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EEOS Original Articles |
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The many articles in our Orchid Culture section can solve most of your culture issues. Check them out before submitting a question. |
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AOS Culture Sheets |
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The AOS Culture Sheets are very thorough guides for growing orchids successfully. Read the one pertaining to your kind of orchid before asking a culture question. |
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Ask Your Own Question |
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If the articles and culture sheets in our Orchid Culture section did not solve your problem, feel free to submit your own orchid culture question. |
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(Posted on March 9, 2003) |
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Question |
| I received a beautiful orchid cutting. It has lost its bloom, but has several buds that look ready to open. Can I grow it from cuttings. I also have an orchid that bloomed, stopped and then the tip of the stem was broken off. It has green leaves still, but the stem is not doing anything. What can I do? Any help would be appreciated. |
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Suzanna Hybl |
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Answer |
| Suzanna, your orchid cutting probably won't do anything unless it has roots. As far as your other orchid, it will probably bloom again in time if it has the proper care. Please visit our Orchid Culture section and read the culture requirements for your orchid after you've identified it. Thanks for the question and for visiting the EEOS web site. |
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Bob Stipe |
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(Posted on March 9, 2003) |
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Question |
| I have a dendrobium orchid that was blooming. The flowers just died off. Should I prune the plant in any way, such as cut of the stem that the flowers were on, or should I just let it be? Thank you very much for your advice. |
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Carol - Nesquehoning, PA - USA |
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Answer |
| Carol, I see no reason to prune your dendrobium after it blooms. There is a very good article written by one of our members, David Schaffter, on dendrobiums in the Orchid Culture section of our web site. Thanks for the question and for visiting the EEOS site. |
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Bob Stipe |
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(Posted on March 9, 2003) |
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Question |
| I recently sent a Phalaenopsis to my mum while she was in the hospital. She said the plant had 7 flowers until she took it home, when the flowers promptly fell off. Recently she said the leaves are starting to turn brown. The thing really sounds in a bad way. Do you have any easy advice on how she can look after it? All the information I've found seems to involve a lifetime of dedicated commitment and I rather hoped she could enjoy it as she recouperated. |
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Tanya - Edinburgh, Scotland |
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Answer |
| Sudden changes in temperature and humidity are hard on phalaenopsis. A short, cold draft, a few hours in a warm, dry room, are the things that may make a plant drop it's blooms or buds. You may want to check the plant's roots to see if they are healthy. If not, the dead ones should be trimmed and the plant repotted in a fresh potting mixture. Try to keep the plant in a steady environment and water sparingly until you see new growth. |
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David Schaffter |
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Answer |
| Tanya, orchids, as well as many other plants will suffer a certain amount of stress when moved from one location to another, especially when the new environment is much different than the first. Please return to our Orchid Culture section and read about phalaenopsis care in the AOS culture sheets. Thanks for the question and for visiting the EEOS web site. |
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Bob Stipe |
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(Posted on March 9, 2003) |
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Question |
| Hi... I have 3 orchids that are all different... I recently started feeding them and with this colder night air we have been having, it seems they are dormant... also, I never cut anything on them and they never seem to bloom. Help!!!!! What do you suggest I start doing to promote growth and blooming? Thanks. |
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Mary - Hallandale Beach, FL - USA |
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Answer |
| Mary, the first thing you should do is try to identify the type orchids you have. After you've done that, return to our Orchid Culture section, read the articles written be EEOS members and the AOS CUlture Sheets. There ,you will find much information pertaining to your particular orchid. Thanks for visiting the EEOS web site. |
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Bob Stipe |
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| Mary, some tips on identifying your orchids: you can browse our Members' Orchids Gallery to look for orchids similar to yours; you can take your orchids (or pictures of them in bloom) to a local orchid nursery or orchid club to be identified (look for orchid clubs in your area in our Links section); or you can e-mail me a picture of your orchids in bloom. |
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Fred Armando |
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(Posted on March 9, 2003) |
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Question |
| What are the advantages and disadvantages of orchid production? What are the climatic requirements for orchid propagation? What are the common diseases? |
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Francis - Davao, Philippines |
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| Francis, as far as I'm concerned, there are no "disadvantages" to orchid production. Your question is very general. Please take the time to read the culture requirements for ALL orchid species on our Orchid Culture section. |
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Bob Stipe |
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Answer |
| Dear Francis. I'm not sure if you're asking about growing orchids as a hobby or as a business, or if you're referring to breeding the orchids yourself. This is a very general question. There are orchids from all over the world, with all sorts of temperature and humidity requirements. It would be too difficult to answer such a broad question, but I'm going to give it a shot, anyway. I don't see any disadvantages to growing orchids as a hobby. There are, of course, things you need to have (and do) in order to offer your orchids the perfect conditions for them to thrive, and the more orchids you have, the more time (and money) you will spend. The benefits, however are many: orchids are beautiful plants that when healthy will reward you with the most exotic and amazing (and sometimes fragrant) flowers you have ever seen; their growth habits are extremely interesting, as many of them are epiphytes (growing on trees); growing plants and being in touch with nature is very relaxing and can virtually eliminate stress... I could go on. Now, if you're talking about starting an orchid business, well that would have to be looked at as any other business: investments will have to be made, risks taken, and there is no guarantee of success. I'm not a professional grower, but I know some and they work very, very hard. Lastly, if you're referring to breeding the orchids, I've never done it myself, but I know it's not too complicated. You would need to fertilize one flower with the pollen of another and wait for the seed pod to form. Then, you would need to find a place that can flask your seed pods for you (that is, to germinate the seeds in sterile environments - flasks). After that, you would need to deflask the plants into trays and later put them in community pots and then in individual pots. This is a relatively simple procedure on paper, but it is time consuming and many things can go wrong, starting with seed pods that don't produce viable seeds, plants dying after being deflasked, etc. Not to mention the fact that you would have to wait a few years to see the results when the new plants finally flower. Having said all that, I know many people who do it and have great success and a lot of fun. The key is to be methodical and have LOTS of patience. |
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Fred Armando |
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(Posted on March 9, 2003) |
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Question |
| I received an orchid as a gift, but I am not sure what care to give it. The stake says Dtps. Kinu Pink Letter 'Pink Lady' SR-009 x Happy Valentine 'M12' 3335gp. Can you tell me what type this is and where to find information as to how to take care of this beautiful plant? Thank you. |
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Jessie - Toronto, Canada |
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Answer |
| Hi Jessie. You have a Doritaenopsis (Dtps), which is a hybrid between a Doritis and a Phalaenopsis. You can care for it just as you would a phalaenopsis. Check out our Orchid Culture section for more information. |
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Fred Armando |
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(Posted on March 9, 2003) |
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Question |
| I have a healthy phalaenopsis that is in dire need of repotting -- the plant is just about to fall out of the pot with many long aerial roots. Actually, the plant tips its plastic pot over... I keep the pot inside a larger heavy decorative pot. This phal bloomed a few months ago (and actually has two already-bloomed spikes that are still green)... and I was meaning to repot the orchid but now there is a new 1" spike. It seems healthy and happy otherwise... large green leaves (the "wingspan" is ~ a foot and a half... but the plant is, um, in a 4" pot). Should I just go ahead and (carefully!) repot the orchid ASAP before waiting through another bloom cycle? Thanks VERY much; I really appreciate this web site and any response you might have. |
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Elaine - Berkeley, CA - USA |
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Answer |
| Elaine, I don't see any reason not to repot, as long as you're very careful with the new spike. They're very fragile. Thanks for the question and for visiting the EEOS web site. |
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Bob Stipe |
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Answer |
| You might wait until you get one more bloom before you repot. We try to repot after all the blooming is done. This is in late spring or early summer. You want to make sure the plant is going to be exposed to warm temps and long daylight so it can start growing and put on new roots when you repot. |
David Schaffter |
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(Posted on March 9, 2003) |
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Question |
| Past summer I bought three vandas with long green roots in a little basket with no medium, I have made everything I read in the internet to keep them happy and now the roots are green brownish and some have felt. Monterrey is a city with extreme weather and this winter is a very dry winter. I'm thinking to put the vandas in a bigger basket with coconut fiber to keep humidity. What do you recomend? |
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Cecilia Villarreal - Monterey, Mexico |
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Answer |
| Cecilia, please check the Orchid Culture section of our web site for culture information on vandas. Vandas need some air movement, especially after watering. Thanks for the question and for visiting the EEOS web site. |
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Bob Stipe |
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Answer |
| You can water your vandas every day until the humidity picks up or it starts raining. Vandas like a lot of water, but you don't want to keep the roots too wet or else they will die. If you use coconut fiber around the roots, make sure it's not too tight around the roots and they can get good air movement. You can try just a few plants so if it doesn't work out, you're not too committed. |
David Schaffter |
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