Orchids

I bought one but then it died.

My niece came to visit me, and we went to a well known botanical garden. Hundreds of orchids - but, only a few in bloom. She was totally unaware that vanilla comes from an orchid.

Yes. I have many. I love when they come back after being long dormant. Ignore them and they do best. Only a little water.

Love em, but they're a bitch to care for. The only ones I have are sealed in a airtight glass container right next to my father's urn that I keep in a display case for protection.

If I overwatered...and I plainly have... is it doomed or will it come back if I let it dry out?

^ Did you soak the pot?

R5 Just get a new one. If you over-watered it once, it will be fine. But if you've let the roots rot then you need to start over.

I have some very old orchids. One is over 18 years old and starting to show signs of slowing down. (It blooms quite a lot - but right now shows no sign of new growth.) Most of them don't last like that one. I'm rather attached to it and now wish I had just thrown them out the way most people do.

Watering tips.

The MissOrchidGirl videos are fantastic. Her voice is ideal for instructions!

I watered from the top... R6.... in orchid potting medium... wood chips etc... but the thing just seems to be dying. I must have over watered but I didn't substantially water because I remember doing it. But the bottom leaves are yellowing and the texture of the leaves seems... spongy... not the stiff, shiny green of a healthy leaf.

I wear them daily in my hair. Add just a little water each morning.

I have a greenhouse. I have a dozen orchid plants in there plus other plants. I am in the south, but keep the unit well-heated in the summer. The orchids require consistent care, and occasionally will lose one. Water very lightly, and only do so every several days. Basically, I mist.

^^ including the soil?

I keep many of them. Most of them are Phalaeonopsis (moth orchids) but a few of them are Pashiopedalums (slipper orchids). I spend a big chunk of time each weekend putting each of them in the kitchen sink, and giving them a thorough spray with lukewarm water. I've had several of them for a long time. I can remember that my Mom (who died in 2013) bought me several of them at Aldi. As long as you make an effort to give them decent care, they're very tough and long-lived. .

Lindsey Graham, is that you at r10?

R12 meant to say winter, not summer. I water the soil lightly, like a thimble-full, depending on the size of the soil content. A greenhouse can get quite hot during a sunny day, so such dries much quicker than in a house. Sunlight is important. I learned from trial & error. Videos help.

Wild Orchid

"Nasty things. Their flowers are like the fingers of dead men."

Yes, I have a set of flowering plants that I rotate so that there are always several flowering inside at any one time. One of the most rewarding is Brunfelsia Jamicacensis as its flowers are ravishing in form and fragrance (will perfume a large room), and, unlike an orchid, it blooms in several flushes every year.

I also use Hippeastrums (in scandi countries you’ll see the forced bulbs sold everywhere in winter), Snake Plant (small spidery, lily-like flowers with stunning fragrance), gardenias, citrus and narcissus.

Pretentious, the only thing worse are roses.

I prefer lilies and irises

R19, I disagree, I don't see how they're pretentious. I have very few visitors to my house, but I almost always have orchids in bloom. Orchids tend to be long-lived, and once you understand their needs, aren't difficult to grow.

Hardy orchids (the ones you grow outside) are a whole different kettle of fish. They're very picky and demanding, and you really have to have the correct conditions if they're going to survvie.

So why are they called "hardy"?

They are fascinating to watch grow, although they grow soooo slowly (mine, at least). If you want instant gratification, they are not for you.

The blooms last a long time. I like having flowers in the house, but I hate watching them wilt and die.

Orchids even have a shot at blooming again if you have expertise or good luck.

I do the same as R13 - put them in the sink once per week and spray them down, let them drain, them spray them down again and put them back out in their homes around the house. This is very very easy and all that's required to keep them healthy.

[quote]So why are they called "hardy"?

R22. By hardy, they mean winter-hardy, able to grow in Northern climates. These are the types of orchids you can grow outdoors (if you'r lucky). They're not readily available, but they are available (for lots of $$$)/

I thought you were suppose to use an ice cube once a week.

There is one company that sells or hiss and promotes them as ice-cube waterable.

But MissOrchidGirl says no: orchids are tropical plants and should only get warm water. She does the soaking method in the sink like our knowledgeable DL orchid growers.

She advises misting with caution. Don’t let water collect in mini-pools between leaf and stem. And don’t mist the flower at all. No mold or fungus will then be encouraged.

Yes, the companies that market orchids to grocery stores sell them with that ice cube advice, which is terrible. Those moth orchids (Phalaenopsis) are all native to tropical areas of Southeast Asia and Australia. They would never encounter freezing temperatures in the wild. You risk shocking them using that ice cube trick. Just take them to the kitchen sink, once a week, and give them a thorough drenching with lukewarm water. Let them drain in the sink before returning them to their positions near a window. My oldest orchids are ones that my Mom bought me, years ago. She died in 2013, and I had several of them for many years before she died. They're really not all the delicate or sensitive. You just have to try to understand their native environment, and try to replicate it, a bit.

They're beautiful, but one dying on me has marred my experience.

"When in doubt, leave it out." In other words, err on the side of underwatering.

My mother filled her house with orchids. After my father died they were pretty much an obsession for her. She had an amazing talent for getting them to thrive and bloom, and they were a delight to look at, as well as giving her endless pleasure.

I'm fairly handy in the garden, but I lack any ability to keep houseplants alive. They wither and die as soon as I touch them.

A bit like my relationships.

Beautiful prose, R32

Thanks. I talk crap professionally.

Me too, but I don't get paid for it.

I'm trying out a few miniature Phalaenopsis now. I only have a couple of standard orchids as well right now - both Phalaenopsis as well. I like the way they look the best of any orchid when they are without a flower.

My Home Depot was selling them for five bucks apiece on Black Friday and the week after.

I’d like to aspire to r32’s mother’s house of orchids.

One of the other orchids that I've had success with is Psychopsis 'Mendenhall'. I bought a small one on e-Bay, and nursed it along for years before it finally started blooming. The leaves are very leathery: that's an important sign of how tough they are.

I have a book about orchids. It is dying.

There's all this mystique about getting orchids to bloom. I just water them once a week and stick them in the sun==and voila they bloom every two years.

The American Orchid Society

Vanilla comes from orchids? Did not know that.

"Orchid" comes from the Greek word for "testicle." Hence, the name for a removal of same: orchiectomy. As for their use in corsages...

Which are harder to grow -- orchids or African violets?

African violets are easy. Water from the bottom, unless you're adding fertilizer. Stick them in a windowsill. Presto: blooms. Very easy to propagate.

R42, Yes, and you can purchase the plants to grow as houseplants. My local public conservatory has a vanilla vine that grows up through a 25 foot tree, and clambers all through the canopy.

R44, I think that varies from person to person. I actually find most orchids to be more resilient than African viokets.

R43, DL is so informative!

I’m another one who’s had better luck with orchids than African violets.

Where do you all get your orchids from? Trader Joe’s sells them sometimes.

Do most of you grow moth orchids? They are the only kind I’ve tried.

I didn’t know canilla came from an orchid plant. It’s one of my favorite spices and smells, especially in tea.

The price has shot up lately.

Do any of you ever use the actual vanilla beans from the orchid plant?

Canilla Parker Bowles or Canilla Hutton?

R48, I get them all over the place. My oldest orchids are moth orchids that my Mom (who died over 5 years ago) bought for me. Most people don't realize how long-lived orchids usually are. I've also bought them at Lowe's and Kroger. If you have good luck with moth orchids, I'd suggest another type to try would be reed orchids (Epidendrum) which are very inexpensive on e-Bay. The plants form keikis (miniature plants wielding visible roots). You just break the little plantlet off, and pot it up. They're practically weeds in Florida. My favorite place to purchase them are orchid shows. There's usually an orchid show every year at my local public conservatory, and small, private dealers come from all over the state to sell them. And you can ask the growers any specific questions. I'd much rather support a small business, if possible. Here's a current add for reed orchid cuttings, which are so easy to grow.

BTW, there are also some orchids which are winter hardy. The choicest species are pretty tricky to grow, but one type that is actually very easy is Bletilla. You can order the roots online, and sometimes find them at stores n the spring when they're selling other 'bulbs'. They're easy to grow in a reasonably fertile, most garden border.

What do you think are the type of orchids that re-bloom the most?