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  Orchid Baskets |
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After you go home, you may want to know a little more! Joining the Orchid Society of Nova Scotia,
which meets the second Sunday of the month September through June, is a great place to start!
For $20 annual dues, you will receive a monthly newsletter which often has articles on growing
orchids and which lets you know when and where the meetings are (usually at the Museum of
Natural History) and on what the current month’s speaker will be talking! There are two shows in
Halifax, usually early November and mid April at the Museum, and the March show in Bridgewater.
Another advantage to joining is that members are happy to help you with growing advice or tell you
where you can find the information you need. If you have internet, you may also find these helpful:
Orchid Society of Nova Scotia: http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Recreation/Orchidsns/
Canadian Orchid Congress with lists of shows, societies in Canada, vendors, links to good sites
and answers to some of your growing questions in the culture sheets (the ones on roots and
leaves are particularly good): http://www.canadianorchidcongress.ca
Jerry’s Web Page: lots of good information http://retirees.uwaterloo.ca/~jerry/orchids/index.html
American Orchid Society, which publishes the Orchids magazine available with membership. First
time members also receive several small books on orchids. This site also has downloadable
fact sheets for growing the most common sorts of orchids. http://www.orchidweb.org (note
there is also an orchidweb.com which is unrelated and commercial)
Orchid Species: photos, descriptions and many growing tips for over 3000 different orchid species,
discover the diversity: http://www.orchidspecies.com
Windsor Greenhouse (my web page) which has information on planning and building greenhouses:
http://users.eastlink.ca/~greenhouses (please note the “~” is found just left of the number 1
at the upper left of your keyboard)
You will also find useful the introductory books that are sometimes sold by the Orchid Society of
Nova Scotia as well as the Ortho book on orchids available from bookstores.
For pest control, remove pests where possible with cotton and alcohol but remember if you can see
them, then there is likely a large number of ‘babies’ that you cannot see crawling around. But
removing adults helps to stop the cycle. Peel back brown ‘paper’ around pseudobulbs as that is a
favorite hiding place and look on the underside of leaves and at the base of pseudobulbs and
leaves.Try Safer’s EndAll but you must spray every two or three days for a couple of weeks for it
tobe be effective on scale. Safer’s insecticidal soap is also good for many pests although it is weak
on adult scale. Both are organic. To save money, buy the concentrate (Home Depot for one has it)
and dilute it and use in an old washed spray bottle (not one that had perfumed soaps or
cleaners!!!). A rule of thumb for insecticides: if the label says it is OK for African violets, then it is
not likely to damage orchids. Keep spray off the flowers! For fungal infections, try powdered
cinnamon and use as well when you cut off a pseudobulb, etc.
Do not divide your orchids!!! The exception is if the plant becomes too large to handle or a piece
breaks off during repotting. Orchids like company and will often sulk if you split them into one or
two growth divisions. Orchids grown to full ‘specimen’ size with many growths and flowers are the
showiest and most prized. When you repot, remove any dead roots, leaves or pseudobulbs. The
one exception is dendrobiums. Some types drop their leaves and then bloom on the leafless canes
the following year. So long as the canes are still ‘greenish’ they should not be considered dead!
Watch for new growths at the base of the plants. Sometimes new plants will grow on this type high
on the canes. Some say this is due to overwatering during the winter dry period. You may remove
these and replant them when there are two or three vigorous roots at least 2" long.
Water Quality: for orchids, we do not mean bacteria or coliform count, rather how much mineral
and mineral salts there are dissolved in the water. This can be so-called hard water. If your other
house plants has a white deposit around the bottom of the pot or on the surface or around the rim,
then you probably have hard water. Since orchids are adapted to grow on trees and be bathed in
rain water, they have difficulty coping with the high mineral content in much well or group water. It
is best to use rain water, RO water from the Superstore (NOT Spring water, it has a high content!)
or at the very least run it through a Brita filter when rainwater is not available. Never, ever use
water than comes from a water softening system, it is the worst. You would become ill on fast food
if you ate it three times a day, poor water does the same to your orchids.
Watering: most orchids do not like wet feet. A general rule of thumb is that if they have fine roots
like paphs (lady slippers) or miltonias (pansy orchids) they should not be allowed to dry out. Plants
with coarse roots and large pseudobulbs such as cattleyas (corsage type orchids) can dry out a
little more. If the potting media is dry, then wet BEFORE you fertilize. Fertilize twice a month at 1/3
strength on the label. Use a high N in summer. A fertilizer with a high Potassium value (NOT the so
called high Phosphorus Bloom Boosters will produce more flowers.) When you repot, place a few
pieces of marble or rounded, washed pea or river gravel in the bottom to add drainage and help
keep the pot from falling over. Some growers use styrofoam packing peanuts (but not the coloured
ones).
Fertilize twice a month in the winter at half strength. The rest of the year, try to remember to fertilize
3 times a month at full strength if using an orchid fertilizer. For any other sort, reduce it to ˝
strength. If you are forgetful, use the slow release hanging baskets pelleted fertilizer such as
Osmocote or Smartcote 14-14-14. These last for 3 months.
Enjoy looking at your orchids, but do not handle the flowers and they will last longer. If you are a
smoker, wash your hands before handling the plants as some are susceptible to tobacco mosaic
virus.
If your plants are receiving a fair bit of sunlight, feel the leaves. If they are hot, then you need air
circulation (a fan) to prevent sunburn and move them a little farther back from the window. A south
window without air movement is generally too bright for any orchid in the summer. Many orchids
enjoy living outside so long as the night temperatures are above 13 C. However, find a spot with
mottled light, never full sun. Phalaenopsis (moth orchids) and lady slippers are an exception
because water sitting in the crown will cause them to rot. But all orchids love rainwater.
When buying orchids, choose the one with healthy roots and look for new whitish green plump
roots.
Happy Growing, Jean Allen-Ikeson, Windsor Greenhouse, 345 Gabriel Rd, Falmouth (exit 7, 101).
Call first, directions on web page. greenhouses@win.eastlink.ca toll free 866-798-0514;
http://users.eastlink.ca/~greenhouses