Im finally getting the hang of this :)

[Wrebbitrocks]

after so many years of killing them and only keeping a few around to suffer slow deaths, im finally getting the hang of keeping these things alive. this year i started growing outdoors and like that the plants just took off. all of them have given me new groths and roots which i'd never seen before. i have them in different areas for each plants light requirements: 800-1000fc for phals and paphs, 1200-2000 for oncidium/dens, and 2000+ for dens, catts, vandas, psychopsis and angraecum. of course ive come across new problems like burning, infections, and pet troubles but theyre worth the vigor of the plants lets hope i dont freeze them now

[Zoi2]

Congradulations. We all learn by our mistakes and it looks like you're doing things right.
Joann

[flhiker]

Great now you have room many more. LOL

[silken]

A bunch of happy looking plants. Way to grow!

[Junebug]

Congratulations on the improved growth. You've done a great job!

Having said that, and after looking at you pics I thought I might offer teensy weensy "friendly" suggestion. Some of your pots look like they're in direct contact with the ground. This type of positioning can be a dinner call for bugs...and who wants bugs over for dinner? Might I suggest, to help avoid this ugly scenerio, that you elevate your plants just a few inches above ground.

No offense intended.

[Wrebbitrocks]

junebug, thanks for the suggestion. no offense taken. i like helpful tips. actually i used to have them on top of styrofoam plates with shadecloth on them but they got nasty one day and i just got lazy to change them out.

most of them are in double pots so that the inner pots are actually 1 or 2 inches above the base of the outer pot, inside. it helps with retaining moisture. only a couple are in contact. but when june-BUGS are as friendly as yourself then theyre always welcome for dinner lol

[Junebug]

Originally Posted by Wrebbitrocks

junebug, thanks for the suggestion. no offense taken. i like helpful tips. actually i used to have them on top of styrofoam plates with shadecloth on them but they got nasty one day and i just got lazy to change them out.

most of them are in double pots so that the inner pots are actually 1 or 2 inches above the base of the outer pot, inside. it helps with retaining moisture. only a couple are in contact. but when june-BUGS are as friendly as yourself then theyre always welcome for dinner lol

I'm glad you're not offended. Unfortuntely I learned my lesson (about pots on the ground and insects) the hard way. Didn't know better at the time (4 years ago), but wish I had. Before I knew it there was scale, scale, everywhere scale. Ugh! Three of my healthiest beginner catts suffered horrible infestations on all parts of the plant. All the plants managed to survive their ordeal. It took many weeks to get rid of the bugs, followed by years of recovery. They all look happy now, but they still haven't bloomed. One of the original victims has a promising looking sheath though.

[Wrebbitrocks]

that mustve sucked because scales hard to get rid of i hear. luckily theres not much of a bug problem here. the only thing id be worried about is aphids but for right now they seem to maintain a liking for my rose buds >:/

[Junebug]

Originally Posted by Wrebbitrocks

that mustve sucked because scales hard to get rid of i hear. luckily theres not much of a bug problem here. the only thing id be worried about is aphids but for right now they seem to maintain a liking for my rose buds >:/

It most definitely sucked and heavy infestations of scale are difficult to get rid of. The aftermath of caring for a sickly plant is tough too. Early stages of scale aren't so bad. Aphids are pretty easy to take care of. You're fortunate to live in an area with low insect populations. It's just the opposite here in Florida.

[johnblagg]

lol outside is good but I have not got it figured out quite right yet myself ...glad you are getting it down