GardenBanter.co.uk - View Single Post

03-12-2004, 10:04 PM

(orchids3) wrote in message om...
"Hi
In the 25 years of growing cymbidiums, I have never heard of putting salt
on the plants on purpose. Have grown in Carona Calif, Stratford Cn
and now in NE Florida. Just the salt from house hold water softeners will
kill plants. Some plants will tolerate some salt but areas I have been
where TDS (Total Disolved solids) are high in the water - religious flushing
rituals are carried out to keep the levels as low as possible. Santa Barbers
has TDS levels as high as 1800 PPM. MY TDS Levels here in Florida are
250 to 300 PPM depending on rainfall amounts - NA (Sodium) and Cl levels
increase in the local water supply when rainfall drops up to 18 PPM so a
small amount of salt is un avoidable but not really desireable. Epsom
salts in some quantity depending on you water tests may be good, but
certinly not table salt. Have you checked you water or acidity of what you put
on the plants - how about the acidity of you potting medium?

It is time to repot. Intended on doing so last spring, got the mix,
pots, etc. then broke my ankle. Somehow dividing and repotting a
bunch cyms sort of hit a new low in priorities about the same time.

They are still alive, and our autumn season was gradually cooler than
the abrupt cold we got last year, so some of my hardier unknown cyms
are putting on spikes again. When I say hardier, I've got one type
that requires temps from the upper 20's to the lower 30's, some of the
nicest blooms was from a season when it actually got down to about 26
F. The folliage got nipped and the plant looked pretty rough for a
while, but recovered during the next growing season. I boght that one
from a member of the orchid society I attended. They thought a tag
was in the bottom of the pot, oops guess again, but it was reasonably
priced.

One other initiates spikes with temps in the upper 30's to lower 40's.
Blooms are similar in appearance, (chartreuse, yellow with red on
lip). Folliage, too, both are tall but the warmer seems to have
tighter bulbs with stronger blades. Cold requirements are obvious, in
that the warmer one will develop spikes while the other on is just
sitting and waiting for colder temps. The wamer one I bought at a
consignment/thrift store. No name, but was very inexpensive. The
staff thought $5 was a little too high for yucca or day lilly.