Advice on growing in NYC area

[Geeksrejoyce]

Hi! I have limited space also, but fortunately, I love miniatures anyway. Space is tough unless you mount and hang everything or use vertical space. I’m fortunate to have a dresser to place things on; and I use the shade of my larger, light loving plants to shelter my lower light orchids.

As for these bone dry winters, I have humidity trays and a humidifier. My high-humidity plants go into a small glass terrarium with the door eased open so that a mini clip-on desk fan can circulate the air. I def don’t want mold in my bedroom. I also have some small play pots without drainage holes that I put sphagnum moss into so that I can hang my tiny, mounted tolumnias off of; I’m hoping watering the sphagnum will keep the moisture close to the wispy tolumnia roots without rotting them, plus the wicking properties of the clay pot will eventually help to decrease the temperatures for those hot oppressive summers.

[Irisha99]

Hi and welcome. I just started with this hobby last year, since around August. So can’t talk about summer time just yet. However, fall and winter have been ok. I use the chopstick method to water my catts and dendrobiums. My phals I keep in clear plastic containers and water when the roots look grayish. It’s been working ok. My oncidiums I have been growing in small bark medium. I covered the top with some sphagnum moss and they seem to love it. Roots are growing and Mama is happy. I use the chopstick method to water them too. My one miltoniopsis I put in a clear plastic container with inorganic medium. On top of Leca beads I put sphagnum moss as well (about half an inch thickness ). She seems happy for now, growing new roots. I spray sphagnum with water when it feels dry. Some people say summer could be challenging because of the heat, so keeping my fingers crossed. I just love that plant and hope she does well. I put some of my rootless phals in water medium. Most are doing fairly well. I have one oncidium (rotted roots) that I also put in water culture, it’s now growing 1 root and has new growth coming out. Fingers crossed for this one too. And one rootless Catt in water culture is also growing new roots after about 1-2 months in water culture. And finally my Vanda that I have growing in full water culture is growing new roots and leaves. So, all in all, NYC is pretty conducive to growing catts, phals, miltoniopsis, Vanda, and oncidiums. Still learning though as I go. And this forum is a great resource too