WATERING ORCHIDS IN WINTER

Hmm well I was watering my Orchids when I thought that maybe I should write something to you new Orchid growers about this.

Despite the fact that many books give you the impression that they live in deserts by stating a reduction on water as a generalisation this is not the case at all.

Their is also not much in the way of a general rule of thumb on this but you COULD state that watering should be reduced for this Orchids that have pseudobulbs. In other words Phalaenopsis (Moth Orchids) and Vanda should not be reduced too much just do not let water collect in the crowns (middle of the plant) for too long and certainly not over night. I use cotton ear-buds to absorb excess water.

Now you could call this a rule of thumb but both Cymbidiums and Zygopetalums have pseudobulbs but should be treated like Vanda and Phalaenopsis in the winter. I know this from experience. They do not like being too dry for too long. In fact my Cymbidiums have so far refused to flower and I think because of this.

If you own Dendrobiums this is the other way around for sure and that not giving them water to the point where they are starting to shrivel will make them produce more flowers when you start watering again. This is certainly true of kingianum, nobile (ones normally bought in supermarkets ad hardware stores) but not of victoriae-reginae. The latter is a species Orchid with blue flowers covered and pictured elsewhere in this blog and does like to be damp (DAMP) most of the time and seems to just flower regardless of care. There will be one or two others like victoriae-reginae species, like parishii, which would be similar in moisture levels.

Of the other big Dendrobium group normally seen in store are the Dendrobium phalaenopsis and so called because the flowers look like ... you guessed it, Phalaenopsis. Now it is important to note that these can be told by their canes to which at the apex (the tip) they are pointed and NOT blunt as in nobile. These are TROPICAL Dendrobiums so the care will differ somewhat. I am not really a great lover of the Dendrobium Phalaenopsis so I could not really state anything about there care other than warmer and more humidity so a large tray of water would be the order of the day.

Remember that IF your Orchids are mounted or that you want to mount them and DO get around to it that these watering regimes will change a fair amount. In fact with my mounted Orchids I can water them everyday and several times a day without worrying as I know there will be no standing water collected anywhere that they will dislike or will cause rot to the roots.

Also with some, like Phalaenopsis, you will need to increase the humidity levels too.

I have a few things mounted that are now doing well and this includes that odd Bulbophyllum now in flower (pictures of its previous flowering I need to find and put up as its a bit odd) the Podangis dactyloceras, Vanda caerulea, Vanda denisoniana (now) and Trichoglottis pusilla. I am tempted to mount the species of Phalaenopsis I have...

Phalaenopsis heiroglyphica
Phalaenopsis zebrina
Phalaenopsis sumatrana
Phalaenopsis violacea
Phalaenopsis bellina
Phalaenopsis parishii

But I will not do this just yet, maybe in the spring on this and first I need to find the right piece of wood to look good and be large enough to hang it over and along the back with enough space for all of them?!

The flowers of the first five listed are somewhat incredible for two reasons, first of all is the colours and patterns which just have to be seen to be believed and there is no hybrid that can come close to them for sheer beauty.

The second reason is the flower spikes which have a zig-zag like look to them. Here what they do when they flower is the produce one really showy and gorgeous flower and when this one dies and drops off it is pretty common for the plant to then produce ANOTHER flower shortly after.

So having all the above lined up doing that would be so very cool while like fantastically tropical and exotic and I still have one or two to acquire too. So if I get the wood first I had better make sure there is space for two more?!?!

LMAO!!