Phalaenopsis orchids are very suitable for city dwellers who have limited space and no gardens. Since Phalaenopsis orchid is quite easy to grow and generally likes the light and temperature condition of our homes, it is an excellent choice for the first time orchid growers, as well as indoor gardeners.

Below are some tips of growing Phalaenopsis orchids.

Light

Phalaenopsis orchids do well near bright window, without direct sunlight. If we place our Phalaenopsis orchids indoor, an east facing window is ideal, while shaded south or west facing windows are also acceptable. I grow my Phalaenopsis orchid outside my north facing balcony and it grows very well. If we grow our Phalaenopsis orchids outdoor under direct sunlight, the growing area will need to be covered with 70-75%  shade cloth.

Let the foliage be your guide. If there is excessive dark reddish pigmentation on the leaves, the leaves probably have been burnt. In this case, we should move our orchids to an area with less sun exposure. On the other hand, if the leaves are long and floppy, the Phalaenopsis orchid may not be getting enough light.

Watering

If we grow our Phalaenopsis orchids in pots instead of by hanging, the orchid roots will not be exposed to the air as much, and hence will dry up slower. We should water our Phalaenopsis orchids only when the roots are dry (but don’t wait till bone-dry). Be aware not to overwater our orchids, the roots will rot and the orchid will not survive. In addition, water our Phalaenopsis orchids early enough in the day time so that the leaves will be dry by nightfall. It is especially important not to let water stay in the crown of the orchids for this will lead to crown rot.

Fertilizer

Phalaenopsis orchids do well with regular fertilizing, yet will suffer if over-fertilized. As a rule of thumb, fertilize our Phalaenopsis orchids every 10-14 days with a balanced formula like 20-20-20 in only half the strength as instructed on the fertilizer package.

Temperature

Phalaenopsis orchids grow well in temperature between 20-30 degree Celsius (65-85 degrees Fahrenheit), and the orchids will stop growing when the temperature is above 35 degree Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) or below 10 degree Celsius (50 degrees Fahrenheit).

Humidity and Ventilation

Phalaenopsis orchids love high humidity, around 70%. Yet, the moth orchids also need good ventilation and air circulation in order to grow well, particularly during very humid conditions when fungal and bacterial disease can be a real threat. In this case, an oscillating fan that moves air constantly at low speed will be very helpful.

Cattleya orchids are among the most beautiful and satisfying of all orchid species to grow and care for.  Since the care of Cattleya orchid is easy, gardening beginners who are interested in growing orchids but haven’t had any experience before, can start with Cattleya orchid.  With simple growing conditions, most of us can obtain outstanding results.

And here, let me share with you what I have learned about Cattleya orchids.

Light

The growing area of Cattleya orchids needs to be covered with 50-60% shade cloth. If the light is too strong, the leaves of the Cattleya orchids will be burned. On the other hand, if the light is too weak, the plant will be very weak, and won’t blossom.

Air Circulation

Air circulation is especially critical for Cattleya orchids that grow indoor in a greenhouse. Cattleya orchids are prompt to disease and pest when the air flow in the room is poor.

Temperature

Cattleya orchids are able to accustom to temperatures as low as 10-13 degree Celsius (50-55 degrees Fahrenheit) in the winter and as high as 27-33 degree Celsius (80-90 degrees Fahrenheit)in the summer. It worth noting that there should have some temperature variations of at least 5 degrees between day time and night time for the Cattleya orchids to grow strong and bloom beautifully.

Water

When an orchid is killed by a water problem, 99% of the time is due to over-watering. Water the Cattleya orchid only when the potting medium is totally dry.

Potting Mix

Cattleya orchids grow well in pumice stones. Pumice stones allow water to drain out quickly, which minimize the over-watering problem and keep the roots healthy at all time. Also, we can put a few pieces of styrofoam at the bottom of the orchid pot to improve the air circulation in the root area.

Fertilizer

Fertilizing our Cattleya orchids every 10-14 days with a balanced formula like 20-20-20 in only half the strength as instructed on the fertilizer package.

And after sharing what I know about Cattleya orchids, let me share what I know about Dendrobium orchids here.

Light

Compare with many other orchid species, Dendrobium orchids slightly requires more light than others. While the Dendrobium orchids in the bonsai workshop is covered with 30% shade cloth, Teacher Wong told me that Dendrobium orchids grow well even without shade cloth. In fact, the Dendrobium orchid will grow stronger and healthier if it grows without covered by any shade cloth since spring time when the plant is still a seedling.

Water

During the growing season, Dendrobium orchid like high humidity and lots of water. For abundant, beautiful blossoms in the next spring, we should water and fertilize the orchids less when autumn comes, and allow the Dendrobium orchid to dry out thoroughly during dormancy. The combination of longer, cooler nights, less water and no fertilizer creates the dormancy which can ultimately induce flowering. And once the flower buds mature in spring, normal watering and fertilizing routines can be gradually resume.

Temperature

The temperature requirement for Dendrobium orchid is similar to Cattleya orchid. During its growing season, Dendrobium orchid grows well in the range of 18-30 degrees Celsius (65-85 degrees Fahrenheit). And we should stop watering when the temperature drops lower than 15 degrees Celsius (60 degrees Fahrenheit).

Fertilizer

Fertilize our Dendrobium orchid every 10-14 days with a balanced water-soluble like 20-20-20 in only half the strength as instructed in the fertilizer instructions.

Mounting Dendrobium Orchid

We can mount our Dendrobium orchids instead of potting them. What we use to mount our orchids depends on the species we are growing. For example, we can use a piece of wood or bark. In addition, we also need plastic coated wire and sphagnum moss when we mount our Dendrobium orchids.

The Ingredients of Rooting Media

It is important to use a good sterile rooting media to get your plants off to a healthy start. While soil and compost are not good choices as the rooting media for cutting propagation since they may contain diseases, potting mix that is available in local gardening nurseries may also not be suitable for cuttings. Since it is not difficult to make rooting media for cuttings, we can just make our own as well.

A good rooting media contains equal parts of coarse, sharp sand and peat moss. Instead of sand, we can use perlite, and instead of peat moss, we can use vermiculite. However, I often will pot my cuttings with just coarse sand alone. By this method, the cuttings grow just fine. Indeed, since coarse sand cannot retain much moist, cuttings in this environment often grow very fine root systems in the attempt to seek more water. And if handled properly, the cuttings will be ready to transplant into soil and start to grow promptly. In addition, since coarse sand cannot retain much moist, the loss from damping-off is minimized.

This fig cutting has been potted in coarse sand for about 6 weeks time.  See all the fine roots that it has developed.

These are all fig cuttings that I have potted into individual pots from a growing bed.  In case you wonder, these cuttings are not for myself, but for the students in Teacher Wong’s gardening class

Collecting seeds of Zinnia Elegans is fairly easy. As the blooms fade, air dry the flowers by hanging them upside down.

(Left: Zinnia seeds that are not yet ripened  Right: ripe Zinnia seeds)

Seeds of Zinnia Elegans develop on the end of the petals. So, all we have to do is pull apart the Zinnia flower petals and check to see if any of them house a seed. Do not pull the heads too early. Else, the bees and other pollinators may not have had the chance to do their work, and the seed won’t be ready.

At the insertion point of each petal is a pointed tip, like an arrowhead. This is the seed. To be ripe, it should have darkened to a dusty brown or gray shade. White seeds are not yet ripe and should not be collected.

For storage, put the seeds collected in a paper bag. Paper bag will absorb any excess moisture as the seeds overwinter. It will be even better if we put the paper bag in a plastic bag for extra insurance. The goal is to store them in a cool, dry place through the winter.

Depending on the variety, each Zinnia flower can have dozens to hundreds of seeds. Once the seeds are collected from the heads and seperated from the petals, we can use the petals for potpourri or filler for a craft project

Real Life Example of Bad Fertilizing Practice

A few weeks ago, my African violet – Frosted Denim – was growing beautifully with many flower buds. Since African violets like to be continually fertilized during their blooming period, I diligently fed mine in a regular basis with diluted fertilizer. African violets are happy with weak fertilizer, so I always feed my African violets with diluted fertilizer solution at half of the strength recommended by the fertilizer manufacturer. Everything was fine, until one day when I was left with some diluted fertilizer that I used for my Pachystachys lutea (Lollipop Plant) which was extra-strong (stronger strength than what was recommended on the label). Since I didn’t want to waste, I used the leftovers to feed my African violet… and that’s how the tragedy began…

I actually diluted the extra strength fertilizer solution a bit before using it on my African violet. But since I have got the flower buds burnt, I guess the fertilizer solution wasn’t diluted enough… or I might have fed my African violet once too often.

Arrggghh, I should know better than this!

Here is how my African violet looks after a few months  – My Keep-Blossoming African violet

Root pruning can greatly increase the chances of successful transplanting, especially for big trees. We should prune the roots 3 months – 2 years in advance.  By severing the roots at or just beyond the drip line of the tree to be moved, the long unbranched roots will be broken. This will prompt growth of new roots near the main trunk, compact the existing root system, and increase the tree’s chances of survival once it is moved.

In addition, when transplanting the tree, the soil shouldn’t be too dry or too wet.  If the soil is dry, water the tree 3 days in advance (we need to give our tree some time to drink the water too).  On the other hand, if the soil is too wet, we can either wait for a few days till the soil gets drier, or dig a trench and drain out the excess water.

The diameter of the rootball should be 4-8 times the diameter of the tree trunk.  While we dig and form the rootball, we probably have to cut through some long roots. Make a nice, clean cut with a sharp shovel or pruning shears.

And since we have cut off so many roots from the tree, we need to trim off 1/2 – 2/3 of its leaves and branches in order to reduce the amount of water evaporates and escapes from its foliage.

Set the plant and its ball of soil on a piece of burlap, wrap the burlap around the soil to keep it from crumbling.  Moreover,we should get extra help when we move the tree.  Even small shrubs are heavy.  We don’t want to drop and crack the rootball when we are moving the tree to its new home.

It is preferred have the new hole ready before we dig up our tree or shrub. The width of the new hole should be twice that of the rootball. The depth should be 20 cm deeper.

When we reach the bottom of the new hole,do not break up the soil beneath, but keep a flat, solid surface instead.  Instead of allowing the roots to penetrate deeper into the ground, breaking up the soil may cause the tree to sink, inviting rot.

Gently slide the tree into the hole, and get it straight.  Take away the burlap, shovel the excavated soil back into the hole, and tamp the soil down firmly.

For trees taller than 6 feet high, they won’t initially have the strength to support themselves right being planted and will need to be staked to get off to a good start. Staking will help control the movement of the tree, while allowing its roots to grow and develop strong enough to hold the tree.

Although I often see trees get fastened with supporting stakes at 1/2, or even as low as 1/3, of its height up from the ground, my teacher suggests us to tie the supporting stakes at 2/3 of the tree’s height for strong support.

And last but not least, water, water, water!  Water the tree thoroughly.

Thru some research, I have learned that Flame Violet can be propagated by stolon cuttings. This is my first time growing Flame Violet. Everything to me is new and interesting. And surely, I would like to try stolon propagation. While I was wondering when I should cut the stolons of my Flame Violet for my experiment, my dear brother accidently cut off two stolons from the plant with the rotor blades of his newly bought remote control helicopter. Ok. That’s great! At least I was saved from thinking too much more before taking any action.

I removed all the leaves that seemed too big, and planted each stolon in a 2” pot.

For the first two months, I had kept waiting and waiting, and the two Flame Violet stolons showed little sign of growth. While I was wondering if I should give up on them, I found a tiny pair of leaves growing from the center of both baby plants! Yeah!

I have an impression that my two Flame Violet stolons have taken longer than normal to develop their root systems and grow their first leaves. I wonder why. Was it not the right season for propagating Flame Violet? Or did I leave too few leaves on the stolons for the plants to grow and develop their roots quickly? For some of the leaves, maybe instead of cutting the whole piece, I should cut only half of the piece, so for the plants to absorb more sun and moist in the air.

But anyways, my baby FlameViolets are growing strong and healthy now!

You can check out this post for more detailed instructions on how to propagate plant by cutting.

As a curious gardening novice who like to try different things, I decided to take up this challenge and separate the crowns. It has been almost three months since I separated the crowns. Seeing that the separated crowns of my African violets are now growing healthily, I consider this “operation” as a successful one. And here, let me share with you how I did it.

This was my African violet three months ago. As you can see, the plant was very messy, jam-packed with its leaves shooting to all directions.

First, I allowed my African violet to dry slightly so the compost was loose and the leaves were rubbery. This helps preventing the roots and leaves from breaking easily when one tries to separate the crowns.

I picked out all the unhealthy leaves from the plant. You can also do this after removing the plant from its pot.

Then I removed the plant from its pot, shook away any excess compost and exposed the root ball.

After some careful examination, I found two distinct root systems. With a clean sharp knife, I cut between the root systems. I feel like a doctor doing a surgery.

Since there were existing roots on the crowns, both of them could be placed directly into fresh compost. If the crown is an offshoot without its own root system, then it is better to first be placed in water to permit root development.

The two African violets, which I have separated there months ago, are growing strong and healthily now.

And here, let me show you how to drill holes on our containers.

Place a Wet Cloth on a Hard Level Surface

While some would suggest you to place a thick piece of cardboard between the hard level surface and the container, I would recommend a piece of wet cloth instead. The wet cloth can keep your pot from sliding.

Turn your pot upside down and place it on the wet cloth.

Mark Your Targets

Use a nail to make a little ding at where you want to drill the hole to prevent the bit from slipping and nicking the pot when you are drilling the hole. While it is relatively easy to make a ding on pots that are made of terra-cotta, wood, metal, and such, it is more difficult to do the same on ceramic or glass pot. In this case, I would just mark the target with a marker.

Choose the Right Drill Bit

It is very important to choose the right drill bit for you will likely to crack your pot if you use a wrong one. For glass and ceramic pots, I use the drill bit that is shown in the photo above. I don’t know what it is called or if it is especially designed for glass and ceramic, but it works wonders with my glass and ceramic pots.

Drill the Hole

Place the bit into the nick you have made. Make sure the drill bit is straight up and down. Press down lightly on the drill and then drill through the container in a steady motion. To prevent your drill bit from slipping around, you can first drill a shallow “lead hole” with a smaller drill bit, then, drill all the way through with the bigger one.

For Ceramic/Glass Pots – Add Water

Ceramic and glass pots are relatively easy to crack. To prevent this from happening, we must sprinkle the area where we are drilling with cold water, so to keep the temperature down. In addition, instead of drilling through the container in one single motion, I would suggest you to break it up into several times, so to keep the spot from getting too hot and cracking.

So this is how I drill drainage holes on my containers.  Give it a try.  It is probably easier that what you think.  And once you have mastered the skills, you will have so many more options for your garden containers!