Visiting Relatives... I didn't mean to come home with an Orchid... really I didn't!
 

So yesterday hubby and I went to visit some of his relatives. It not being a garden center or anything hubby thought he was safe from me aquiring any more orchids... think again :rofl:

The converstation moved round to my orchid hobby (the word obsession came from hubby... do you think he was refering to me :coverlaugh:) and our hostess asked for some advice on her Phal.

It had grown a keiki and two days before she had just potted up the keiki and re-potted the parent. She said she could not remember which was which and when she brought them downstairs I could see that the keiki matched the parent in size (and had only just been removed). I spotted the keiki from the bit of spike left where she had snipped either side to remove it.

I expressed concern that they were over potted (15cm pot and I reckon 9cm or 10cm would have been better) and the medium was almost compost like with a few bark chunks in it (it was bought as orchid compost). I also gave some watering advice. She had been doing OK with it before but I was concerned that the repotting may be the cause of problems in the future.

Anyway she kept saying she was frightened of them and then said I should take one of them. Then said I should take the parent because "it's more likely to survive for you". I suggested that was a reason she should keep it, but she would not hear of it.

Well when I got home I pulled it out the pot straight away. I was glad I did, as it still had the old sphag at the center from before it was repotted, with compost/bark on the outside. The sphag stank, I pulled it all away and washed the roots. They look quite good and there was nothing to trim.

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_o4OXVkcS2VU/Sj...0/IMG_0008.JPG

I did not have a pot the right size but an 11cm one with some perlite to pack out the bottom will surfice. It's staying bare root until tommorow when my bark has soaked.

Hubby's learnt not to think he's safe from my orchid obsession anywhere :biggrin:

Yeah, I know what you mean, My other half is petrified whenever we're in a vicinity of a garden centre or a show. But I've been very good lately, only one more addition in last 5 months! Btw that really fine compost sounds really familliar! I made a dreary mistake of buying it last year and almost killed my paphs that got repotted in it. It's way too fine and hold too much moisture. Stay well away from it unless you grow terrestrials.

Way to go Rosie! Don't you just love it when they (hubbies) think they're "safe"?:rofl::rofl:
Joann

Nice one Rosie. If he's using the word obsession to describe your love for these beauties you'd better not make a liar out of him. :evil:

Rosie, that is a perfectly normal - and acceptable - aspect of orchid growing.

The American Orchid Society publishes an annual "almanac" of orchid-related businesses and gardens, and it is in my travel kit, because one never knows when some "free time" might come up and you need something to do!

:rofl:
I told him that one. He rolled his eyes, but then laughed. :biggrin:

Yeah, I may only have a few orchids but the obsession is certainly growing and my hubby is learning it gets everywhere.

Luckily he doesn't really mind. :biggrin:

I've repotted this one now. I could only get a 11cm pot and it still seemed a bit big, so I packed out the bottom with some glass beeds and perlite.

It looks like some sort of layered food :rofl:

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_o4OXVkcS2VU/Sj...20Repotted.JPG

I guess your husband will not assume you won't acquire a new orchid, anymore! Doesn't he know that nowhere is safe?

That is a very interesting way of potting. I like it!

:biggrin:

This is the fourth of my' chids that I've used it on. It seems to work when I don't have a pot small enough. Originally I used packing peanuts in the bottom but they tended to compress too much.

My Phal that lost all its roots last year is potted in this way and is finally growing new roots. Another one was loosing roots due to being over potted and the medium not drying fast enough and that also seems to be recovering now it is potted that way.