I've got two orchids, a Cattleya and a Dendrobium. The Cattleya seems to
be OK, but the Dendrobium is losing leaves one after another. They turn
yellow and fall off after a few days. I treat them both the same --
they're in an east window on wet gravel and get misted two or three times a
day except weekends. They were just repotted in stuff sold for epiphytic
(?) orchids. They get watered twice a week or so with Schultz orchid
fertilizer in the water.
They do both have new, healthy-looking growth. I just wonder if the leaf
loss on the one is normal, or am I doing something wrong?
Thanks,
David
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David, I am no expert, but I do have a couple of hundred orchids. I grow all
of mine outside as I live in central FL. Two things that I can think of
about
your Den. It probably needs more light than the Cattleya, most Den. want a
lot of light. Depending on the type they can even take direct sun. Also, most
Den. don't like to be repotted. Most of them like to be pot bound, or at least
real tight in the pot. I also wouldn't give them that much fertilizer
unless you
are really cutting the dosage. Last but not least, misting doesn't do much
for
orchids, they want to be really soaked when you water them.
Good Luck
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David, a quote from "Orchids for Everyone," Brian Williams et al:
"Many of the [Dendrobium] plants are deciduous, shedding their leaves
after one season's growth and remaining dormant throughout the dry
season. At the start of the new rains they burst forth with new growth
and flower buds .... At flowering time the completely bare plant, looking
like a cluster of dead canes, becomes transformed into a most beautiful
display."
I wonder if you might have one of the deciduous varieties? Do you know
what species it is? D. nobile, for instance, one of the most commonly
grown types, is described as semideciduous in the same text. On the
other hand, I've never found Dendrobiums very easy as houseplants, myself
-- perhaps they do better as greenhouse plants, or outdoors in places
like Florida.
Cheers,
Anna
Anna Kirkwood Graham
akirkwoo@juno.com
On Thu, 7 Oct 1999 09:21:58 -0400 David G Smith
writes:
___________________________________________________________________
After 3 months of blooming, my phalenopsis finally lost it's flowers. The
stem is still supported by the stake next to it. Do I leave that stem alone
or cut it to the leaf level? Is now the time to clean out the pot, wash it
out from the hard water build-up at the bottom of the clay pot and replant
back?
hi there, I have a phalenopsis. It is blooming for the second time,
since I bought it after the millennium. A gift from a family member, it
has been wonderful.
Jaime gave me great advice a while ago and it has worked beautifully.
I leave the stalk for a time after the blooms start to go over. This
time the flowers started opening Good Friday and then every few days
another opened. They died in the same manner, first opened, first dead.
Just as the last one was giving up the ghost in early August, I was
about to cut off the stalk and there were three more buds forming on a
branch that started from one of the undeveloped buds. It branched out
rather quickly and I have three more huge blooms and they are still
growing strong.
There seems to be several schools of thought. You can cut it off or let
it dry up first and maybe get that extra branching.
There is a terrific orchid site, called Linda's orchids. Has wonderful
information and links. Great people to deal with and the pictures, oh
my!....heavy sigh of wanton wantin'.
Marg from Nova Scotia
Gardengrl wrote:
Does anyone know of a remedy for bacterial infections in orchids? I have four plants (out of about 16) exhibiting brown spotting on the outer tips of the leaves. The orchid books on my shelf all recommend cutting off the infected area generously, dusting the cut surface with orthocide, and either spraying with a natriphene solution or soaking in Physan or natriphene. The plants should then be moved to a darker, cooler location for a few months. Barring any improvement, the whole lot, plant and substrate, should be disposed off in the trash.
I suspect that these aren??EUR(tm)t completely organic solutions. Any suggestions anyone? Or does anyone know of an orchid specific list that I could post the same question to?
Cheers,
Susanne in Germany
sapress123@aol.com
Does anyone have any advice for getting an orchid to bloom? I received on t=
his past winter & it had pretty blooms then but they have all died now. Wil=
l it bloom again? What do I need to do?
Ellen Christian
Castleton VT, Lilac Hill Homestead
http://tinyurl.com/lpfaf
---------------------------------
Pinpoint customers who are looking for what you sell.
Hola Ellen- Does it have new growth on it? What kind of orchid is it? If it=
was in bloom during the winter that means that it is a winter blooming var=
iety, and I would give it high phosforus? food like 10-30-10 or something l=
ike that, and wait until winter.
Luis
Ellen Christian
Does anyone have any advice for getting an orchid to bloom? I received on t=
his past winter & it had pretty blooms then but they have all died now. Wil=
l it bloom again? What do I need to do?
Ellen Christian
Castleton VT, Lilac Hill Homestead
http://tinyurl.com/lpfaf
---------------------------------
Pinpoint customers who are looking for what you sell.
