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Feb 16, 2015 11:00 AM CST
Name: tarev
San Joaquin County, CA (Zone 9b)
Give PEACE a chance!
Adeniums Cat Lover Garden Photography Region: California Houseplants Plays in the sandbox
Orchids Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! Composter Cactus and Succulents Dragonflies Hummingbirder
tk, you will get a hundred different answers from all of us Big Grin ..orchids acclimate as they grow in your area once you get the hang of it. We have such varied micro climates..in my area cymbidiums are good outdoors year round, in triple digit summer heat as long as watered well and given some shade during the hottest part of the day or during winter, since our winters are milder and we get cold valley inversion. I have always found Oncidium alliance orchids easier to grow Smiling
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Feb 16, 2015 11:33 AM CST
Name: Ken Ramsey
Vero Beach, FL (Zone 10a)
Bromeliad Vegetable Grower Region: United States of America Tropicals Plumerias Orchids
Region: Mississippi Master Gardener: Mississippi Hummingbirder Cat Lover Composter Seller of Garden Stuff
I agree about the Oncidium. I have never had very many of them at any one time but they do grow well for me.

Every orchid grower, particularly those that have grown lots of orchids for lots of years, KNOWS how best to grow them. So I agree, ask 100 growers and you'll likely get 100 (mostly different) answers. Whistling
drdawg (Dr. Kenneth Ramsey)

The reason it's so hard to lose weight when you get up in age is because your body and your fat have become good friends.
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Feb 16, 2015 4:18 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: tk
97478 (Zone 8b)

Tomato Heads Avid Green Pages Reviewer
When you say fragrant @drdawg, do you mean overwhelming, like paperwhites, or..... can't be smelled unless you stick your nose inches from the bloom? Dean gets migraines from strong fragrances. These are the ones i liked best, though most are sold out, and i havent a clue which would be easy to care for.

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easy to care for means im willing to water and fertilize as needed.
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Feb 16, 2015 5:21 PM CST
Name: Ken Ramsey
Vero Beach, FL (Zone 10a)
Bromeliad Vegetable Grower Region: United States of America Tropicals Plumerias Orchids
Region: Mississippi Master Gardener: Mississippi Hummingbirder Cat Lover Composter Seller of Garden Stuff
No, orchids don't overwhelm you with their fragrance, certainly nothing like paperwhites. In an enclosed space, such as a small greenhouse, you would be able to tell when a fragrant flower was there though. I have some that are more strongly fragrant, such as the 'Elmhurst' and 'Emerald Isle', but even then, there have to be multiple flowers all in bloom at the same time to be noticeable. Some orchids, such as the B. nodosa is fragrant, but that fragrance is noticeable (at least to me) at night. That's because the insect that pollinates the nodosa is a nocturnal insect. Isn't Mother Nature clever!

If you really want to give yourself an edge, particularly when you are just getting into orchid-growing, I would always recommend a blooming size plant, one that has plenty of leaves and plenty of roots. Several of the ones you show are only "teens", which means they are still seedlings. I would not recommend that size until you have some experience under your belt. What you choose is also dependent on your growing conditions as well as whether you want something that needs misting/spraying every other day or so. Mounted ones dry out very quickly and thus need more frequent "showers". But the flip side is that it is extremely hard to over-water a mounted plant, and over-watering (as well as the wrong media) kills far more orchids than all other causes put together. I do have some orchids that are really hardy, really fast growing, and really tolerant to a bit more neglect.

Let's use the T-Mail for specific discussion if you have interest.
drdawg (Dr. Kenneth Ramsey)

The reason it's so hard to lose weight when you get up in age is because your body and your fat have become good friends.
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Mar 6, 2015 2:33 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: tk
97478 (Zone 8b)

Tomato Heads Avid Green Pages Reviewer
This is my new orchid from tropicalplantsandmore.com

Blc. Haiku Elf "Mini Purple"



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Last edited by texaskitty111 Mar 7, 2015 9:57 AM Icon for preview
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Mar 6, 2015 2:36 PM CST
Name: Ken Ramsey
Vero Beach, FL (Zone 10a)
Bromeliad Vegetable Grower Region: United States of America Tropicals Plumerias Orchids
Region: Mississippi Master Gardener: Mississippi Hummingbirder Cat Lover Composter Seller of Garden Stuff
It would look better without that painter's tape, Sharon. Whistling
drdawg (Dr. Kenneth Ramsey)

The reason it's so hard to lose weight when you get up in age is because your body and your fat have become good friends.
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Mar 6, 2015 2:47 PM CST
Name: Jim Hawk
Odessa, Florida (Zone 9b)
Birds Master Gardener: Florida Hibiscus Greenhouse Charter ATP Member Garden Photography
Bromeliad Region: Florida Orchids Roses Tropicals Region: United States of America
Rolling on the floor laughing

Jim
"Advertising may be described as the science of arresting the human intelligence long enough to get money from it." -- Steven Leacock
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Mar 6, 2015 2:51 PM CST
Name: Ken Ramsey
Vero Beach, FL (Zone 10a)
Bromeliad Vegetable Grower Region: United States of America Tropicals Plumerias Orchids
Region: Mississippi Master Gardener: Mississippi Hummingbirder Cat Lover Composter Seller of Garden Stuff
Hey, I want their best "profiles" photographed. Sticking tongue out
drdawg (Dr. Kenneth Ramsey)

The reason it's so hard to lose weight when you get up in age is because your body and your fat have become good friends.
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Mar 6, 2015 2:56 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: tk
97478 (Zone 8b)

Tomato Heads Avid Green Pages Reviewer
Sorry, @drdawg, i will edit when im home.
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Mar 6, 2015 5:37 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: tk
97478 (Zone 8b)

Tomato Heads Avid Green Pages Reviewer
My "dead" orchid seems to be reviving. Its hard to see as my camera doesnt do close-up, but it seems to be growing a new branch.

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Mar 6, 2015 5:44 PM CST
Name: Ken Ramsey
Vero Beach, FL (Zone 10a)
Bromeliad Vegetable Grower Region: United States of America Tropicals Plumerias Orchids
Region: Mississippi Master Gardener: Mississippi Hummingbirder Cat Lover Composter Seller of Garden Stuff
Something's going on for sure. What sort of orchid is this. Back away and show the plant, Sharon.
drdawg (Dr. Kenneth Ramsey)

The reason it's so hard to lose weight when you get up in age is because your body and your fat have become good friends.
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Mar 6, 2015 5:58 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: tk
97478 (Zone 8b)

Tomato Heads Avid Green Pages Reviewer
See post 647147
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Mar 6, 2015 6:05 PM CST
Name: Elaine
Sarasota, Fl
The one constant in life is change
Amaryllis Tropicals Multi-Region Gardener Orchids Master Gardener: Florida Irises
Herbs Region: Florida Vegetable Grower Daylilies Birds Cat Lover
It's the gift Phal that Sharon started out this thread with, Ken. I'm thinking you either have a late flower stalk starting or it might be making a baby plant (we call those "keikis" which is baby in Hawaiian, I think).

If leaves grow from that bud, keep it misted and grow it until it has roots a couple of inches long, then pot it up and you will eventually have a new plant. ( couple of years before it's big enough to flower though)

If just stem keeps growing, you might or might not get a flower, but the plant itself is probably dead. Sometimes they produce a flower as an "adios".
Elaine

"Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm." –Winston Churchill
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Mar 7, 2015 7:59 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: tk
97478 (Zone 8b)

Tomato Heads Avid Green Pages Reviewer
Am i supposed to cut off the top of this orchid, which is brown and dead for sure?
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Mar 14, 2015 8:44 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: tk
97478 (Zone 8b)

Tomato Heads Avid Green Pages Reviewer
New orchid from tropicalplantsandmore.com undergoes critical guinea inspection and passes!

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(Yes, i realize the window needs cleaning, so I'm going to go outside and.........garden)
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Mar 20, 2015 10:39 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: tk
97478 (Zone 8b)

Tomato Heads Avid Green Pages Reviewer
My old misc. orchid now has 2 growths coming out of the stem! Can anyone tell me if im supposed to cut off the dead top?

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Mar 20, 2015 10:48 AM CST
Name: tarev
San Joaquin County, CA (Zone 9b)
Give PEACE a chance!
Adeniums Cat Lover Garden Photography Region: California Houseplants Plays in the sandbox
Orchids Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! Composter Cactus and Succulents Dragonflies Hummingbirder
What a tenacious Phal! Well, if it is really brown and brittle, you can cut it off. Or just wait a bit more, since the plant is really trying to show it wants to try and live some more. It must be pushing all its energy to form last ditch flowers or could be a keiki.
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Mar 20, 2015 11:11 AM CST
Name: Ken Ramsey
Vero Beach, FL (Zone 10a)
Bromeliad Vegetable Grower Region: United States of America Tropicals Plumerias Orchids
Region: Mississippi Master Gardener: Mississippi Hummingbirder Cat Lover Composter Seller of Garden Stuff
Since there is "something" going on just above that dead stem, I would leave it be and see what develops there. You can always cut it off later.
drdawg (Dr. Kenneth Ramsey)

The reason it's so hard to lose weight when you get up in age is because your body and your fat have become good friends.
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Mar 20, 2015 12:58 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: tk
97478 (Zone 8b)

Tomato Heads Avid Green Pages Reviewer
Thanks, i was afraid it would continue down the stem
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Mar 20, 2015 1:14 PM CST
Name: Ken Ramsey
Vero Beach, FL (Zone 10a)
Bromeliad Vegetable Grower Region: United States of America Tropicals Plumerias Orchids
Region: Mississippi Master Gardener: Mississippi Hummingbirder Cat Lover Composter Seller of Garden Stuff
My Phal. stems will often not brown and become brittle whatsoever. Some will do this half way down the stem and go no further. Every plant and every stem seems to have minds of their own. If you didn't see some growth at the intersection I would just tell you to cut off the "dead" part but let's wait and see what happens.
drdawg (Dr. Kenneth Ramsey)

The reason it's so hard to lose weight when you get up in age is because your body and your fat have become good friends.

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