Growing Orchids

As I learn more about orchids and their nutritional needs, it becomes apparent that there are two primary factors to be considered: availability of a range of nutrients, from the macro- to the micro- and trace elements (see this for more info), and the amount of nitrogen that is supplied. If you use a decent, complete fertilizer, the first criterion is satisfied, so you only have to focus on the nitrogen loading.

Studies at Texas A&M have shown that for phalaenopsis growing under their green house conditions in bark-based media, nutrient solutions providing about 225 to 250 ppm N is optimal for growth and flowering. Considering the lower light flux and average temperatures in my greenhouse in michigan, plus the varied collection I have - from "heavy feeding" vandas to phrags that don't like a lot of dissolved solids in their irrigation water - I shoot for aconsiderably lower target, more in the range of 100- to 150 ppm nitrogen.

I grow mostly dendrobium and phaleanopsis or whatever I can get cheap. I can never give them exactly what they want and they are demanding. I end up using a commercial non organic fert on them, keep them in pebble tray, mist them when I can, and repot them more than I want even though most of them demand being root bound to some extent.As much as a pain they can be to grow when they send out a spike you can expect a single flower to last a month. I've had some that flowered on a single stem for six weeks plus!! Don't know anything else that give so much bang for the buck when they work.

I have one orchid. It is growing in a basket full of composting avocado leaves. It loves that stuff.

i like the moth orchids and the cymbidiums. when a snow laiden tree branch crashed through a customers greenhouse, the only orchids to survive the cold were the cymbidiums. they're ez to grow. there is a plant i see in a customers garden that smells of chocolate. idk it's name.

If you can grow orchids well then you can grow anything. At least here inZ6. Orchids and day lillies are the only two plants I can think of that have more variety/strains /cultivars than weed. Day lillies are getting close to 10,000 and orchids have to be running a close second.

I have always admired how bulletproof Phalaenopsis are. I kept two of them alive and flowering for YEARS with a bare minimum of care. cn

I need to get some Vanilla Orchids. Beans everywhere.

Rottedroots said:

If you can grow orchids well then you can grow anything. At least here inZ6. Orchids and day lillies are the only two plants I can think of that have more variety/strains /cultivars than weed. Day lillies are getting close to 10,000 and orchids have to be running a close second.

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orchidacea is the 2nd or 3rd largest family in the plant kingdom. orchids will grow almost everywhere on earth. even the frozen tundra.
many orchids develop to look like the particular insect/animal that pollenates them. and the last bit of trivial info is this...did you know that statisticly more men than women collect orchids? and the word itself literally translates to testicle?

Cool trivia danny. I did not know About the testicles that's for sure. I have a couple just about ready to flower And a single stem will stay in bloom for weeks and weeks. I buy them out of bloom and with no labels so I never know what I'm going to get. Sometimes I get nothing And sometimes I get a keeper. It's a great plant if you are patient.

i am. do you repot if you buy them in the off season? i read that by the time many orchids are sold they have been in the same bark for months and the bark breaks down making a mulchy mess holding too much moisture. just wondering. I love the whole family of orchids. i can understand how people get crazy over them.

indeed. when you have one removed medically it's called an "orchidectomy".

i loooooove orchids. lady's slippers especially.
i have to admit my green thumb doesn't quite seem to extend to them just yet.

It's a very cool plant danny and a huge family. I repot everything I buy into garden center orchid mix but I'm sure I should be making my own. Looks like bark chunks and charcoal. I really don't find many where the bark/soil is rotted when I buy them. I think it is because the big guys can just push the hell out of them. Ends up being a plant with all top and no roots. I don't think they care if they ever flower a second time. I used to just stick them in the middle of the pot like anything else but apparently some want to be crowded against the edge and some even like being potbound.

They must be easy to cross at least based on the names of some of them. I like them all so I just buy crap for a couple of bucks each. Places like Lowes and the Depot will even make deals for them if you ask. I know that if I don't buy them they will just get chucked in the dumpster. WTF danny I guess it's just to bad I can't smoke them.


I think the OP knows his orchids...

dannyboy602 said:

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That thing is stunning. Orchids are some of the most beautiful plants on the planet!

pacificarage said:

That thing is stunning. Orchids are some of the most beautiful plants on the planet!

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Beautiful like cannabis.....

I'm glad this orchid thread carries on. I have 6 or 7 ready to bloom and I can't wait to post pics. There is just so much about them that make them not only cool but unusual. They say that many of them are only polinated by one insect and that some flowers smell like rotting flesh to encourage a certain type of fly and they all have tricks up their sleeve.
I have no idea what kind of orchid is pictured here but I'm betting that one requires an insect that looks exactly like the silhouette on the flower which sure looks like a spider to my simple mind. That poor plant is soley reliant on one variety of insect if it hope to reproduce. No wonder so many are threatened with extiction. Would love to see any pics folks might have of their own. Rock on guys and gals.
As pretty as a fine frosty bud is weed is sure not as difficult or complex as orchids. Everyone can find an orchid that will work for them but finding those can be a chore

it's this time of year i miss having a greenhouse to putter in. and most cymbidiums are blooming now. others it's a good time to repot. there are species worth thousands to a collector. i guess it depends where it comes from. mb i should grow them instead of a common weed.
here's a nice cym pic. not mine. pretty color yes?

OH NO!!! This is one of my Oncidium orchids just starting to bloom. Three scapes on the plant but if you look you can see evidence of mites!!! Don't that just figure. Will try some insecticidal soap but I hate trying to kill pest when stuff is flowering.

It also means my whole orchid collection and everything else in the green house is doomed. I may just go straight to a very non-nature friendly systemic just to safe the stuff. ARG!!! Sucks bigtime!!! I don't even want to look at the rest of the green house cause I know it means my yellow clivia is doomed as well.

can you just wipe down the leaves? save the clivia. their sooo valuable. luv the oncidium...fragrance?

this thread has had greatr results! thanks for the good feedback guys.

I have BIG trouble danny... I have the little sap sucking sob's all over the green house. I don't think wiping leaves down will do a darn thing at this point!! ARG!!! I can detect no fragrance at all from the Oncidium. I really don't think of them as a frangrant plant so maybe I'm missing something. I just like the orchids cause they are one of the few plants that can fill a green house with flowers. I end up relying on foliage plants which have NO bang for the buck.

I have the orange/red clivia and the mites and such love them. It's to bad cause they prefer to go for weeks without water so they make a good vacation plant. I also have a yellow clivia going. I have been waiting for YEARS for that plant to be root bound enough to flower. Still waiting....The yellow used to be rare but not so much anymore.

I may have to break out the Miathalon if I want to save an awful lot of plants. Would rather not but time becomes critical.. If I wait a few days everything will be toast!!! I sure wish wiping would save me!! That's what I get for moving them all outdoors in the spring of the year.