We sell these at Target for $20. They are marked down to $10, my price would be $9. Is that a good price for them? They do not have 'names' but I did notice three different colors of blooms.
Phalaenopsis, $10 a good price?
of course it's a good price!! at £6 I would buy the lot but you have to ask why so cheap. maybe their leaves are faling off due to water sitting in, and rotting, the growth point. make sure you can get a refund if they die
Thanks for your answer Mark. :) There is nothing wrong with them. They are going the way of retail. They were brought in blooming to sell for gifts. Now that the blooms are spent, they have lost their retail value and appeal. LOL
do you know how to prune the flower stalk to make it flower gain in about 6 weeks?
No and apparently neither do these retail places that mark them half off when the flower goes! LOL Do tell! I may have to go save them. They will pitch them if they do not sell soon.
of course buy them. over here they start at $30 in garden centres and $15 in DIY stores
all you do is follow them to where the first flower was and cut it off there. just below maybe an inch away there will be a small green bump wrapped in a very small leaf scale. that is where the new flower will grow from. keep them well watered and no less that 10C and no direct sunlight. an east or west window is best because the sun is not so strong there. and make sure you buy a good fertilizer one for the growth period and one for the flowering period
$10.00 is a steal for blooming size phals. I've paid that much for seedlings in 3" pots.
Are you two sitting down?? I looked at the Orchids at work this morning. He he he I bought all ten for $4.50 each. Some still have a few flowers too, and even better, some are named. I grabbed a container of the orchid fertilizer as well. They are growing in some sort of beige mossy stuff with packing peanuts in the bottom. Now what the heck do I do with all of them? LOL I am going to do some reading later today. If I remember right, they are actually parasites that live off trees aren't they?? I am so excited, my first (ten) orchids! LOL
not quite parasites. you dont need to do anything at all other than sacrifice the flowers by cutting them off where I told you. when the plant gets to the last flower or so it is more difficult to get it to re flower on the same stem. trust me! always water with luke warm water and never water from the top always plunge the pot for 5 or ten minutes about twice a week in the summer.
Get them OUT of the beige mossy stuff as soon as you can and into some orchid fir bark or osmunda fiber. Personally,I'd cut the flower stalks completely off at the base and give them a break from flowering so they can grow new roots and rejuvenate themselves for next year's flowering. They are coming into a time of active growth right now, and you will want to take advantage of that. Also, I use the clear plastic pots for phals so I can see what the roots are doing.
Orchids are epiphytes, which means they use trees or rocks only as support on which to grow. They aren't parasites as they don't feed upon the tree limbs that they grow on.
I read recently that their roots carry out photosynthesis and should be in clear pots.
Thanks you two! I got a wee lesson on parasitic versus ephytic (sp. in a hurry) in chat this morning. Miss Baa and others helped me out. :) I am going to cut them back right away and will search out proper medium and pots later. These are in white plastic pots inside of terra cotta parts. Remember, retail, non-nursery. LOL
Here is the group.
I have not looked these up by name, but this one is labelled as Amour Nancy.
And this one as Carmella's Mini White. One more had a bloom but I must have knocked it off. The names could be wrong, but aren't they cute???
Me, one more time. Sherry, where would I buy those planting mediums? I may have one more dumb question. A friend once told me she had orchids pinned to a log of sorts, covered with some sort of moss and she just misted the whole thing. Would that work or should these stay potted, properly of course? Some of the others had names, but I have not had time to look any of them up.
Lowe's usually sells orchid bark, but I don't like fir bark for orchids that need to be damp most of the time like phals. It deteriorates into a rotten mess within a year or two, and you won't notice until your plant has no roots because they have rotted. I prefer osmunda fiber for phals, and you can get that in small bags at Mellingers. I think the URL for them is www.mellingers.com
Having an orchid plant mounted to a piece of tree fern or wood is a good idea if you have a greenhouse or something where they are misted constantly. Some orchids don't grow well unless they are mounted, such as Sophronitis. I tend to underwater, so anything I have ever had mounted, I have had to move into a pot. I think I would just leave the phals in pots if I were you.
You got some lovely plants at a great price, and they are among the easiest orchids to care for. Plus, they bloom for MONTHS in the winter-- just when you need something to brighten those dark days! Good luck!
I didn't know about cutting the bloom stem back to just above the first flower, but it does work. I don't cut the bloom stalks off until they start to die back naturally. My phals' bloom stalks never died back and so I never cut them off. It's been 2 years (I wasn't feeding them and had them in too bright of light I think). I just counted 33 buds on it yesterday :) My first flower opened up, too. The second one is just starting to open tonight. Tomorrow I should have two flowers open. My other phal has a bunch of buds, too. It will be another week or two until that one blooms. I have taken some pictures and will share when the film is developed. I'm so proud of myself! didn't think these were EVER going to bloom.
I know someone here who runs the N Ireland Orchid Society who has a huge Phal in her living room that has been flowering for 5 years. It is given fertilizer on a regular basis
Hi! I just love Orchids so much! I am new at growing them though. Is it o.k. to use moss to surround and lighty cover them? I can use all the advise I can get! Orchids to me are one of God's greatest mysteries! They are so original and so well made.Their beauty is unlike any other!!! may you all be blessed with lovely orchids forever and always,and may God bless me with them too!!! Blessings to all!
Badseed , you are so lucky to get 10 Phals at that price, and even names on them. Follow the advice of people above. Good luck. I only have 4 phals, but love them. Donna
Honey, it depends on the Orchid. Pleiones love being in moss but Phals need some light on their roots for Photosynthesis
I got one of these for the $20 about a month ago. It had 1 bloom on it but 3 nice flower stalks and really healthy big leaves. It now has a gizzillion buds and will be busting out soon! It's a pretty off white with a little yellowish-tanish center. I have a hard time getting my other phal/dend's to RE bloom. What fertilizers are you supposed to use? Do you keep them damp/wet ALL the time?
water from underneath twice or three times a week in the summer. submerge the pot for about ten minutes and let it drain. NEVER get water in the growth point because in the wild they grow downwards. I know someone who grows hers lying on their sides but waters in the normal way. the flowers hang down too.
ps I feed mine once a week, if I remember, with either growing fertilizer or flowering fertiliser depending on what the plant is doing. I dont give so much in the winter
Are you selling any plants?
thanks mark
Whoa Girl, you got a steal!!! Good luck raising those babies. Brenda
Okay y'all. My one I got at Target for $20 is beautimous! It has had 2.5 full sprays of flowers open since I first posted this.
Here's the big hoorah, I just got 4 more with the flower stalks bald but still green and plump at Kmart for...$4.50 each!!! *happy dance*
Angie, when you find a deal like that again, please let me know. (as if I need any but you know I can't help it)
Brenda
Hey if you want to pay me the $5 and come and get it then you can definitely have one brenda. I'd love for you to come see my garden(aka mess). I'll be out of town till after the weekend of the fourth though.
ang