Garden of Dreams: Flowers Galore

It was a very sunny Tuesday so we decided to go to a plant shop somewhere in the metropolis. To my awe, there were lots of plants available. I was supposed to buy the Jasminum grandiflora ONLY but i just couldn't resist the orchid plants so I bought 2 species of those.

Yellow Oncidium or Golden Butterfly Orchid

This is the one I bought:

Plant Care Tips:

Temperature: Most Oncidiums and their hybrids enjoy intermediate temperature ranges: 75-85 degree F. day & 60-65 degreee F. at night.

Light: Most Oncidium and their hybrids prefer filtered, subdued light (from 1000 to 1500 ft. candles). The Oncidiums prefer bright light.The leaves should be bright green as opposed to dark green or reddish green. Reddish green indicates too much light; dark green indicates not enough light.

Water: Oncidiums should become moderately dry between waterings. Generally, they require more water while the new shoot is growing and less once the bulb has formed. Fertilize your plants at least once a month. Take care to keep water out of the new growth at the base of the plant. Never allow the bottom of the pot to stand in water. Never use artificially softened water.

Humidity: Oncidiums enjoy moist air, requiring a minimum of 40-50% humidity in the immediate vicinity of the plant. Humidity should be increased with higher temperatures. The ideal humidity is between 55 and 75%, with as much ventilation or air movement as possible without any cold drafts. Humidity can be increased around the plant by placing the pot on an inverted saucer in a baking pan filled with pebbles, rock chips, etc., and water. Keep water level below top of pebbles so that the plant will not have "wet feet" from setting in water. Morning misting of foliage is also helpful, especially during periods of hot weather.

Potting: Repot Oncidiums at least every two years. As a general rule, repot them when the new shoot is two to three inches tall or when new roots appear. All the old mix should be removed from the roots and any dead roots should be removed. If dividing, keep the divisions in clumps of three to five mature bulbs. Medium to fine fir bark is preferred. The base of the new growth should be potted about 1/2" (no deeper) into the fresh bark. Keep mix barely damp until you see the new roots penetrating the bark, then resume normal watering.

QUICK CARE FOR YOUR ONCIDIUM:

1. When you first receive your Oncidium choose a spot for it and move it from that spot as little as possible.

2. Once the plant gets acclimated to a certain location, they tend to stay the healthiest when left in one spot.

3. After you receive the plant wait 10-12 days before watering it, after the first watering, water it once a week. When watering is complete, ensure that all the residual water has drained from the bottom of the pot before replacing it in its decorative container.

4. It is normal for the leaves and stem of the plant to have a "bent" almost drooping look. This is natural with all Oncidium and will by no means shorten the life of the plant.

Dendrobium Hybrid Orchid

This is the one I bought:

Plant Care Tips

Light and Shade - Nobiles can and should be grown outdoors in the summer, usually between the first of June and the end of September. If there’s danger of frost, bring them in. They should be grown in 30% shade or bright, filtered sun. In the fall, when you bring them in, place them in either an east or south window. South is preferable. When growing year round in windowsills, try to give them between 2000 and 2500 foot-candles of light.

Temperature - Nobiles are definitely cool growers. Therefore they must have cool night temperatures. To produce good flower count, night temperatures should not raise above 60 ° until the buds appear. After the buds appear, you can keep them at 62-64 ° at night and you should have blooms in January or February. At night one can even put them in the refrigerator until buds appear. Remember that with cold night temperatures one must keep them very much on the dry side. This prevents fungus and rot problems.

Watering - Nobile Dendrobiums like to be kept root bound in the pot, which means that in the summer, with strong sunlight, you can water your plants almost every day due to increased evaporation and transpiration. In the fall (late September) when the plants are in dormancy, water only enough to keep the canes or pseudobulbs from shriveling (about once per week). Do not resume normal watering (watering when the plant approaches dryness, every 3-5 days) until you see flower buds appear in the sides of the canes. Water in the morning. Rain water, distilled water or reverse osmosis water works best.

Blooming - Nobile Dendrobuims produce buds from the sides of the canes, generally opposite of the leaf axis. The buds will slowly emerge over a period of about 3 months before blooming. These plants can produce from 10 to 100 flowers at a time depending on the size of the plant.

Fertilizing - For tap or well water, fertilize with Grow More 20-10-20. At the end of August cut off fertilizing, otherwise you will end up with all growth and no flowers. Resume feeding in mid to late January or after flowers appear. Another highly recommended fertilizer is Green Jungle Orchid Food, especially formulated to work with rain, distilled, reverse osmosis water or water low in alkalinity. Fertilize with Green Jungle every time you water, all year round.

Potting - Repot every two years or as the plant outgrows the pot. Standard orchid potting mix or New Zealand sphagnum moss can be used. Another common potting medium used is straight coconut husk chips. Be careful not to over pot as these plants like to be root bound.

And of course... my wonderful Jasminum plant: