Hi everyone.
My name is jungeoma (Anita) and I was referred to this site by drdawg (Ken Ramsey).
I love the outdoors, gardening, my cats and growing my orchids. I live in southern New Mexico where gardening is a challenge. The heat and the alkaline soil make it difficult. I am very new to orchid growing, got hooked when a friend gave me hers. Now I have 35 or so and I hope I can get them to bloom this winter.

jungeoma

Hi Anita,
welcome to the Orchid Forum! You have 35 Orchids, great!! I hope you orchid-chat with us, and we love to see what you are growing.

Anita. You will bring another perspective to our group, growing orchids in NM. You will soon have 39 orchids!

Anita! Orchids are a good plant for you as you can avoid that soil. You can post your beauties on our monthly thread and feel free to ask questions. This is a friendly place with some experienced growers.

Jim

Anita!

Hi Anita, and to ATP. It's a challenge growing orchids anywhere, but a dry climate like NM will test you. Do you have a greenhouse, or are you growing them inside your home?

Let us know how you are keeping the humidity up where your orchids are growing. My daughter lives in Utah, and would love to grow some orchids so your experiences will be helpful.

to ATP Anita! That is a beauty that you have pictured! Could you tell me please...What's it's name? I love it!

terrafirma, the name of this little orchid is Mai Kai Mayumi. It is very tough. I forgot to water it for weeks or it stood in water for days when we were travelling, I have had it for four years and never fertilized it. Just think what it could be if I had. I divied them early this spring and have eight good size plants. It blooms around Christmas time and I hope to get some flowers this year.


Anita

Anita, change your labels to Bc. Maikai 'Mayumi'. On second thought, wait a few days. Jim may have a name change. How about the name, Jim?

I love those delicate flowers, Anita.

dyzzypyxxy said:Hi Anita, and to ATP. It's a challenge growing orchids anywhere, but a dry climate like NM will test you. Do you have a greenhouse, or are you growing them inside your home?

Let us know how you are keeping the humidity up where your orchids are growing. My daughter lives in Utah, and would love to grow some orchids so your experiences will be helpful.

Hi there, I had written a nice long post but somehow I lost it. Well, here goes again. I have my orchids in the entrance foyer of the house. I have 3 racks there, on top of those 5 contractor mixing pans and on top of those 3 ceiling light diffuser grates. I only started this setup this summer when it got too hot outside. Right now my plants are back outside, I hope I can get them to bloom next spring. I also have a ceiling fan in the area and the humidity runs around 75 % or so. When I water the excess runs into the pans. While the plants are outside I have washed the tubs out with hot water and Clorox. I do have a Greenhouse but in the summer it would cook the plants.

drdawg said:Anita, change your labels to Bc. Maikai 'Mayumi'. On second thought, wait a few days. Jim may have a name change. How about the name, Jim?

I love those delicate flowers, Anita.

My bad, it says Bc on the label. I'm just a lousy typist.

Hi drdawg, how are you?

Anita, you have a beautiful healthy looking collection!

Hi, Anita. I am doing well. My Dawgs upset the mighty LSU Tigers Saturday and I was in Baton Rouge for the game.

I sent you a T-Mail, Anita.

As for the name, Bc. Maikai 'Mayumi' is correct.

Jim

And what a gorgeous big blooming plant of Maikai 'Mayumi' you had. Now you have gifts for 7 friends!

I'd never have been able to bring myself to divide that beauty. All my efforts are towards having great big plants like that.

dyzzypyxxy said:And what a gorgeous big blooming plant of Maikai 'Mayumi' you had. Now you have gifts for 7 friends!

I'd never have been able to bring myself to divide that beauty. All my efforts are towards having great big plants like that.

I plan to give some away for holiday gifts. Most of my friends here in So. NM know of the difficulty keeping anything alive, what with 100 deg heat and 15% humidity, which is lower than the sahara.
I am thinking of planting 3 together in one of those metal baskets with the moss liner and let it grow. This time I will fertilize them.

Anita

Hi Anita! That 'little' Maiakai 'Mayumi' is gorgeous! And I love the setup you have in your foyer! Beautiful collection!

dyzzypyxxy said:And what a gorgeous big blooming plant of Maikai 'Mayumi' you had. Now you have gifts for 7 friends!

I'd never have been able to bring myself to divide that beauty. All my efforts are towards having great big plants like that.

Do you think something similar to my set-up would help your daughter? It is a lot cheaper than those little humidity trays they sell on the internet and it gives more space. Depends on how many plants she has she could start with fewer components.The hardest thing to find might be the light grid. I also use the newer T8 flourescents with high lumens on a timer.
Hope this helps.

Follow-up T-Mail, Anita.

dyzzypyxxy said:And what a gorgeous big blooming plant of Maikai 'Mayumi' you had. Now you have gifts for 7 friends!

I'd never have been able to bring myself to divide that beauty. All my efforts are towards having great big plants like that.

I love big mature plants too, at my age I can't wait forever to see them bloom. Maikai 'Mayumi' spreads quite fast, so I won't have to wait too long for them to fill a pot.