This is the 1st time I have ever tried to grow an orchid. It was so beautiful, and I am not sure of the name. It's blooms were a light purple. After it finished blooming I noticed how the other stems were cut so I did that to the stems once they were through. Now I have a new shoot coming out. It is about 4" tall. What are some of the basics about growing an orchid? And what is the best fertilizer, and how often should I water it? It is planted in these woody looking chunks and very little dirt and I can see the roots at the top. Should I repot it and if so w/ what and do I need to look for the woody looking pieces? And can I get them at any nursery?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Traci S
?'s need a little help.
would you be able to post a picture?
Sounds like you have a Phalaenopsis orchid. They need bright light (direct east window is good or lightly shaded south) and warmish temps (70-85 F). I use 15-30-15 water-soluble fertilizer mixed at half strength. I apply this every second watering. Watering is about once a week but that varies depending on temp and humidity. Humidity should be 50-70%. The should be repotted into fresh bark every second year. Bark should be available at local nursery or even Lowes, Home Depot might have orchid mix. Since I have no Lowes or Home Depot in my area, I use bark bedding for lizard cages! Essentially its the same thing. I use 2 parts medium-sized bark with a good handful of perlite. Don't worry about roots coming out of the pot...that's normal. If repotting using bark, soak the bark in warm water overnight before you use it. Good-luck!
I think it could be a den. (other stems... new shoot...) or maybe even a catt? A photo would be helpful, or a description of what the plant looks like ("canes", bamboo-like, big flat oval leaves, bulbous stems with 1-2 leaves on the top). Or you could browse some pictures of phalaenopsis, cattleya and dendrobium and see if looks similar to any of them.
In the pic the leaves seem to be a little larger than they actually are, but none the less, It is trying to make it, and I'd love to keep it. The blooms were a dark-light purple and gorgeous. Any help would be so appreciated! So even though it is in a small pot, should I repot it?
Thanks, Traci S
It looks like a perfectly healthy new growth on a Dendrobium. At the very moment I would just let it grow and don't repot it yet, since it looks fine. Just give it good light and water and fertilize it regularly. ( don't let water collect in a saucer underneath, your plant is an epiphyte and likes good air circulation)
You will get new flowers on this new growth once it has matured, probably next winter. The older canes on your plant are fine, they do not need to be cut, they are still functional.
Thank You so much Ruk! I will certainly take your advice!
I certainly appreciate your help!
TraciS
TraciS,
RUK is correct, you do have a healthy Dendrobium. This genus is a large one with hundred of hybrids and species available commercially. Cultural requirements these orchids can be very different. Since the cultural requirements can be very different, you need to know the name of your Dendrobium. If you have it, do a Goggle search for it and get the cultural requirements for that specific Dendrobium. If you don't have it, look for photos of Dendrobium orchids and see if you can find it or something close to it. Then get the cultural requirements for it.
I have some that have almost no water added during the winter rest period while other still need to be watered and fertilized. I have two decidious ones the rest are evergreen. When they begin active growth, resume watering and fertilizing and repot if necessary. They do best if they are growing at a steady rate. so using a 1/4 strength solution with every watering works better than using full strength once a month. Every fifth watering, run water through the pot to leach out the salts that have accumulated in the pot.
To save on costs, many orchids have been run through a fast growth regiment by the grower and it may be a while before your orchid gets back to its normal growth cycle. Don't be surprised if it doesn't bloom the way it was when you received it. Given what they need, Dendrobium orchids, depending on the variety, may bloom two or three times a year. To bloom well, these orchids plenty of bright light like the kind you would get through a sheer curtain near an east or southern window.
I would add more humidity around the orchid by putting pebbles in a tray, inverting the saucer on top of the pebbles and placing the pot on the saucer. This provides extra humidity while protecting the pot from coming into contact with the water. This is what I did before moving all my orchids into an 8' X 8' X 8' greenhouse.
Most Dendrobium orchids don't like to be overpotted. The plant should look almost too big for the pot. Don't repot just yet. Your orchid is probably planted in fir bark. When you do repot, you could also use Dyna-Rock or round ceramic marbles (not its real name is easily found on the Internet or a local orchid nursery). The disadvantage of using bark is that it lasts only one to three years depending on the size bark. I've been switching all my Dendrobiums over to Dyna-Rock because it also provides weight so the plants don't topple over as they will eventually get top heavy. This winter three of my Dendrobium orchids had up to seven flowing stalks. Others bloomed this past summer or fall. When an orchid comes out of dormancy, helps determine when the plant will bloom.
You're off to a good start. Be careful not to overwater. The bark may look dry on top but could be very damp below. You could buy a moisture meter to measure water content, but your pinky finger would work as well.
Good luck,
BettyDee
Thank You so much Betty Dee. I'm sure I'll refer back to this post quite often!
Thanks a million! :)