For example, when I am potting, I use an old lazy susan.
I put it in a wide flat bowl which catches any spillage & is clean
enough to use.

--
Cheers Wendy

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Wendy,

What a good idea you have for this thread!

My idea: Since I fertilize my orchids every other watering now, I needed a
way to remind myself whether the last time the plants had been fertilized or
not. I bought a packet of small candles-on-toothpicks, the type you put in a
birthday cake. A candle in the pot means that I fertilized it, whereas no
candle means that I did not. Since the candles are multicolored, it also
adds a bit of flimsy charm to the plants that are not in bloom, IMHO.

Best,
Joanna

"wendy7" wrote in message
news:0o%Hc.312$f9.280@fed1read02...
For example, when I am potting, I use an old lazy susan.
I put it in a wide flat bowl which catches any spillage & is clean
enough to use.

--
Cheers Wendy

Remove PETERPAN for email reply

My tip: a spool of thin galvanized wire can be very versatile
in creating hooks for mounts, hangers for wood baskets, securing
a plant in its pot, etc. etc.

---Prem
www.premdesign.com

I have a solution to the problem of securing plants in plastic pots. I
seem to need this a lot - rootless divisions, topheavy plants.I don't
like to pack the mix tightly, so a stake down through it won't help. So,
for bulbos (which can be shaped like a roller coaster), any catts,
milts, brassias, tall dens, etc, I find rhizome clips don't work well
with plastic pots. I use an old soldering iron (alternately a long
rhizome clip laid over a stove burner on high for a short while,
carefully handled with a potholder) to burn holes in the sides of the
pot opposite each other just a little below the level of the rhizome.
Then I insert a bamboo stake (from the grocery for shishkabobs) which
should be just snug enough down on the plant to hold it firmly. I leave
about 1/8-1/4" of it sticking out either side and clip off the excess
with wire snips. Works great, is inexpensive and so adaptable to
different plants and pots.

In the "Wish I'd Thought of This" category: A wonderful lady in our society
uses oxygen occasionally. In June she came to the board meeting with all
kinds of narrow plastic tubing that she doesn't need. She uses it to cover
wire hangers that might burn tender leaves and inflors in our hot FL
summers.

Diana

On Mon, 12 Jul 2004 21:06:51 GMT, "Diana Kulaga"
wrote:

In the "Wish I'd Thought of This" category: A wonderful lady in our society
uses oxygen occasionally. In June she came to the board meeting with all
kinds of narrow plastic tubing that she doesn't need. She uses it to cover
wire hangers that might burn tender leaves and inflors in our hot FL
summers.

Along the same lines, I have a cat with kidney problem that I have to
give daily sub-q fluids. The iv-set line (the tubing the runs from
the fluid bag to the needle) is probably about the same size or
smaller than the tubing you describe. I've used it over wire as a
cushion when wiring plants into baskets and slide it over the hook in
wire flower stakes to avoid damage to the spike.

Some else mention bamboo stakes previously and they have all sorts of
uses from a quick flower stake for small plants, to propping up a new
leaf that is flopping over, to steadying rootless pseudobulbs potted
in sphagnum, to removing scale in hard to get to places. And they are
cheap.

Also, I keep a spray bottle of Ray's alcohol-based cinnamon extract on
hand. Sprayed on a Q-tip, it can be used to treat scale and mealies,
and it's handy to treat fungal / bacterial problem.

And the most important thing I learned about growing plants inside -
put a fan in your growing area and let it run continuously. It helps
prevent a host of problems.

deg

I use a kind of wire that is covered in dark green plastic. I adore it.
Maybe it's something like that Prem uses?
I can recommend the plastic-covered kind. I use it to anything orchidrelated
when needing support or thread. It is also possible to make baskets of it,
if you have some patience and creativity.

/Hillevi
Sweden

"Aaron Hicks" skrev i meddelandet
...
Prem: No problems with the galvanized hurting the plants?

I've been using "Glide" dental tape to affix very small orchids to
plaques. It's wide enough that it doesn't cut into plants, unlike
monofilament, and you can tie pretty good knots into it. Although, I
confess, I sometimes have to use hemostats or tweezers to do so. Sometimes
it's more like tying flies than mounting orchids!

The e-mail address in the header isn't valid. Send no mail there.

-AJHicks
Chandler, AZ

I recently made some clay pots to use for growing orchids. The look good,
and it's possible to make holes in the pots adapted especially for the kind
of plant you plan to pot in it.

I think the pots look better than the plastic ones, and I use RO-water, so
I'm avoiding the buildup of salts from water, which is a negative thing
often mentioned about using clay pots.
The clay pots also chills the roots better on my cooler-growing species,
such as masdevallias, so the clay pots saves me some work during the summer.

It's also possible to make all kinds of imaginative smaller pots/plaques for
mounting.
The clay also retent a little moisture, I have noticed that this seems to
have a good effect on some of my smaller species.

I think it is quite easy to find an evening-course or the like in pottery.
It's also kind of a fun hobby, especially when you have a clear idea what to
do (e g a clear idea of all the orchids to pot)

//Hillevi
Sweden

I've been using a large tub used to mix small batches of concrete for a
potting tub. Holds a lot of medium. Also makes a nice tray to cart potting
materials around in. (Stakes, bark mix, wires, pots, cutters, torch - you
know... all the "stuff") I used to put this stuff in a kitty litter pan,
but it just wasn't large enough.

K Barrett

"Orchidguy" wrote in message
. ..
very good idea!!!!!!!!!!
Todd
"wendy7" wrote in message
news:0o%Hc.312$f9.280@fed1read02...
For example, when I am potting, I use an old lazy susan.
I put it in a wide flat bowl which catches any spillage & is clean
enough to use.

--
Cheers Wendy

Remove PETERPAN for email reply

On Tue, 13 Jul 2004 19:46:41 GMT, "K Barrett"
wrote:

I've been using a large tub used to mix small batches of concrete for a
potting tub. Holds a lot of medium.

I use the same thing. Works like a charm. And, it slide right under
the cheap prefab workbench from HD that I use as a potting table.

The best idea I've come up with, at least for Florida, is to screen in
my orchid porch. Dang mosquitos can make life miserable.

bb

K Barrett wrote:

I've been using a large tub used to mix small batches of concrete for a
potting tub. Holds a lot of medium. Also makes a nice tray to cart potting
materials around in. (Stakes, bark mix, wires, pots, cutters, torch - you
know... all the "stuff") I used to put this stuff in a kitty litter pan,
but it just wasn't large enough.


If I ever repot (since I do it so frequently ... *grin*), I always
use two big plastic storage tubs (25 - 30 gallons, maybe?). The heavy
'Rubbermaid' kind. I mix medium in each. They stack, and (if you get
the right size) the lower one makes a sturdy 'bench' just the right
height so that you can pot right out of the upper tub. Lots of room for
scooping, stuffing, etc. I keep another tub or two empty, for the
debris and old mix. When you run out of mix, swap the tubs and keep on
going.

And, since you know you aren't going to be getting bored with
orchids any time soon, buy the big bags of bark/coconut/spongerock,
etc.. Go to a local commercial grower and stock up, they are usually
happy to sell you this stuff for a small markup. You will save
mega-dollars over buying small bags of premade mix.

I actually have many of those big storage tubs (which I buy on sale,
mind you). I store all sorts of potting materials in them, fertilizer,
and the "stuff" mentioned above. They stack better than bags (and
cardboard boxes just get soggy) and it is easier to get stuff in and out
of them. Keeps things dry (or damp, if you like to store things that
way). If your stuff is in tubs you can store it in the growing area
under the benches (if that is otherwise wasted space, of course). If
you are really organized you can use one of those label maker thingies
to tag them (I just open boxes till I find what I want).

Oh, and old orchid mix makes great mulch for your flower beds...

--
Rob's Rules: http://www.msu.edu/~halgren
1) There is always room for one more orchid
2) There is always room for two more orchids
2a. See rule 1
3) When one has insufficient credit to purchase
more orchids, obtain more credit
LittlefrogFarm is open - e-mail me for a list )

Aaron: Swallow your masculine pride, go to your closest Eckerd or
equivalent [drug store, sometimes also available at grocery stores], and
pick up however many you need of 69 cent queensize pantyhose. Cut off the
"panty" part and discard. Slice the legs into 1/2" strips, best thing you
can possibly find for mounting orchids onto trees or plaques. You should be
able to mount at least 10 small to medium plants with what you get out of
one pair -- no tweezers or hemostats required and, barring the selection of
a hideous color, a fairly unobtrusive appearance [most of the "beige" and
"suntan" shades tend to blend in fairly well with wood mounts].

Some folks also like to make little "bags" from the toe sections, to hold
time-release fert. for hanging plants [tied above the plant]. If you're a
snow- or sun-bird, not home to fertilize for lengthy perionds, this may be
better than nothing, but it doesn't really replace regular spray feeding.

--
Kenni Judd
Juno Beach Orchids
http://www.jborchids.com


"Aaron Hicks" wrote in message
...
Prem: No problems with the galvanized hurting the plants?

I've been using "Glide" dental tape to affix very small orchids to
plaques. It's wide enough that it doesn't cut into plants, unlike
monofilament, and you can tie pretty good knots into it. Although, I
confess, I sometimes have to use hemostats or tweezers to do so. Sometimes
it's more like tying flies than mounting orchids!

The e-mail address in the header isn't valid. Send no mail there.

-AJHicks
Chandler, AZ

G'Day from the Southern Hemisphere,

If you want to mix a large amount of compost, uniformly, there are at
least two ways (again used by local growers from whom I learnt):

Use a rotatable composting bin to mix your potting mix ingredients, be
they bark & charcoal of various grades, peat & perlite, sphagnum and
styrofoam, whatever.

Do it in a cheap concrete mixer, hand rotatable or motor driven.

If your quantity of compost requirements are modest, do it by hand. But
for larger accumulations/collections of orchids, why waste time and
break your back?

Cordially, Phil (Brisbane Australia).

PS G'Day Kye. Haven't seen you for a while mate.


"K Barrett" writes:

I've been using a large tub used to mix small batches of concrete for a
potting tub. Holds a lot of medium. Also makes a nice tray to cart potting
materials around in. (Stakes, bark mix, wires, pots, cutters, torch - you
know... all the "stuff") I used to put this stuff in a kitty litter pan,
but it just wasn't large enough.

K Barrett

--
################################################## #############################
Dr Phil Diamond
Department of Mathematics, University of Queensland, Brisbane,AUSTRALIA 4072.
Tel +61 7 3365 3253 Fax +61 7 3365 1477

Super great ideas so far everyone! Hope we can keep this going
& going.
How about tag colours & the use of them. I use yellow ones for all
the species, white for hybrids. An added red tag is for bug treated plants.

--
Cheers Wendy

Remove PETERPAN for email reply

Rob Halgren wrote:
K Barrett wrote:

I've been using a large tub used to mix small batches of concrete
for a potting tub. Holds a lot of medium. Also makes a nice tray
to cart potting materials around in. (Stakes, bark mix, wires, pots,
cutters, torch - you know... all the "stuff") I used to put this
stuff in a kitty litter pan, but it just wasn't large enough.


If I ever repot (since I do it so frequently ... *grin*), I always
use two big plastic storage tubs (25 - 30 gallons, maybe?). The heavy
'Rubbermaid' kind. I mix medium in each. They stack, and (if you
get the right size) the lower one makes a sturdy 'bench' just the
right height so that you can pot right out of the upper tub. Lots of
room for scooping, stuffing, etc. I keep another tub or two empty,
for the debris and old mix. When you run out of mix, swap the tubs
and keep on going.

And, since you know you aren't going to be getting bored with
orchids any time soon, buy the big bags of bark/coconut/spongerock,
etc.. Go to a local commercial grower and stock up, they are usually
happy to sell you this stuff for a small markup. You will save
mega-dollars over buying small bags of premade mix.

I actually have many of those big storage tubs (which I buy on
sale, mind you). I store all sorts of potting materials in them,
fertilizer, and the "stuff" mentioned above. They stack better
than bags (and cardboard boxes just get soggy) and it is easier to
get stuff in and out of them. Keeps things dry (or damp, if you like
to store things that way). If your stuff is in tubs you can store it
in the growing area under the benches (if that is otherwise wasted
space, of course). If you are really organized you can use one of
those label maker thingies to tag them (I just open boxes till I find
what I want).

Oh, and old orchid mix makes great mulch for your flower beds...

On Tue, 13 Jul 2004 19:46:41 GMT, "K Barrett"
wrote:

I've been using a large tub used to mix small batches of concrete for a
potting tub. Holds a lot of medium. Also makes a nice tray to cart potting
materials around in. (Stakes, bark mix, wires, pots, cutters, torch - you
know... all the "stuff") I used to put this stuff in a kitty litter pan,
but it just wasn't large enough.

K Barrett


A second "cement tub" makes a great waste basket. Unpot over it.
Dump all the old mix in, now you can cart it away at the end of
the day. Unless your one who uses "used orchid bark" for ground
cover mulch. In which case you only need the waste basket to
help you move the new "mulch" to the correct area of the garden.

I used to have a potting bench that used these tubs for drawers.
Top one was for the waste basket - the bench had a stuff hole so
you could wipe everything in to like a cook does with the
vegetable scraps. Second drawer was the current mix. Third was
the mounts that were waiting for a new plant. It gave way to 3
shelves of Paphs.... So now the mix is in Cat litter buckets.
One for moss, one for peanuts (bottom of the pots or slatted
basket fill), sponge rock, CHC (2 sizes) Charcoal,.. [Several
years of cats and a saving style - what can I say.] The handle
makes it easy to move. Reasonable to use in a tight area. Of
course there are the big keepers else where.
SuE
http://orchids.legolas.org/gallery/albums.php