Thanks Tarev. I'd hoped the Spanish Broom might still have life at ground level, but I don't think so. I've examined it closely and I think it's a goner . I'll have the grasshoppers next year in any case. They are busy laying eggs in anything soft enough to get in. They do love the sand I use as a mulch around some potted plants.

Wow Cinta! I'm not sure I wanted that information . That's o.k.! I'm pretty sure my luck wouldn't extend to the lottery or any other kind of game of chance . I probably save more $$ by living too far away from the temptation than I'd gain by being there at the right time.

Sorry to hear about the broom and grasshoppers. They were terrible here this year too. And they were decimating a lot of my plants = particularly seedlings. I usually don't take things too personally with bugs and insects. But the grasshoppers pushed me over the edge so I killed every one I saw - a lot.

Donald - not sure what type Broom that was, but they do not do well with leaf loss. At all. You might want to see if it comes back from the roots, but I doubt it. I have grown a couple of types and they do not do well with any kind of shock or stress.

WRT the orchid - looking good. Get some Keiki paste and after it finishes its next bloom you can use the paste. 9 times out of 10 in my experience, it will bring about a keiki (a baby orchid) or more blooms. About 50 % chance either way. I have 12 Phals and I have 7 keikis amongst 4 different plants. The oldest is pushing a year old and I will remove it soon.

David, the broom is Spartium junceum. Its growth reminds me of a Palo verde tree. Lots of green stems and not much in the way of leaves, but lots of yellow blooms. I'd try and grow a Palo verde here, but it gets too cold for them. Grasshoppers have definite preferences (think any irid) and it may be just as well to know the Spanish Broom falls into that category. I was worried about its cold tolerance and never thought about it being grasshopper food when I bought it. I may pass on trying it again - unless it's on sale, then who knows?

I'll have to look up and read about Keiki paste . I doubt it's readily available locally, so it would likely be an online purchase if I decide to try it.

Donald - ck out this thread. Probably way more than you want to know about keikis.

The thread "Phal keikis, formerly air layering" in Orchids forum

@DavidLMO
The dollar orchid started blooming Oct. 19. Yesterday and today the two blooms collapsed. That's a long time to have a bloom! I think it may be beginning to put out a new bloom stalk. At least it doesn't look quite the same as the root growth, but it's the first that was generated entirely while being indoors which may make it look different. What do you think?

That looks more like an inflo than a root to me, Donald.

I agree, not a root.

This is actually the time when Phal. should be forming their inflo.

I think. Still a long few weeks before it can go back outside, but it's seems to be doing well for me so far. @drdawg gonna have to try another one before I'm too old to attempt it! Do I just need to visit your site anytime? Or is it better to wait more for spring?

You can certainly visit anytime, Donald. I have to pick a shipping-window though. It is going to get brutally cold here Monday AM (17F) and then the lows rise to an almost toasty 26F over the following four days. That's cold for Mississippi. I can't or at least won't ship if my or my customer's lows are much below 40F. I am extra careful when it comes to cold damage.

I absolutely don't want anything else to handle during the inside months, Ken!! They'll be much safer in my care when the temperature outside is warm enough for them to stay out in it. But I'll check in on the site. I've done that before. A lot of temptation on those places. I just moved some more things inside. Probably will move some more in. Tonight is supposed to be the coldest temp we've had so far this winter. Shipping temps should be fine for when I want to receive anything .

needrain said:@DavidLMO
The dollar orchid started blooming Oct. 19. Yesterday and today the two blooms collapsed. That's a long time to have a bloom! I think it may be beginning to put out a new bloom stalk. At least it doesn't look quite the same as the root growth, but it's the first that was generated entirely while being indoors which may make it look different. What do you think?

Looks like a 'mitten" to me. They will often times send up bloom stems this time of year. Glad to hear that you got that nice bloom period. On Phals, my longest was > 6 months.

I have > 10 Phals that will be in full bloom within the next several weeks. With my indoor ones, this is usually (not always) the time of year when mine bloom.

Two of my bloom stems are coming from Keikis still attached to Mother plant.

One plant looks really wild and a pic is impossible to see. This plant has two Keikis set in Summer 14 still on their stems. One of those Keikis has a bloom stem. And the Mother is throwing a blooming stem as well.

drdawg said: I can't or at least won't ship if my or my customer's lows are much below 40F. I am extra careful when it comes to cold damage.

Excellent Ken. And folks should heed it. I one time ordered some stuff in winter and shipper should have known better, but shipped. Mistake.