Different orchids under same growing conditions doing great!

[greenpassion]

I just wanted to comment here about the odd thing I have going. I have 9 orchids, some phals, some oncidiums, 2 masides, and a mini phal, and all are on the same glass sheet, on a heat mat together, under the natural LED lights from Orchid Web. I was told months ago that these plants can't be grown under the same conditions, as they all require different things. But low and behold I have 4 of the phals and 3 oncidiums all going into spike. I should mention here that they are all in S/H, and maybe this accounts for the sucess. Each one has been putting out new leaves and bright green healthy roots for months now, and this morning I noticed another oncidium beginning to spike. I flush them and then replace the old water with fresh water with Ray's fertilizer (can't remember the name) every Sat and Tues, (sometimes I go till Wed) and once a month I use a touch of rooting hormone in with the food. Anyway, what ever, it's working. Maybe in future I'll encounter problems, but for now, they're all happy under one regime!

[WhiteRabbit]

Excellent!

[RJSquirrel]

orchids are quite adaptable plants and all they want to do is live and bloom for you. the ones you listed have overlapping temperature and light requirements. I.E the low end of one might be the high end or middle of the road for the other. the hybrids could have traits of both being present in combinations or be culture specific to one. light is the blooming instructions for many. either the lack of light or the over abundance of it. so you see its not at all odd that they will survive and bloom under the same conditions. now to further this, blooming can be brought on by other things, I.E. stress, impending doom, or its seasonal initiative with maturity. there are many factors for blooms. we can manipulate some of them such as phals, will usually set up spikes on mature plants with a drop in temps for a few weeks at around 55. wholesale growers do exactly this to ensure a full crop of phals all season long. I have many plants that basically are grown under the same conditions..there is a range of course that limits the possibilties but there are around what now 75 to 80 thousand orchids? the chances are many of them can be grown together with a little nip and tuck here and there in your culture

your growing medium is only significant depending on how you wish to grow them..mounted, in bark or IN S/H . with your choise of the medium they will only need their watering habits tailored to fit that medium.

good observation

hope that made sense to someone else beside me

Im just waiting to be called a freeking idiot

[camille1585]

Yay, that's great!!
But I think Phals and Oncs can happily grow together. Light is usually the limiting factor, so if you provide enough light for the Oncs, the Phals are very happy too since they can easily adapt to higher light levels.

[greenpassion]

No RJ-I don't think your an idiot! Thanks for the input and the observation of my observation.