Newbie Needs Help!
 

Please guide me through this-two of my dendrobium orchids I "rescued"
from the grocery store have finished blooming and I need to know what
to do with the stem in cutting it? After the flowers were spent and I
took them off as they were wilted and dead and the remaining ones were
still on the stem, now the stems have no flowers.

Do I cut the stem all the way down to the leaves or just at where the
first bloom first started and bloomed?

Leaves are beautiful green and growing especially on the first rescue
the second only has three leaves but green.

Thank you for any help. If these survive with my black thumb I will
kiss the blooms and leaves! Grin. My Christmas Cactus have survived
with my black thumb and continue to bloom every year at Christmas so I
must be doing something right.

Anyone here "talk" to their orchids"?

Michelle

Hi, Michelle,

Welcome to Orchid Growers Anonymous!

First, it sounds like you have things well in hand; the plants sound
healthy. Once a Dendrobium spike has dropped its flowers it will not
rebloom, so it's okay to cut it all the way back, using a sterile tool or a
new, single edged razor blade (we're big on sanitation!). It's not unusual
for standard Dends to lose leaves due to stress or changes in temperature or
location, and Dends can and do bloom on bare canes, so don't cut the canes
unless there is some kind of rot.

They like plenty of light, but not direct, unfiltered sun.

Do we talk to our orchids? Hah! We talk to them, cajole them, play music for
them, argue with them, and write stories imagining the antics they pull when
we are not around. We occasionally threaten one with the salad shredder;
that generally produces blooms.

Stay in touch.

Diana

Loved your response about talking to orchids!!
Gail
"Diana Kulaga" wrote in message
ink.net...
Hi, Michelle,

Welcome to Orchid Growers Anonymous!

First, it sounds like you have things well in hand; the plants sound
healthy. Once a Dendrobium spike has dropped its flowers it will not
rebloom, so it's okay to cut it all the way back, using a sterile tool or
a
new, single edged razor blade (we're big on sanitation!). It's not unusual
for standard Dends to lose leaves due to stress or changes in temperature
or
location, and Dends can and do bloom on bare canes, so don't cut the canes
unless there is some kind of rot.

They like plenty of light, but not direct, unfiltered sun.

Do we talk to our orchids? Hah! We talk to them, cajole them, play music
for
them, argue with them, and write stories imagining the antics they pull
when
we are not around. We occasionally threaten one with the salad shredder;
that generally produces blooms.

Stay in touch.

Diana

On Sat, 11 Jun 2005 21:55:59 GMT, "Diana Kulaga"
wrote:

Hi, Michelle,

Welcome to Orchid Growers Anonymous!

First, it sounds like you have things well in hand; the plants sound
healthy. Once a Dendrobium spike has dropped its flowers it will not
rebloom, so it's okay to cut it all the way back, using a sterile tool or a
new, single edged razor blade (we're big on sanitation!). It's not unusual
for standard Dends to lose leaves due to stress or changes in temperature or
location, and Dends can and do bloom on bare canes, so don't cut the canes
unless there is some kind of rot.

They like plenty of light, but not direct, unfiltered sun.

Do we talk to our orchids? Hah! We talk to them, cajole them, play music for
them, argue with them, and write stories imagining the antics they pull when
we are not around. We occasionally threaten one with the salad shredder;
that generally produces blooms.

Stay in touch.

Diana