Orchids Orchids everywhere...
 

They just got a huge shipment of orchids at my local store, problem is I don't know what species they are and the tags don't say... I want to buy some but I want to make sure I am well prepared to take care of them... I think they are cymbidiums??? s/p??? They might be phalenopsis, but not the usual ones I am used to seeing... Anyone know how I can tell and how to take care of these guys!??!?!? Thanks!!!!


Cari

Suggestions???
 

Anyone?????

Only through experience of looking at pics of examples of orchids will you have a better time of figuring out what they are. Or you could take some sort of book with you that will help you out.

You could look at the way they grow. Are they growing psuedobulbs which look like they have bulbs at the base of the leaves. If so then it could be Cymbidiums. Phalenopsis grow in a monopodial manner, which means they only have one base for all their leaves. Each new leaf grows from the center of the plant. Also they have nice showy white and or silvery roots that like to grow out of the pot.

Hope this helps you ID them a little better. Dont trust the tags becuase they can be wrong. I have a Dendrobium that was labeled as a Phalaneopsis.

The suggestion of a book is a good one. One of the best basic books is Ortho's "All About Orchids" and you can usually find it at the big box stores. They usually have a display of the Ortho books and it is usually there. It has lots of good info and pictures that will help you make a general identification of the types of orchids. If they are truly cymbidiums (and not Oncidiums) you might want to be careful. If you live in the warmer part of the country and you get a "cool type" cymbidium, you're going to have some problems. Good luck.

Sandra in South Carolina

Hi!!!
Thanks for responding!!! Great idea about the book, I just picked it up last night!!! Looking at them closer I believe they are a phalenopsis and modopodial, but they don't have the usual fat big round leaves... but that's what I think they are... And I live in the desert, we get extreme colds and hots and although my plants are inside they still get quite a fluctuation of temps... will that be a problem for the more common orchids???

Thanks!! Cari

Don't confuse phalenopsis (as a family of plants) and a phalenopsis type dendrobium. The phalenopsis family has one single upright growth "stem" and the leaves come out of the center of the leaf just below it. They all do have the "big, fat, elongated leaves" that grow out of the center of the previous leaf. While you can't see a "stem" the base of the leaves produce one structure that grows up into the air thus the name monopodial.

On the other hand, dendrobiums have many individual "stems" that look like stems but are called canes. Each cane has "nodes" or rings around the stem, an inch to a couple of inches apart. Each leaf grows directly out of the cane and is a different structure from the previous leaf. Each new growth will be a new and separate cane growing from the base of the plant. The phalenopsis type dendrobium refers to the ones that produce an inflorescence - a stalk of many flowers that comes out of the cane near the top. The nobile types have the flowers come out of the canes in groups of 1, 2, or 3 and these appear along a length of the cane, not along an inflorescense.

I have posted a pic in the Blooming Flower thread of this Board that shows our Den. Superbum "Sweet Fragrance". This is a nobile type Den. and you can see the flowers coming out of the cane. Maybe this will make what I'm describing clearer.

As to the temp change, don't worry about it. Most orchids you buy can stand your house temps and any fluctuation they might get. However, if the temp goes below 55, the plants might have a growth pause until the temp stays above that. As I said, don't worry about your house temps - your orchids should be fine.

Sandra in South Carolina

MUCH CLEARER!!!!

The dendrobium that I HAVE is definetly a phalenopsis type den., definetly NOT a nobile type... THANKS!!! I really like these plants and really want to "get into" them...

But these little guys are confusing!!! They are definetly a monopodial, and definetly NOT a dendrobium... (no canes) I am pretty sure they are a type of phalenopsis, the flowers growing many to a stalk; however the leaves are long and skinny not big, fat and round... maybe I'll take my book with me and see if I can find some hidden tags on these guys!!!! =) Thanks again!!!

Cari