Yeah, I have plants to ship to CT, RI, NY, MA, NJ, WA, and NC. I have been "sitting" on several of the orders for a month or more. I think I can ship to WA and NC next week but the others are still iffy. I had to bring in well over 100 plants yesterday. We were supposed to get down to 31 F this morning, so now my porch and greenhouses are full again. I will begin the process of (again) moving my tropical plants out tomorrow. I have over 300 to move out, putting them under my oaks and cedars. I will probably wait a couple of weeks to put the orchids out. The others can handle 40's but I don't want my orchids to be exposed to anything less than 50 F. I think/hope we have finally seen the last of "winter" weather.

I love the Verde, Jim. Cattleya has always been my first love and probably always will be! The color is very similar to my 'Emerald Isle' flowers.

Thx, Jim. This encyclia looks a nice manageable size, but I'm probably looking at two to three years growth on mine till blooming size. I'm so impatient.
Ken, I'm putting everything out except Vanda's and my few others that are warm growers, it may get down to mid 40's by Thur morning. We are warmer than north Miss because of the concrete mass effect Memphis proper has. Glad to hear this business end is going well. And there is pent up demand out there. Memphis show is coming to the Goldsmith Garden Center next month! I don't know the vendors yet, but we have regulars that I have enjoyed seeing and catching up with! I'll take pictures to post.

I may just get up to that show. The director of the Memphis Botanical Garden has promised me a behind-the-scenes showing and said to wait until May to do that. I could just combine the two! Let me know the date(s) of the Goldsmith Garden Center show.

My business is and will always be a tiny one. "Happy-Meal" profits, you know. I am just now (finally) taken some shots of some of my mounted orchids. I had planned on creating a new page for my website this winter - "Mounted Orchids" - and am now putting that plan into action. I am a little late! I don't have a lot of mounted orchids, but its a start. I hope to get most of them published on my site this week. Check it out.

See you at the show, I think it's Mothers Day weekend, but I'm not sure. I can't pull their website on my iPad for some reason? And I don't go to the monthly meeting but I intend to, my excuse all these years was that I worked every wknd. Now all my mentor s are well into their 80's, in the last few years we have lost a few, like Jo Levy. Maybe I can get my sisters to go with me, and hope to see ya there.
It's the next weekend, May 18th, Not mothers Day.

It would be great to just happen to run into you in Memphis.

Hi all!
I'm pretty excited that the first bloom has opened on my Phal. Sogo David, but I must say I'm also surprised at how small it is. When I purchased this plant it was in bloom, and this is the first time I've been able to get it to spike, and bloom. The spike does 'seem' short to me. This is the same plant that I mentioned here... http://garden.org/thread/view_...
I've been fertilizing about 1x a month with Schultz Orchid food... 19-31-17
Are these just difficult plants? Or am I doing something wrong? Maybe not fertilizing enough?


Maybe I should just be happy that it has bloomed for me at all!
And stop fretting like a newbie mom of a newborn?

Tara, I have had four different Sogo orchids, and they all have produced fairly small flowers. I am guessing that their diameter averaged 2-3" in diameter. But all my plants have been compact in size. What is the diameter of the flower(s) of your David?

Thanks Ken, yes this one that just opened is about 2". I was thinking, if my memory serves me right, that the flowers on it when I purchased it were a bit bigger, maybe 3-4 inches and had more buds on the spike as well. But, then again, my memory isn't what it use to be! haha! This one has only 4 buds.

This is the pic I took of the blooms when I first bought it...


By the way...What is your fertilizer of choice?

Looks awesome Tara!

I use several orchid fertilizers and since I generally fertilize every-other-watering, I use the rate of 1/2 tsp./gal. For my Phalaenopsis, I use Grow More 20-10-20 (urea-free). For my Cattleya alliance and (others) I alternate (when I remember to!) Grow More 20-20-20 and MSU 19-4-23 (supposed to be formulated for use with tap water?). That's what I use from March through August. I switch to Grow More 6-30-30 in September, cut the rate to 1/4 tsp./gal., and use that through February.

Thanks Bree!

Thanks Ken, for the info on your fertilizing regimen. I'll be making some notes for my next trip to the store.
And maybe I should also increase how often I feed, but as you said, cutting the amount. Appreciate the input!

Tara, several decades ago when I first started growing orchids, I was told to fertilize my orchids "Weekly, weakly". I never forgot that recommendation and have tried to always do this. This sort of schedule more closely resembles what is found in Nature. Orchids get a continuous supply of fertilizer (rotting vegetation, rain, dead insects, bird droppings, etc), but that (natural) fertilizer is very weak.

Makes a lot of sense!

Pretty one, Tara!

Ursula!
Certainly doesn't compare to any in your fabulous collection, but, as a newbie to these beauties, I am pretty pleased with it!

Really pretty Phal, Tara. I'd definitely try fertilizing it more often, with weaker fert. My phals grow well and re-bloom on about a twice-weekly fert regimen at 1/4th strength. I'm with Ken on the 'get as close to what nature does' theory. They get misted almost every day with the weak fert in the hot summer weather, when they are presumably growing at max rate.

This one's a little 'rescue' from the death rack at Lowe's, on it's second round of re-bloom.


Lots more coconuts smelling delicious out in the cage these days, too. I'm sure the raccoons will be around soon . . . there's always a down side.

Elaine, your Max tenuifolia looks wonderful. Mine has one measly bloom.....

Tara, I don't think one needs tons of Orchids to enjoy them. ( Heh, but one can you do if you are infected with Orchiditis? )
Whatever comes into bloom or does something interesting..... I don't grow Phals all that well, so it is nice to see a pretty one here.

I have a couple of Tolumnias budding and the Tolumnia Sniffen starts blooming.


Ctna Why Not has a couple of spikes


Encyclia bractescens opens some more


And here is my older Ascofinetia Cherry Blossom. This one is 'Odoriko'.

My goodness, Ursula...Such beauties that I've never even heard of! Gorgeous!

Ursula, I have a Rby. Hawaiian Leopard x Grt. Why Not. Is that related to your Ctna. Why Not? Did they change names on me again? Lovely flowers, by the way!