Hi all,

I've been growing orchids for about two years now. For the most part,
they're growing well and reblooming for me. I turned my dining room into a
plant and craft room, with the orchids in two south facing windows with
sheer curtains. The temp is around 65-70 at night and anywhere from 70-80
during the day, depending on how much sun there is. The humidity is around
45-50%, with the help of a humidifier during heating season. I'm growing
Phals, Oncidiums, a couple Dends, standard Cymbidiums (haven't been
successful reblooming those yet), and mini Catts. Almost everything is in
S/H, some are in a CHC/charcoal/perlite mix. I am a big fan of blue
flowers, and I would like to try Vandas, especially after seeing Ray's
recent picture of ?? Thai Sky. Could I grow them successfully in these
conditions and if so what culture method should I try? TIA for any help.
I've learned so much from this group!

Chris

If you like blue flower, why don`t you try the:

Dtps. Kenneth Schulbert
Phal Gulf Stream

Bye

Claude

"Chris Ridge" wrote in message
news:TCSzb.28270$_M.121897@attbi_s54...
| Hi all,
|
| I've been growing orchids for about two years now. For the most part,
| they're growing well and reblooming for me. I turned my dining room into
a
| plant and craft room, with the orchids in two south facing windows with
| sheer curtains. The temp is around 65-70 at night and anywhere from 70-80
| during the day, depending on how much sun there is. The humidity is
around
| 45-50%, with the help of a humidifier during heating season. I'm growing
| Phals, Oncidiums, a couple Dends, standard Cymbidiums (haven't been
| successful reblooming those yet), and mini Catts. Almost everything is in
| S/H, some are in a CHC/charcoal/perlite mix. I am a big fan of blue
| flowers, and I would like to try Vandas, especially after seeing Ray's
| recent picture of ?? Thai Sky. Could I grow them successfully in these
| conditions and if so what culture method should I try? TIA for any help.
| I've learned so much from this group!
|
| Chris
|
|

Well, I know Ascda Princess Mikasa will grow and bloom in pots indoors. I
think that's a pretty bulletproof orchid. And, IMHO, drop dead gorgeous to
boot. I guess that's why they are readily available. Come in both pink and
purple colors. I had mine in a plastic pot in medium bark. Under the
brightest light I could manage. (Either in a window or later under lights)
Like an idiot I let that one die one day, and it didn't bother me too much,
thinking it was too common. Ha! Only a fool doesn't recognize a truly
charming friend when one sees it. I have since rebought 2.

K Barrett

"Chris Ridge" wrote in message
news:TCSzb.28270$_M.121897@attbi_s54...
Hi all,

I've been growing orchids for about two years now. For the most part,
they're growing well and reblooming for me. I turned my dining room into
a
plant and craft room, with the orchids in two south facing windows with
sheer curtains. The temp is around 65-70 at night and anywhere from 70-80
during the day, depending on how much sun there is. The humidity is
around
45-50%, with the help of a humidifier during heating season. I'm growing
Phals, Oncidiums, a couple Dends, standard Cymbidiums (haven't been
successful reblooming those yet), and mini Catts. Almost everything is in
S/H, some are in a CHC/charcoal/perlite mix. I am a big fan of blue
flowers, and I would like to try Vandas, especially after seeing Ray's
recent picture of ?? Thai Sky. Could I grow them successfully in these
conditions and if so what culture method should I try? TIA for any help.
I've learned so much from this group!

Chris

Any suggestions for vendors that carry these?

Thanks and Happy Holidays.

Frank
"Claude" wrote in message
...
If you like blue flower, why don`t you try the:

Dtps. Kenneth Schulbert
Phal Gulf Stream

Bye

Claude

"Chris Ridge" wrote in message
news:TCSzb.28270$_M.121897@attbi_s54...
| Hi all,
|
| I've been growing orchids for about two years now. For the most part,
| they're growing well and reblooming for me. I turned my dining room
into
a
| plant and craft room, with the orchids in two south facing windows with
| sheer curtains. The temp is around 65-70 at night and anywhere from
70-80
| during the day, depending on how much sun there is. The humidity is
around
| 45-50%, with the help of a humidifier during heating season. I'm
growing
| Phals, Oncidiums, a couple Dends, standard Cymbidiums (haven't been
| successful reblooming those yet), and mini Catts. Almost everything is
in
| S/H, some are in a CHC/charcoal/perlite mix. I am a big fan of blue
| flowers, and I would like to try Vandas, especially after seeing Ray's
| recent picture of ?? Thai Sky. Could I grow them successfully in these
| conditions and if so what culture method should I try? TIA for any
help.
| I've learned so much from this group!
|
| Chris
|
|

Goodwin Orchids carries them. They are on the web.

--

Hugs,
Molli


"Frank H. Kirchner" wrote in message
news:EwaAb.37306$_h.34952@lakeread02...
Any suggestions for vendors that carry these?

Thanks and Happy Holidays.

Frank
"Claude" wrote in message
...
If you like blue flower, why don`t you try the:

Dtps. Kenneth Schulbert
Phal Gulf Stream

Bye

Claude

"Chris Ridge" wrote in message
news:TCSzb.28270$_M.121897@attbi_s54...
| Hi all,
|
| I've been growing orchids for about two years now. For the most part,
| they're growing well and reblooming for me. I turned my dining room
into
a
| plant and craft room, with the orchids in two south facing windows
with
| sheer curtains. The temp is around 65-70 at night and anywhere from
70-80
| during the day, depending on how much sun there is. The humidity is
around
| 45-50%, with the help of a humidifier during heating season. I'm
growing
| Phals, Oncidiums, a couple Dends, standard Cymbidiums (haven't been
| successful reblooming those yet), and mini Catts. Almost everything
is
in
| S/H, some are in a CHC/charcoal/perlite mix. I am a big fan of blue
| flowers, and I would like to try Vandas, especially after seeing Ray's
| recent picture of ?? Thai Sky. Could I grow them successfully in
these
| conditions and if so what culture method should I try? TIA for any
help.
| I've learned so much from this group!
|
| Chris
|
|

Second Kathy on the Princess Mikasa. It's a blooming fool! The longest
ours has ever gone without a spike working is a couple of weeks.

Lots of sun, though, and plenty of water and food, Chris.

Diana

On Sat, 06 Dec 2003 23:10:49 GMT, "Diana Kulaga"
wrote:

Second Kathy on the Princess Mikasa. It's a blooming fool! The longest
ours has ever gone without a spike working is a couple of weeks.

Lots of sun, though, and plenty of water and food, Chris.

Diana


Ascda. Princess Mikasa is the easiest Ascda (vanda style) thing I
have grown and bloomed. If you have trouble blooming it you will
have trouble with other vandaceous and it is time to stick to
Phal or Doritis crosses.

I am surprised that with a 70-70 day and night temp. you are
getting spikes. Or are you saying if it is 70 during the day it
will drop to 60 at night and it is 80 during the day it will drop
to 70 at night? It is the 10 degree shift that is important,
more than where the temp. is after the shift.

Your apt to be more successful with mini cym or Chinese Cym than
with the standards. The Standards need - no DEMAND the temp.
drop to set buds. They are notorious for promising a spike only
to produce a new growth when that green point unfurls. Cym
Golden Elf is one of the Minis that is reliable and will often
bloom twice a year. Once mid-summer.

People I knew with standard cym. left them outside until they
were snow covered to get the proper chill. Then they would bring
them into the gh and hope. If you had a killing frost ahead of
the snow -- you lost the entire bet.

SuE
http://orchids.legolas.org/gallery/albums.php

I think I said this already, but I forget, and its on a different subject
from what the original poster asked but here goes anyway. Another blooming
fool is Blc George King 'Serendipity'. Always a nice flower, always blooms
no matter how much I ignore it. I use a pelletized fertilizer in the medium
because I usually forget to fertilize, so that must be the reason why it
blooms for me. As you all know my hands are stained brown with the sap of
all the orchids I've killed. But anyway it is a flower that always blooms
with good form, good color, good size, and good flower count.

There aren't many bullet proof plants in my collection. Most are species or
others that I collected because they were difficult. Like I said, early on I
mistakenly thought that if an orchid bloomed easily under my conditions then
it *had* to be no good, too common or not fancy enough. I mean, what sort of
an orchid would actually *like* me? Sort of like why join a club that would
want you for a member? So I have a bunch of stuff that you either have to
tweak or pamper or otherwise sacrifice virgins to the gods in order to get
them to bloom. Pah!

Iwan. Apple Blossom is another. Pleasant fragrance, nice flower. I don't
like the tall spike, but when I had it it was one that my friends always
oohed and ahhed over. They never understood the warty paph or dinky
bulbophyllum. But boy those Apple Blossoms!

Needless to say my collection is currently in a state of flux.

Anyone else have stuff they are always happy with?

Oh plus there's an unnamed hybrid I got from Stewart's a few years back
thats' Blc Old Whitey x Sierra Blanca. Always grows, always blooms. Nice
white flower, good shape. Good size. I doubt Stewart's would have any more
of them per se, but they still have similar stuff on their website.

K

"Susan Erickson" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 06 Dec 2003 23:10:49 GMT, "Diana Kulaga"
wrote:

Second Kathy on the Princess Mikasa. It's a blooming fool! The longest
ours has ever gone without a spike working is a couple of weeks.

Lots of sun, though, and plenty of water and food, Chris.

Diana


Ascda. Princess Mikasa is the easiest Ascda (vanda style) thing I
have grown and bloomed. If you have trouble blooming it you will
have trouble with other vandaceous and it is time to stick to
Phal or Doritis crosses.

I am surprised that with a 70-70 day and night temp. you are
getting spikes. Or are you saying if it is 70 during the day it
will drop to 60 at night and it is 80 during the day it will drop
to 70 at night? It is the 10 degree shift that is important,
more than where the temp. is after the shift.

Your apt to be more successful with mini cym or Chinese Cym than
with the standards. The Standards need - no DEMAND the temp.
drop to set buds. They are notorious for promising a spike only
to produce a new growth when that green point unfurls. Cym
Golden Elf is one of the Minis that is reliable and will often
bloom twice a year. Once mid-summer.

People I knew with standard cym. left them outside until they
were snow covered to get the proper chill. Then they would bring
them into the gh and hope. If you had a killing frost ahead of
the snow -- you lost the entire bet.

SuE
http://orchids.legolas.org/gallery/albums.php

Thanks Sue, Kathy and Diana for suggesting Ascda. Princess Mikasa. I think
I'll give it a try.

My phals and some of the cyms spent this summer outdoors. I brought them
inside this fall when the night temp got down to 50 for the phals and 40 for
the cyms. I didn't know that the standard cyms were so difficult to
rebloom. They've been putting out new growth, but no flower spikes. Maybe
they need more light as well as a big temp drop? Oh well, live and learn.
Hmm, they do take up a lot of space where I could put other new plants ;-).

As far as the temp in my growing room goes, it is consistently around 65-70
at night. On sunny days, the room warms up to about 80, on cloudy days it
stays 65-70. So, on sunny days there is a ten degree temp shift and on
cloudy days there is no shift. This seems to be enough to get the phals to
spike, but not the cyms.

Thanks everyone for your advice.

Chris

"Susan Erickson" schrieb im Newsbeitrag
...

Ascda. Princess Mikasa is the easiest Ascda (vanda style) thing I
have grown and bloomed. If you have trouble blooming it you will
have trouble with other vandaceous and it is time to stick to
Phal or Doritis crosses.

Susan, is it easier than Lou Sneary? Comparable light, or more? I may give
it a try if it is easier!
--
Reka
I don't give a damn for a man that can only spell a word one way.
Mark Twain (1835 - 1910)


---
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"Susan Erickson" schrieb im Newsbeitrag
...

Ascda. Princess Mikasa is the easiest Ascda (vanda style) thing I
have grown and bloomed. If you have trouble blooming it you will
have trouble with other vandaceous and it is time to stick to
Phal or Doritis crosses.

Susan, is it easier than Lou Sneary? Comparable light, or more? I may give
it a try if it is easier!
--
Reka
I don't give a damn for a man that can only spell a word one way.
Mark Twain (1835 - 1910)


---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.545 / Virus Database: 339 - Release Date: 27.11.03

I figured I should post a pic of the unnamed white catt from Stewart's,
http://www.orchidtrek.com/whtcatt.jpg

K

"K Barrett" wrote in message
news:OoKAb.450519$HS4.3529225@attbi_s01...
I think I said this already, but I forget, and its on a different subject
from what the original poster asked but here goes anyway. Another blooming
fool is Blc George King 'Serendipity'. Always a nice flower, always blooms
no matter how much I ignore it. I use a pelletized fertilizer in the
medium
because I usually forget to fertilize, so that must be the reason why it
blooms for me. As you all know my hands are stained brown with the sap of
all the orchids I've killed. But anyway it is a flower that always blooms
with good form, good color, good size, and good flower count.

There aren't many bullet proof plants in my collection. Most are species
or
others that I collected because they were difficult. Like I said, early on
I
mistakenly thought that if an orchid bloomed easily under my conditions
then
it *had* to be no good, too common or not fancy enough. I mean, what sort
of
an orchid would actually *like* me? Sort of like why join a club that
would
want you for a member? So I have a bunch of stuff that you either have to
tweak or pamper or otherwise sacrifice virgins to the gods in order to get
them to bloom. Pah!

Iwan. Apple Blossom is another. Pleasant fragrance, nice flower. I don't
like the tall spike, but when I had it it was one that my friends always
oohed and ahhed over. They never understood the warty paph or dinky
bulbophyllum. But boy those Apple Blossoms!

Needless to say my collection is currently in a state of flux.

Anyone else have stuff they are always happy with?

Oh plus there's an unnamed hybrid I got from Stewart's a few years back
thats' Blc Old Whitey x Sierra Blanca. Always grows, always blooms. Nice
white flower, good shape. Good size. I doubt Stewart's would have any more
of them per se, but they still have similar stuff on their website.

K

"Susan Erickson" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 06 Dec 2003 23:10:49 GMT, "Diana Kulaga"
wrote:

Second Kathy on the Princess Mikasa. It's a blooming fool! The
longest
ours has ever gone without a spike working is a couple of weeks.

Lots of sun, though, and plenty of water and food, Chris.

Diana


Ascda. Princess Mikasa is the easiest Ascda (vanda style) thing I
have grown and bloomed. If you have trouble blooming it you will
have trouble with other vandaceous and it is time to stick to
Phal or Doritis crosses.

I am surprised that with a 70-70 day and night temp. you are
getting spikes. Or are you saying if it is 70 during the day it
will drop to 60 at night and it is 80 during the day it will drop
to 70 at night? It is the 10 degree shift that is important,
more than where the temp. is after the shift.

Your apt to be more successful with mini cym or Chinese Cym than
with the standards. The Standards need - no DEMAND the temp.
drop to set buds. They are notorious for promising a spike only
to produce a new growth when that green point unfurls. Cym
Golden Elf is one of the Minis that is reliable and will often
bloom twice a year. Once mid-summer.

People I knew with standard cym. left them outside until they
were snow covered to get the proper chill. Then they would bring
them into the gh and hope. If you had a killing frost ahead of
the snow -- you lost the entire bet.

SuE
http://orchids.legolas.org/gallery/albums.php

On Sun, 7 Dec 2003 22:45:28 +0100, "Reka"
wrote:

"Susan Erickson" schrieb im Newsbeitrag
.. .

Ascda. Princess Mikasa is the easiest Ascda (vanda style) thing I
have grown and bloomed. If you have trouble blooming it you will
have trouble with other vandaceous and it is time to stick to
Phal or Doritis crosses.

Susan, is it easier than Lou Sneary? Comparable light, or more? I may give
it a try if it is easier!


Ascda Princess Mikasa will bloom when Lou Sneary will not think
of it. My Princesses (one Pink one Blue) bloom so often that I
have had wilting flowers from one spike mess up the clean buds on
the next spike. This is the blooming fool that likes most
people and generally gives a nice show of flowers. I have
noticed that if it blooms with more light and fertilizer the
flowers are bigger. But that is not surprising after all.

You bloom several Light HOGS you should not have any trouble with
the Princess.
SuE
http://orchids.legolas.org/gallery/albums.php

"Susan Erickson" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 7 Dec 2003 22:45:28 +0100, "Reka"
wrote:

"Susan Erickson" schrieb im Newsbeitrag
.. .

Ascda. Princess Mikasa is the easiest Ascda (vanda style) thing I
have grown and bloomed. If you have trouble blooming it you will
have trouble with other vandaceous and it is time to stick to
Phal or Doritis crosses.

Susan, is it easier than Lou Sneary? Comparable light, or more? I may
give
it a try if it is easier!


Ascda Princess Mikasa will bloom when Lou Sneary will not think
of it. My Princesses (one Pink one Blue) bloom so often that I
have had wilting flowers from one spike mess up the clean buds on
the next spike. This is the blooming fool that likes most
people and generally gives a nice show of flowers. I have
noticed that if it blooms with more light and fertilizer the
flowers are bigger. But that is not surprising after all.

You bloom several Light HOGS you should not have any trouble with
the Princess.
SuE
http://orchids.legolas.org/gallery/albums.php

"Chris Ridge" wrote in message news:TCSzb.28270$_M.121897@attbi_s54...
Hi all,

I've been growing orchids for about two years now. For the most part,
they're growing well and reblooming for me. I turned my dining room into a
plant and craft room, with the orchids in two south facing windows with
sheer curtains. The temp is around 65-70 at night and anywhere from 70-80
during the day-- standard Cymbidiums (haven't been
successful reblooming those yet),
Chris
Cymbidians need a chill. Some of the hybrids will bloom after
exposure to temps in the 40's, I've got a mystery cym that needs to
get down freezing. If you don't have an unheated area you might try
ice packs around the pots to make it think it has gotten the chill it
needs. It takes several days of that type of chill. In Alabama the
temperature wasn't as severe as Missouri. I would leave it outside
until the weather forecast temps below freezing (got down to 26
degrees once, burned the leaves, but bloomed). Except for temps below
the threshold (I watch for lows of 28 to 30 d. F) the plants stayed
out most of the winter.

In Missouri it's trickier because it seems to go between chill and
really cold. No borderline temps for long enough. My slap 'em up
along side the head, cym are back on the balcony right now, and I'm
watching the forecasted low temps, ready to bring them back inside.

After the spikes start forming, moderate the temperature. Too cold or
too warm will damage the spikes.

Nancyg