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Cattleya Dendrobium Paphiopedilum Phalaenopsis Intermediate Level Anguloa Angraecum Catasetum Cymbidium Laelia Lycaste Masdevallia Miltonia and Miltoniopsis Odontoglossum Oncidium Phragmipedium Stanhopea Vanda
please check with us to see what we have at the present time! A Brief History of the Orchid The first orchids existed about 120 million years ago, during the age of dinosaurs. Orchids have evolved into at least 35,000 known species, and they live in many different environments (rain forests, bogs, high mountains and grassy plains) on all continents except for Antarctica. For many centuries, people have revered the orchid as a symbol of love and beauty. In several ancient cultures, orchids were considered so special that only members of the royal families were allowed to own the plants, wear the flowers, or drink potions made from orchids. Serious orchid collecting began in Europe in the 18th century. In 1818, William Cattley became the first person to successfully bloom a cultivated orchid. (The spectacular "corsage" orchid now bears his name.) Orchid facts Seed to flowers 8 to 20 years. Laboratory produce plants are more robust and grow faster. Georgia: 56 native orchids Florida: 106 native orchids Hawaii (Luer 1975): 3 native orchids Artic circle: 13 native orchids Monopodial: One leaf at the time Syndodial: Multiple growths (only blooms once on each new maturing growth) Specialized growth structures Pseudo bulbs: water retention Trash Basket roots: like hair standing out Orchid Names: First name: Genus Second name: Specific epithet You always know it is a hybrid when the second name is Capitalized Your plant will tell you what it needs if you learn to read it Most orchids need moderate humidity (50-60%) Feed: for most orchids need weakly weekly feeding to ensure they will bloom again. Leaves stay on the plant for years and get scars as humans do. Do not cut the leaves; they will drop on their own when they are done feeding the plant. Think of an Orchid plant as a family. Orchids in general are like teenagers, they like to be watched, not touched and not to be fuzzed about, but they do want your attention. The way I learned was: Orchid flowers are like kids, they suck the life out of the parents (own pseudo bulb and leaves) and the parents do the same with the grand parents (prior pseudo bulbs and leaves). Repotting: 2 reasons: Outgrowing the pot or the mix is breaking down. Orchids like to be tight in their pot. Think of it like a shoe, if it is too tight or too big you will get hurt and so will your orchid. It has to fit tight! Only go 1 size up when repotting. That will give you 2 years worth of space. Repotting should only be done when plant is done blooming completely (steams have dried out then cut), and new growth is about 2-3 inches high. Do not use Pine bark. Best are: Charcoal, Fern Bark, Perlite. Try not to use coco Fibers because they tend to breakdown too quickly. Guidelines for repotting: Soak the plant the night before: be sure you will repot the next day, plants DON’T like to be wet at night (it could lead to root decay) To split a plant you need a minimum of a shoot plus 3 bulbs on one side and at least 3-4 bulbs on the other. Use the natural division when possible Use one razor blade per plant to avoid passing diseases/problems Wash the root system. Be sure to ‘clean’ breakdown mix from roots. Put Styrofoam peanuts at the bottom of the pot for drainage. Back up the old plants system, leaving the new growth with room to grow. Use a rhizome plant to stabilize Cattleyas and Cattleya alliances. Do not rest the rhizome on the new growth. Be firm with the medium you use. Clips for clay pots are better that any other kind. Guidelines for Feeding Orchids: Most orchids only take very weak fertilizer (2-2-2) to (3-3-3). When we say half the strength, we mean dilute the fertilizer to get to these really low levels. Slow release fertilizers are not good for orchids. They leave too many deposits. When feeding the plant is better to use a container with a gallon of water and dilute the fertizer in the water. Put the plant inside the container as the water covers the medium for about 1 to 2 minutes; take the orchid out and drain it afterwards. Orchids don't like to have their feet wet for longs periods of time. You need to clean the deposits left by fertilizers every 3-4 weeks. You can use the same container without the fertilizer and put the plant in it for 1-2 minutes, get the orchid out aftera that time and drain. NEVER USE OSMOCOTE. Use UREA-FREE fertilizer Humidity trays (trays with pebbles on top) or a Humidifier will help you keep a higher humidity count. Cleanning and Treating your Orchids Use Safer Soap to clean your plants. Scale problems: Use Safer soap and horticultural oil to clean your plants. DO NOT USE VOLCK, it is very bad for your orchids. It is Ok to use cotton ball with rubbing alcoho to clean the infected area only. Do not leave the cotton ball with alcohol on the plant/leaf. |
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