Hello (warning: big pictures)

[Helene]

I live in Norway, and I grow orchids in my living room (and kitchen).

I have had orchids since 2008, not really caring for them until 2014. Between 2008 and 2014 they just got watered- fill up pot, wait until empty (maybe 2 weeks) and refill. Never repotted and never fertilized.

In 2013/2014 I started looking at them, and they intrigued me with their special way of being. And of course: the fact that they had survived and started to look like wild orchids after this "caring" we had for them. (My hubby watered the plants, he did the same with every plant in the house- orchid or no orchid)

2014

There was not much media left in the pot- and the plant itself was more on the side of the pot, than inside. Remember these roots never got misted during those years. I started doing that when I noticed how uniqe orchids really are.

And this one aswell. Got it in 2008.
Started seeing them in 2013, started caring in 2014. Or: got hooked in 2014 Started a repotting bonanza- that story is in another forum. Lol, repotting in due time, must I say
2013

2014

2015

And this one, had two keikis.
2014

Keikis today

I know its not slipper-orchids- but its what got me interested in orchids.

Most of my orchids

I only had noID phalaenopsis until last year, then I bought some when I was on vacation.

Bought some mini-pack flasks this year. 4 seedlings in each. First time. Have the 4 paph Senne Calle, and some Acineta Superba, and trying to keep an angraecum didieri alive.

Paph Senne Calle seedlings. Deflasked 16.02

And my paph bellatulum

And as we all know: once we get addicted it tend to just become more plants pretty fast. Maybe a good thing its so hard finding orchids in my country

Plan to buy some paphiopedilum in the fall, but for now I only have these.

Like to experiment a bit with media, and never satisfied with pots either- almost as hard getting decent pots as it is getting plants. So I melt holes in them myself.


Lol, enough talking now. Gonna go read some threads and look at pictures

Happy Easter

 

[troy]

Quite impressive, I do not like phals, but yours are growing very good, your water must be just perfect, the right amount of everything, congrats!!!

 

[Helene]

Quite impressive, I do not like phals, but yours are growing very good, your water must be just perfect, the right amount of everything, congrats!!!

They have gotten some fertilizer after 2014 ish, maybe they perform better. they bloom every years, but maybe it will be easier for them now.

 

[Heather]

Neat! Welcome Helene!

 

[MaryPientka]

Hello from Saratoga Springs, New York.

 

[KyushuCalanthe]

Helene, looks like you're having a lot of fun with your plants. That's what its all about!

 

[17andgrowing]

Welcome from New Jersey

 

[SlipperFan]

The way your plants have roots all over outside the pot makes me wonder if they would be quite happy mounted, or in baskets, with a little moss. Like you did with your first keiki.

 

[NYEric]

Amazing they are alive and have such roots without misting.
The care we put into our plants is usually rewarded in kind.
Welcome from NYC.

 

[abax]

Welcome from KY. Looks to me that you're doing just
fine. The big Phals. would look really good in baskets and
the blooms will hang over the sides very gracefully.

 

[Ozpaph]

welcome.
look at all those roots!

 

[gego]

Welcome from NorCal. Phal is a good start and then hold on to your wallet,,,,
Enjoy with your plants.

 

[Helene]

Thanks all

Regarding the roots I have been thinking it might be a defense- they had to make roots to survive in my house. I have had them in different pots- we dont have baskets either in my place…
Yeah, no plants, no pots and no baskets. Oh- we dont have bark and moss either- only one kind, and that is not very good.
We do have pretty good water

I have started misting my plants, of course. I assume they survived in the air because the pot was filled with water? Or maybe it made that many roots to survive

Must add: we had orchids that were killed aswell. Maybe these three of them were the strongest

They bloomed every year, but I dont have much pictures- I am more into plant/roots and flowers are bonus.

But of course- the flowers look even better now, when I care for them.

2014 (almost at the end of flowering)

Way nicer in 2015. Bigger, and just nicer

2016

Orchids- phalaenopsis hybrids atleast, doesnt need that much. Nutrition they got from the media breaking down, I assume. I was more surprised they didnt rot- roots inside pot was mushy enough.


Anyway- thats how it started, now I keep track of them, feeding them every now and then, repotted them all. (Ordering baskets, bark and moss later- next time repotting I will try that)

The big ones are in "pots" (glass or plastic) containers being pretty big. I agree- it would love being in a basket

 

[Helene]

Gego: well, my phal period is mostly done- I like bulbophyllums, and started to like paphiopedilum.
I like most of them, not really cattleya person- but thats because they have very nice and elegant flower- I like the weird ones better

I like my lycaste aromatica, because it smells like christmas. (Cinnamon)
I like the bulbos, cause they are cute.
I like the pholidota imbricata because its different.
I like the brassia because it has long leaves and a nice color on the leaves.

Lol- always a reason.

 

[trdyl]

Welcome Helene! It looks like you are off to a great start.

 

[Migrant13]

Welcome from Boston and thanks for all the photos. Those Phal root balls are amazing. I like your growing collection.

 

[paphioboy]

Welcome.. You grow some very impressive roots on your phals, especially for indoor conditions! I'm curious what you feed them and how often..

 

[Helene]

Thanks
Short answer:
Weak solution almost every watering this year. Nothing from 2008-2014. 2014-2016- a fertilizer bath every now and then.
Humidity in house: 30%
Humidity in pots: 40-50%
Temperature: 19-26/ 65-80F

Long answer:
Roots: they just got this way without feeding or anything. It seems that phals make lots of roots, not quite sure if its because its happy or to survive.
They still make roots when I care for them, so even being happy they make roots. I used to think it was defence in order to survive in my home. But they continue to grow roots.

Feeding: I started feeding in 2014, then I fed them occasionally, with weak solution in water. I filled the sink with tap-water (its really clean, total of 21,6 ppm or something) and added fertilizer, and let my plants bath for an hour or so.

Now I try to give them nutrition almost every watering- really small amount. I did forget one plant in the fertilizer water- a s/h plant, so it was in fertilizer for a week... It got kinda purple and funny, but its growing roots, leaf and spiking That on is on the water-wagon now

The only nutrition available is one from "Plantasjen" and its a standard orchid-fertilizer. (And I am testing a bio-nutrition used for other herbs)

Humidity in my home is 30%. Again- I assumed they made that many roots because they needed more roots to be able to feed themselves in my environment.

Humidity close to the plant is a bit higher- when the media is wet. Trying some in leca and s/h and seems to be working fine.

Leaves: again I assumed they got shiny and leathery to protect themselves from my dry environment. Not sure, cause seems like those in s/h get shiny leaves aswell. I was thinking it might be different kinds- some being more matte, and some shiny. It seems that even the matte ones get shiny when they grow new leaves in my home.

I do dust them once a week now, or atleast every other week.


Phals can actually be pretty cool, if you just make them happy.
What I do, and what I think. (This is mostly my opinions combined with what I have read, in my environment. )
First: its all about knowledge. And then I mean you have to sort the real thing from the biased things. If you're going deep into research.

Knowledge. I read about the plants and caring in different places, then I try to find some articles about how they live in the wild. Humidity, watering, feeding, media, temperature. Then I try to give the plant what it needs, and to think whats the biggest difference in its natural habitat vs my home.
And: if one thing gets changed, the others might aswell.

Everyone knows this. Not saying people dont. But I do that before feeding. I want to see a happy plant before feeding. You can keep healthy orchids without feeding, but they will not perform their best. Besides, feeding an ill plant isnt the best thing to do anyway.
Same goes for sick plants- I rarely have that. I have to keep them happy, cause I have no treatment available if they are not.
Same goes for seedlings from flask: all I did was flushing agar with water, and putting them into their pots. Thats why I didnt compot- I was afraid I would get mold and I have no treatment.

And I have to say: my plants have really been growing this year after I started feeding more regular, and after repotting them.
I have an oncidium in a 70cm x 14 cm balcony pot- I had to do something, she was all over the place. I split her and put her in the balcony pot maybe a month ago. All five divisions is making new growth.

I am aware that phals, and especially phals hybrid is hardy plants. I assume I will need to do more work with the paphs

Paph seedlings- I have two in perlite and s/h, and two in bark-mix I made with small bark, perlite and moss.

Orchid-whispering is actually just science. Reading signs, calculating information and do something about it.


I have to admit- I really like plants better than flower, but this year I am a bit excited in seeing the flowers- how much can a little caring do? I think they will perform really well this year

Lol, damn, I really talk alot
And I am a bit geeky when it comes to information/reading.
I was wondering what those white spots on the roots are, and ended up reading maybe hundreds of pages regarding nutrition uptake and roots and biology of roots

Repotting. Had been in the same pot from 2010-2014/2015. Put it in a balcony pot. I repotted in february 2016.

How often I water? Depends on temperature and pot. Some of them I have more than hundred holes in. Some are in leca and s/h, some in perlite and s/h.
Most of them I water twice a week. I usually mist the pots when its sunny aswell.