranoia I have seen about fusarium. I do not think I had ever had an issue with it but I know there are some people saying it is all over and very dangerous.

---------- Post added at 06:54 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:51 PM ----------

Barring Phals and Zygos getting rot, I think how easy an alliance is comes down to local cultural conditions at the end of the day. I personally think cymbidiums are the most forgiving plants for beginners. They are not too different from regular house plants and can take a lot of bad conditions before something terrible happens to them.

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by BrassavolaStars

I personally think cymbidiums are the most forgiving plants for beginners. They are not too different from regular house plants and can take a lot of bad conditions before something terrible happens to them.

I'd agree that Cyms are pretty hard to kill. But... not necessarily that easy to flower for everyone. The so-called "warmth-tolerant" ones, that don't need a fall cool-down to bloom, are indeed easier for those who have to grow at least part of the year indoors. The other "gotcha" is giving them the light that they need for blooming, a lot more than most other orchids. So growing them is one thing, flowering may be another depending on one's conditions and the parentage of the plant. Where I live, they're as easy to grow and flower as roses, under pretty much the same conditions. But that's not the case for probably the majority of orchid growers, practically everywhere else.