Bad habits and what have you learned this year?????

[Leafmite]

Here are my mistakes from this past year, the ones I am resolved not to repeat:
1) lava rock works for everything. It doesn't. Some orchids need to be mounted and one mini will be left in bark.
2) impulse buying of orchids I later realize are not fragrant and bloom only once a year! I usually need at least one of those criteria to stay interested in a plant.
3) putting an orchid where I will forget them. I had a onc. sharry baby I meant to give away. Did anyone realize they can go months without water and terrible lighting and recover just fine? Yes, the new owner informed me it is taking off!
4) buying plants in late spring and during the summer and not thinking about how I will fit them inside when autumn comes. That was last summer's big problem. This year, I am actually being more careful about what I buy.
5) not realizing how important calcium is for new growths. I am making certain to add calcium this year.

Oncidiums. I actually got rid of all of them, then this spring bought a onc. Twinkle and a Burr. Nelly Isler at the orchid shows. And a zygo (they have the same leaves and growth habit!).

[dounoharm]

ah, the mistakes i have made....each and every one of the above.......this past year has been the year of the black mold that grows on my cedar benches where my humidifier blows....i cant seem to keep a bleach bottle close to spray it, i procrastinate until it makes a big blob then go crazy cleaning it.....maintainence is the most important thing to keep in mind in a greenhouse....i seriously need to wash the roof too.....oh well, i will think about it tomorrow....lol

[Bud]

I am bad at repotting(my Neos need repotting bigtime)
I need to clean the leaves of my Vandas with hydrogen peroxide(they have cold water damage and some fungi infestation because of procrastination)
I must get a bigger wider baywindow ....I am fast running out of space

[cythaenopsis]

I've learned how it's better to under water rather than over water. I gradually slipped back into my old habit of giving a plant water, because the top layer of potting was dry. "A little more can't hurt and should probably help." Well, I nearly killed two phalaenopsis orchids this way. So, I'm going to get some moisture monitoring sticks so I can keep a good sense of how much moisture there really is in the pot!

[Oscarman]

Great thread!

Bad Habits:
1. Don't fertilize enough or at all.
2. Need to commit more time to get my grow room to the next development phase (#2 of 3).

What has been learned:
1. My plants perform better in S/H and it suits my environment and watering habits.
2. When in doubt, give it more light.
3. Looking at each and every one of your plants everyday allows you to see what is really going on with them.
4. The task of re-potting, pest and disease control can be promptly addressed due to #3
5. A can of compressed air is great for drying crowns after watering. (Don't tilt or invert can, or you get frozen crown ice cubes!)
6. Natural, outdoor light gives the best photographs.

[FairyInTheFlowers]

Bad habits:

1. I procrastinate in everything I do, so many times important things don't get done when they need to.

2. Misting way to much to try to keep the humidity up, even though there are better ways!

Things I have learned:

1. That Phals are my passion, and I should stick to them, otherwise anything else will get neglected.

2. I should stick with plants that can be potted in sphag so I don't have to water frequently, as my procrastination will cause them suffering, especially if they are not a Phal.

3. Misting frequently can be harmful. I had to cut off every leaf from two different Phals because they got a bacterial infection from the high heat and wet leaves.

4. Sterilize ALL sphagnum before use!!! I have lost two Phals, and one is in critical condition from a strange red fungus that appeared in the fresh sphagnum after repotting.

5. If possible, inspect plants for pests before buying! I have had red spider mite problems since I bought one plant that had an infestation when I first got into phals.

6. Inspect plants every day!!! This will help you get to know them better, so you will easily be able to tell if they are stressed, or so you can adjust your care to better suit their needs.

7. Finally, it is great to have so many awesome friends here to share these orchid experiences with! Special shout out to silken, Call_Me_Bob, Mira-Claude, Medelia, and Orchideya!!! <3 I hope to make more close friendships in time!!!

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[cythaenopsis]

Another thing I wanted to add that I learned...

I completely understand the need to prune a phal back after blooming, some say ideally just above the first or second knuckle of the main spike. But I thought to myself, why be so aggressive? If the spike is very healthy, wouldn't it mean the plant has to work less with new spikes in the next blooming cycle?

Wrong.



I made the mistake of doing only a gentle pruning. The next blooming cycle, the plant shot forth new spikes from the old ones as if they'd been mostly pruned. The result? It ended up with REALLY long spikes. While on the one hand it had a dramatic effect, with very long "switch back" spikes ending in a cluster of flowers, it challenged the plant to pump nutrients a much longer distance. And, in retrospect, the plant looked much more disordered. So, from now on, I'll always prune the main spike back to the first or second knuckle.

[orchidsarefun]

this is a fun thread. What I have learnt

1) a floppy-leafed phal is always going to be a floppy-leafed phal, no matter what you do to get those leaves firmed up.
2) if you get mealy bugs, know that they will spread - even if there is just one you find. And don't feed them to Drosera because they will eat the Drosera !
3) don't rescue big-box phals
4) prior to flower pollination, learn as much as you can about ploidy. Some crosses will never take.
5) wait to pollinate. Once you remove pollen all the flowers on the spike die off quickly - its best to enjoy them for a while. Its like watching dominoes fall, but without the fun.
6) seed capsules can wither after 3 months.
7) Zygo's are my favourite ! Some do really well outdoors in Summer. Investigate the grexes for that summer-lovin gene.
8) cut the spikes down after main flowering. Some just go on an on....and on
9) Mist mounts at least 3 times a week
10) Water at correct temperature. Don't be scared to use physan as a preventive.
11) See 7) !
12) Internet is a great resource, but not infallible.
13) Local orchid societies are a great place to meet interesting people...

Probably 100 things more !

[terracotta7]

When I first read this thread I thought: I am too new at this to have bad habits! But guess what...I already do!
I am caring for my elderly parents and that means that one must be very, very flexible. Well sometimes I see a block of time which I think "this would be a good time to repot" and I get started only to realize that I really need another block of time...in about 24 hours...to do the job. But I say to myself "you may not have this opportunity tomorrow" and so I go ahead and soak the bark for a little bit while I clean the orchid up and get the pot ready. But that is not good enough. I have done this 3 or four times so I am going to say this is my bad habit.

For things that I have learned this year: So many, thanks to you all!
1) When you move an orchid outside to get more sun you REALLY have to watch it closely. My poor sunburned catt.
2) Never get water in the crown and leave it there.
3) Always anchor plants well after repotting. This requires practice and patience.
4) When repotting an oncidium, put the oldest pb on the edge of the pot.
5) Never give up! I have a couple of orchids that I am enjoying now that were given to me by people who knew that I like them, but were frustrated with them themselves. I like to go on to OB and see what others have done, and I give it my best shot.
6) I have learned that orchid people are a diverse, but pretty passionate bunch.

[The3birds]

The mistakes I have made this year are; when moving orchids to a new home never assume they will have enough shade to keep them from burning, keep track of all orchids so none get set aside and forgotten, and make sure well water is OK for orchids.

I have learned orchids are amazingly hardy and can rebound when all looks lost.
Buying sale NOid orchids at Lowes is a cheap way to learn how to take care of them.
That checking on them every day is good, but fussing with them is not.
That orchids don't die if you cut them to divide them.
The reward for the patients when they finally get around to blooming is outstanding.