PATSP is a long-winded, intermittently humorous blog which is mostly about houseplants, particularly Anthuriums and Schlumbergeras.
Results of match 4.6:
Oncidium alliance orchids barely managed a victory over Sansevieria trifasciata cvv.. The final vote was 61-59.
Today's match has me very nervous.
Match 5.2
Phalaenopsis and Doritaenopsis cvv. (moth orchid) vs. Schlumbergera cvv. (holiday/Thanksgiving/Christmas cactus)
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14 comments:
I am so enjoying this voting process. I'm hoping Schlumbergera wins, because I love them!
Hmm, yes this match could get ugly.........
There is no way an orchid is easier to grow than a sansevieria. I love the solidity of a sansevieria. I love the way they don't give up. Orchids are nice, but really they need a greenhouse. But then, these are the same voters who decided in an apocalypse, they won't need any coffee.
People! Phals bloom their heads off for 4 yrs straight! I'm sick of trying to re-pot corky, crummy old xmas cactus because, as they tell me, it has 'sentimental value'. Bah humbug.
Jenny
Jenny:
Maybe for you they do. My Phalaenopsis hasn't rebloomed in two and a half years.
Schlumbergera, on the other hand, blooms for me twice a year.
Why are you repotting them, though?
Mr. S: I re-pot them because they force me to. At work. It's all part of our 'Customer Service'. Do you know how scary it is when somebody brings in a 25yr old xmas cactus that belonged to their dear old Aunt? I've found old cigarette butts and beer caps, broken glass and earwigs, strange fungi and tatty old 'Get Well Soon!' decorations in those pots. I hates them!
Jenny
Jenny:
Ah. I understand. (And yes, I do know how scary it is to try to repot something of sentimental value that's prone to falling apart; I had to do it a few times.)
The most interesting thing I ever found in a plant I was repotting was a black widow spider. Or at least I'm pretty sure that's what it was. It was in a cactus, so it wasn't like I was plunging my hands right in anyway, but it was sort of a weird feeling all the same.
Mr. S: Try to give your phal slightly cooler temps combined with slightly brighter light, it should spike.
My phals spike like crazy when I take them down to basement and put right against the window where the light is brightest.
Orchids are nice, but really they need a greenhouse.
Dude! Don't the over 60 orchids I have that! I'd hate for them to go on strike with regards to blooming until they get a greenhouse (which would be never). I live in an apartment the northern lands -- if I can grow and bloom then under these conditions then pretty much anyone can.
I've never had an orchid "shatter" on me, but have had any number of Schlums do so. Incredible aggravating to have entire sections of plant suddenly drop off and shatter into numerous small sections.
Mr. S, a temperature drop at night as Orchideya mentioned often triggers phals to bloom. Yours might also be needing more light. If the leaves on yours is a dark green, then the light you're providing it is too low.
Paul / orchideya:
It's been getting enough light to turn the leaves reddish on the edges, which I was told meant it was getting enough. Temperatures I can only do just so much about, because the husband has put an incredible amount of work into trying to get the house to be air-tight and insulated. I might be able to swing a basement window like orchideya suggests, though one window is right next to a heat vent, and another is above the washing machine. And I think the ledges on both are sloped.
The plant room (where the phal has been since the move) gets cool enough in spring and fall to trigger bud set in Clivia and Schlumbergera (though it's not cool enough for proper development of the Clivia flowers), so it seems like it ought to be cool enough for Phalaenopsis too.
If I were able to do this, how long would I need to have it in place before the buds were set and I could move it back?
Congrats Paul on growing orchids without a greenhouse. I stand corrected.
I wasn't talking bloom, I was talking tendency to die horribly, in a way that makes me feel guilt. I have had orchids rot and also shrivel, and they're kind of fiddly. For now they've stopped trying to die (I have 2 left), but I really doubt they'll ever flower. Sansevieria don't need me to worry about them. Plus they have the impressive ability to break pots from within.
If a Schlumbergera shatters, you could always regrow the pieces into a new plant.
PT, the most typical reason for orchid death is overwatering (usually in conjuction with REALLY crappy media. I get quite irked with the bozos who usually supply the big box stores and grocery stores with their orchids. Most have the poor plants in media that is almost guaranteed to kill them. I've had more issues with Schlums rotting out than orchids, truth be told. There are some pretty good orchid forums on the net if you think you would like more info.
Yeah could pot up all those bits, but I don't have the room for all the babies and the parent plant often looks like crap after a section or to shatters. (Though I do suspect that "shattering" is probably an additional method of propagation in the wild.)
If I were able to do this, how long would I need to have it in place before the buds were set and I could move it back?
I think that if you want to move it back, it is better to do when spike just was initiated but buds didn't start to form yet. Forming buds don't like environment change and might just drop without opening(especially if you have phal specie, their buds are so finicky about environment, I find common NoIds much more forgiving).
I read in some article that 4-5 weeks of cooler temps is enough to program a spike and then phal can be grown in wider temp range. Some sources also suggest to add epsom salts to watering for stubborn non-spikers(I never tried that).
Just right now I have two no id phals "spike racing" in the basement. The spikes are still small and buds didn't start forming. For experiment I will take one of them up to warmer conditions and leave the other down in the basement, just to see
if going back to warmth will affect spike and who will bloom first.
Moving to the warmer place right when the spike started didn't stunt the spike. In fact phal that was moved to a warmer place got the buds developed a bit faster and now almost ready to bloom with color showing, while the other one has them still small and green.
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