Archive for the 'Growing' Category
Sunday, February 14th, 2010
Whether you had a nice valentine’s weekend or not, I’ll think you’ll enjoy this NPR story and remarkable video of a frustrated bee. The objects of the bee’s intentions are orchids that leave him brokenhearted with pollen stuck to his head. C’est l’amour, but it provides a great close-up of orchid pollination. Here’s a direct [...]
Categories: Growing, In the News, Orchids in the Wild
Comments: 5 Comments
Sunday, February 7th, 2010
“Buy a hybrid” is good advice when you’re buying a car, and also when you’re buying an orchid. Hybrids are great choices for Valentine’s gifts, especially for people new to orchids. They’re easier to grow and have showier flowers than most species. You can check out orchid buying basics in my previous posts here and [...]
Categories: Growing, Misc, Photos
Comments: 7 Comments
Sunday, January 3rd, 2010
If that beautiful orchid you received as a holiday present is now causing you panic attacks and nightmares, take a deep breath. With some basic care info, you’ll realize that many orchids are tough plants, and their finicky reputation is a myth. It will help to identify your orchid to determine its specific light, temperature, [...]
Categories: Growing, In the News
Comments: 5 Comments
Sunday, December 27th, 2009
There’s no better reminder than the harsh winter weather that many orchids have entered a dormant season. Corresponding to a dry season in the wild, members of these common orchid families are resting like a bear in a cozy den. Resist the urge to water until you see their pseudobulbs start to shrivel. Do your [...]
Categories: Dormancy, Growing, Problems, Watering
Comments: 5 Comments
Wednesday, November 4th, 2009
These tiny, charming flowers belong to a Stenoglottis, one of the easiest African orchids to grow. With purple polka dots and fringed lips, the flowers provide an enchanting show from late summer though autumn. Dozens of blooms are crowded onto each flower spike, and open sequentially over a few months.
This Stenoglottis is not an air [...]
Categories: Dormancy, Growing, Intermediate Growers, Photos
Comments: 6 Comments
Wednesday, October 28th, 2009
Ok, maybe that title is a little harsh, but I do get frustrated with orchid advice that misses the mark. In today’s sound-bite culture, oversimplification is a perennial problem, and this video clip produced by a local San Francisco TV show (video no longer available) is a good example. While they give generally accurate info, [...]
Categories: Growing, In the News, Problems
Comments: 5 Comments
Thursday, October 22nd, 2009
If cold temperatures are confining your gardening to indoors, your orchids can still keep you busy. In addition to the autumn chores I wrote about recently, this is a good time of year to look at light conditions. Orchids that originate from the tropics do not experience very short days or weak sun in their [...]
Categories: Dormancy, Growing
Comments: 4 Comments
Saturday, September 26th, 2009
Depending on your local climate, autumn brings shorter days, cool temperatures, and some corresponding autumn chores. As temperatures dip, you’ll need to bring warm growing orchids inside. Take the opportunity to clean off dead leaves and weeds. Check for pests, paying attention to the undersides of leaves and the potting media. Although I try to [...]
Categories: Dormancy, Fertilizing, Growing, Problems, Watering
Comments: 6 Comments
Sunday, June 21st, 2009
If you’re welcoming today’s summer solstice by enjoying some time outdoors, it’s always a good idea to keep your eyes open for whatever surprises nature can offer. Some can be so petite that they’re easy to overlook, but I find it’s often worth the effort to be observant. Case in point: these delightful Orchis flowers, [...]
Categories: Cool Growers, Dormancy, Growing, Mini Orchids, Photos
Comments: 5 Comments
Tuesday, May 12th, 2009
I’m a week late to celebrate the Mexican holiday of Cinco de Mayo, but this Mexican native shows no signs of finishing its fiesta of color. Laelia anceps is a Cattleya relative that’s easy to grow, and one of the toughest orchids around. It holds its large, star-shaped flowers high up on flower spikes that [...]
Categories: Dormancy, Growing, Intermediate Growers, Orchids in the Wild, Photos
Comments: 3 Comments