If an orchid refuses to bloom over the course of a year, one of the most common culprits is insufficient light. Here are a few tips to keep in mind: • Light green or medium green leaves are a good indication that an orchid is receiving sufficient light. Dark green leaves may look attractive, but […]
One of the most common questions I receive about orchids is how to force them to re-bloom ahead of their natural schedules. There is only one method I know to accomplish this, and it only works with Phalaenopsis. As soon as the last flower fades, cut the flower spike (the stem that holds the flowers) […]
In the early 90’s I received this Phalaenopsis orchid as a gift from a friend, and it’s been a reliable bloomer ever since. It usually starts to bloom in the spring, and continues through the fall. The large flowers can last for months. Each flower is about 5 inches (12.7 cm) wide. The photo below […]
To welcome the longest day of the year (in the Northern Hemisphere, that is,) I have some cheery pink Epidendrum flowers. Happy summer! Here in San Francisco, it’s a hot one, 94 F (34 C) in the shade at 1:00 in the afternoon. Where’s that cool SF fog when I need it? This Epidendrum lives […]
There are a few of days of spring left, so it’s still repotting season. It’s best to repot orchids in the spring, and I have lots of orchids, so I always seem to be trying to catch up with this gardening chore. Doing this in spring, just as most are starting a cycle of growth, […]
Today’s orchid related vocabulary word is lithophyte. Pronounced “LITH-ah-fayht,” it rhymes with “lip-oh-fight.” A lithophythe is a plant that grows attached to rock. Sound like science fiction? Well, just as orchid roots can attach to tree trunks and branches, some can also attach to rocks. Lithophytes may sink their roots into crevices and absorb nutrients […]
So many people think of orchids as delicate and fragile, but this little Sarcochilus hartmanii is one tough plant. Related to Phalaenopsis and Vanda, in the wild Sarcochilus grow as lithophytes, or rock plants. Their roots attach to cliff-face rocks in eastern Australia, holding on despite strong ocean winds. They can handle a wide range […]
It may look like just another orchid, but this blooming Epipactis gigantea is special for a few reasons. Unlike most commonly cultivated orchids, which come from tropical regions, this orchid is a San Francisco native. In fact, it’s native to a wide part of western North America, spanning from SW Canada to NW Mexico, and […]
Tiny Lepanthopsis astrophora has a name that’s bigger than the plant itself. I bought this Masdevallia relative at a sale at OrchidMania last year, and it’s been in constant bloom for a year. The flowers only last a few days each, but there’s a constant resupply. If they look small in the pictures, they are! […]
Nicknamed the Hardy Chinese Orchid, Bletilla striata is a terrestrial that grows in soil. Originally from China, Japan, and Korea, Bletillas go dormant over the winter, and can handle light freezes. These flowers have been slowly opening over the past few days. They’re still not completely open in these photos, but you can see their […]
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