Maria's Tired but She's Almost Ready!!!

[peeweelovesbooks]

I think I'm close to finishing my orchid duties for the summer!!!

I'm taking advantage of the warmer temperatures to make sure everyone is happy and healthy...my D-day is Redlands. After that, I hope to peter out my orchid purchases (hahahhahahahahahaha) and hope everyone is sufficiently established to be able to bloom well.


Here's what I did today:


~repotted 21 orchids.
~I took 2 out of their pots and mounted them
~checked to see if all the orchids were ok in their pots (i.e. not getting jostled around and if they were, I secured them with florist tape (that stretchy green tape that is my new best friend)
~finished cleaning the huge bag of hydroton that I bought several weeks ago.(it looked like a huge bag but I only have 3 containers-full--where'd it all go??)
~watered orchids
~took inventory of supplies I need (pots, labels, etc.)

Non-orchid related--I've developed a fascination with plumeria. So, I have a growing collection (of course) and added new soil, re-labeled (YES, plumeria have names too!), staked, and fertilized. I have 4 more cuttings that I need to pot up, but I have to wait until they are dry.

After I went inside, I saw I had forgotten one orchid---but was too tired to go back outside. Will tackle this one next week.

I have to bring the orchids that live in my office to repot--the moss I used sucks and has to be replaced.

So, what did you all do this weekend? Do you have set periods of time when you do most of your orchid work, or does it occur whenever you buy plants?

[Eyebabe]

I will not be at Redland and it makes me very sad.
I am arranging my schedule to make sure I get there next year.

But a busy weekend it was indeed!

I am preparing for about 40, that's right, FORTY plants over the next 4 weeks which are all cattleyas and mostly all arriving bare root
One forth of them will be coming from some vendors at Redland who I called in advance and will ship me the plants

Like you, Maria, I have picked through my current plants and tidied them up by repotting those that needed it, spraying with fungicide, fertilizing etc.

I have prepared a large bag of prime agra and have three more bags in "inventory"

Yesterday my greenhouse carts were delivered. I ordered them from a janitor supply company and they are plastic with drawers etc for me to store stuff. My hubby and I had to assemble them

After that, I unpacked my repotme.com order of pots, labels, stakes, rhysome clips, wire etc. I got an extra canister of propane for my torch. I got a big o'l supply of twisty ties too!

I am currently writing up new labels for all the plants so that I can color code light, temp, and humidity requirements and organize the plants into some microclimates.

So I am ready baby!!! As I sit in "limbo" waiting for plants that won't flower for at least a year

[mollycart1]

Wow, Maria. That sounds like lots of work.

I live in PNW and we finally hit 70 degrees yesterday. I took advantage of the weather for cleaning all my orchid trays and grids ( 6 of 3' x 4' ) with the power washer. I do it twice a year.

The local OS spring show is this weekend and I will be taking some time off to repot my 100+ potted orchids week after. I hope the weather gets nicer.

[peeweelovesbooks]

I know right? It's amazing all the work we go through with the sole motivation being "I hope I see some blooms" at some undetermined time!!!


Eyebabe, that's a lot of catts!! Hopefully you will be able to make it to the Redlands next year! It's really a "grower's show!" I'm thinking of taking Friday off instead of going on Sunday as I previously planned on doing.

That cart seems interesting-may I ask where you bought it? I'm always looking for better organization.


Molly--> that's a lot of orchids too!! My back hurts just to think of repotting 100+ orchids. That's more than my entire collection!!

[Eyebabe]

Originally Posted by peeweelovesbooks

That cart seems interesting-may I ask where you bought it? I'm always looking for better organization.

Most certainly!
I only got one but this was the most inexpensive I could find that fits under the greenhouse benches (wheel it under and out of the way when not in use)
It is mostly heavy duty "plastic" but the drawer frames are enameled metal.
Of the three you see on the link, it's the least expensive one with the drawers

Storage & Material Handling - Material Handling - Mobile Workcenters

[quiltergal]

I divided and potted up 6 Catts (15 total) to sell at our show last weekend. With the leftover mix I repotted 3 more. I repotted 2 this weekend, and I have fine CHC soaking to repot my Paphs and Phrags hopefully next weekend. I have lots more to do too.

[shadytrake]

Ooo I did alot of cleaning too. I am getting ready for a large order of Phrags and Dens so I needed some room. Luckily, there are lots of OB friends who will take the orphaned chids!

I took a bunch out of s/h and put them on mounts. I organized the adoptees to be packaged for their new homes.

I inspected the roots of many and I see that I still have work to do. I have been successful with s/h for the most part but I do see some that need improvement.

I inspected and fertilized the seedlings, made some notes on culture, and re-labeled any faded tags.

Man, I'm tired. Now it's raining and I had to haul my cookies out of bed at the crack of dawn to pull orchids inside the SH because they had already been watered.

This week I have to pull my Catt wall out, inspect it, buy more Hang A Pots, and put the Catts outside. Yippee! Spring is here!

[Connie Star]

I'm a laggard- Was going to do some repotting, but guests and nice weather made for a hike to see some wildflowers- hepatica, trillium, trout lilies. I guess if it rains next weekend I'll repot.

[Roly0217]

Maria you and I have a fascination for the same stuff. I've got new plumerias too. I've got 8 cuttings from Hawaii today that will be planting tomorrow.