Most frozen?

[clare]

Hello--I'm in Fairbanks, Alaska. Do I win the prize for being the northermost? My husband has gifted me with three orchids over the past few weeks--two oncidiums and one dendrobium. I'm a complete OrchidIdiot, so I've been reading everything I can. They all came from our local Safeway store and actually look quite healthy and beautiful. I'm doing windowsill gardening and hoping for the best, so any advice will be most gratefully accepted!

[Neenie]

Welcome from Sunny Florida. You have found the perfect place for any thing you need to know about orchids. The Geeks Rock with knowledge.

[Ak_Orchid]

Hey Clare!

You have me beat, I'm in Anchorage. We have a few geeks from Canada though I'm not sure how far north they are. I've found a few great orchids in Safeway, though you have to be careful at times selecting them as they don't typically care for them very well. If they still have plastic wrapped around the pot, I would remove it. Except for a few orchids which need to stay the wet side, I water most of my potted orchids once a week or when they're completely dry. I can't offer a lot of specific advice with Dedrobiums or Oncidiums as I only have a few, but I know a lot of orchids coming from Safeway are potted in material that they use in Hawaii. I find what they typically came in dried out too quickly for me. I know living in Fairbanks you're exposed to highs in the 90's and very low lows, lol. They should be fine for now, but be careful not to let them fry in front of the windows as temperatures warm up. A few things I would suggest researching on this site are lighting, watering, and potting materials. Keep in mind that different things work for different people. A lot has to do with geographic location.

[clare]

Thanks, Sean! Where do you buy supplies? No one in Fairbanks seems to have much in the way of potting materials, etc. I'll be in Anchorage soon and could pick up some stuff if I knew where to shop.

[Hummer344]

Hi Clare, welcome to the forum. Great people here. I would think that Growing in your area or AK's is going to difficult at best. Good Luck
AK,
Will be up your way on a cruise and then Denali. Make sure you give me good weather. Be there 6/1.

[Ak_Orchid]

Depends on the supplies. I buy my sphagnum moss at Lowes because it's around $5 a bag. I buy my bark mixture at the Orchid Patch that's located at the Dimond Greenhouse. It's located on Dimond, between Arctic and Minnesota Blvd. It comes in a few different sizes. Careful going in there, they have anchorages biggest selection of orchids, lol. Most of my orchids are potted in either all sphagnum moss, or a mixture of bark and moss. For your orchids I would make a mixture of moss and either medium or small bark mix. I would also wait until they're done blooming. Keep in mind though, you have different weather even though you're only a few hundred miles away. What works well for me, might not for you.

Originally Posted by Hummer344

Will be up your way on a cruise and then Denali. Make sure you give me good weather. Be there 6/1.

June is a great time to come up to Alaska, you'll love it. Are you going by bus or train to Denali?

[patticake]

Hi Clare! Welcome! And I thought I was in bad weather! I'm in upstate NY- You've really got me beat! Good luck with the growing.

[Hummer344]

AK, Rental car from Seward to Danali then to Ancorage & home

[tizzycat]

Hi Clare, Welcome to the forum.

[jay]

Hello and welcome to the forum!

Three orchids acquired in two weeks is a good start! You are going to fit in very well here.