HOT! HOT! HOT!

 Summer
Aug 012010
 

Ideally, most orchids do best in the 70’s and 80’s, going cooler at night. During mid-summer, when they receive week after week of 90 degree temperatures, they need a bit of extra TLC to keep them happy.

Misting your plants will help to cool them off. In very humid climates, one needs to mist very lightly so that the plants don’t stay too wet. In a hot and DRY climate, one can mist more heavily to create a bit of humidity. The water droplets on the leaves help to cool off your orchids’ leaf tissue.

Shade your plants heavily during hot summers. Think of yourself sitting in the hot sand at the beach. If you sit in the shade, you feel much cooler. Taking a dip in the water (or misting yourself) will bring down your body temperature. The same holds true for plants.

Back off a bit on fertilizer when extreme heat hits. When it’s 95 degrees plus in the greenhouse, I very rarely feel hungry during the day. Orchids also seem to slow down their growth in extreme heat. Skip a week or two of food every so often during those high heat weeks to give your plants a break from the high nitrogen rush!

Air movement is also a key. Just as I like to stand in front of a fan during a warm spell, our orchids also will benefit from extra air movement.

The flowers on those few orchids that are brave enough to bloom this time of year don’t last very long. This time of year our Phalaenopsis fold after 4-6 weeks, whereas during the cooler winter/spring season they last 3-4 MONTHS. This is why most orchids bloom between Thanksgiving and Mother’s Day. Summer is more of a “growing” season for plants.

Try not to add undue stress to your plants during extreme heat. Usually it is fine to repot throughout the summer months. However, when extreme heat hits, it is best to wait a week or two until things cool off. We usually try to repot our most tender orchids in Springtime (March through May), leaving some of the sturdier varieties (i.e. Cattleyas and Dendrobiums, etc.) for summer potting.

If growing in a bark mix, watch for moldy bark (snow mold) this time of year. It is very common due to the high humidity levels. It helps to use a fungicide periodically during very humid months. Physan 20, Captan, and Phyton 27 all will help to keep mold and rot at bay. If you do see mold in your mix, it is usually best (and cheapest) to simply repot the plant in fresh mix.

Stay cool,

Liese

Orchid Growing Tips

 Caring
Aug 012010
 

by Susan Taylor
Originally published in BellaOnline

Foliar Fertilizing
During the peak growing months of summer use a foliar fertilizer of very dilute fertilizer with 1/2 teaspoon per gallon soap as a wetting agent so that the fertilizer will stay on the leaves long enough to allow the plant to absorb the nutrients. Be sure to spray early in the morning before the sun gets to the plants and provide excellent air circulation to allow for rapid evaporation to prevent rots. Be very careful with the crowns of Phals and Paphs.

Seal cuts when you trim plants
You can use melted candle wax to seal the cut when you trim back your orchids after blooming or when cutting off old pseudobulbs or leaves. This will completely seal the cut and prevent the introduction of bacterial or fungal diseases. Other ways to seal cuts are cinnamon (without sugar), Elmer’s Glue, and various commercial products.

Be consistent with staking Staking
new growths is one of the most underutilized growing principals in orchid growing. This is a important element in getting your plants to look good and to present your flowers correctly when they open. Stake when the growths are about half done or for larger plants when the growth is about 5 inches, or 12 centimeters, tall. Continue to train the growth to the stake and then include the inflorescence when it appears.

Attaching to stakes
There are many different ways to tie your plant to a stake. For whimsy, use the little insect shaped clips that come in butterfly, dragonfly or other shapes. They should be large enough to hold the growth to thestake without impeding the growth. If you use a clip that’s too small it will damage the new growth. Twist ties will work as well as raffia which can be used to tie together the entire plant for a nice shape.

Mist in the mornings
Misting is great for your plants, but you must be careful to mist early in the day so that your plants have time to completely dry before nightfall. Fans to circulate air will also help deter the growth of fungus as they do not like moving air and it makes it more difficult for the spores to attach.

Rotate your plants to display blooms
Orchids in bloom need less light than those that are developing new growths or are resting. In fact, too much light will fade some flowers. So, when you have a well-developed inflorescence, move your plant further from the light source and toward the front of your area so you can display it and enjoy the flowers more easily. I often put the pot on top of another pot to lift the plant up so that the flowers are closer to eye level.

Ants in Orchid Pots

 Pests
Jul 012010
 

by Susan Taylor
Originally published in BellaOnline

For those of us who grow outdoors part of the year or in a greenhouse, ants are a nuisance in our orchid pots. In addition, they farm aphids, mealy bugs and caterpillars which can seriously damage tender new growing parts of the plant, especially buds and inflorescences. The honeydew which is left from these insects allows mildews to grow and provides another place for attacks on our plants.

The ants themselves do relatively little damage to the plants, but if you’ve ever picked up a pot with ants in it, especially fire ants in the southern United States, you know how the ant bites will feel to the plant grower! Spring and summer tend to be the times that ants are attracted to orchid pots. It is a great home for them — they can move right in without digging through soil and removing it for their tunnels.

If the pot is seriously infected and the ants come swarming out when you try to pick it up, mix up a gallon of water with a cup of insecticidal soap or dishwashing liquid and pour about half of it slowly through the pot. It will not kill all the ants, but will kill any that it comes directly in contact with. If you have a spray bottle, spray the plant with the solution to kill any that escape the pot and swarm on the foliage. It is best to do this in a shady location or when the plant is in the shade since you don’t want to allow sun to burn the leaves through the water. Allow the pot to stay in the same location for about an hour without disturbing it.

Put the rest of the solution in a bucket and fill with water. If it’s large, then add more detergent. Pick up the pot carefully and submerge in the water. This will kill the rest of the ants as they come in contact with the soap. Leave in the water for about 15 minutes and watch out for any pests that come out of the media and climb up the foliage. Remove from the water and then drench thoroughly with water from a hose to remove all residue of the soap and to eliminate the chemicals which ants secrete when they make their nests. Be sure to allow the plant foliate to dry completely before returning to a sunnier location and the media to dry before watering the plant again.

Fortunately ants are more a nuisance to us than a danger to our plants. Removing them is relatively simple once you know what to do!

Growing Orchids in a Fishbowl

 Caring
Jul 012010
 

by Susan Taylor
Originally published in BellaOnline

If you are having trouble growing orchids indoors, especially if you like the tiny ones, you can try growing in a simple fishbowl. My first trial came when I purchased a Masdevallia I couldn’t resist at an orchid show. These are generally rather cool growing orchids and we live in southern Texas where it gets very hot during the summers. Most of my orchids grow in the greenhouse and must be able to survive temperatures up to 100 degrees Fahrenheit or 38 degrees Celsius. Once I got the orchid home I realized that it would never survive outside. Mind you, this is completely against one of the most important orchid tips I espouse: only buy orchids that will grow in your conditions! But it was so cute I simply couldn’t resist.

These little orchids need quite high humidity to grow well so I decided to try growing in a fishbowl near a north window indoors. The ball-like fishbowl was about six or seven inches, or 15-18 centimeters in diameter. I put white gravel in the bottom, about one half inch or 2 centimeters deep, then placed the plant in the middle and then used rainwater to just below the surface to increase humidity. Do not put anything over the top of the container. Your orchids need air circulation as well as high humidity.

The only problem I’ve found with this system is that the plants grow so quickly, and flower so much that I keep having to find larger and larger fish bowls so that the flowers do not stick to the sides. Also watch the leaves to make sure the plant is not getting too much light. The leaves will turn very light green. Try to keep the leaf color about the same as the leaves when you purchased the plant. Do not cut off the inflorescences if they stay green because they will develop new buds on the live growth. I’d recommend finding out how large a plant the orchid will be before starting this project – I’m on my third fishbowl for one of them (I now have three since I had to fill up the empty fishbowls). Garage sales are good sources for glass containers that can be used for this. They’re decorative looking and the orchids love the humidity. Give it a try with one of the great miniature orchids available to orchid growers!

Spring Orchid Growing Tips

 Spring
May 012010
 

by Susan Taylor
Originally published in BellaOnline

Watch for changing light conditions
It is especially important to watch for changing light conditions in the spring. Many growers depend upon deciduous trees to provide shade to their plants during the majority of the warm weather growing season. Unless you are careful, your plants may get too much light as the sun moves before the leaves are all the way out. If leaves seem to be turning yellow or red in the case of Cattleyas, then apply shadecloth on a greenhouse, or sheer curtains on a window.

Get your outdoor growing areas ready
Get your outdoor growing area ready to move your plants when the weather in your area allows you do to so. Getting the growing area ready will allow you to move your plants as soon as possible and also allow you time to do things correctly. Add new space, replace broken items, and clean up the space from winter debris. Inside, clean up the space that you have been using all winter. Use Physan or Chlorox to kill mold, mildew and bacteria on surfaces.

Clean up your plants
Start your plants in their new growing season all cleaned up and ready to go for the new year. Clean the leaves using vinegar or lemon juice to remove all built up mineral and fertilizer depostis. Check for pests and spray with a good systemic insecticide and also with an algicide and fungicide. Remove old sheaths and reposition your plants in their container. Stake the plants if necessary. Mark those that need repotting and do so as soon as new roots are about 1/2 inch long.

Spring is repotting time
Spring is the time to repot many of your orchids. One important note is that, with the exception of Paphs and Phrags, plants that are blooming or in bud should not be disturbed. Repot the plants as soon as they have finished blooming. Species and hybrids of Brassavola, Cymbidium, Oncidium, Paphs and Phrags, and most seedings should be repotted at this time.

Phal Inflorescences need staking
In many parts of the country, Phals are getting ready to bloom. Be sure to stake the inflorescences when they are about 6 inches, or 15 centimeters, high to produce well displayed flowers. Some growers recommend turning pots 180 degrees at this time to force the inflorescence to grow up and over the plant rather than out and away. If you turn your plants, be sure that you only do so once or the flower arrangement can be ruined.

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