What is it, how do I not kill it?

[DrWurm]

I just picked up a cool looking random orchid from the local nursery. I'm giving it to my mom's bf, who is about to retire and wants to start up an orchid collection. So I need to keep it until Christmas.

*see title*

 

[Dave S.]

It looks like a Phalaenopsis or Moth orchid. I would keep it in low to medium light (no direct sun), warm and lightly watered every now and then with warm rain water. If the growing conditions change drastically (e.g. gets too cold), it might drop the unopened flower buds.

 

[JB_OrchidGuy]

Yup that is a Phalaenopsis You will want to repot it with fresh LFS. It is normlay pretty broken down when you get them from the store. Do not let it dry out, but do not keep it waterlogged either. Never set it in water. Dave is right about the getting too cold, but in ordeer to get it to reflower next year it needs to have a temp drop to about 55 for a few days for it to set a spike. After those flowers fall off cut the spike back to about one inch above the first unspent node (the place where the flowers come out) and it might branch and rebloom for you this year. Dave has the light right too. Really easy orchid to grow and the flowers last a long time.


Thanks Joseph!!!

 

[xvart]

Hey Josh! Nice new avatar. How do you train the spike upwards like they are at orchid shows? When mine came out the came out horizontal and it was already pretty stiff and set in its ways. Maybe I'm just a baby... lol.

xvart.

edit: Sorry about the off-topicedness, but since Josh was talking about spikes...

 

[JB_OrchidGuy]

They start trainging them on a stick as soon as they can. If it is stiff then you start at the bottom and every day or so tighten it up till it migrates tothe stick. Then they also have a might like a MH or HPS lamp pointed at the plant in one constant direction to get all the flowers to turn to the one side of the spike to get the presentation for shows. Takes alot of time and patients just like growing a bonzi. Traint the spike slowly as it grows. Little at a time to give the plant time to adjust to the training. Too much too fast and it will snap. That is also how they to the straight up then sharlybent virtulay doubling back onitself look too.


BTW Thanks for the reply on the avitar. I took it myself and printed it up on photo paper to an 8 x 10. This plant just went out of flower. It is a very blue Vanda. And youhaev to play with the light. Too much light and it is more purple, too little light and it may not flower since vanda are light hungery plants.

 

[xvart]

They start trainging them on a stick as soon as they can. If it is stiff then you start at the bottom and every day or so tighten it up till it migrates tothe stick. Then they also have a might like a MH or HPS lamp pointed at the plant in one constant direction to get all the flowers to turn to the one side of the spike to get the presentation for shows. Takes alot of time and patients just like growing a bonzi. Traint the spike slowly as it grows. Little at a time to give the plant time to adjust to the training. Too much too fast and it will snap. That is also how they to the straight up then sharlybent virtulay doubling back onitself look too.

Okie-dokie. I guess this year I'll just have some horizontal blooms. The orchid I'm talking about is a phal, too, and it has a spike about 8 inches long, and it has 3 or 4 more spikes that are just starting to push out so I'll try and train those up. Is 5 spikes abnormal? I run out of my standard orchid ferts so I used the blooming ferts that I use once a month a couple waterings in a row... Could that be it? Supposedly the ferts are endorsed by the AOS but that probably doesn't mean much, lol.

BTW Thanks for the reply on the avitar. I took it myself and printed it up on photo paper to an 8 x 10. This plant just went out of flower. It is a very blue Vanda. And youhaev to play with the light. Too much light and it is more purple, too little light and it may not flower since vanda are light hungery plants.

Your welcome. It certainly is a beautiful flower.

xvart.

 

[DrWurm]

Yup that is a Phalaenopsis You will want to repot it with fresh LFS. It is normlay pretty broken down when you get them from the store. Do not let it dry out, but do not keep it waterlogged either. Never set it in water. Dave is right about the getting too cold, but in ordeer to get it to reflower next year it needs to have a temp drop to about 55 for a few days for it to set a spike. After those flowers fall off cut the spike back to about one inch above the first unspent node (the place where the flowers come out) and it might branch and rebloom for you this year. Dave has the light right too. Really easy orchid to grow and the flowers last a long time.

Lucky for me I only have to care for it for a few days . Thanks for the help guys.