topic Re: Orchids in Community Chat

Orchids

pinkskates4 — Sat, 26 Jul 2014 17:23:19 GMT

I love orchids. Cut orchids are usually what I send people (Amazon has great prices) because they are beautiful and because they last a long time.

I have seven plants. Two continually rebloom. And now a third one has buds. I've had it a couple of years and had wondered if it - or the others - would rebloom, but apparently patience is paying off - at least with this one. The others seem healthy - growing new leaves, looking good. So I'm hoping they will eventually rebloom as well.

Right now they are outside and are loving the humidity.

Anyone else love orchids?

Re: Orchids

4OU2 — Sat, 26 Jul 2014 17:35:37 GMT

I love orchids!! I have a couple phals and a dendrobium. I got the phals on a half off shelf about a year ago and one bloomed but the other has not. They were in kind of bad shape, but are looking good now. My dendrobium won't bloom for some reason. I had one a few years ago that had gobs of blooms on it. It was so pretty I took it to my mother's room in a nursing home and left it for them to enjoy. The little dude I have now gets new growth that looks like a spike should come any day, but then no spike. What kind do you have that bloom continually?

Re: Orchids

pinkskates4 — Sat, 26 Jul 2014 17:57:12 GMT

One phal and a miniature dendrobium bloom almost continuously.

Another dendrobium has buds now. I have two cattleyas that have never rebloomed and two more phals that have also not rebloomed.

Re: Orchids

garmer — Sat, 26 Jul 2014 19:26:29 GMT

Love orchids. My (current, lol) favorite is the Cattleya. A friend of mine gave me a piece if hers and it took off. They thrive on controlled neglect. They also don't like to be moved, or touched...they get mad and don't bloom if you mess with them too much.

I've grown the phal, den, and the cat. orchids. There was one at Lowes from Hawaii, can't think of the name right now, but it was beautiful. Wasn't in the budget when I saw it, sadly. It was so expensive. Gorgeous.

I use fluorescent lights plus sunshine and keep the room very humid. They like the room with the fish tanks in it. I use a fan to keep the air moving a bit since it is so moist in there. Helps keep mold from forming and plants rotting at the soil level.

I look for them on sale. Lots of places mark them down after they loose the flowers as they don't sell. I've gotten them for as low as a dollar, lol. Take them home and love them up a little and they come back beautifully.

Re: Orchids

Kachina624 — Sat, 26 Jul 2014 19:52:28 GMT

When I lived in Houston, I had a big green house and raised over 200 varieties of bromeliads. The orchid growers always look down on the bromeliad growers but they grow under similar conditions. One of the big thrills of my life was visiting the Western Caribbean Islands and seeing these things growing wild on trees.

Re: Orchids

garmer — Sat, 26 Jul 2014 20:18:41 GMT

Yes, they both grow in the crooks of trees in the decayed leaf matter that gets caught in there, cracks between rocks, places like that. I have grown some wired to a slab of tree bark covered in sphagnum moss. They look cool like that. I like both. With bromeliads you can have beautiful color even if they aren't blooming. I like that they grow offsets readily and replenish themselves.

I've been to those islands. I was in awe of all the plant life. Saw things in the wild that I pay a pretty penny for here in the States. I was so tempted to take some cuttings but, I figured I'd end up in prison or something, trying to get through customs. ;-(

Re: Orchids

Yahooey — Sat, 26 Jul 2014 20:23:56 GMT

I have around 25 plants- most sit there and moc me with roots and a new leaf without blooming. I leave them on a window sill with no add't lighting system. Guess some take to their environment and flourish with blooms every year and others are sullen. I now have a phal and den blooming. About 7 of the 25 bloom this year. I used to have a large yearly orchid show where I can get them at a good price. They came from CA FL and HI. They have't been around for more than 8 years. I've had ome of my plants over 20 years. I get so happy when they bloom.

Re: Orchids

pinkskates4 — Sat, 26 Jul 2014 21:04:18 GMT

On 7/26/2014 Yahooey said: I have around 25 plants- most sit there and moc me with roots and a new leaf without blooming. I leave them on a window sill with no add't lighting system. Guess some take to their environment and flourish with blooms every year and others are sullen. I now have a phal and den blooming. About 7 of the 25 bloom this year. I used to have a large yearly orchid show where I can get them at a good price. They came from CA FL and HI. They have't been around for more than 8 years. I've had ome of my plants over 20 years. I get so happy when they bloom.

Love your attitude! Too funny about their being sullen.

I get happy when mine bloom too.

Re: Orchids

Yahooey — Sat, 26 Jul 2014 21:35:59 GMT

Dagna - here is a pic of my blooming plants this June. Yea, I'm showing off the well behaved kids. The sullen ones are in a time out in a dark corner. Lol

Re: Orchids

pinkskates4 — Sat, 26 Jul 2014 23:10:22 GMT

On 7/26/2014 Yahooey said:
Dagna - here is a pic of my blooming plants this June. Yea, I'm showing off the well behaved kids. The sullen ones are in a time out in a dark corner. Lol

Gorgeous!

Another funny note. One of my orchids was given to me for Christmas a couple of years ago. Blooms were royal blue. I thought that was an unusual color. When it got ready to bloom again, I was so pleased - then it bloomed white. Turned out it had been dyed. It's bloomed twice since them - both times white - very pretty, but not what I had expected.

Re: Orchids

Yahooey — Sun, 27 Jul 2014 00:41:36 GMT

I've seen some of those brightly hued plants. I could understand if they were cut flowers- enjoy them while they last. But if they dyed them, they should let the buyer know that isn't the hue should they bloom again. I'm glad they are at least blooming. I bought a blue orchid at an orchid show. It was in bud. It wasn't blue as much as purply blue. Who knows, I have the plant- it has not bloom since. One of those that mock me with roots and a leaf yearly. I don't really remember the color but was sold as blue. Trader Joe has some nice orchids that are different than your Home Depot.

Re: Orchids

garmer — Sun, 27 Jul 2014 00:52:57 GMT

Yahooey, they are beautiful. Thanks for sharing.

Re: Orchids

herekitty_kitty — Sun, 27 Jul 2014 01:10:37 GMT

On 7/26/2014 Yahooey said:
Dagna - here is a pic of my blooming plants this June. Yea, I'm showing off the well behaved kids. The sullen ones are in a time out in a dark corner. Lol

BEAUTIFUL! Thank you for sharing.

Re: Orchids

conlt — Sun, 27 Jul 2014 02:08:31 GMT

My Uncle was a professor of Botany and he had over 6000 Orchids. Orchids were his love. He is gone now but he does have a website ""larch Hill Orchids"" with a lot of information and several You Tube Videos. I love Orchids too and have had some success in growing them.