i bought an orchid because it was in the dollar bin (regularly
$13.99) no ID tags.
other than filtered sunlight, what makes orchids happy?
lee

--
Last night while sitting in my chair
I pinged a host that wasn't there
It wasn't there again today
The host resolved to NSA.

In article ,
enigma wrote:

i bought an orchid because it was in the dollar bin (regularly
$13.99) no ID tags.
other than filtered sunlight, what makes orchids happy?
lee

A total soak once a week and a container that has many ways of
providing drainage and air. This before the time outside aka late spring
to early fall.
We keep ours outside now above the reach of slugs hanging in low
branches.

http://myorchidpots.com/

Bill

--
Garden in shade zone 5 S Jersey USA

Bill wrote in

news.net:

In article ,
enigma wrote:

i bought an orchid because it was in the dollar bin
(regularly $13.99) no ID tags.
other than filtered sunlight, what makes orchids happy?

A total soak once a week and a container that has many
ways of
providing drainage and air. This before the time outside
aka late spring to early fall.

it's in a 3" square green orchid pot. i soaked it when i got
it home.
at what point does it need repotting? it has roots just
coming to the edges of the pot now. i think it just finished
blooming. is there a way to ID it from the leaves. not being
much of an orcid fanatic, i can recognise that it's an orchid
from the leaves, but thats about all.

We keep ours outside now above the reach of slugs hanging
in low branches.

i might lose it outside. it's pretty small.

lee
--
Last night while sitting in my chair
I pinged a host that wasn't there
It wasn't there again today
The host resolved to NSA.

On 7/5/2008 2:36 PM, enigma wrote:
i bought an orchid because it was in the dollar bin (regularly
$13.99) no ID tags.
other than filtered sunlight, what makes orchids happy?
lee


This varies by the type of orchid.

I have two Phalaenopsis orchids (moth orchids) in my breakfast room
greenhouse window. They are strictly house plants in my climate. They
are potted in bark chips without any soil. I have to be careful to
avoid getting water into the center of the leaves, which might cause the
plants to rot and die.

I have a Cymbidium orchid on my patio. In my climate, it's an outdoor
plant to be brought inside (a) only if we are expecting a record freeze
or (b) to show off its flowers. It's potted in a combination of bark
chips and my do-it-yourself potting mix. I squirt it with a hose 2-3
times a week.

Some orchids require cooler temperatures than are found in my garden,
cooler than I can afford to provide via air conditioning during the
summer (100F today). Others require temperatures and humidity higher
than would be comfortable for me (humidity much higher than the 22%
relative that we had at noon today). Some orchids require real soil;
others grow in the leaf litter accumulated on the branches of trees.
Some are strictly shade plants; others need some direct sun.

The most important thing is that some orchids are easy to grow by
novices while others are difficult to grow even by experts. I suggest
you take the plant to a full-service nursery (not a lumber yard or
hardware store), have them identify it, and get their advice on caring
for it.

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean
Sunset Zone: 21 -- interior Santa Monica Mountains with some ocean
influence (USDA 10a, very close to Sunset Zone 19)
Gardening pages at http://www.rossde.com/garden/

In article ,
enigma wrote:

Bill wrote in

news.net:

In article ,
enigma wrote:

i bought an orchid because it was in the dollar bin
(regularly $13.99) no ID tags.
other than filtered sunlight, what makes orchids happy?

A total soak once a week and a container that has many
ways of
providing drainage and air. This before the time outside
aka late spring to early fall.

it's in a 3" square green orchid pot. i soaked it when i got
it home.
at what point does it need repotting? it has roots just
coming to the edges of the pot now. i think it just finished
blooming. is there a way to ID it from the leaves. not being
much of an orcid fanatic, i can recognise that it's an orchid
from the leaves, but thats about all.

We keep ours outside now above the reach of slugs hanging
in low branches.

i might lose it outside. it's pretty small.

lee

Have a look about here.

http://www.orchidspecies.com/

Bill

--
Garden in shade zone 5 S Jersey USA

Bill wrote in

news.net:

Have a look about here.

http://www.orchidspecies.com/

pretty flowers, but all i have is leaves. i thought it might
be a butterfly orchid, but it doesn't seem to have a
psudobulb, just roots.
if i take a photo of it & put it online, do you think you
could tell more by seeing the leaves?
back in the late 70s a friend of mine had 3 cattleya that i
'babysat' for her for a year. i had no problems getting them
to grow & bloom (she managed to kill them within 2 months of
taking them back). the leaves on this little one look a bit
like the cattleyas, but i wouldn't think they'd bloom when so
small & no greenhouse around here sells orchids that aren't
blooming (& i was mistaken last night. the original price tag
on this little bitty thing is $19.99, so it must have had
blooms)
anyway, it's also in spagnum moss & coir in a regular 3"
square pot, so i'll have to get it something more suitable.
the greenhouse in Concord that used to have a lot of orchids
changed hands recently & now there's mostly common houseplants
in their greenhouse (with the exception of some lovely
Nepenthes).
lee
--
Last night while sitting in my chair
I pinged a host that wasn't there
It wasn't there again today
The host resolved to NSA.

"enigma" wrote in message
. ..
if i take a photo of it & put it online, do you think you
could tell more by seeing the leaves?


Yes.
We likely won't be able to identify anything beyond species, but just seeing
the leaves can tell you a great deal about what sort of care they require.


--
Toni
Hills of Kentucky
USDA Zone 6b
http://www.cearbhaill.com

On Sun, 6 Jul 2008 12:28:10 +0000 (UTC), enigma
wrote:

Bill wrote in

news.net:

Have a look about here.

http://www.orchidspecies.com/

pretty flowers, but all i have is leaves. i thought it might
be a butterfly orchid, but it doesn't seem to have a
psudobulb, just roots.
if i take a photo of it & put it online, do you think you
could tell more by seeing the leaves?

Do that. The leaves will give a good idea of the broad type of orchid
it is.

I grow a lot of my orchids semi-hydroponically, but not all types are
suited to it. And some like much more light and/or warmth than others.


back in the late 70s a friend of mine had 3 cattleya that i
'babysat' for her for a year. i had no problems getting them
to grow & bloom (she managed to kill them within 2 months of
taking them back). the leaves on this little one look a bit
like the cattleyas, but i wouldn't think they'd bloom when so
small & no greenhouse around here sells orchids that aren't
blooming (& i was mistaken last night. the original price tag
on this little bitty thing is $19.99, so it must have had
blooms)

The price may also depend on where you buy it. Trader Joe's near me
sells phals, oncodiums or dendrobiums for as low as $7-8 dollars
dometimes, while a nursery nearby sells seriously ordinary phals for
an outrageous $50+

anyway, it's also in spagnum moss & coir in a regular 3"
square pot, so i'll have to get it something more suitable.
the greenhouse in Concord that used to have a lot of orchids
changed hands recently & now there's mostly common houseplants
in their greenhouse (with the exception of some lovely
Nepenthes).
lee

I have a bee-you-tiful Nepenthe sitting in my kitchen window. Love
those things.

Boron

"Boron Elgar" wrote in message
...

Do that. The leaves will give a good idea of the broad type of orchid
it is.



He did, and I voted phalenopsis.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/redenig...3/in/photostre
am/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/redenig...3/in/photostre
am/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/redenig...7/in/photostre
am/

or try this:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/redenigma/




--
Toni
Hills of Kentucky
USDA Zone 6b
http://www.cearbhaill.com

On Thu, 10 Jul 2008 08:51:32 -0400, "Buderschnookie"
wrote:


"Boron Elgar" wrote in message
.. .

Do that. The leaves will give a good idea of the broad type of orchid
it is.



He did, and I voted phalenopsis.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/redenig...3/in/photostre
am/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/redenig...3/in/photostre
am/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/redenig...7/in/photostre
am/

or try this:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/redenigma/


Eyup. I'd agree.

Boron