Some orchid plant flowers

[salty dog]

Brachypetalum species, godefroyae & a brachypetalum hybrid death star x mac

 

[kinyonga]

Very nice! Do you grow orchids?

 

[salty dog]

I've been growing orchids for 7 years

 

[NikkiA]

@salty dog You and I have the same hobbies, chameleons and orchids!

 

[salty dog]

I've been systematically getting rid of my orchids, but I have some really incredible paph multifloral pictures of some of my babies I've sold, if you would like to see them

 

[kinyonga]

You're getting rid of them? That's too bad. They are interesting plants....ones I seem to always kill. Good thing I do better with chameleons, eh?!

 

[salty dog]

I need the space for chams

 

[kinyonga]

I see...exchanging one addiction for another!

 

[salty dog]

Lol.. chams are much more rewarding!! The orchid community are elitist assholes...the hole aos!! Crones syndrome

 

[Thehippie]

yeah, ive always tried with them but I just don't seem to have the talent for an orchid just yet... most of mine are gone within the month

 

[salty dog]

What orchid were you trying to grow?

 

[kinyonga]

I couldn't even keep the simple ones alive...so I'm never trying them again! I've switched to plants in my garden instead!

 

[Thehippie]

What orchid were you trying to grow?

the one from ikea that costed ten bucks??? honestly I had no idea what kind it was lol, it just said orchid so I picked it up and bought it, put it in some bark, coir, perlite mix and it just flopped over, probably because I went right ahead and dumped it next to the window....

 

[salty dog]

Sympodial plant....probably phalaenopsis, the thing is with those is they transpire from roots, when you get it you have to free the roots from whatever is suffocating them, then put it in very loose potting medium or mount it, it grows like a cattleya in nature with much less light, and they grow cool, one in bloom will drop the flowers in temps over 80°....oncidiums plant with a bulb at base of leaves, there is alot of variation in those so hard to tell of what growing conditions will work well for those, some require cooler temps to grow right, none of those plants roots can sit wet, they will all die if they do, those roots need air

 

[Thehippie]

Sympodial plant....probably phalaenopsis, the thing is with those is they transpire from roots, when you get it you have to free the roots from whatever is suffocating them, then put it in very loose potting medium or mount it, it grows like a cattleya in nature with much less light, and they grow cool, one in bloom will drop the flowers in temps over 80°....oncidiums plant with a bulb at base of leaves, there is alot of variation in those so hard to tell of what growing conditions will work well for those, some require cooler temps to grow right, none of those plants roots can sit wet, they will all die if they do, those roots need air

yeahhhhh, all that combined was probably my downfall....

 

[kinyonga]

The phalaenopsis were the ones I tried...and I knew about the roots and still managed to kill them.

 

[NikkiA]

I have started to thin out my collection as well. I had hundreds of plants, but now I have around 90. I have many hard to find species plants. I have been going back and forth about selling them. I have a sunroom on my home that gives me the ability to grow in Michigan without supplemental lighting. We want to put our home on the market this year or next, so I don't know if I will have or want to dedicate the space to some of my big, high light orchids. I agree that many in the orchid community are not as friendly as you would think.

 

[Thehippie]

wish me luck, I picked up a phalaenopsis and might try my hand at mounting it on some wood

 

[salty dog]

I imagine you could grow nice big vandas or vanilla plant in your sun room..oops.. fueling an orchid addiction is not nice lol.. if I were you I'd keep just a few windowsill plants no more than 4, that will make your life easier!! Also I'd keep a house with a sunroom...unless it needs a new roof, new plumbing.... new electrical...etc...

 

[AmandaS]

Here is a cute little miniature I bought on Amazon.

I keep it in the bottom half of my female's enclosure, hanging on the sticks instead of by the plants, so it doesn't get too wet.