Planting Nun's Orchid outside - Zone 9b

[Orchidheart]

Hello everyone! This is my first post to the Orchid Board, and I'm excited to possibly gain some valuable feedback. I am fairly new to orchid gardening, although I've loved them from afar for many years. I started trying my hand at keeping them alive a little over a year ago. I currently have a few successfully mounted in trees in my yard and about 6 or 7 more growing happily in pots. I recently purchased a Phaius 'Lady Ramona Harris' at my local nursery. I understand that it's a terrestrial variety and I will probably have the best luck with it directly in the ground. I'm trying to decide where to put it. I have an area of relatively deep shade under a Japanese Fern tree where I have a spathoglottis ground orchid growing happily alongside few other shade plants. Other than that, I have some areas of partial shade in the yard as optional locations for the Nun's Orchid. I live in SWFL - zone 9b bordering 10a. Any tips or information will be greatly appreciated!

[DirtyCoconuts]

heyo- i am just a touch below you and i grow my Phaius in really bright conditions.

I have it under a small shade palm in a very open part of my yard. in a 5 gallon pot.

I think that as long as you shelter them a bit from the 11-2 sun, they can handle our full sun fine

[Orchidheart]

Originally Posted by DirtyCoconuts

heyo- i am just a touch below you and i grow my Phaius in really bright conditions.

I have it under a small shade palm in a very open part of my yard. in a 5 gallon pot.

I think that as long as you shelter them a bit from the 11-2 sun, they can handle our full sun fine

Awesome - thank you! Hoping this reply goes to you. It sounds like I might want to consider one of my sunnier areas as opposed to deep shade. So a couple of follow up questions: 1) why keep yours in a pot instead of directly in the ground? I'm trying to avoid a pot, if possible. 2) how long have they been there and 3) how often do they bloom 4) Any special fertilizer/care? Sorry, I lied...lots of questions

[Ray]

The nicest I’ve ever seen were in the gardens at Bok Tower. Morning sun, then shade.

[DirtyCoconuts]

I choose a pot because i am a hoarder of plants and i want to be able to take everything with me LOL...only half kidding... I have had the plant for a year or two and it is slowly filling the pot, first one growth, then two, this year three. once it is too big for the pot i will divide it and put some in a nicer pot and the rest in the ground.

I get flowers from the spike for about 3 months of one or two flowers at a time sequentially blooming

i used K-lite fert in most of my waterings at 1/3 tsp per 3 gallons.

this is a "yard" orchid which means it is not treated as gingerly as the patio and lath house orchids so i do not give it the water as often as the others, both because it gets rained and because it is simply farther away from the house and i don't get to all the plants at one time and these are the most neglected.

if you do put them in the ground make sure you mix some sand and peat in to the mix to make sure it drains well as they don't want to sit in soggy dirt

[Orchidheart]

Originally Posted by Ray

The nicest I’ve ever seen were in the gardens at Bok Tower. Morning sun, then shade.

Love Bok Tower - will definitely be back for a visit there when I can. I have a spot that gets similar lighting - I think I'll try them there. Thanks!

---------- Post added at 01:58 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:54 PM ----------

Originally Posted by DirtyCoconuts

I choose a pot because i am a hoarder of plants and i want to be able to take everything with me LOL...only half kidding... I have had the plant for a year or two and it is slowly filling the pot, first one growth, then two, this year three. once it is too big for the pot i will divide it and put some in a nicer pot and the rest in the ground.

I get flowers from the spike for about 3 months of one or two flowers at a time sequentially blooming

i used K-lite fert in most of my waterings at 1/3 tsp per 3 gallons.

this is a "yard" orchid which means it is not treated as gingerly as the patio and lath house orchids so i do not give it the water as often as the others, both because it gets rained and because it is simply farther away from the house and i don't get to all the plants at one time and these are the most neglected.

if you do put them in the ground make sure you mix some sand and peat in to the mix to make sure it drains well as they don't want to sit in soggy dirt

Haha - I wondered if that was why you kept them in a pot! I've considered that as well. I'm thinking I'll definitely go ahead & pot them & set them in a morning sun/afternoon shade spot like Ray suggested. That way I can move them if they don't seem happy. Advice on medium for potting? I'm thinking a mix of peat/perlite/bark? I have a little compost too...

[DirtyCoconuts]

I don’t know about the bark. Could be good, I have just never used it. I would add some sand and I think you are good.

I don’t think they need a ton of fert but I am not sure. I don’t think the compost would be needed.

[Orchidheart]

Awesome - thanks again for all the info, you've been super helpful!