I bought a blooming orchid for $10 at Home Depot, of all places, a
couple of months ago. It has one flower left; the others have dropped
off. I assume the last one will fall off pretty soon. Is the plant
spent after it blooms, or can I keep it going and expect it to bloom
again in my lifetime? I don't know what kind of orchid it is, but I'd
call it a moth orchid rather than a slipper orchid. It has 5 or 6
strap-like leaves.

It is planted in what looks like a roll of half-rotten tree bark instead
of chopped bark and/or orchid mix, so I'm not sure how I'd replant it
other than set it a little deeper in a bigger pot. If I try to remove
the old "soil" I'll destroy most the the roots.

I've been watering it by soaking the root ball for about 5 minutes and
then draining it, and letting it dry out completely before watering
again. (I think it lost a few blooms when I let it dry out too much.)
I haven't given it any food yet. Should I be using distilled water (or
deionized, or rain water) so salts don't build up?

Thanks,
Bob

zxcvbob wrote:
I bought a blooming orchid for $10 at Home Depot, of all places, a
couple of months ago. It has one flower left; the others have dropped
off. I assume the last one will fall off pretty soon. Is the plant
spent after it blooms, or can I keep it going and expect it to bloom
again in my lifetime? I don't know what kind of orchid it is, but I'd
call it a moth orchid rather than a slipper orchid. It has 5 or 6
strap-like leaves.

It is planted in what looks like a roll of half-rotten tree bark instead
of chopped bark and/or orchid mix, so I'm not sure how I'd replant it
other than set it a little deeper in a bigger pot. If I try to remove
the old "soil" I'll destroy most the the roots.

I've been watering it by soaking the root ball for about 5 minutes and
then draining it, and letting it dry out completely before watering
again. (I think it lost a few blooms when I let it dry out too much.) I
haven't given it any food yet. Should I be using distilled water (or
deionized, or rain water) so salts don't build up?

Thanks,
Bob
Rainwater would be best. I always watered my orchids by letting them dry
out and then setting the plant in a bucket of rainwater with a little
orchid fertilizer in it. When they're blooming just soak the aerial
roots a bit and the medium upon which it is blooming. Of course back
then I had a half dozen books on orchids, etc. HD sold you an orchid
with no ID tag on it? Generally they have a tag with the ID on one side
and feeding and watering info on the other side.

I no longer fool around with orchids but occasionally DW buys one and
brings it home to die. Sometimes I will take care of them for her for
awhile. Most terrestrial orchids are planted in a potting mix while
orchids that grow on tree limbs are planted in an open box or a pot with
bark chunks or charcoal in them. In the jungles they grow on tree limbs
and get rained on a lot. VBG Good luck with your orchid.

George

zxcvbob wrote:
I bought a blooming orchid for $10 at Home Depot, of all places, a
couple of months ago. It has one flower left; the others have dropped
off. I assume the last one will fall off pretty soon. Is the plant
spent after it blooms, or can I keep it going and expect it to bloom
again in my lifetime? I don't know what kind of orchid it is, but I'd
call it a moth orchid rather than a slipper orchid. It has 5 or 6
strap-like leaves.

It is planted in what looks like a roll of half-rotten tree bark instead
of chopped bark and/or orchid mix, so I'm not sure how I'd replant it
other than set it a little deeper in a bigger pot. If I try to remove
the old "soil" I'll destroy most the the roots.

I've been watering it by soaking the root ball for about 5 minutes and
then draining it, and letting it dry out completely before watering
again. (I think it lost a few blooms when I let it dry out too much.)
I haven't given it any food yet. Should I be using distilled water (or
deionized, or rain water) so salts don't build up?

Thanks,
Bob

The common name for Phalaenopsis is "moth orchid". Go to a real
nursery, and check to see if their Phalaenopsis looks like your plant.

If it is Phalaenopsis, it grows quite well as a house plant. Keep it in
a north-facing window where it will get strong, indirect light but no
direct sun.

Repot it in what is sometimes called a bulb pan or fern pot. This is a
clay flowerpot that is somewhat squat (more shallow) than the usual pot.
After the last flower dies, remove the plant from its current pot.
Gently shake the roots to remove the old potting mix (which is the bark
of a tree fern); you can pick away the fern bark unless it is really
stuck to a root. Repot in bark chips with the base of the plant just
slightly below the chips. Set the pot on a large saucer that has pea
gravel or similar pebbles.

I water mine once a week. When you water, be very, very careful that no
water gets into the center of the leaves. If even a single drop of
water bounces off a bark chip and into the center of the plant, the
plant may rot and die. I hold the pot over the kitchen sink with the
palm of my left hand blocking the drain hole. I use a plastic watering
can with a narrow spout, filling the flowerpot until the bark begins to
float. Then, I let the water drain out. After I put the pot back on
the saucer, I add water to the saucer until it's just above the pebbles;
this provides added humidity.

Every other week, I water with a commercial orchid fertilizer, 1/4 tsp
to a quart of water. In this case, I set the pot in a large mixing bowl
to capture the runoff. After draining the pot into the bowl and
returning the pot to its saucer, I pour the runoff back into the
watering can to use on another orchid. (I have three.) After all
orchids are fed, I pour the runoff again into the watering can and add
enough water to fill the can. I use this to water my other house plants.

--

David E. Ross
http://www.rossde.com/

Concerned about someone (e.g., Pres. Bush) snooping
into your E-mail? Use PGP.
See my http://www.rossde.com/PGP/

David E. Ross wrote:

The common name for Phalaenopsis is "moth orchid". Go to a real
nursery, and check to see if their Phalaenopsis looks like your plant.

Yep, that's it.

If it is Phalaenopsis, it grows quite well as a house plant. Keep it in
a north-facing window where it will get strong, indirect light but no
direct sun.

Repot it in what is sometimes called a bulb pan or fern pot. This is a
clay flowerpot that is somewhat squat (more shallow) than the usual pot.
After the last flower dies, remove the plant from its current pot.
Gently shake the roots to remove the old potting mix (which is the bark
of a tree fern); you can pick away the fern bark unless it is really
stuck to a root. Repot in bark chips with the base of the plant just
slightly below the chips. Set the pot on a large saucer that has pea
gravel or similar pebbles.


Is that shallower than an azalea pot?

And what is the base of the plant? This doesn't have a rosette of basal
leaves, it has a vertical rhizome with leaves alternating up about an inch
or two apart. Do I plant it up to the bottom leaf?

Thanks,
Bob

George Shirley wrote:
zxcvbob wrote:
I bought a blooming orchid for $10 at Home Depot, of all places, a
couple of months ago. It has one flower left; the others have dropped
off. I assume the last one will fall off pretty soon. Is the plant
spent after it blooms, or can I keep it going and expect it to bloom
again in my lifetime? I don't know what kind of orchid it is, but I'd
call it a moth orchid rather than a slipper orchid. It has 5 or 6
strap-like leaves.

It is planted in what looks like a roll of half-rotten tree bark
instead of chopped bark and/or orchid mix, so I'm not sure how I'd
replant it other than set it a little deeper in a bigger pot. If I
try to remove the old "soil" I'll destroy most the the roots.

I've been watering it by soaking the root ball for about 5 minutes and
then draining it, and letting it dry out completely before watering
again. (I think it lost a few blooms when I let it dry out too much.)
I haven't given it any food yet. Should I be using distilled water
(or deionized, or rain water) so salts don't build up?

Thanks,
Bob
Rainwater would be best. I always watered my orchids by letting them dry
out and then setting the plant in a bucket of rainwater with a little
orchid fertilizer in it. When they're blooming just soak the aerial
roots a bit and the medium upon which it is blooming. Of course back
then I had a half dozen books on orchids, etc. HD sold you an orchid
with no ID tag on it? Generally they have a tag with the ID on one side
and feeding and watering info on the other side.


It does have a tag. The tag says, "DEN. JAQ-ARUNSRI" in big letters, and
"WK-08-06 TB.1335" in tiny letters. That's all it says.

I looked up the picture on the Internet and it seems to be a Phalaenopsis.

Best regards,
Bob

On Jan 9, 12:32*am, zxcvbob wrote:
It does have a tag. *The tag says, "DEN. JAQ-ARUNSRI" in big letters, and
"WK-08-06 *TB.1335" in tiny letters. *That's all it says.

I looked up the picture on the Internet and it seems to be a Phalaenopsis.

Best regards,
Bob- Hide quoted text -- Show quoted text -

"DEN. JAQ-ARUNSRI" = Dendrobium
HTH

zxcvbob wrote:
David E. Ross wrote:

The common name for Phalaenopsis is "moth orchid". Go to a real
nursery, and check to see if their Phalaenopsis looks like your plant.

Yep, that's it.

If it is Phalaenopsis, it grows quite well as a house plant. Keep it in
a north-facing window where it will get strong, indirect light but no
direct sun.

Repot it in what is sometimes called a bulb pan or fern pot. This is a
clay flowerpot that is somewhat squat (more shallow) than the usual pot.
After the last flower dies, remove the plant from its current pot.
Gently shake the roots to remove the old potting mix (which is the bark
of a tree fern); you can pick away the fern bark unless it is really
stuck to a root. Repot in bark chips with the base of the plant just
slightly below the chips. Set the pot on a large saucer that has pea
gravel or similar pebbles.


Is that shallower than an azalea pot?

I'm not familiar with azalea pots. My Phalaenopsis are in pots 6.5
inches high and 8 inches in diameter at the top.

And what is the base of the plant? This doesn't have a rosette of basal
leaves, it has a vertical rhizome with leaves alternating up about an inch
or two apart. Do I plant it up to the bottom leaf?

When you repot, the base of the bottom-most leaf should be at least 0.5
inch above the top of the bark chips.

By the way, Phalaenopsis only needs to be repotted about once every 3-4
years -- AFTER the first repotting. I always repot any house plant I
either buy or receive as a gift (if in flower, as soon as it finishes
blooming). I find the original pots are usually too small or otherwise
not appropriate. I prefer clay pots because they allow evaporation
through their sides, keeping the roots cool in the summer when I allow
the house to get to 80F.

--

David E. Ross
http://www.rossde.com/

Concerned about someone (e.g., Pres. Bush) snooping
into your E-mail? Use PGP.
See my http://www.rossde.com/PGP/

zxcvbob wrote:
George Shirley wrote:
zxcvbob wrote:
I bought a blooming orchid for $10 at Home Depot, of all places, a
couple of months ago. It has one flower left; the others have dropped
off. I assume the last one will fall off pretty soon. Is the plant
spent after it blooms, or can I keep it going and expect it to bloom
again in my lifetime? I don't know what kind of orchid it is, but I'd
call it a moth orchid rather than a slipper orchid. It has 5 or 6
strap-like leaves.

It is planted in what looks like a roll of half-rotten tree bark
instead of chopped bark and/or orchid mix, so I'm not sure how I'd
replant it other than set it a little deeper in a bigger pot. If I
try to remove the old "soil" I'll destroy most the the roots.

I've been watering it by soaking the root ball for about 5 minutes and
then draining it, and letting it dry out completely before watering
again. (I think it lost a few blooms when I let it dry out too much.)
I haven't given it any food yet. Should I be using distilled water
(or deionized, or rain water) so salts don't build up?

Thanks,
Bob
Rainwater would be best. I always watered my orchids by letting them dry
out and then setting the plant in a bucket of rainwater with a little
orchid fertilizer in it. When they're blooming just soak the aerial
roots a bit and the medium upon which it is blooming. Of course back
then I had a half dozen books on orchids, etc. HD sold you an orchid
with no ID tag on it? Generally they have a tag with the ID on one side
and feeding and watering info on the other side.


It does have a tag. The tag says, "DEN. JAQ-ARUNSRI" in big letters, and
"WK-08-06 TB.1335" in tiny letters. That's all it says.

I looked up the picture on the Internet and it seems to be a Phalaenopsis.

Best regards,
Bob

The tag might mean its a Dendrobium and not a Phalaenopsis. The care
for these two is different (according to Sunset). I only have
experience with Phalaenopsis.

--

David E. Ross
http://www.rossde.com/

Concerned about someone (e.g., Pres. Bush) snooping
into your E-mail? Use PGP.
See my http://www.rossde.com/PGP/

Repot it in what is sometimes called a bulb pan or fern pot. This is a
clay flowerpot that is somewhat squat (more shallow) than the usual pot.
After the last flower dies, remove the plant from its current pot.
Gently shake the roots to remove the old potting mix (which is the bark
of a tree fern); you can pick away the fern bark unless it is really
stuck to a root. Repot in bark chips with the base of the plant just
slightly below the chips. Set the pot on a large saucer that has pea
gravel or similar pebbles.

Is that shallower than an azalea pot?

I'm not familiar with azalea pots. My Phalaenopsis are in pots 6.5
inches high and 8 inches in diameter at the top.

That sounds just like an azalea pot.

And what is the base of the plant? This doesn't have a rosette of basal
leaves, it has a vertical rhizome with leaves alternating up about an inch
or two apart. Do I plant it up to the bottom leaf?

When you repot, the base of the bottom-most leaf should be at least 0.5
inch above the top of the bark chips.

By the way, Phalaenopsis only needs to be repotted about once every 3-4
years -- AFTER the first repotting. I always repot any house plant I
either buy or receive as a gift (if in flower, as soon as it finishes
blooming). I find the original pots are usually too small or otherwise
not appropriate. I prefer clay pots because they allow evaporation
through their sides, keeping the roots cool in the summer when I allow
the house to get to 80F.


Then this one is already planted at the right depth, but it's in *way* too
small of a pot. It's in a 3" plastic pot, and it keeps tipping over
because it's top heavy. I'll find a nice shallow 6" pot for it, and some
chopped bark or gravel.

Bob

zxcvbob wrote:
Repot it in what is sometimes called a bulb pan or fern pot. This is a
clay flowerpot that is somewhat squat (more shallow) than the usual pot.
After the last flower dies, remove the plant from its current pot.
Gently shake the roots to remove the old potting mix (which is the bark
of a tree fern); you can pick away the fern bark unless it is really
stuck to a root. Repot in bark chips with the base of the plant just
slightly below the chips. Set the pot on a large saucer that has pea
gravel or similar pebbles.

Is that shallower than an azalea pot?
I'm not familiar with azalea pots. My Phalaenopsis are in pots 6.5
inches high and 8 inches in diameter at the top.

That sounds just like an azalea pot.

And what is the base of the plant? This doesn't have a rosette of basal
leaves, it has a vertical rhizome with leaves alternating up about an inch
or two apart. Do I plant it up to the bottom leaf?
When you repot, the base of the bottom-most leaf should be at least 0.5
inch above the top of the bark chips.

By the way, Phalaenopsis only needs to be repotted about once every 3-4
years -- AFTER the first repotting. I always repot any house plant I
either buy or receive as a gift (if in flower, as soon as it finishes
blooming). I find the original pots are usually too small or otherwise
not appropriate. I prefer clay pots because they allow evaporation
through their sides, keeping the roots cool in the summer when I allow
the house to get to 80F.


Then this one is already planted at the right depth, but it's in *way* too
small of a pot. It's in a 3" plastic pot, and it keeps tipping over
because it's top heavy. I'll find a nice shallow 6" pot for it, and some
chopped bark or gravel.

Bob

You need bark, not gravel.

Before potting, thoroughly wet the bark. Then, when you water the
orchid, the bark will absorb some of the water. This both makes
moisture available to the roots and also releases humidity. When you
feed, the water that the bark absorbs will contain nutrients that the
roots can then slowly retrieve with the moisture.

Gravel only gets wet on its surface. If you use gravel, you will have
to water daily. Since that will rinse away nutrients, you will have to
feed 2-3 times a week.

--

David E. Ross
http://www.rossde.com/

Concerned about someone (e.g., Pres. Bush) snooping
into your E-mail? Use PGP.
See my http://www.rossde.com/PGP/

a dendrobium is what you got and it is NOT a phael. be sure to look up the
requirements for a dendrobium. phaels DO NOT like a lot of direct sun while I think
dendrobiums do.
the biggest threat to orchids is over watering and rot. try not to get water into
the area where the leaves join. orchids typically "hang" at an angle so water runs
out of the areas where leaves come together (unlike bromeliads). the roots should be
half in, half out of the pot because the velum or coating on the roots soak up and
hold the water. be very careful about repotting, only one size up and no deeper than
the pot it is in. use only orchid mix. be sure the orchid dries out completely
before watering and frankly, they dont need much fertilizer. a really weak fish or
seaweed or orchid type fert is best.

do not soak more than one orchid in the same water since this is how rot can be
spread to an entire collection. I speak from experience. Ingrid

zxcvbob wrote:
It does have a tag. The tag says, "DEN. JAQ-ARUNSRI" in big letters, and
"WK-08-06 TB.1335" in tiny letters. That's all it says.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List at
http://weloveteaching.com/puregold/
sign up: http://groups.google.com/groups/dir?...s=Group+lookup
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I receive no compensation for running the Puregold list or Puregold website.
I do not run nor receive any money from the ads at the old Puregold site.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Zone 5 next to Lake Michigan

David E. Ross wrote:
zxcvbob wrote:
Repot it in what is sometimes called a bulb pan or fern pot. This is a
clay flowerpot that is somewhat squat (more shallow) than the usual pot.
After the last flower dies, remove the plant from its current pot.
Gently shake the roots to remove the old potting mix (which is the bark
of a tree fern); you can pick away the fern bark unless it is really
stuck to a root. Repot in bark chips with the base of the plant just
slightly below the chips. Set the pot on a large saucer that has pea
gravel or similar pebbles.

Is that shallower than an azalea pot?
I'm not familiar with azalea pots. My Phalaenopsis are in pots 6.5
inches high and 8 inches in diameter at the top.
That sounds just like an azalea pot.

And what is the base of the plant? This doesn't have a rosette of basal
leaves, it has a vertical rhizome with leaves alternating up about an inch
or two apart. Do I plant it up to the bottom leaf?
When you repot, the base of the bottom-most leaf should be at least 0.5
inch above the top of the bark chips.

By the way, Phalaenopsis only needs to be repotted about once every 3-4
years -- AFTER the first repotting. I always repot any house plant I
either buy or receive as a gift (if in flower, as soon as it finishes
blooming). I find the original pots are usually too small or otherwise
not appropriate. I prefer clay pots because they allow evaporation
through their sides, keeping the roots cool in the summer when I allow
the house to get to 80F.

Then this one is already planted at the right depth, but it's in *way* too
small of a pot. It's in a 3" plastic pot, and it keeps tipping over
because it's top heavy. I'll find a nice shallow 6" pot for it, and some
chopped bark or gravel.

Bob

You need bark, not gravel.

Before potting, thoroughly wet the bark. Then, when you water the
orchid, the bark will absorb some of the water. This both makes
moisture available to the roots and also releases humidity. When you
feed, the water that the bark absorbs will contain nutrients that the
roots can then slowly retrieve with the moisture.

Gravel only gets wet on its surface. If you use gravel, you will have
to water daily. Since that will rinse away nutrients, you will have to
feed 2-3 times a week.


But do use gravel in the saucer under the pot. This is to lift the pot
above the water in the saucer. Then the bark in the pot won't act as a
wick to draw excess moisture from the saucer.

--

David E. Ross
http://www.rossde.com/

Concerned about someone (e.g., Pres. Bush) snooping
into your E-mail? Use PGP.
See my http://www.rossde.com/PGP/

"zxcvbob" wrote in message
...
David E. Ross wrote:

The common name for Phalaenopsis is "moth orchid". Go to a real
nursery, and check to see if their Phalaenopsis looks like your plant.

Yep, that's it.



Double check to be sure.

In another post you wrote
"It does have a tag. The tag says, "DEN. JAQ-ARUNSRI" in big letters, and
"WK-08-06 TB.1335" in tiny letters. That's all it says.

I looked up the picture on the Internet and it seems to be a Phalaenopsis."

You seems to be indicating there that it was tagged as a dendrobium.
Phals and Dends take much different care.


--
Toni
South Florida USA
USDA Zone 10
http://www.cearbhaill.com

"Cearbhaill" wrote in
:


"zxcvbob" wrote in message
...
David E. Ross wrote:

The common name for Phalaenopsis is "moth orchid". Go to a real
nursery, and check to see if their Phalaenopsis looks like your
plant.

Yep, that's it.



Double check to be sure.

In another post you wrote
"It does have a tag. The tag says, "DEN. JAQ-ARUNSRI" in big letters,
and "WK-08-06 TB.1335" in tiny letters. That's all it says.

I looked up the picture on the Internet and it seems to be a
Phalaenopsis."

You seems to be indicating there that it was tagged as a dendrobium.
Phals and Dends take much different care.



You also said that the growth isn't in the form of a rosette of leaves, but
that the leaves are about every inch along a vertical 'rhizome'. In orchid
terminology, that is called a pseudobulb, and since phalaenopsis (moth)
orchids do not have pseudobulbs, I would also say that you have a
dendrobium.

Richard

there are dendrobium flowers that look like phaels. but the leaves dont. phael
leaves are thick juicy, dendrobiums are strap like. Ingrid

"Cearbhaill" wrote:
I looked up the picture on the Internet and it seems to be a Phalaenopsis."

You seems to be indicating there that it was tagged as a dendrobium.
Phals and Dends take much different care.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List at
http://weloveteaching.com/puregold/
sign up: http://groups.google.com/groups/dir?...s=Group+lookup
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I receive no compensation for running the Puregold list or Puregold website.
I do not run nor receive any money from the ads at the old Puregold site.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Zone 5 next to Lake Michigan