It's a timed-release pelleted fertilizer, Daisy. Not sure if it's a local formulation for Florida but it is sold elsewhere as Nutri-cote. There are a few different formulations. I use the balanced one on my orchids and other flowers, and the high nitrogen one on shrubs and foliage plants.

Thanks, @Elaine. The buds at the top are much, much smaller, less mature than the one at the bottom. in fact, the the bud at the very top just appeared last week. It looks like I might get one flower at a time instead of a whole stalk of flowers.

Yes, we had a very mild winter. The Nun's orchid went into the greenhouse along with many others. I kept it moist. I will start fertilizing it with Dynamite if I can find it. I see there are many different kinds at Home Depot. Do you use the All Purpose or For Flowers and Vegetables?

There is no Dynamite 4. I meant to say I put it on the plants quarterly. And I use the all purpose.

Jim

Yep, me too, except for my foliage plants. They get the other one that has a green package.

I liked the Dynamite Citrus formula so much on my trees in containers that I bought it for the in-ground trees also and just use a whole bottle around each tree line. They have a bromeliad/orchid formula also. Some young orchids seem to like it and have visibly perked up but I can't figure out how it will work for bromeliads, they do not take up enough nutrients from the soil and I can't see putting the pellets in the cup. Maybe I'll write to them and ask about that.

Maybe they were talking about earthstars. Do they use nutrients from the soil? Or just use the soil to hold themselves down.

I found about a billion different kinds of Dynamite - Which do you use?

Jim said All Purpose (purple can)
Alice says they have an orchid/bromeliad formula. Is that what you use?

Daisy

Mine's in a red can, analysis 13 - 13 - 13 for Flowers and Vegetables. The higher Nitrogen one is in a green can.

http://www.dynamiteplantfood.c...

I cannot buy Dynamite locally but the company ships them to me with no shipping charges.

Thank you. According to Home Depot website, I can buy the green can or the red can there. It sounds as though it doesn't matter which you get.

Daisy

Zygo 'Blue Bird' has buds.

I got it last July from Raley's. Whoever was taking care of the orchids didn't water so the plant was a little wilty and the flowers were a tad bit beyond pristine but the color was so cool, it got me thinking about spending the $21 they wanted for it. I never buy orchids from grocery stores but I think I cruised the supermarket four times thinking about it before I committed myself.

When I got to the checkout, the cashier said it was dying. She said a lot, how to take care of it, too bad it's almost dead, really can't sell it to you for that much ($21) but can't just give it to you either..... I stopped listening about 5 minutes in.

When I got out the door and looked at my receipt, she had charged me $1.50! (I was figuring maybe half off - I would have been good with half off).

Now anticipating those gorgeous blue $1.50 flowers.

Daisy

Good Deal!

Daisy..do they also sell lottery tickets there? Maybe you should go back???

That brings up a question for Jim and orchid Whiz. Jim showed in another thread a Zygo. 'Blue bird' , which looks to me like a regular Zygo. I bought a second Zygo. cynosure 'Blue bird' last fall, which is in bud again. They look very different!
Zygo cynosure 'bluebird'

Is this a different species, or a regional name?

Carol, there are a lot of problems with your question. The orchid you are asking about is written Zygonisia Cynosure (Aganisia cyanea x Zygopetalum Skippy Ku). Note the capital "C" on Cynosure. If it were a small "c" it would indicate a species and it is not. Zygo. 'Blue Bird' is not correct because there is no species name at all. You have a Genera name which is Zygo and a clonal name 'Blue Bird' but no species name so I can't look it up.

Looking up Zygonisia Cynosure 'Blue Bird' I find: Zygonisia Cynosure (Aganisia cyanea x Zygopetalum Skippy Ku). Looking through a ton of photos, I find 'Blue Bird' and here is its photo:
. If you don't understand what I just said, ask again until we get it straight.

Jim

Got most of it, Jim. Sorry about the capitols..I'm just a hobbyist...not a MG. It just seems a bit confusing to see two very different Zygos. with the same name. I would never buy either one without seeing it in bloom.

Well, you and your siblings don't look exactly alike even though you have the same parents. Unless you have a clone, it won't be identical. I've got to get to sleep as I'm the speaker tomorrow at the USF orchid auction. We can talk more tomorrow.

Jim

Speaking of clones and siblings, I did get an e-mail back from Paul Storm about the Lemon Twist. He says he doesn't have any in bloom at the moment, so to be honest, I don't want to shell out his high price for a plant unless I know what color it will be. The pic of it on his site has distinctly orange petals/tepals and a burgundy lip. I liked the pale yellow one with purple lip that you got a picture of at the last show.

Zygonisia vs Zygopetalum. I don't know the difference but they don't look the same.

Lindsey, Amazingly enough, I would have to travel to another state to buy a lottery ticket. Luckily, California is only 9 miles away.

I'm impatiently tapping my fingers for this NOID from my old collection to bloom


And a bag baby from Lowes Slc. Jewel box 'Sherazade' with s few buds peeking out of the sheath



And the first of 2 spikes on Jfk Appleblossom is going to open any second
( if the buds don't blast or get knocked off during the next cold snap arriving tomorrow)

Daisy, Zygopetalum is an orchid genus just like Cattley or Dendrobium. Zygonisia is a inter-genetic hybrid composed of [Aganisia x Zygopetalum]. This is like a Bc. which is a cross between the Brassavola genus and the Cattleya genus.

Jim