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  #31  
Old 10-31-2008, 10:39 AM
Des Des is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ray View Post
Yeah, watch out for those deadly orchids... Don't people understand that ALL green plants give off oxygen as they photosynthesize and carbon dioxide as they respire, burning off the sugars they built up????? That was middle-school biology, right?

Actually the biggest myth perpetrated upon the orchid grower, and one that is perpetuated the most is that "water causes root rot".

Second is likely the nutritional stuff about N=leaves, P=flowers, K=roots (or do I have to roots and glowers backwards).
Thanks Ray , I must admit that I tend to get a little hot under the collar when I read statements that over watering will kill cymbidiums. Those few words have caused so many to give up the growing of these wonderful plants.
Would you mind giving us a little information on the NPK myth I am sure folks would like to know
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  #32  
Old 10-31-2008, 12:40 PM
David Morris David Morris is offline
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Okay, I have now read all of these. As to Orchids being parasites.. In the Natural world most orchids have seed with no food and the embryo must be invaded by a parasitic fungus on which the embryo than feeds. I would call that parasitic. As to mottled leaf plants need heat to grow?? What doesn't need heat to grow?? what could grow at absolute Zero??
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  #33  
Old 10-31-2008, 01:22 PM
Cym Ladye Cym Ladye is offline
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Des,

Here is one I hear all the time: Cymbidiums have to be root-bound in order to bloom.

This myth seems to have come about because, up to a point, the larger a plant is, the more spikes they tend to have. However, to allow a happily growing Cym to remain in a pot longer than 4 years at most, without changing the medium, will start a decline in bloom spikes. Mixes today vary but most will start to breakdown within 3-4 years.

The problem I have in using a coir/chips/sponge rok mix, it is not that of breaking down in that period but of the plants outgrowing the pot with max size pseudobulbs in two years.

CL
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  #34  
Old 10-31-2008, 03:01 PM
kiki-do kiki-do is offline
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Okay, this is a question about a myth. I read ages ago that bananas near orchids will hurt or kill orchids. I asked here on OB if that was true, but no one got back and answered the question. So.....does bananas hurt orchids????? If yes, how, what is the reason. If no, then add this to the myth pile.
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  #35  
Old 10-31-2008, 03:57 PM
Des Des is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cym Ladye View Post
Des,

Here is one I hear all the time: Cymbidiums have to be root-bound in order to bloom.

This myth seems to have come about because, up to a point, the larger a plant is, the more spikes they tend to have. However, to allow a happily growing Cym to remain in a pot longer than 4 years at most, without changing the medium, will start a decline in bloom spikes. Mixes today vary but most will start to breakdown within 3-4 years.

The problem I have in using a coir/chips/sponge rok mix, it is not that of breaking down in that period but of the plants outgrowing the pot with max size pseudobulbs in two years.

CL
CL ,Due to the method of growing my cymbids they will not get to be potbound ,ever. Once the roots push against the bottom of the pot they lift the plant up and out of the pot forcing me to do something about it. If the plant is near to flowering in lets say a 180 mm pot ,I will leave it in the 180mm pot but cut the bottom off the pot and add a 150mm pot to the bottom using a soldering iron to weld it in place.I call this my long tom pot As you know Cymbids roots grow downwards so this will give the plant some more time to flower.
So yes you are quite right my plants are never pot bound and they flower just fine, Here is a pic of the roots growing down as you as you can see they have left the media far behind.
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  #36  
Old 10-31-2008, 04:02 PM
Des Des is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kiki-do View Post
Okay, this is a question about a myth. I read ages ago that bananas near orchids will hurt or kill orchids. I asked here on OB if that was true, but no one got back and answered the question. So.....does bananas hurt orchids????? If yes, how, what is the reason. If no, then add this to the myth pile.
Kiki-do I have never heard of this. Maybe someone else can enlighten us
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  #37  
Old 10-31-2008, 04:09 PM
David Morris David Morris is offline
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I have not heard of this either. If they mean the fruit? perhaps it is rotting? As for the plant, I have Baby Bananas in my greenhouse and one of the is starting to fruit (YUM!). My Draculas are nearby and do not seem to be adversly affected by them although I have caught some of my Draculas making faces at the banana.
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  #38  
Old 10-31-2008, 04:25 PM
Des Des is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by David Morris View Post
I have not heard of this either. If they mean the fruit? perhaps it is rotting? As for the plant, I have Baby Bananas in my greenhouse and one of the is starting to fruit (YUM!). My Draculas are nearby and do not seem to be adversly affected by them although I have caught some of my Draculas making faces at the banana.
David So the chances are that this is just another myth.
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  #39  
Old 10-31-2008, 04:26 PM
squashcat squashcat is offline
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Ripening fruit releases ethylene gas, which causes flowers to wilt and can sterilize flowering bulbs before they get a chance to bloom. I haven't experienced this first hand, but I never put a blooming or budding orchid next to fruit; better safe than sorry!
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  #40  
Old 10-31-2008, 04:36 PM
sucuz sucuz is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kiki-do View Post
Okay, this is a question about a myth. I read ages ago that bananas near orchids will hurt or kill orchids. I asked here on OB if that was true, but no one got back and answered the question. So.....does bananas hurt orchids????? If yes, how, what is the reason. If no, then add this to the myth pile.
Seem to remember a post awhile back from one of the Australian growers. If I remember correctly, there are some Australian native orchids that require 'prarie fire' type of burns that remove invasive plants and encourage/or are necessary to the orchid's health and bring it into bloom. (Much like praries here in USA)

As an alternative to burning, they discovered that these orchids can be put into a container with some bananas (or banana peels). The gasses given off trick the plant into thinking that they have been through a fire and they bloom. If this is true, it would show that bananas are more helpful than hurtful.

Australian friends, am I remembering correctly, or is this a false memory influenced by root beer?
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