Hi all,
This may sound horrible, but I'm throwing in the towel as far as orchid-growing. I just don't think I have the knack. Did all the reading, lectures, trying different orchid mediums, etc. but I just end up killing these beautiful plants (the tally is 4).
I was wondering if anybody had any ideas on different uses for my orchid pots since I won't be using them for orchids? Because of the large holes in them, I can't really use them for regular plants. However, I don't want to get rid of them just yet in case I decide to try growing orchids again.
Any suggestions? Please and thank you!
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The Helpful Gardener
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- Joined: Mon Feb 09, 2004 9:17 pm
- Location: Colchester, CT
Bonsai folks like to grow in collanders and such as it air prunes plants...
Did you get my buddy [url=https://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Orchids-Uncomplicated-Growing-Worlds/dp/0618263268]Bill Cullina's book on Orchids[/url]? It might help a lot; Bill is about the sharpest plantsman I know, and I know a lot...
HG
Did you get my buddy [url=https://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Orchids-Uncomplicated-Growing-Worlds/dp/0618263268]Bill Cullina's book on Orchids[/url]? It might help a lot; Bill is about the sharpest plantsman I know, and I know a lot...
HG
I killed several cattleyas, dendrobiums, and phalaenopsis before I realized that I could only offer suitable growing conditions to...
cymbidiums.
They're hardy outdoors down to 28 deg F. They like to be potbound, which means that dividing them occurs less frequently than with other varieties, and they're large (oh, yes; I killed a couple of miniature cymbidiums somewhere along the way, too).
I've now become a rescuer of cymbidiums, but will not accept any others due to the risk I present to them.
And here's a piece of info that I never found in any of the books on orchids, even one co-authored/advised by a pair of international judges my husband knew from the world of science:
==> do not grow orchids indoors if you have gas-powered heat; it is toxic to them. <==
Which is how I must have killed all the indoor varieties.
The "large hole" situation can be dealt with by placing fine hardware cloth over the hole and then the planting medium. This avoids the migration of planting medium out of the pot via the drainage hole.
Try again with a cymbidium, and do *not* treat it delicately. Put it outdoors, maybe give it some shade if the temps get over 90 deg F. Don't let it go dry, but don't water-log it. Feed it whenever you remember to, but only a 50% strength vs. what the label tells you to do.
I have a carport, and that's where the cymbidiums go if the temps are under 28 deg. F or over 90 deg. F. Right now I have one plant in a pot with *no* growing medium, because I was too overcome with fatigue after removing dead roots and rotted fir bark to complete the job last October/November. It's doing just fine.
It has four spikes, three of which have flowered, and the fourth should open any day now.
Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9
cymbidiums.
They're hardy outdoors down to 28 deg F. They like to be potbound, which means that dividing them occurs less frequently than with other varieties, and they're large (oh, yes; I killed a couple of miniature cymbidiums somewhere along the way, too).
I've now become a rescuer of cymbidiums, but will not accept any others due to the risk I present to them.
And here's a piece of info that I never found in any of the books on orchids, even one co-authored/advised by a pair of international judges my husband knew from the world of science:
==> do not grow orchids indoors if you have gas-powered heat; it is toxic to them. <==
Which is how I must have killed all the indoor varieties.
The "large hole" situation can be dealt with by placing fine hardware cloth over the hole and then the planting medium. This avoids the migration of planting medium out of the pot via the drainage hole.
Try again with a cymbidium, and do *not* treat it delicately. Put it outdoors, maybe give it some shade if the temps get over 90 deg F. Don't let it go dry, but don't water-log it. Feed it whenever you remember to, but only a 50% strength vs. what the label tells you to do.
I have a carport, and that's where the cymbidiums go if the temps are under 28 deg. F or over 90 deg. F. Right now I have one plant in a pot with *no* growing medium, because I was too overcome with fatigue after removing dead roots and rotted fir bark to complete the job last October/November. It's doing just fine.
It has four spikes, three of which have flowered, and the fourth should open any day now.Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9
cynthia_h, I don't have gas-powered heat, but that's interesting to note.
I was thinking of something similar to using a cheese or fine hardware cloth if I wanted to plant in them, but I figured if someone had a non-plant idea, then I would be able to easily use the pots for orchids if/when I try again. Like maybe a candle holder or a leprechaun trap.
HG, I did not get that book. If I try again, I'll definitely give it a look!
Thanks :)
I was thinking of something similar to using a cheese or fine hardware cloth if I wanted to plant in them, but I figured if someone had a non-plant idea, then I would be able to easily use the pots for orchids if/when I try again. Like maybe a candle holder or a leprechaun trap.
HG, I did not get that book. If I try again, I'll definitely give it a look!
Thanks :)
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hendi_alex
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- Location: Central Sand Hills South Carolina
I grow about 300 orchids which stay in my home made greenhouse except when they are in bloom. My greenhouse is heated with an unvented propane wall heater and also has an unvented propane water heater (the code inforcement squad would really love that!) to provide circulating warm water to a grid on the ground. The orchids have been growing well in there for years. With the rate of air turnover in a typical greenhouse, I don't think that the fumes from gas heat represent a real problem.
If you enjoy orchids, I would try a few phalaenopsis again. As long as the temperature stays between 60 degrees and 90 degrees about the only thing that usually kills the plants is improper watering.
As far as using the orchid pots. Why not place some plants in properly sized plastic pots and set those inside the decorative orchid pots. I don't plant any of my orchids directly in the decorate pots. The decorative pots stay in the house, and the orchids rotate between house and greenhouse. When inside the house, the plastic orchid pot gets placed inside one of the decorative pots.
If you enjoy orchids, I would try a few phalaenopsis again. As long as the temperature stays between 60 degrees and 90 degrees about the only thing that usually kills the plants is improper watering.
As far as using the orchid pots. Why not place some plants in properly sized plastic pots and set those inside the decorative orchid pots. I don't plant any of my orchids directly in the decorate pots. The decorative pots stay in the house, and the orchids rotate between house and greenhouse. When inside the house, the plastic orchid pot gets placed inside one of the decorative pots.