Okay, I'm not looking for a checklist exactly, I just sort of want to confirm that my homework hasn't missed anything major.
I just ordered my first orchid, which is a vanilla planifolia, because I am a vanilla junkie, and decided that it was time I have one.
I've never kept orchids before. I've done roses, succulents (have a serious soft spot for jade plants, they're neat!), clematis, any number of other random "normal" plants, so I sort of know plants, but.. Orchids are, in my head at least, this sort of... Uber Plant, that requires insane knowledge and work (not that the others cannot as well, but they're.... They require an EMT to survive, Orchids require a neurosurgeon)...
I'll be growing this monster-vine *grin* indoors, in upstate NY, my living room is south facing with nothing but windows, which are kept open (well, uncovered) during the day, and I'll be putting the vanilla not in the direct sunlight, but towards the back wall of that room, where it will get indirect sunlight all day (about 7 1/2-8 hours of good light during the winter and almost 11 during the summer), and the temp will not drop below 60 (50 at the outside on the really nasty winter nights). I've got the room to let it vine up and down that wall (and around the ceiling if needed) with no problem.. What I've picked up for care so far is:
* Do not let it drop below about 60 (50 very rarely) but try to keep it in the 70-80 range temperature wise.
* Use a well draining potting soil, African violet mix perhaps, with a strong bark, or other organic compound to enrich the soil. Sand has also been recommended to help with drainage(?).
* Try to mist the body of the vine regularly, preferably daily (or more often?).
* Do not let the rootball either dry out completely or sit in water too long, root rot becomes a problem.
* Fertilize with (this I've gotten some mixed messages on) an orchid fertilizer (?) once a week in a weaker solution, and once a month normally during the growing season (summer only (?)) and then once a month normally during the winter months, when growing is slow.
* Be ready to hand pollinate the flowers on the ONE day that you get the opportunity to do so if you want vanilla beans, but that will be when the plant is well established and mature, anytime between 5 and 20 feet, don't expect it to be fast, may not happen at all. Worst case scenario, enjoy the pretty foliage.
* Accept air roots, they happen. Accept that it grows like a weed when it's happy and will take over wherever it is if given the opportunity.
* Common problems include spider mites and scaly fungus, just use proper precautions that you would between any new plants to avoid these.
For those who have kept v. planifolia, am I missing something? Is there something major that I should know that isn't mentioned up there? I don't need someone to give me all the answers, I've done a ton of the reading, I just want to make sure that I'm not missing something major that I need to know, and the folks here seem really knowledgeable (besides the fact that I'm insane to try to keep this thing in Upstate NY).
thanks!
Pei
New to Orchids, V. Plenafolia checklist?
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