I'm in orchid overload at the moment -- the orchid that I've had for 3 years without a flower finally has a flower stem :clapping: I recently bought three phalaenopsis orchids and my hubby bought me another one. They're all in bloom, one of my older orchids just bloomed, another orchid has buds that are about to bloom, and the most impressive of all -- not only does another one of my orchids have a flower stem growing.... it also has a keiki (baby orchid) growing on it, AND the keiki has a flower stem growing on IT!!! :confetti:
I highly recommend keeping your orchids on a table in front of a south-facing window with sheer curtains!! Mine seem to love those conditions!! I don't do anything special for them -- I don't even use fertilizer!! Just water them once a week (if I remember!!)
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I was in the grocery store today and they had huge orchids in bloom is this the time of year they bloom or do they bloom anytime. They were so pretty.
I repotted the keiki because on close examination I thought the root was shrivelling up a bit and to be on the safe side I put it in a soil and bark mixture and watered it hoping it will grow. I'm still waiting for the other keiki to grow a second leaf, one leaf is quite large the second is just a miniature one.
I'm more excited now than ever about these orchids........let's just hope they'll continue to flourish now for me. :D
Hehehehe!! Hey, whatever works, right?! :D
Here's a great orchid book that I bought from Chapters (click the book name to go to the Chapters web site):
[URL=http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/item/books-978076210491/0762104910/Orchids-for-Every-Home-The-beginners-guide-to-growing-beauti?ref=Search+Books%3a+'orchids+for+every+home'&sterm=orchids+for+every+home+-+Books][COLOR=Navy]Orchids for Every Home[/COLOR][/URL]
It's got tons of beautiful pictures and lots of helpful info.
Thanks for the tip...........I'm sure my DH will say to me........."another one" even though he likes them too........I have to sneak them into the house when he's not there and then he's ok. with them.
luvto, I don't know much about growing keikis :( I would say that if yours is looking healthy and happy, then it may be best to just leave it as it is for now. Given how slow orchids grow, it could be a few years before your keiki shows signs of substantial growth.
Not sure if all Rona stores have the same sale on right now, but the one near us has orchids with HUGE flowers on sale for $15 :)
Smoodgie, I must say WOW to your orchids.............I have nothing in bloom now, the last red/yellow variegated flower just dropped off this morning and like I said before the others are just bringing out new shoots.
Thanks for the "keiki" term........I googled it and now know how to really propagate them.......I have placed mine in a bark mixture and just sat it on top and it's been thriving............It's been like that for about 2 months maybe..........I'm just wondering if I should put it in a soil mixture like they have on the picture
okay smod, i now have orchid envy.....they are gorgeous. i have a green thumb however i've never had any luck with them. you've given me inspiration to try again...and on the growing tips.
smoodgie.........they are sooooooo beautiful :clapping:
smiles
janetc
That's the thing about orchids -- it can take them a LONG time to bloom. But when they do..... WOW!!!! :confetti:
I just looked up Oncidium orchids -- the flowers DO look like dancing ladies!! :)
lovely orchids! they are a unique flower...I can understand the excitement of having one bloom. I have no orchids but my mom absolutely loves them. I bought her one at the Canada Blooms 2 years ago, Oncidium I think, the ones that look like dancing ladies. They didn't bloom for a long time and I thought maybe they never would but FINALLY they did! I was soo pleased with how much they looked like ladies in costume! So worth the anticipation!
Beautiful! I can't wait to get some new orchids. I have a pot that i bought in London like 3 years ago and haven't planted anything in yet because i've been waiting first for a house and then for the reno to be completed...i can't wait to get some orchids in it and into a few other orchid pots i bought.
They are beautiful. :applaud:
Wow luvto, that's awesome!! It can take up to a few years for a keiki to bloom -- so you may have to be patient. But I'm sure it'll be worth the wait.
cdnjatgirl, I don't do anything special with my orchids after they finish blooming. I just cut the stem back and that's it. Although when my orchids are blooming, I move them away from the living room window and into spots where I can see and enjoy them :) So I put them back in front of the living room window and water them once a week.
Here are pics of my blooming orchids. Sorry the light isn't great in some of them.....
Smoodgie, my orchid had two new orchid plants growing on the stems where the flowers usually come out, and I propogated one of them and so far it's still alive.......I did keep one of them on the stem just in case the other one didn't work out......
I have a red/yellow variegated one which lasted for a long time and it's just now that I'm getting another shoot from another stem.....I also have another orchid and it's shooting a new stem..........I'm hoping to get some more orchid flowers this spring because they make a lovely show in my kitchen.
The red/yellow one is my bedroom on top of the cabinet and is facing west and it loves it and really thrived there.........the room is somewhat coolish from the rest of the house, so I guess that's the trick to it.
I have to get one of those I always thought they were so hard to take care of I never bought them. Next house I'm going to buy one when we move in.
Oh Cdnjagirl, sorry your orchids did not bloom! Did u water them about once a week? it really shouldn't matter about when u water it, as sometimes i have skipped watering mine, i don't realy keep track of when i water it. Oh and after my orchid was finished flowering, i simply left it on the entertaiment unit......where it always was, i never really moved it, it got lots of light there too. What i did was once it had finished flowering i just cut it about half way down, where there was a "knob" (this is what i was told to do by the florist) and then i would just water it once in a while, and then maybe once a week after i saw a little bud forming. I have heard that the one thing that most ppl do with flowers and such is "overwatering" so i wonder if that was it?? or did u keep it in to dark a place? Don't give up........as long as there are those big leaves at the bottom of the plant it is still alive! I hope you have better luck on the next orchid, this was my first one and i love orchinds now, i do not have a green thumb by any stretch of the imagination either!! :)
i loev orchids and mine aren't blooming. :( I think i haven't watered them enough or given them enough light. I was told that when the flowers fall off you need to put it in a darker place while its in its resting phase...not buying it. As soon as the renos are done I'm going to buy some new ones though and make i take care of them properly. I usually buy orchids when we we go to someones place...i think they're the perfect gift.
Oh Smoodgie Congradulations on your orchid overload, you can never have too many orchids eh!! You know it's funny you said to put your orchid near a sheer window, my orchid has been in bloom for about 3 weeks now, and all the buds have turned into flowers, i have 4 flowers on it! It is sitting on my entertaiment unit and the window it faces has a sheer curtain on it too! You know maybe that is the secret..........sheer curtains??? hahah it does get the afternoon sun coming through those sheer's and yes i only water it about once a week also. I too am hoping to get another orchid for mother's day again this year. You know come to think of it, those orchid's make a nice girft for anyone really..........easy to take care of........and you get another bloom of flowers if u wait and bet patient...........i must think of that next time i need to purchase a little something for someone!! :)
lucky you smoodgie..........i have no place to put plants...i would love to put a table in front of the window but the cat would knock the plants off........where are pics of these lovely blooms? :D
smiles
janetc