Hello to all you orchid geeks! I'm new to this forum and I'm also a new orchid geek/caregiver/grower/gardener/lover
...My first orchid was given to me by my boyfriend this past Valentine's Day (a lovely gift), a pink/purple-speckled Phalaenopsis, and I loved it so much that I purchased three more a few months later. The other three are also Phalaenopsis, one being another pink/purple-speckled one, another a light green one, and the last one a beautiful white with a pink/purple lip (is that what the center part is called?). I live in California, and keep them all indoors out of direct light. They were all in bloom when I got them, and now only two of them are. I got advice about caring for them from my grandmother, who has a collection growing outdoors in a tree in Florida. She told me to mist the entire plants with water everyday and fertilize about once a month. I have been misting them everyday, but haven't had the chance to fertilize yet, although I did finally buy some. My grandma told me that once the flowers fall off and when the stem turns brown and brittle, I should cut the stem at the base as close to the leaves as possible, but I have been getting conflicting info on the web. Some say to cut it halfway up, some say an inch up, some say 3 nodes up...I'm thinking I should just trust my grandma, since she's been successfully growing them for years, but I just want to make sure that's the way to do it. Two of my plants have lost all their flowers and the stems are brown (the leaves are green and healthy). What do you guys think? Also, should I start fertilizing just the flowering plants once a month? Or do I fertilize all of them regardless of whether they have flowers or not? And when do I re-pot them? Right after the flowers fall off? They all have roots coming out of the top of the pot. I've heard only every 2 years, but how do I know how long they've been growing for? I'd really appreciate your replies...
