The Orchid Garden

Cattleya help/Vanda advice needed

Question:

Since it’s so cool during the day, I have watered it once every other week by almost submerging it in a pot of water and letting it sit for 5 minutes, letting it drain, and putting it back on the pebble tray.

Its really dry in your apartment so water it 3 times a week or everytime your potting medium even remotely appears dry!. he’s thirsty and wants sun (full sun) I have not fed the plant at all. I’ve had it, oh, about 1.5-2 months now. One nursery person said to feed it, another said to feed it next month. Opinions?

You can feed it almost at every watering. I have and it does not hurt em. a tiny Catt seedling that has mealybugs (it’s separated from the other plants, I’m using rubbing alcohol to kill the bugs…is there a better way?),

Yes, use Malathion (it will not harm them) mix accroding to instructions. rubbing alcohol is a loosing battle. I have had the exact same problem.  I’ve been misting it every other day, in the mornings. Should I feed it now? or wait?

Give your vanda full sun and water it fully (I mean drown the thing every day) I water mine sometimes 4 times a day and its blooming like mad. You can never overwater your vanda if its roots are over 90% exposed to open air. Thanks! Janice Ritter —     and                                                                Jagger vom Mack-Zwinger    (GSD, 2 yrs, male)                        Lakeland’s Kaylie __?__    (GSD, 10 wks, female)

"Man is sometimes  extraordinarily, passionately, in love with suffering".

Response:

I received a couple of orchids as gifts from people who know I enjoy plants, and because the orchids were dying and I tend to be able to help dying plants record. I’m a total orchid newbie, though, and now need some help. (I do grow carniverous plants and lots of other stuff successfully, so I’m not a plant newbie, anyho, but this orchid stuff is neww). I have a cattleya that is in a bark mixture in an orchid pot. It was doing rather well (looked green, healthy, etc), and it started putting out new growth. The new growth, however, started to really yellow after a couple of weeks, and then the tip of the new leaf started spotting/turning brown. The leaf is not brittle – it’s soft. In other plants, that, to me, says "overwatering" and/or "cold drafts."   The plant is kept in a large southern exposure window, I live in  Boston, MA, USA. The air is *very* dry here (we have forced hot air heat ) and since it’s frigid out, the heat is on a lot. It’s 55 degrees inside during the day, 65 when we’re home, and 60 at night. I’ve been misting the plant every few days in the mornings, and it sits in a pebble tray, but the water level is below the pot level, so the plant isn’t standing in ANY water. Since it’s so cool during the day, I have watered it once every other week by almost submerging it in a pot of water and letting it sit for 5 minutes, letting it drain, and putting it back on the pebble tray. I have not fed the plant at all. I’ve had it, oh, about 1.5-2 months now. One nursery person said to feed it, another said to feed it next month. Opinions? I asked my local nursery people about this leaf yellowing, and they just said that it’s happening to some of their orchids too, and not to worry about it since the rest of the plant looks fine. To me, that means "we don’t know what’s wrong with your plant." (I wish they’d just say that.) Can anybody help? The other orchids I have are actually plants that were "abused" by other people – I have a Dendrobium that had root rot, a tiny Catt seedling that has mealybugs (it’s separated from the other plants, I’m using rubbing alcohol to kill the bugs…is there a better way?), and a tiny Vanda seedling that is doing fine in my southern exposure window, sitting in a little charcoal, and that’s it. The Vanda, I know, will need special lights eventually. Potting it is a mystery – should I keep it sitting on charcoal, or pot it loosely in bark? I’ve been misting it every other day, in the mornings. Should I feed it now? or wait? Thanks! Janice Ritter —     and                                                                Jagger vom Mack-Zwinger    (GSD, 2 yrs, male)                        Lakeland’s Kaylie __?__    (GSD, 10 wks, female)                    

Response:

Filed under: Dendrobium Orchid

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