A small brag

[spinbaby]

Almost all my orchids are in bloom or in spike! Even my zygopetalum which hasn't bloomed in four years.

[TygrBright]

1. Wow! I'm impressed!

Pictures? Please?

I've always been intimidated as allgetout by the concept of orchids=houseplants. Last year I bought a gorgeous, multi-spike yellow dendrobium in abundant bloom. It kept going for weeks, and then eventually all the nodules except two died. There is one teeny little new nodule/spike starting and two old ones languishing, hanging on, doing not much. It looks sort of silly in that huge pot, but I keep hoping it will put out a couple more new spikes and at least recover some leaf growth.

wistfully,
Bright

[spinbaby]

2. No photos yet

The only ones actually in bloom are a pink dendrobium and the Hoku Gem. All the others are in spike.

Really, I've never had any trouble growing orchids--they're the ideal houseplant as far as I'm concerned. Once a week they get a soaking in the kitchen sink in lukewarm water with a bit of orchid food added. The rest of the time they live in the windows. In late spring they go outside in the light shade under the ornamental grass. In September they come back in. Some of them stay in bloom for literally months at a time, so I always have bloom all winter.

If you can find one or two other people that grow orchids, you can trade divisions and accumulate quite a collection. That's how I got most of mine.

[Imalittleteapot]

3. Orchid obsession.

After a lone orchid re-bloomed, I became addicted. Now, I have many, 3 of which have never bloomed. Oh how I wish I had a greenhouse. There is only one window with the correct light in my house. Most of the plants spend the spring, summer and fall outside, but now that it's too cold I have them crowded together at one window. I have several at the office under artificial light. My blooming orchids: 1 Paphiopedilum, 3 Oncidiums, 2 Cattleyas, 1 Beallara (all re-blooming for the 3rd and 4th time) and 2 new Phalaenopsis.

[spinbaby]

4. It's so easy to get hooked

We put in a bay window for my orchids. I immediately adopted more so now they're as crowded as ever.

[Gato Moteado]

5. i've got several blooming right now.....

this one is a huge plant that my neighbor gave me. it is shooting out over a dozen spikes filled with these flowers:

http://i55.photobucket.com.nyud.net:8090/albums/g138/GatoMoteado/orchid1a.jpg

here's one i picked off a fallen tree near my pacific coast property a few months back...it just started blooming a week or two ago:

http://i55.photobucket.com.nyud.net:8090/albums/g138/GatoMoteado/orchid2a.jpg

and here's the orchid garden i built in my yard between my house and the wall outside. i still need to tie a piece of shade cloth in each of the two big opening between the bamboo.

http://i55.photobucket.com.nyud.net:8090/albums/g138/GatoMoteado/orchids.jpg

i still need to make another structure like this because that is less than half of my orchid collection in there, and i'm acquiring more all the time.