The Orchid Garden

Newbie ?s

Question:

Hello, I got an orchid as a gift. I don’t know what kind it is, but it is from Home Depot (which doesn’t seem like the best place to buy an orchid). Do you have a FAQ for this newsgroup? Can you point me to websites to help me identify my orchid? Can you point me to websites to help me take care of my orchid? The orchid had 3 or 4 blooms when recieved. They have since withered and I cut them off. It has 4 leaves, with 2 sets of 2 leaves on top of each other. The bottom set of leaves is now drying up and turning yellow. I water it once a week, allowing all excess to drain out of the bottom of the pot. It currently resides in my windowless office at work with flour. lighting. I’m think the air may be too dry for it. Thanks, Jon

Response:

    Jon,     Congratulations  Here are some links that might help you:     The Orchid Mall: http://www.orchidmall.com/     This is an online collection of various vendors, photo sites, societies and information.     The American Orchid Society: http://orchidweb.org/     Hopefully these two sites will get you started.  The best advice is ‘Don’t Panic’!  Finding out what kind of orchid you have will help both us and you help your orchid.     Good growing,     Karen

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hello, I got an orchid as a gift. I don’t know what kind it is, but it is from Home Depot (which doesn’t seem like the best place to buy an orchid). Do you have a FAQ for this newsgroup? Can you point me to websites to help me identify my orchid? Can you point me to websites to help me take care of my orchid? The orchid had 3 or 4 blooms when recieved. They have since withered and I cut them off. It has 4 leaves, with 2 sets of 2 leaves on top of each other. The bottom set of leaves is now drying up and turning yellow. I water it once a week, allowing all excess to drain out of the bottom of the pot. It currently resides in my windowless office at work with flour. lighting. I’m think the air may be too dry for it. Thanks, Jon

Response:

It definitely sounds like you have a phalaenopsis.  I wouldn’t worry so much about the dry air as I would worry about the amount of light its getting. Usually regular office flour. lighting is not enough unless you can get the leaves a foot or less from the actual light bulbs.  Home Depot (here we go again) is certainly a fine place to buy an orchid but don’t expect to get any good advice about it or the proper supplies to grow it.  I’m sure your plant would love to be repotted in a fresh bark potting mix. Take the plant out of its current pot and shake or gently pull off all the old potting mix.  Cut off any dead, mushy roots.  Use the same washed out pot or whatever fits the root ball without crowding it too much or allowing it to swim.  Tuck all of the roots in and fill the new potting mix in and around the roots.  Try to keep the roots spread out and not bunched up together.  Pack the mix firmly so that you can grab the plant by the main stem and not have the pot fall out.  The "crown" or middle part of the plant where the leaves come out should be no more than 1/2 inch above the potting mix.  Water only after the mix has completely dried out  for the next month and then gradually increase your watering.. This will allow any damaged roots to heal and encourage new root growth.  Once you get into a regular watering regimen, water only when the potting mix approaches dryness, not completely dry.  In another month or two you should begin to see a new leaf forming in the crown of the plant.  During the spring and summer months when the plant is actively growing, it is important that you don’t allow the plant to dry out too much.  Beginning in September the plants should be exposed to a diurnal range (difference between day and night temps.) of at least 15 degrees.  This may be accomplished by placing the plants outside for a couple weeks or leaving the windows open at night like I do.  These cooler nights will initiate a flower spike that will eventually bloom next spring.  For more info go to http://phalaenopsis.net/culture.htm — Matthew Swift Swift’s Orchids 6658 Carnelian St. Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91701 Phone/Fax 909-483-5590 http://www.swiftsorchids.com

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hello, I got an orchid as a gift. I don’t know what kind it is, but it is from Home Depot (which doesn’t seem like the best place to buy an orchid). Do you have a FAQ for this newsgroup? Can you point me to websites to help me identify my orchid? Can you point me to websites to help me take care of my orchid? The orchid had 3 or 4 blooms when recieved. They have since withered and I cut them off. It has 4 leaves, with 2 sets of 2 leaves on top of each other. The bottom set of leaves is now drying up and turning yellow. I water it once a week, allowing all excess to drain out of the bottom of the pot. It currently resides in my windowless office at work with flour. lighting. I’m think the air may be too dry for it. Thanks, Jon

Response:

Hi Jon, We put together a web page that may help: http://www2.cybernex.net/~epeople/orchid/orchid.html It covers water, soil, pots, lights, humidity etc Hope it helps. Joe – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Hello, I got an orchid as a gift. I don’t know what kind it is, but it is from Home Depot (which doesn’t seem like the best place to buy an orchid). Do you have a FAQ for this newsgroup? Can you point me to websites to help me identify my orchid? Can you point me to websites to help me take care of my orchid? The orchid had 3 or 4 blooms when recieved. They have since withered and I cut them off. It has 4 leaves, with 2 sets of 2 leaves on top of each other. The bottom set of leaves is now drying up and turning yellow. I water it once a week, allowing all excess to drain out of the bottom of the pot. It currently resides in my windowless office at work with flour. lighting. I’m think the air may be too dry for it. Thanks, Jon

Response:

Filed under: Phalaenopsis Orchid

Related Posts