As the long days of late summer unwind, most orchids should be enjoying a period of growth. Besides light and fertilizer, water is an essential element for healthy new growth. These watering tips can help you avoid some of the most common orchid care problems.
- When you water, use more than just a few drops. […]
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 […]
Well, not dragons really, but dragonflies. This one landed on a branch and stayed long enough to pose for Dave’s camera. With a little research, we identified it as a Blue-eyed Darner Dragonfly (scientific name Aeshna multicolor,) native to North America west of the Mississippi River. So what does this beautiful blue creature have to […]
Well, a little sub-tropical heat wave, anyway. We’ve had almost 3 weeks of fog-less days, unusual weather for this time of year in San Francisco. For the past few days, it’s stayed in the 80’s or 90’s F (27-37C.) That’s warm for us, since the fog bank usually starts to air-condition the coast in spring. […]
A gardener friend once told me that if I’m not killing plants, I’m not learning anything. I do try to avoid fatalities in my learning process, but they still happen sometimes.
This beautiful bloom is from last year, when my little Sophronitis cernua was doing well. This Cattleya relative is native to Brazil. I’ve kept it […]
This Dockrillia striolata flower opened today. This orchid is a small Dendrobium relative from Australia. It was a pleasant surprise this morning, because I’ve had this orchid for 6 years, but it’s never bloomed for me. I’m not sure what I finally did right to help it bloom. Yes, that’s a fat aphid in the […]
A friend of mine asked me about her Phal. She’s had it blooming in her living room for months, and suddenly this week the flowers all drooped and fell off. Then the bottom leaves turned to mush. I didn’t even need to see the plant to make a diagnosis — poor drainage. […]