I bought a Disa Orchid at Hampton Court Flower Show this year and it was lovely. They come in shocking pink, orange, yellow and have three pointed petals. When I saw the display I just fell in love with them. These orchids must stand in rainwater, which is the opposite to most orchids. You pour it through the top of the pot and let stand. I top it up every couple of days when the saucer is empty and have cut off the dead stalk, following the instructions that I got from their website. Hopefully, I should get it flower again. The neighbours must think I'm nuts because when it rains I rush outside with a couple of buckets and tubs to collect clean rainwater for all my orchids, and then store it in empty pop bottles. Here's hoping!!
Kate has got everyone talking about orchids but I cannot agree that they should grow only in the wild - not everyone has the chance to see them there. The children from Writhlington school in Radstock have and are blogging now from Durban. Look up the school website and click WSBE orchids. They are beautiful plants to draw and paint and wonderful for flat-dwellers. A little research and buying a plant with good cultural hints with it will minimise the chance of disappointment.
Has anybody tried growing the Egret Orchids recently? I got a job lot of bulbils earlier this year and planted them in open compost on top of a gravel tray in the bathroom. They germinated eventually and I continued to water them via the gravel tray and they thrived for a time and reached about three inches in height and then died back.
I have preserved the pot in the (probably folorn) hope that they may show their faces again. I noted the comments elsewhere on the blog about the need to have ranpaent containers to enable light to reach the roots, which I did not have, and I am thinking that perhaps the high temperatures which we had earlier this Summer may have been a factor in their demise.
I also buy orchids once the garden centres reduce them after flowering, I have several and they all flower over and over, I find them trouble free to look after.
Hi everyone, thanks for all your comments! I do agree that orchids are very beautiful and make wonderful gifts etc, and one day I would love to go and see them growing in their natural environment. Ruth - if the flower stalk has gone brown (and has it shrivelled?) I would cut it down and hope it grows again. There's a range of orchid plant food available (just Google 'orchid plant food'), which might help the plants recover. After the accident, my orchid did grow a new spike from the base of the plant, so there is hope!
Orchids of any type. I luv 'em! A message to Ruth on the back of Kate's last note. If the flower spike has gone brown, then I think that's it really. Because of the way they grow, a lot of energy goes into producing a good flower spike so moth orchids do like to have a rest from flowering. I've found that if the leaves are still nice and healthy, keep feeding and be vigilant. It will flower again. PS I've had a Phalaenopsis for about 8 years now and whilst its been bashed about a bit, it still flowers.
I having been growing house plants for years and find orchids and in particular phalenopsis one of the most rewarding as far as blooms are concerned. They sit on my window sill and it is not often I do not have at least one in flower and at the moment I have 3 with another one growing a spike. Flowers last for ages-months at a time and are so spectacular to look at. Since all the plants bought in shops are hybrids grown for sale you really should not worry about where their grandparents come from just enjoy the flowers. I certainly feel they are better value for money than the amarylis I was given 2 weeks ago as a present. It came with 2 spikes which have been beautiful but by the end of the week they will be finished.
My first lovely phalenopsis lasted 3 weeks. It was then VERY dead. My next 2 are not good - I took a stem to the Gardener's world exhibition last year and the experts said it was too wet. I get flower stalks growing, but the buds dry up and fall off before opening. This has happened for 3 years now. The plants are on a N facing windowledge, though I might now try them in the bathroom which faces S. I water infrequently, and sometimes with orchid food. I have bought some new compost so maybe I will try repotting. I have found the comments here encouraging.
My Moth orchids keep flowering and grow new flower spikes after resting for about 6 months. I didn't know you weren't supposed to cut the spike off at the bottom when its finished! I keep mine on south-west facing window sills - they don't seem to like any other. One of mine has also produced a baby plant on one of the finished flower stalks. Please can someone tell us what to do?
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I have preserved the pot in the (probably folorn) hope that they may show their faces again. I noted the comments elsewhere on the blog about the need to have ranpaent containers to enable light to reach the roots, which I did not have, and I am thinking that perhaps the high temperatures which we had earlier this Summer may have been a factor in their demise.
Would anybody care to comment aout this?
David.
I get flower stalks growing, but the buds dry up and fall off before opening. This has happened for 3 years now. The plants are on a N facing windowledge, though I might now try them in the bathroom which faces S.
I water infrequently, and sometimes with orchid food. I have bought some new compost so maybe I will try repotting. I have found the comments here encouraging.
One of mine has also produced a baby plant on one of the finished flower stalks. Please can someone tell us what to do?