Does anyone here grow orchids?

[Susie]

...Particularly indoors.  My dad is super into growing them, and he has given me two.  I've kept them going for a couple years, but my cattleya is not looking so great lately.  It hasn't bloomed in almost 2 years; my lady of the night never has (but it was admittedly very small when I got it, and it has grown).  I also recently got a phaelenopsis for my birthday, and I'm hoping to do it justice.

Just curious if anyone else grows them?  They seem pretty niche in terms of care and knowledge.

This was my cattleya when it did bloom for me:



I brought it home from my office in March 2020, and it really hasn't been as happy ever since.

[MrsDarcy]

Unfortunately I just kill them.

Sorry, not helpful.

[RockNVoll]

I really only have phalaenopsis orchids and they're pretty easygoing. I water once per week, feed every few weeks in winter and maybe every 1-2 weeks when flowering (whatever it says on the box, I forget). They sit in a sunny window and generally re-bloom every 1-2 years.

[tacokick]

Orchids drive me nuts! I’ve never had success but our house is pretty dark.

My mom was not a house plant person at all, got one as a present, stuck it on a table about a food from a window and watered it twice a month and that thing thrived! Such pretty blooms! I think it was the south eastern light that was bright but not super direct in the mornings. Her room had really big windows but was up against woods so it did get shady in the afternoon.

[spinnaker5]

We got 2 orchids from the sellers of our house when we bought in 2020: I had zero experience with them and one bit the dust but the other is going strong and is just blooming again for like the third time. I water regularly, have the pot set in a shallow plastic tray that I keep about 1/4 in of water in for humidity (we’re in a dry climate), and use Miracle Gro orchid food spray on the leaves once a week-ish.

[audry80]

Yes!! I had three of them for 11 years and I just threw them away because they stopped blooming and were no longer nice looking.

My trick was to soak them every three weeks with warm water. They brought me so much joy and I was very sad to lose them.

[Susie]

spinnaker5, audry80, what medium do you grow in? The two I have from my dad are in leca and terra cotta pots. I have a system for handling those, although I'm not 100% sure if it's working well. My phaelenopsis is in potting soil so I need to repot after it finishes blooming. I'm not sure if I want to try those plastic pots with holes and bark, or if I should stick with the system I've been using for the others.

[audry80]

Feb 18, 2022 9:40:55 GMT -5 Susie said:

spinnaker5 , audry80 , what medium do you grow in? The two I have from my dad are in leca and terra cotta pots. I have a system for handling those, although I'm not 100% sure if it's working well. My phaelenopsis is in potting soil so I need to repot after it finishes blooming. I'm not sure if I want to try those plastic pots with holes and bark, or if I should stick with the system I've been using for the others.

They were in the plastic pots with holes and bark and then set into a ceramic pot. It was easy for care, I would just pick it up out of the ceramic pot and run warm water on the roots and then would hold it up for about a minute to let drain before putting it back.

[oregonpachey]

omglol does

[hbomdiggity]

Grow is a strong word, but despite my mostly black thumb I have managed to keep a few alive.

They live behind my sink in indirect light. My mom says they like the steam of me washing dishes. I make sure they are potted in a draining pot in orchid soil. I also use liquid orchid food from time to time. water once a week at most.

Some only bloom maybe once a year and I’m ok with that.

[spinnaker5]

Susie, the original pot was glazed ceramic; once it had clearly gotten too big, I re-potted into an a orchid pot - ceramic but with holes all around the sides, and used orchid potting mix.

[omglol]

Hi! Yes, I do.
My key is passive neglect.
I live in CO so man-made humidity is a must. We have a whole-house humidifier.
Growing medium depends on the level of humidity you have. In my hometown I could get away with big chunky rocks or even no medium at all (very humid). Here I have to use sphagnum moss to retain more moisture.
I soak them for about ten-twenty minutes in lukewarm water once a week or so.
I repot them about once every two years. I use clear containers with air holes on the sides. I like the clear containers bc you can see if the roots look sad. Chop roots and change medium as needed.

I learned a lot of good info from Miss Orchid Girl on YouTube.

[nicolewi]

I think a lot depends on having the right spot. I used to have a couple that did okay and sometimes re-bloomed in a sunny window at our old house. I got one a couple years ago and keep bouncing it around and it looks really, really sad and half-dead, so I am no help. I am debating tossing it vs. trying to re-pot it in new medium (I use the moss) and put it in a consistent spot with more care.

[Susie]

omglol , I'm in the northeast, and our house is very dry in the winter, in part due to forced air heat. When we eventually replace our furnace I want a humidifier (for reasons other than the orchids, but they will benefit too). In the meantime, I think the leca setup that I have for my cattleya is probably not ideal because mine always seems too dry. It's currently in recovery mode from dehydration, with two new leaves starting.

Somehow my dad makes it work, also in a dry house.  I'm thinking the difference is that none of my orchids have sufficiently large root systems to take full advantage of bottom watering. So I'm thinking bark makes more sense to try for my phals.  Does that logic seem right?

I've watched some of the Miss Orchid Girl videos and they are helpful (but not concise, lol!).  I think I should be able to use the MSU fertilizer that I have with a bark potted orchid (which would be convenient).

My big debate right now:  when to repot the phals?  Do I try to keep them where they are through their bloom, or am I likely to lose them if I do that?  



I got them a month ago, and they've retained their blooms through any shock of moving.  The phals are still in the container they came in, which is lined with plastic (no holes) and filled with what is either a loose potting soil mixture or a mix of potting soil and bark.  The crocodile fern was in the planter with them; I took it out so it could be watered independently.  I've been misting the phals' roots, but not watering, while it's blooming.