This is a public-interest archive. Personal data is pseudonymized and retained under GDPR Article 89.

[INDOOR-GARDENING:128] Re: orchids

Thanks to Jim and others who asked and answered about orchids...I learned a
lot just 'listening!'
Lynn

Dear Claire and Friends,
>
>Thank you for your fine note Sunday.  I inquired the last time I was to Lowe's
>and Home Depot and all of their plants come from Florida.  Because overhead
>there is so much less than in colder parts of the country, is why they can
>sell them so inexpensively.
>
>Our orchids from both these businesses have been outstanding, free from
>disease and can be purchased either in full bud and/or bloom or in little net
>bags for less money for you to grow on into large mature plants. In my
>opinion, one really gets one's money's worth in these purchases.
>
>Claire, there are many fine books on orchids.  We got two or three large
>hardbacks at Barnes and Nobel and Border's book stores (encyclopedia type
>books -- very informative for the serious grower.)  The orchid books from the
>American Orchid Society are excellent and inexpensive.  I bought one from our
>local society here in Wichita.  It's a most informative book and would help
>anyone starting out.   If you can't find one, let me know and I will get one
>for you and mail it to you. Brooklyn Botanical Gardens in New York City have a
>fine, small, inexpensive book or orchids and most other tropical plants.  Well
>worth investigating.  Also an excellent on on gesneriads.
>
>We grow orchids in clay pots with fast drainage (a square of screen wire over
>the hole (s) in the bottom and then filled with orchid bark (Hoffman's) from
>Home Depot.  It's less expensive that the prices at our wholesaler!  We also
>grow in the little 6," 8," 10" and 12" wooden slatted orchid baskets also for
>sale at the two home stores we're talking about.  We put a bit of long fibered
>sphagnum in the bottom so the bark bits won't fall through and then fill as we
>would a pot.  
>
>We fertilize quarter strength with each watering, alternating between a
>chemical and an organic one.  Works beautifully!
>
>In regard to your questions about light.  We have our best luck with fairly
>good, bright light and in some cases, filtered sunlight.  As you read more on
>orchids, you will discover very specific light requirements for each genera.  
>
>They're great fun and not difficult to grow as is the misconception which has
>been around for many years.  In our greenhouses, we find them a perfect match
>and blend with our other tropicals.  Most of our tropicals -- gesneriads,
>African violets, miniature terrarium plants and other exotic tropicals like
>nice, normal, warm temperatures with high humidity just like where they would
>live in the true tropics.  When you study orchids, it's great fun to see where
>the individual genera and species come from.  The challenge would then come to
>try to duplicate that in our homes, garden rooms and greenhouses.
>
>Wishing you great luck with your orchids!
>
>Warm Regards,
>
>James (Jim) B. McKinney
>McKinney's Glassehouse
>P.O. Box 782282
>Wichita, Kansas 67278-2282
>
>
>


    _______________
    Lynn Jenkins
    jenks@iquest.net
    Happy to be gardening in Zionsville, IN  Zone 5
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index