Top products from r/orchids

They won’t always rebloom on the same spike. Nothing to worry about. You can cut the brown spike back now- the will not rebloom when they are brown. I usually cut to amount an inch, just to make sure not to damage the plant but cutting too closely

To get a new spike, a few things to try-

First, I like to give mine some rest between blooms. But that’s just me. I have nothing to back up the need to give them a rest. Others may say it’s not necessary- and they may be right.

After a bloom is gone - and no chance of a rebloom on the spike- I feed them with a grow fertilizer. The brand I use is Dyno Grow - Grow. I give a weak strength dose with every water. Maybe skipping to every other water. Key is don’t over feed. I water real good with just water, then water with the fertilizer.

Then around October I switch to a bloom feed. I use Dyno Grow - Bloom. I use that through the bloom, then switch back after the bloom is over. Again same weak strength and process.

In the spring, when it’s just a little cool at night - but not cold- I put them out for a few nights. Careful not to let them be exposed to too cold. But a little cool exposure can wake up the bloom function.

Good light - not direct- is key. When we get any nice days - I move mine outside, even if just for a few hours. I let them enjoy the wind and light that I just can’t reproduce. I am careful not to leave them out when the temp drops too much. I’m in Texas and have had several nice days in February- gotta love it.

I’m happy with one good bloom or blooms a year. This switch between Grow and Bloom works well for me. I get health root and leaf growth and long bloom spikes.

Looking at your plant again- they don’t look dead yet. I would cut the 2nd one back to about two or three nodes (not sure that’s the right name). There is some stuff you can buy called Kieki gel, you use it on the node and you may get a baby orchid or a new spike


https://www.amazon.com/Keiki-Power-Orchid-Plant-Cloning/dp/B00948K1J4/ref=asc_df_B00948K1J4/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=216532910363&hvpos=1o4&hvnetw=g&hvrand=7045991728789577646&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1026278&hvtargid=pla-370197001162&psc=1

I’ve used this one

The top one seems severely underpotted. I've saved a phal in a similar situation to your second one except mine had only two leaves with one split down the middle length-wise. I saved it from my mother who over potted it and watered it like normal house-plants. I do't see any fungal infection but cutting away mushy roots is good. I would repot in a 4"+ pot with slits and additional holes. Medium-sized bark with some sphagnum mixed in. It seems you kept it in the tiny pot of tightly-packed moss for too long.

I also suggest using some kelp extract. I use it for all my rescues and repots - it majorly promotes root growth noticeably.

We need to also know more about where you keep your orchid, routine, and your location. Phal care in NYC (me) will differ from care in a dry, hot area like CA. You should be watering not by a schedule but by need - if you notice the roots are silvery and dry, that is when you should be watering. Twice a week seems like a lot - especially if the media is still wet, that definitely promotes conditions in which rot and infection could occur. The tight moss means very little airflow which all leads to root death. I water anywhere between 5 - 10 days based on need.

You can water by soaking as you are doing or by running water through the root area of the plant for a few mins and letting it fully drain. Remember that orchids are epiphytes and grow naturally on the sides of trees and rock in open air. The reason we use bark is because 90% of us don't like in ultra high humidity areas like Hawaii or the Philippines or Florida where these plants are native to. The bark/sphagnum/whatever media retains moisture but also provides enough airflow to somewhat simulate those ideal conditions.

Here is mine last August and here it is last month - it has even more roots now and growing a new leaf but I dont anticipate rebloom for another year or so.

OK - I'm the advance guard who is gonna give you some very basic info before the experts get here ;)

First thing: STOP WATERING WITH ICE CUBES. I hate how this has become a thing, and I hate how companies are saying this is how you should water them. It's a gimmick and a lie. Water it weekly (or so) with distilled or even tap water (well, depending on how good the water quality is in your area).

Second: get some spray fertilizer, like this:
http://www.amazon.com/Miracle-Gro-Orchid-Plant-Food-Fertilizer/dp/B00GTDG9CA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1456863385&sr=8-1&keywords=orchid+spray+fertilizer
That's a nice starter, and what I use. Before you water it, spray about 6 times (on the base, not the leaves) and then give it a drink. It's a nice light fertilizer and shouldn't shock the plant, and give it a good boost to keep growing.

OK, and this is the tricky part - I think you should repot that mamajama, because those roots are BEGGING to get out of that pot. You've got many healthy ones, by the look of it, so you're pretty good. Get a plastic orchid pot of a slightly bigger size (I think you're at 4", so 6" should do - again, can find on Amazon), some orchid bark mix (also a colander, possibly, because trust me, you'll wanna wash off the grit!), a bit of perlite, and (if it's not too pricey - a bag is about 11-14$) some planting charcoal. All of these should be available either online or at garden stores. Make a mix of 1 part charcoal, 1 part perlite, 2 parts orchid bark mix - and fill the new pot about 1/3 the way. Take your orchid GENTLY out of its pot, wash off any old potting mix, and guide it into the new pot, making sure to support underneath it with potting mix. Give it a small drink after you're done, just to help settle it.

NOW. Light issues. Make sure that sucker is in INDIRECT LIGHT - orchids can get sunburned, especially phals. I think the droopy leaves are a thirst issue (ice cubes do NOT give much water, and orchids are tropical plants), not a light one, so I'd recommend this order:

1. change how you water it! No more ice cubes - save those for cooling drinks! :)
   
2. Get that fertilizer and give it a weekly boost!
   
3. when you have the time and materials - repot it! Do some secondary research on this before you do it - never just take one source's advice!
   
4. Get it out of direct sun! I think the light may be OK, but be careful!
   
5. Watch it post-potting for a couple weeks - if it's still being droopy, you may be facing a light issue - ping the expert folks here again and they can give you better advice than I ;)
   
   Best of luck!

I water him every. single. morning. and then spray a light mist of Miracle Grow Orchid Spray on the foliage once every week to two weeks. (Not Ideal, granted, but it's what was available at the store at the time.) I also recently purchased a bottle of kelp fertilizer, which I've used twice at 1/2 strength, which I think has attributed to the root growth. The orchid really started taking off when I nestled it in the live moss -- I've read that Den. laevefolium grow damp, nestled in crevices in deep fern/braken/moss, and the mount has a crevice in the wood which I put him in. I've also noticed a new growth peeping out from the tip of a pseudobulb. I'm unsure if this is a new leaf, or a bud(!!). We'll just have to wait and see.

This is my first orchid (and of course I've purchased a few more since then ((because I've found that once you have one orchid you end up having ten orchids seemingly overnight))), and overall I'm very pleased with this little guy's progress. I definitely won't detach the fishing line for a while.

I'm a bit surprised at the speed of growth, since I've read that Den. laevifolium tends to be a slow grower?? You certainly won't find me complaining!

Original post here, to compare growth

No problem! I’m not sure north window will be enough light but it’s worth a shot. Vandas like more light than any other orchid and can even take direct sun for a few hours with good humidity. North window would never be enough for full size vanda but babies do seem to like less light so who knows. Here is a fantastic fertilizer I use and everyone raves about. They also make one labeled as an orchid fertilizer but my orchids love these ones. The “grow” one is great for babies...

Dyna-Gro DYNAGB8OZSET Liquid Grow & Liquid Bloom, 8 oz https://www.amazon.com/dp/B014UAEPVK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_KBEzCbNPMF2QW


And here is what the AOS has to say about vandas if you haven’t seen this already. Good luck!

http://www.aos.org/orchids/culture-sheets/vanda.aspx

I would recommend trying species from the group Aerangis, Specifically Aerangis hariotiana, hildebrandtii, fastuosa, and citrata as these are low light species from very humid regions that would fit the temperature range you have.


Also try Pleoruothallids, Group includes Masdevallia - Pleurothallis - Dracula - Lepanthes - Restrepia and so on, that are warmer growing. Species from coastal Brazil will work well in your conditions provided they are also miniature in size. Dracula lotax, Pleurothallis tribuloides, and Platystele umbellata are some of the easier to find members from the group that stay fairly small while flowering regularly.


Bulbophyllum nitidum and tingabarinum are two species that are readily available and have very dramatic flowers, Bulbophyllum depressum and laxiflorum are two others with smaller blooms but are just as easy to cultivate.


Gastrochilus species, especially fuscopunctatus and dasypogon, are suited to growing very humid and warm while staying tiny and small respectively. Haraella retrocalla is a close relative and is also quite adaptable to being grown in tanks with lower light levels.


Miniature Orchids by Steven Frowine is a good reference for more commonly cultivated plants that are suitable for beginners.

If you have the willingness to grow rare and very exotic species I recommend A Compendium of Miniature Orchid Species by Ron Parsons (2 volumes). It is a very detailed book on growing some of the more unusual varieties with extensive detail on conditions and growing needs for the species described in it. it is, however, quite expensive and would be a better choice for someone intending on amassing a moderate to large collection rather than a small tank of miniatures.

For slipper orchids, one of the latest is Slipper Orchids of the Americas, a comprehensive and authoritative review of Phragmipedium, Mexipedium, and Selenepedium. It was released last year, so it's very up to date. It has sections on taxonomy, ecology, and evolution. It takes an in-depth look at each species, has lots of amazing full color photos and while it's very technical at times, it's also very readable and understandable.

The Genus Paphiopedilum is another book by Phillip Cribb, and as the title suggests, it's focused entirely on Paphiopedilums. It's a little dated now, and there are at least a dozen or more species that have been discovered since, but it's still a great resource. There are sections on ecology, evolution, hobby care, etc. Similar to above, there is a lot of technical terminology, but even if you aren't well-versed in the terms, it's still very readable.

Cribb has also produced Genus Cypripedium and Hardy Cypripedium: Species, Hybrids and Cultivation. The former is a monograph similar to The Genus Paphiopedilum and Slipper Orchids of the Americas and a very similar format. I read through the entire book several times back after it was first released, but I do not own it. The newer book was a surprise to me since I wasn't aware of its existence until just a few moments ago, but I can only assume it's a great source of information since Werner Frosch and Cribb are involved.

Tropical Slipper Orchids is a book by Harold Koopowitz (another important name in slipper orchid taxonomy and breeding). I don't own this one and have only seen it in passing, but it's perhaps a little more approachable for hobby growers and breeders. It covers Paphs and Phrags, and it differs from the Cribbs books in that it spends more time on breeding and hybridization (there's a short chapter in the Cribbs books, but nothing particularly exhaustive).

Anyway, many (maybe most) of the common genera of orchids have similar resources.

Ok so here's my more detailed post like promised.

Generally I like to keep the grow room around high 70 F - low 80 F during the day and low 60 F at night with humidity around 70-75%. Most orchids and carnivorous plants love this setting.

This is my carnivorous grow area. There used to be a lot more fly traps here but since they are now in the fridge for winter dormancy, this has been turned into a nepenthes and orchids sanctuary. I take most of my pictures here simply because it has the best light. I used a fixture of 4 T5HOs Agrobite with 3 6500k and 1 2700k to cover a wider range of spectrum.

This is my display area. I like to put my blooming orchids on this stand which also is very close to my computer so I could catch the orchids fragrances occasionally. For this I use this stand and a grow light.

This is my regular phal rack. There are 3 like this one, where my non-blooming phals live (and blooming too if I run out of place at my display stand). I use this as my main light and extra supplement grow lights same as above.

If she is an indoor grower and likes miniatures, Miniature Orchids by Steven Frowine is great. Anything he writes is pretty awesome and easy to understand.

Disclaimer: I'm a newbie too, just sharing some things I learned. Apologies if you already knew all this.

It sounds like you already cut off a lot of roots, but don't go by color when determining whether a root is healthy, dead, or rotten; go by feel. Squishy and flat are dead, plump ones are healthy. I'm not sure what kind of pots you use, but I love these. They work really well to keep a humid, but airy environment. Plus you can see inside the pot which I find really helpful. Perhaps your dendrobium was overpotted. The roots should fit inside without being totally smooshed but there should not be much room between the sides of the pot and the outer edges of the roots. Epiphytic orchids love being potbound too. Mine like to send out aerial roots or grips the sides and bottoms of their pots. Also the media should be loosely packed around the roots. The idea is for the water from the media to evaporate close to the roots rather than being tightly packed and keeping them soaking wet. As it recovers it's extra important that the root area is in a humid environment. I had a dendrobium aggregatum that had all hollow papery roots. I stuck it inside a deep plastic cup with some spaghnum moss (not potted, I just set it on the moist moss) and misted the inside of the cup regularly to keep it humid for a while and then potted it in new bark and gave it some kelp extract. This all seemed to help it bounce back and grow new roots. You could also look into the spag in a bag method if you are down to very few or no roots.

What will you be putting in there? If it's mostly high light species you probably don't want to cheap out too much on light, but if you have a mix or mostly intermediate to low light you can probably get away with cheaper and fewer fixtures.

I have a few of these led panels, which are strong enough to tan a cattleya at a close range and could also cover a very wide area at a further distance for lower light plants. My oldest ones have been running daily for a little over a year and no issues so far, so hopefully they'll last a good long time. You could probably use one of these on each side at an angle so that the front of each shelf gets some direct light and arrange your plants closest by ordered of light requirements.

I also have some areas where I supplement light with a setup of cords---socket splitters---and smaller sized grow bulbs that I can swivel to target a wider or narrower area.

One more tip that I haven't tried with orchids but might be worth a shot in a setup like this, you could line the walls with foil or something reflective to help bounce light to the back sides of the shelves and have less spillover "going to waste". I've only ever done this with seedlings for my garden but it seemed to help.

I’ve always used Dyna Gro Liquid Gro and Bloom with great results. Liquid Gro at half strength every week for three weeks and Bloom at half strength on the fourth week. On the fourth week I also use KelpMax.

I recently switched to K-Lite when I ran out of the others though because it gets great reviews and still use the KelpMax once a month.

I built my light using leftover parts i had from building a light for my saltwater reef aquarium. I knew that if the light i built for my aquarium was strong enough to grow the specific coral i wanted to grow, a similar light would be more than strong enough to grow any kind of plant. I've gotten tomatoes to flower and set fruit with this light. I used 24 3w cree LEDs (this was several years ago though, and LEDs have vastly improved since then). I currently only have 12 of the LEDs turned on, and the fixture is mounted about 5 feet above the orchids (phals, cattleyas, oncidiums, and a maxillaria), hanging from the ceiling using one of the hanging kits from rapidled.com

Do you just have one orchid?

I wouldn't get that $70 light on Amazon. There is no real reason to get a "full spectrum" light because plants primarily only use red and blue light (which is why most LED grow lights only have red and blue LEDs).

If you only have one orchid, I would just get something like this and get some kind of cheap fixture to mount it in, like a shop light from home depot.

What kind of orchids are you trying to grow and how many do you have/want?

Rhttps://www.amazon.com/Masdevallias-Orchid-World-Mary-Gerritsen/dp/0881927376

I haven’t gotten very far into this book, but it does have a fair amount of info on the historical discoveries in the genus and it’s certainly a niche book. It, of course, does have car info too. Not sure it’s what you’re looking for but may be worth checking out!

Also, not books but you may be able to find some more scientific reads over on Google Scholar- a review paper on a groups evolution may be easily found and for your bill as well.

I have an orchid that was gifted to me this spring. It bloomed beautifully through the summer, and when it finished, I trimmed back its spikes (they were being sacrificed anyway) and repotted it (the included pot was very small and couldn't drain). So far, it seems to be doing well: I have two new sets of leaves. However, I'm a cold apartment in Seattle (though it is south facing). How much benefit do you think I'd get from installing this $70 sunlight colored LED grow light?

Edit: it's a young phal.

Okay, here's what I did!

First, I actually put no work into picking a piece of wood. I ordered one of these and figured that unless it was awful, I could make it work. Too true!

Then I gathered everything else: plain dried sphagnum moss, live mood moss, and stretchy bead cord.

I fidgeted around with the plant and the bare piece of wood to figure out where it would ultimately sit, then once I had a good spot, I laid the roots across the wood in ways that went with the direction they were growing naturally. Some of the roots I threaded through holes in the wood; others I gently pushed into cracks.

I held the plant in place and started to place small amounts of dried moss over the roots, just enough to cover them. Holding all of that with one hand, I cut a length of cord, about 12" long, and wrapped it around the wood, moss, and roots. Just enough to hold it in place, I tied it off at the bottom and trimmed the ends.

From there, I built up moss around the base of the plant, and then incorporated pieces of live mood moss. I used probably three more feet of cord to secure everything down and make sure every piece was secure.

Next came the tray. I bought one of these and filled it with pebbles. Those serve two purposes: first to hold the wood at an angle I like (pile the rocks up where they're needed) and second to keep the wood from touching the bottom of the tray.

To water, I just fill the tray up. Weekly I add a regular amount of fertilizer (instead of weekly weakly) since it has to leech into the wood. Then to keep bacteria or mildew from accumulating, I occasionally add this stuff to the water. This setup has been here since about June, and I've had no bacteria or mold in the water. Have not had to clean the tray out once!

I have two more orchids on mounts (a neofinetia falcata and a "Charles M. Fitch", whatever it's actually called) in the same tray, but one of them is sort of oddly droopy and hasn't really "settled in" yet. The other one looks nice; maybe I'll post a pic in the morning.

Agreed, this is definitely crown rot. Phals are highly susceptible to all kinds of rot so you have to be extremely careful when watering or misting. You can either get the cinnamon, or my suggestion is this physan 20. Most grocery store cinnamons are for human consumption, not the intent to use as a fungicide. Like orchidfool said, the fresher the better if you're going with cinnamon.

I miss all that free porch sunlight from my parent's home! And almost all my plants were pretty traumatized by my move a couple years ago. I ended up losing only one, but most of the other ones lost about half their mass? At an estimate.

Right now I have one big box of leds (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HI3AFYM/). The roots are looking good right now, though I'm a bit disturbed by just how many are in the air, all sticking out the same direction. It looks pretty funny.

I have two of these mounted side by side -- they don't spread a whole bunch, and are maybe 12" above my plants: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01IVQ96KY/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I don't think they'd grow much more than a phal, though I do have a suburst under them right now that's doing okay, and as you can see in the picture a rogue aloe :-) I really want to build a shelf that is 3 or 4 tiers with each having its own light to keep at home, but I haven't gotten that far. They get just a little warm, but not hot. Just be considerate of that depending where you plan to put them.

Octagon Cedar Basket I just found these poking around amazon! They look awesome!

Those bulbs aren't going to be enough and I'm not sure anything you put in the vanity is going to work as the bulbs are 3 feet away when they should only be a few inches away and they are pointing out horizontal, not down directly at the plants. As for hanging the lights either get a clip on work light socket or for the self contained ones, just put and eye hook in a ceiling stud and hang it from wire or chain. I'm not sure you're really grasping how much light these need. Both Vandas and Den phals can take as much as full outdoor sun and need quite bright light to perform well. They aren't low light plants like phals. I posted some other options below that would be white light. For the second light, you'd want the 45 watt version , not the 14 watt. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B015YX8ZF4/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1491063709&sr=8-3&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=grow+light+white&dpPl=1&dpID=514VugAmA5L&ref=plSrch
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01EY5Q6I6/ref=mp_s_a_1_31?ie=UTF8&qid=1491063799&sr=8-31&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=grow+light+white&dpPl=1&dpID=41pcm%2BdwN1L&ref=plSrch
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B019HOJM3U/ref=mp_s_a_1_50?ie=UTF8&qid=1491063856&sr=8-50&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=grow+light+white&dpPl=1&dpID=31dUPvp0NrL&ref=plSrch
http://www.neherpetoculture.com/bulbsvivvg

I use clear plastic pots: TRUEDAYS 5.5 inch 4 Pack Orchid Clear Plastic Pot https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FX68DK4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_ScgoDbAQG1MPX

And to make it look cute, I usually put them in any decorative container they fit in! I get them from random places, but the cheapest by far is ikea!

this is the best

https://www.amazon.com/Besgrow-Orchiata-Orchid-Bark-Classic/dp/B0758HQGD5/ref=sr_1_8?crid=3LJOS6LY4WSXA&keywords=orchid+bark&qid=1570987559&sprefix=orch%2Caps%2C180&sr=8-8

Not sure where you are located but I buy this from amazon for the regular phals https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KWXTH36/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Its a good mix and very inexpensive!

Thanks for all of your suggestions! Is this stuff sufficient for repotting? After repotting, should I wait to water for a while? I just watered it the day before I originally posted.

Specifically, this one. It's just a mixture of fir bark, charcoal, and perlite, then I added a layer of sphagnum moss on top to help the media not dry out so quickly.

If the leaves are drooping it may not be getting enough moisture. You could try getting one of those cedar baskets (like this) and soaking the roots/basket for a few minutes in the morning. My idea is that the wood will absorb some of the moisture, and keep the humidity higher around the roots during the day. Perhaps a few loose pieces of sphag moss as well?

I do not have experience owning Vanda's yet, just suggesting a few ideas to help!

I'd reccomend this book not for nothing, but it taught me how to koke in one day, it explains it extremely well.

I'm in Zone 8a in a pretty dark house. The only big window is facing North but is mostly covered by outdoor trees. I was looking into getting a cheap light setup for now with this bulb: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GNWK2XO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_YYZ9AbX00SHCQ
I only have two Phalaenopsis orchids and they seem to need more light. Does anyone have experience with this bulb or with a very simple grow light setup?

I use this. I dissolve 1/4 tsp of fertilizer in 1 gallon of tap water. I actually make two gallon jugs of it in advance, so it's at room temperature and the chlorine has dissipated prior to watering.

Edit: a word

You will get a lot more bang for your buck if you get the kind that you dissolve yourself. If your orchids are in bark (and they probably should be) you can get a 30-10-10. If they are in moss, find a 20-20-20 one.

With the spray kind you are mostly paying for the liquid the fertilizer is dissolved in, also it's harder to dilute. The kind that I linked will last you for literally years.

Miracle-Gro Orchid Plant Food Mist

i use these: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015YX8ZF4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I also have a cloning paste I bought off Amazon. Its call Keiki Power Plus, but all it has formed so far for me are new flower spikes. No keiki's yet.