orchid medium

[iluvorchids]

Hello all,
I've been reading the posts for a few days now. Lots of good info. I'm wondering if anyone has any experience with using sequoia bark as a phalaenopsis medium. I used to use the Schultz pack, but found it wasn't very good. Maybe sitting on the shelves for a long time? Any ideas on this bark?
Also I read a message about someone saying they put their orchids in the garage/shed to encourage their orchids to spike. Does anyone think putting an orchid in the cold cellar would be a bad idea?
Sorry, I have alot of questions. I'm anxious to get these babies to spike.

[kmarch]

Originally Posted by iluvorchids

Does anyone think putting an orchid in the cold cellar would be a bad idea?

Yes it would be a bad idea. First of all, there are more then 30,000 orchid species that come from every climate except the arctic and antarctic. Any time someone says "orchids like..." or "put your orchid..." they are making gross over generalizations. Read post #9 in this thread: Orchid Mythbusting for more info.

[Ron]

sequoia bark as a phalaenopsis medium.

.
If it commercially treated a an Orchid potting mix, I can see no problems.
I use too use Pinius radiata bark commercially treated and sold as such
Good to use but in our hot Aussie summer it was difficult too keep up the watering
For all my Phallies I now use 12-20 mm treated CoCo nuggets.
Phallies just need a resting/cooling period of serveral weeks to encouriging flower spike but need to be kept above 16 C (60F) otherwise they can get knocked around badly.
I do not do any thing to mine as the season weather change is enough to set off the flowering spikes
good
Luck
Ron

[iluvorchids]

Wow! Lots of good information there. I think my best bet would be to wait until fall and leave the window open so they can get some cool air. It's just that I've had these phals for many years now without any blooms and I'm desperate to see SOMETHING. I've checked online this year to learn more about phals. These orchids do put out new leaves, I just want flowers now.

Ron - yes, it did say it was orchid medium on the package. Just never heard of anyone using it before. My phals have been resting for 'years'. hehehe! This year I placed the orchids in a bright, sunny room with a south facing window (sun is in this room from morning 'til about noon) I have the verticals closed, so it's not direct light. I'll see what happens.

[kmarch]

Ok, so I see you have phals. Get a phalaenopsis culture sheet form this forum or form AOS | Members Only Area and compareyour growing conditions to those described in the culture sheet. What is the same? What is different? Are they getting that diurnal temp difference in the autumn? This is different than giving phals cool nights.

[heatherm]

Since we are on this subject anyone knows hydrokorrel? I bought some phals and dens potted in this medium years ago, so when I saw it on sale at a hardware store, which also sells plant supplies I purchased some. It at least keeps the re-potted plants well anchored and does not seem to do them any harm.

[Brooke]

Welcome to the forum iluvorchids.

If you are growing roots and leaves and no blooms, lack of light is usually the answer. In a room several feet from a sunny window with the verticals closed is in the dark to the phal.

Place your plants a couple of feet from the sunny window with the blinds open and over a period of time move them closer to the window. Check the leaves to make sure they don't get "hot" to your touch, warm is great. I can't judge the strength of Canadian sun but this far south, during the winter I can grow a Phal within a few inches from an ESE window.

Don't worry about a temperature change when your Phal receives actual sun. It will naturally occur when the sun goes down.

Brooke

[iluvorchids]

Kmarch - i'll check out that info. Thanks.

Brooke - ok, so I opened the vertical blinds and left them about 1 foot from the window. Right now they are recieving direct light from this southern window. It'll be this way until about noon. I'll wait maybe 1 hour? If the leaves feel hot, how far should I move them back? Also, are you saying that I don't have to open a window to get the temperature drop? (this is what I understand allows the phal to spike)
Once I am able to, I'll post some pictures. You'll see what I've done (or not done properly)

[iluvorchids]

Kmarch - I read the culture sheet. I'm confused. I get that the phal needs bright light and I understand that in the winter I can move the orchids closer to the window, but this is what the culture sheet says--- No shadow should be seen if you hold your hand one foot above a plant's leaves.
If I hold my hand up, there definately is a distinct shadow. Help?

[Brooke]

Are you sure your window is a southern window? If the sun is gone by noon, it sounds more like an east window. East is perfect for most Phals.

Hopefully this explanation will explain why you don't need to do anything to get a temperature drop if your Phal receives sun during the daylight hours.

Sit in the sun by a window for a few hours - the temp in the immediate area goes up until the sun is gone. Sit in the same spot at night after dark. Check the temp differential between the sunny spot and the night time spot. You only need a 10-15 degree temp differential to induce spikes on winter blooming Phals.

Phals can grow in lower light levels but if they are more than 2' from the window, it is dark to a plant.

Brooke

[iluvorchids]

Thanks Brooke,
gotta find a thermometer.

[11Orchid126]

If you have to move the plants back, do it by inches. The light drops dramatically for every inch away from the source. And the reverse is true.

Now is the best time for phals. Phals do not necessarily need cool temps as much as they need a fifteen degree drop in the temperature. And right now daytime temps are in the eighties or low nineties, while night temps are in the sixties, so there's your fifteen degree drop.

[iluvorchids]

11orchid126 - I've been checking the termometer in this room and I don't see that much of a drop. It's very warm in this room and it sits around the 70-80F range. The AC is also always on thanks to this wonderful hot and humid weather. Other than waiting for fall, is there anything else to do?

[Ron]

No shadow should be seen if you hold your hand one foot above a plant's leaves.

To me that is rubbish, in my growing area I can in the middle of winter hold my hand 2 feet from the leaves and see a light shadow. currently I have about 40 Phallies in flower
Summer you defiantly can see a shadow if you hold you hand 3 feet away.
they are not mushrooms that need to grow in the dark

If I hold my hand up, there definately is a distinct shadow. Help?

to me it sounds like the light level is good.
Good culture and good growth should produce flower spikes for you.
Just a big learning curve to get it all correct
Ron

[iluvorchids]

Thanks Ron!
You're right about the learning curve. I've had these orchids for many years and have simply been able to keep them alive. It has only been this month that I thought to get it together and research on how best to get them to flower instead of buying new orchids already in bloom. I hope this brutal heat breaks soon so I can open the windows at night. :-) I just checked the thermometer and it reads 80F in this room!!

[11Orchid126]

Is there any way you can drop the temperature at night? Could you open a window near the plants? No drafts, though.

[iluvorchids]

I could open a window, but not yet. I don't think hubby would like this especially since the AC is on. But definitely once the weather cools off, I'll open the window, although this window opens very close to the desk where the orchids are. Should I move the orchids back when I open the window?

[Ron]

I hope this brutal heat breaks soon so I can open the windows at night. :-) I just checked the thermometer and it reads 80F in this room!!

80F at nigh would not worry them at all, fresh air would also do them good.
As long as there is some humidity in the air they would love it
My orchids (Phalls) have been subjected to days of 120F then nights of 100F in our hot Aussie summers.
Still managed to put up flower spikes.
I battled to keep the humidity up around the 40-50% ( bone dry heat is the killer as it saps all the moisture out of the plants,
Mine are in a green house
Best of luck
Ron

[11Orchid126]

Not necessary to move them back if there is no draft, which is different from a breeze.