Hausermann order
 

I got my first orchids from the mail on Fri and I was so exited. I decided to try the sale ones just in-case I kill them. I did get one that wasn't on sale but some of the deals I thought were good.

So here we go Slc. Jewel Box 'Orange"... not on sale
Pot. Afternoon delight... on sale
Catt Jose Marti 'Mothers Favorite"...on sale $20.00 holy cow this thing is huge
Paph villosum...on sale $5.00 so I had to get it maybe in 10 years I can get it to bloom. It's in a 2" pot.

I am over all very pleased with this order. Only one small problem if you can call it that and that is the Afternoon Delight is a little floppy.

wow!! looks good to me! is that a sheith I see on one of them? I loved my jose marti, it is one heck of a white orchid!! good luck with yours and enjoy the blooms!

They all look great! Hausermann's has some great sale plants. I have gotten some nice seedlings there for under $5. Of course, I have to wait some years for blooms. Good luck with them all!

All 3 Catt's are in sheath. Jose has 3, Delight has 2 but they seem a bit dry, and Jewel Box also has 2 perhaps one or 2 will bloom. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

And I'm so sorry you had to get rid of most of your orchids that's so sad. When you get a place of your own then you can get more.

---------- Post added at 09:37 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:33 AM ----------

They really do my problem was what ones to get??????? I will have to wait for my villosum but I know $5.00 might just be worth it.

I am already wanting to order more plants but I would like to wait to see if I can keep from killing these. Not sure I can keep from getting me a Little Toshi as I had one a few years ago. It was so healthy and bloomed for me twice had so many growths then I neglected it I think and it died. I want another waaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!

What is your problem with cattleyas? Perhaps I can help. I understand how it feels to lose them. Two years ago, black rot wiped out nearly all my mature cattleyas and nearly mature seedlings and the ones I did save were set back to 'the long wait' category. :(
The dry sheaths don't mean it won't bloom...some bloom from dry sheaths. Don't despair yet. :) My first cattleyas always had their roots rot away each late winter as the bark retained more water and had to grow new ones with the new growth each spring...not the best scenario. I now grow my cattleyas in red lava rock. Lava rock was a miracle for me. It doesn't decompose as the bark did. I never need to repot and the cattleya has a chance to get a great root system for better blooms.
If your air is very dry, you might need a humidifyer or a bunch of other plants, or a few kids on the swim team who throw their wet towels all over the house (my plants really miss that!).
If your house is humid, a fan prevents quite a few issues. If the home is in the sixties during the winter, like mine, it is best to avoid repotting your orchids except when it is optimal (the new growth begins putting out new roots--my Jose marti is doing that now). Extra calcium really is important if your water is lacking...calcium deficiency leads to black rot...I know this from experience. :(
Ask anything you wish to ask. I am happy to help. I just want to see pictures of those blooms. :)

First off no kids on the swim team so no help there;) Yes in the winter it gets very dry around here. I am going to get a new humidifier as my last one died. Right now it's fine I run a swamp cooler in the day time so it gets up to 60 then drops down to 55 or 50 at nigh.

I have my paph's on tray's but read on here they don't help much so I didn't order anymore. I have rocks and can add water but was just waiting to see if they would help or not.

I'm really not sure what my problem was as my little Toshi was going great guns then I think I was just not watering it enough and prolonged dryness finally killed it. It also probably needed to be re-potted and I get lazy. I have always watered with rain water when I can but it never lasts all winter then I water with my well water.

I had it tested but I can't find it now. I had it out a month ago but hubby moved some things and maybe that was one because I have looked for it but nope I can't find it. I know our water is hard as if it dry's on things it will leave a white powder. I also can't use it in my tray's or my humidifier so I haul water from town.

It's great to drink as I prefer it to town water and my other house plants and my yard and garden do well on it. I have started to mix about 1/4 of well water into the rain water to try and make it last longer and I also have been better the last 2 years in getting more and I store it in plastic containers.

I may have to try the lava rock but maybe I will try the bark mix first as I have a bag of it when I do re-pot. I also started a thread in the Catt section.

Thanks so much I want to see those blooms to. Do you think they may or from the shipping will they just dry up?

If I need to I have a 50 lb bag of dolomite lime so I can add calcium that way. I did add it to my paph but I didn't know how much so I put about an 1/8 tea in maybe less.

I think they might still bloom. Just wait and see. :)
I hate repotting...hence the lava rock. I have really hard water, too, and we have to use a water softner. I can't use that on most of my plants.
Hope you get sound advice on the other thread. Good luck!

Great haul and prices!

I wonder if when it is time to re-pot should I mix in some lava rock with my fir bark mixture? And what kind of calcium do you use. I think I said I do have dolomite lime but I don't know how much to use nor how long it would last in the pot.

This Jose Marti needs to be re-potted but I don't want to at this time because it has 3 sheaths, but the roots on the new growths are coming out of the pot. I was thinking of wanting till March or so. I think I read that the time. The other 2 are fine in there pots.

---------- Post added at 08:52 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:44 AM ----------

Yes I thought there sale plants had very nice prices. I paid $18.00 for that afternoon Delight. I paid regular for the Jewel box, can't even remember might have been $35.00, oh well it's very healthy looking.

I found some nice priced mini catts yesterday that I may have to get a couple of. They didn't have my little Toshi but I may have to forgo that one this year if I get some of these.

I use straight lava rock but I am not recommending it over bark if you are more comfortable with using bark and do well with it. I use the rock as I have no luck at all with bark, personally, except as an addition to soils that need a lower pH.
Instead of repotting when the time isn't good to do so, just buy a spray bottle and spray the roots in between watering. When you start seeing new roots growing off a latest growth, you can repot. If the bark looks as though it is turning to dirt, just pick out as much as you can without disturbing the roots. I have done this.
If the medium looks rotted, you can poke a few holes in the plastic pot to help dry the medium faster.
I use lava rock so I can't really add calcium in the usual way. I do what I was taught for other plants that need extra calcium and add eggshells to the pots and a bit of powdered milk to my watering can. I don't recommend it as most here on the orchid board seem to frown upon it but it works for me.