Project Day! Whats on your list?

[DaylightFirefly]

Looks really great! If I am an orchid, I would definitely want to be in your care!

What type of fabric do you use for direct sun protection?
I burned two of my cattleyas this summer and trying to cover them the best way possible.

[DirtyCoconuts]

sun shade brand or generic shade cloth


they sell it at the big box stores with lots of types of clips and grommets and such

[RJSquirrel]

I have 3 shades. 70% aluminet and the 60 and 50% black cloth. I ordered them from the shadecloth store and the mega greenhouse stores.

As soon as I can get aluminet in the 50% and 60% versions its going to replace the black cloth as it collects too much heat. The aluminet is the best at reflecting the heat off your plants.



thanks you all!! havin fun with your plants is better than having ants in yer pants!!!

[DirtyCoconuts]

very good point about the aluminet...i have mine hung much higher like as sun sails so they have lots of room to disperse the trapped heat- mine are also a light khaki color

[marie458]

I'm very impressed with your grow space, RJSquirrel. Have you made any more modifications since last month?

Here's my current To Do list for my orchid garden:

(1) repair/replace several hanging wooden baskets
(2) apply the next 6-month round of Purely Organic fertilizer
(3) prepare new phal species for mounting on phal totem
(4) finish installing decorative mulch
(5) research the best outdoor systems for watering small areas
(6) finish cataloguing and tagging/retagging all orchids

** avoid heat stroke since our "feels like' temps have been in the 100s for several weeks now

[RJSquirrel]

I have only de-anted some plants. Ants. They used to not bother me but as I have learned they farm other pest that will bother me. They seem to like the gramms and the mini catts. They moved into my cattleya wittigiana and had to evict them.

I haven't mentioned yet but this all has to come inside when it gets cold. oh boyy what have I done. ?

[DirtyCoconuts]

RJ- i recommend a simple solution, wipe them off.

ants, in my plants, have only made an issue when then farm aphids and that really only happens on spikes.

i have a 24/48 hours rotation on visually inspecting all plants so i know if there is a spike USUALLY. then it is s spray of alcohol, wipe the spike up to the tip with my hand, wipe hand on pants, move on.

i use a LOT of beneficial bugs and so i dont like to kill any if i can avoid it....except thrips and scale...FU(k scale!....so i try to leave the ants


people use boiling water on the ant hills but that is not a solution for on our plants

[RJSquirrel]

I always check for any signs of beneficial insects. I see nothing but ants. I only tend to treat areas that are in need.

Acephate which I use, is primarily for control of aphids, including resistant species, in vegetables (e.g. potatoes, carrots, greenhouse tomatoes, and lettuce) and in horticulture (e.g. on roses and greenhouse ornamentals). It also controls leaf miners, caterpillars, sawflies, thrips, and spider mites. Its just the right stuff!!
We eat this and dont even know it