[Disclaimer: Please do not take the following message seriously. It's not
meant to be. But if you have any anecdotes for this topic, please post.]

Now I am quite concerned, since several experienced growers have pointed out
that I won't get certified as an rgo'er or orchid grower until I have killed
a lot of orchids. I have been trying really hard, but in my limited
experience orchids are just too hard to kill.

After one week of owning my first orchid, I dropped the blinds on the orchid
plant, it lived and was fine. For the first year I gave the first two plants
only northern light with huge trees outside the windows, that did not kill
them, and one of them rewarded me with a keiki. Another time I have knocked
over the flower stand, and several of the clay orchid pots fell from up
high, shattered into little pieces, after being repotted the orchid plants
didn't seem to have noticed that anything traumatic occurred and they
continued to flourish. I have even been very bad about fertilizing:
overfertilizing the first year, and then not fertilizing at all for a long
time -- no flowers after overfertilizing, but not fertilizing at all for
long time led to beautiful large flowers (now I am trying to be better about
fertilizing regularly though, since my goal for next year is to get one of
my mature plants to start two spikes if possible). I have snapped more Phal
spikes in these three years than I care to recall, but the usual response of
the Phal has been to just regrow a new one immediately. I have had the
humidity drop in my apartment to as low as 20% once, before I noticed, and
refilled the humidifier, the orchids were less concerned than I. Now I
haven't watered a plant for a month, and have been told that it will
probably be fine. So as you can see, the fact that I have not killed an
orchid yet, is not due to lack of trying.

How do you experts manage to kill orchids? I can't do it. I am very talented
at killing all other houseplants, cacti especially, but also some of those
plants (like dumbcane for example) that are supposed to be nearly impossible
to kill. I can kill them in almost no time at all. But I have never killed
an orchid yet, and if I have to kill a hundred before being taken seriously
by experts, I will need to learn from you experts how it can be done.

Joanna

On Sun, 08 Feb 2004 04:13:39 GMT, "J Fortuna"
wrote:

How do you experts manage to kill orchids? I can't do it. I am very talented
at killing all other houseplants, cacti especially, but also some of those
plants (like dumbcane for example) that are supposed to be nearly impossible
to kill. I can kill them in almost no time at all. But I have never killed
an orchid yet, and if I have to kill a hundred before being taken seriously
by experts, I will need to learn from you experts how it can be done.

Water more. Keep the potting media good and soppy. Don't repot until
the potting media develops a distinct odor. Limit air flow and have
the foliage wet at night, especially when temperatures are low. Any of
the Psychopsis genus are good about rotting is you are having trouble.
Also, buy expensive orchids. They are expensive because nobody else
can grow them either.

deg

Joanna,

It is obvious that you do not have enough plants, and have not given
yourself enough time to develop the "skills" necessary. As Dewitt, said,
buy some really expensive plants.

Rare species that we as a group are trying to save from extinction are a
good bet.

--

Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com
Plants, Supplies, Books, Artwork, and Lots of Free Info!

.. . . . . . . . . . .
"J Fortuna" wrote in message
...
[Disclaimer: Please do not take the following message seriously. It's not
meant to be. But if you have any anecdotes for this topic, please post.]

Now I am quite concerned, since several experienced growers have pointed
out
that I won't get certified as an rgo'er or orchid grower until I have
killed
a lot of orchids. I have been trying really hard, but in my limited
experience orchids are just too hard to kill.

After one week of owning my first orchid, I dropped the blinds on the
orchid
plant, it lived and was fine. For the first year I gave the first two
plants
only northern light with huge trees outside the windows, that did not kill
them, and one of them rewarded me with a keiki. Another time I have
knocked
over the flower stand, and several of the clay orchid pots fell from up
high, shattered into little pieces, after being repotted the orchid plants
didn't seem to have noticed that anything traumatic occurred and they
continued to flourish. I have even been very bad about fertilizing:
overfertilizing the first year, and then not fertilizing at all for a long
time -- no flowers after overfertilizing, but not fertilizing at all for
long time led to beautiful large flowers (now I am trying to be better
about
fertilizing regularly though, since my goal for next year is to get one of
my mature plants to start two spikes if possible). I have snapped more
Phal
spikes in these three years than I care to recall, but the usual response
of
the Phal has been to just regrow a new one immediately. I have had the
humidity drop in my apartment to as low as 20% once, before I noticed, and
refilled the humidifier, the orchids were less concerned than I. Now I
haven't watered a plant for a month, and have been told that it will
probably be fine. So as you can see, the fact that I have not killed an
orchid yet, is not due to lack of trying.

How do you experts manage to kill orchids? I can't do it. I am very
talented
at killing all other houseplants, cacti especially, but also some of those
plants (like dumbcane for example) that are supposed to be nearly
impossible
to kill. I can kill them in almost no time at all. But I have never killed
an orchid yet, and if I have to kill a hundred before being taken
seriously
by experts, I will need to learn from you experts how it can be done.

Joanna

"Dewitt" wrote in message
...
[snip]
Also, buy expensive orchids. They are expensive because nobody else
can grow them either.

deg


For true, bro.

K Barrett

"Dewitt" wrote in message
...
[snip]
Also, buy expensive orchids. They are expensive because nobody else
can grow them either.

deg


For true, bro.

K Barrett

"Dewitt" wrote in message
...
[snip]
Also, buy expensive orchids. They are expensive because nobody else
can grow them either.

deg


For true, bro.

K Barrett

On Sun, 08 Feb 2004 04:26:30 GMT, Dewitt
wrote:

Also, buy expensive orchids. They are expensive because nobody else
can grow them either.

deg

Here I thought they just died 10% faster for every $10 over the
base price I should have paid. Your telling me they are
actually difficult to grow. I can not believe it. G I think
it has to do with being from the florist or other over priced
local.

Yes, it is true - the more expensive -- the more likely you will
kill it.

Joanna take heart I can not grow an ivy.

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

On Sun, 08 Feb 2004 04:26:30 GMT, Dewitt
wrote:

Also, buy expensive orchids. They are expensive because nobody else
can grow them either.

deg

Here I thought they just died 10% faster for every $10 over the
base price I should have paid. Your telling me they are
actually difficult to grow. I can not believe it. G I think
it has to do with being from the florist or other over priced
local.

Yes, it is true - the more expensive -- the more likely you will
kill it.

Joanna take heart I can not grow an ivy.

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

ROFL! Deg, that's the best explanation of orchid pricing I've ever seen.
Tom
Walnut Creek, CA, USA
(To reply by e-mail, remove APPENDIX)

From: Dewitt
Organization: EarthLink Inc. -- http://www.EarthLink.net
Newsgroups: rec.gardens.orchids
Date: Sun, 08 Feb 2004 04:26:30 GMT
Subject: best ways to kill orchids?

On Sun, 08 Feb 2004 04:13:39 GMT, "J Fortuna"
wrote:

How do you experts manage to kill orchids? I can't do it. I am very talented
at killing all other houseplants, cacti especially, but also some of those
plants (like dumbcane for example) that are supposed to be nearly impossible
to kill. I can kill them in almost no time at all. But I have never killed
an orchid yet, and if I have to kill a hundred before being taken seriously
by experts, I will need to learn from you experts how it can be done.

Water more. Keep the potting media good and soppy. Don't repot until
the potting media develops a distinct odor. Limit air flow and have
the foliage wet at night, especially when temperatures are low. Any of
the Psychopsis genus are good about rotting is you are having trouble.
Also, buy expensive orchids. They are expensive because nobody else
can grow them either.

deg

I was where you are at about a year ago. Within a year I have
managed to kill a good handful of tags. As Ray said... as you
get more plants it becomes easier. A few I have killed due to
not noticing they were staying a little too wet. A few have died
promptly on entering my house, others have died from those
dreaded red spider mites. I seem to have my greatest losses
with the transition between seasons spring and fall. Adjusting
to less or more water seems to send me out of my groove.
Give it time....

Crystal

--
http://home.comcast.net/~xtals/orchid.htm
"J Fortuna" wrote in message
...

How do you experts manage to kill orchids? I can't do it. I am very
talented
at killing all other houseplants, cacti especially, but also some of those
plants (like dumbcane for example) that are supposed to be nearly
impossible
to kill. I can kill them in almost no time at all. But I have never killed
an orchid yet, and if I have to kill a hundred before being taken
seriously
by experts, I will need to learn from you experts how it can be done.

Joanna