Read this FIRST!! Does your orchid have drainage?

Help! My orchid is potted in a non-draining pot. What should I do?

It has happened to all of us…we are at the store and there is this cute orchid, in a decorative pot. This orchid would be perfect as a last minute gift or you just want to bring it home. Once bought we realize that this orchid is in a pot with NO drainage hole (as shown below). This is wrong on so many levels! Orchids need drainage to survive. They naturally live in the jungle on a tree, with free flowing water. Unlike other plants, orchids hate being in standing water! They WILL die in this environment because they 100% will get root rot eventually. It is essential to have your orchids in a pot that allows water to flow freely out the bottom, check out my favorite pots HERE.

But what to do? Well if you just want to enjoy the blooming orchid and then throw it away go ahead but secretly I will be judging you:) If you want a potted plant, that likes standing in water, I suggest getting a mum or poinsettia. Most people think orchids are impossible to grow, which is the a myth, and they end up throwing them away. This is expensive and not necessary! Orchids are easy to grow as long as you know what to do.

So if you want to see this sweet orchid bloom again and thrive then you have another option. It can be confusing, in this case, because every website says to wait to repot orchids after their blooms have fallen…. NOT in this case! They need to escape this environment ASAP! And unfortunately they may already be lost if their roots have rotted from overwatering. This is because even if they were given the proper amount of water, their roots would be sitting in this water instead of it freely running over their roots and out of the bottom of the pot. Hopefully they have not rotted… If your plant is not dead, do this;

1. GENTLY pull the plant out of the closed container. Hopefully, inside the pot with no drainage, there is another clear plastic container with drainage. If this is the case…leave it alone outside of the “bad” pot. It may need to dry out a bit before you next water it. The next time you water it – follow these watering instructions. Once watered you may put it back in the decorative container but only after the water has flushed through it and out the bottom. I would also wait to put it back in the decorative pot until it has sat outside for an hour or so – just to make sure there is no extra water that may drain out later. Don't water it in the decorative container because the water will just pool at the bottom and not drain out.

2. If there is not an inside clear pot – you are in trouble! – soak it in a tub of water for ten minutes and see if you can gently pull it out. If it won't budge you may have to break to the pot in order to gently take it out.

Moving an already bloomed orchid from one pot to another is called “drop potting” and should only be done in extreme situations such as this. You are not going to want to fully repot. Once you have freed the orchid from the suffocating pot you will want to “drop” (place gently) the orchid, IN ITS ORIGINAL mix into a similar size pot. In extreme situations I cut off the bloom/stem when I realized the roots were so bad that they could not support this bloom and the whole plant would die. Orchids work in a balance between their leaves, blooms and roots. When out of balance they are in distress and can die.

3. Now that your orchid is in a cozy and free draining home let it rest for a bit before watering. Hopefully the new drainage will allow it to bloom happily for months, but quite often you may loose some blooms because repotting an orchid while in bloom can create “bud blast.” This has happened to me….the blooms that were not opened yet, fell off. This does not mean it's dying it is just adjusting to it's new home and is protecting itself by letting it blooms fall off.

4. Once your orchid is done blooming follow these repotting instructions because they will need completely new mix.

Note: Here are more pictures I took at local grocery stores for your reference. These are potted in non draining pots.

Hope that Helps,

Hannah

Feel free to leave comments or questions.

 

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Common Orchid Questions

These are the most common orchid questions I get and a link to my previous post in regards to their answers. I am also constantly updating each post that I have already completed, as I learn more information, so check back! My answers are not exhaustive but I hope they are helpful and if you have questions or comments please leave them. Or if you have a topic that you would like for me to research and post about, please leave that as well.

1. How much should I water my orchid? CLICK HERE.

NOTE: the most common mistake of any new orchid grower is over-watering an orchid which produces root rot and a myriad of other problems. Make sure your doing this right before anything else. This mistake and orchids not having a drainage hole is a deadly mistake.

2. How do I repot an orchid? CLICK HERE.

3. Why won’t my orchid bloom? CLICK HERE.

4. How do I tell the difference between a root and a spike? CLICK HERE.

5. How do I stake my orchids? CLICK HERE.

6. How much light does my orchid need? CLICK HERE.

7. Am I suppose to fertilize my orchid? CLICK HERE.

8. My orchid has either gnats, fungus and/or rot on it. What should I do? CLICK HERE.

9. Why are my orchid leaves turning yellow? CLICK HERE.

10. Is it okay to mist orchids? CLICK HERE.

Do you have a question? I love helping people out and answering questions!

Here is some info on that:

I welcome questions but overall if you read the other blog post first on watering, fertilizing, repotting etc. it helps both of us know what is going on a little more before you ask a question. I sometimes get people who are so excited about orchids (like me) that they ask a question before reading the other blog post and then I spend a lot of time linking those post in my answers :)

When leaving a comment or emailing – please answer these questions;

• How long you have had your orchid?




• What type of orchid it is – it’s fine if you don’t know




• What the problem/question is




• How are you watering it? How much and and how often?




• Does it have a drainage hole?Please read this first * (see below).




• Also a picture of your “troubled” orchid helps. If you can’t take a picture that is fine.

Orchids with NO drainage holes.

* This is a very common thing for florist to pot orchids in pots like these but it actually kills orchids. Orchids need to have total drainage or their roots smother and die as explained here..

Look for an inner pot inside the white one. If it has one take it out and discard the white pot. If it doesn’t -find a similar size pot with drainage and place it in there until the blooms fall of naturally and then repot it.

If you totally repot while in bloom the blooms may prematurely fall off because repotting shocks and orchid.

Once you have the orchid in a pot with drainage let it totally dry out before watering it again and then when you go to water – water it this way…

Note: Here are pictures I took at local grocery stores for your reference. These are potted in non draining pots.

Hope that helps and let me know if you have further questions,

Hannah

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Keiki “Baby Orchid”

What is a Keiki?

A Keiki in an orchid is basically a new (baby) orchid. The word Keiki is Hawaiian for, “baby.” A Keiki is going to be the same genre as the mother and will be the same color and likeness. It is very common to either have a Basal Keiki or an Apical/Ariel Keiki.

• Basal means it is located at or near the base of an orchid.
• Apical means it grows from the apex of the stem of an orchid….way up high.

As defined above Keiki's can grow in two different locations on an orchid and for two different reasons.

Locations (a Keiki will grow) –

• Apical Keiki – From an existing stalk with its OWN aerial roots (shown above). These grow way up high on already existing orchid bloom stalk.

• Basal Keiki – Along side the existing orchid, growing from its base and SHARING the same root system (shown above).

Reasons (a Keiki will grow) –

• A lot of times an orchid will “save itself” by sprouting a Keiki because it is dying. This happens a lot when crown rot or other types of rot has ruined an orchid.
• A dormant node on an orchid “decides” to sprout a new Keiki in an otherwise completely healthy orchid. This happens when there is a build up of growth hormones at the node.

What should you do with a Keiki?

You will want to do two different things depending in where the Keiki is located.

A. Apical Keiki – If it is sprouting from an existing sprout, way up high (as shown in the first example – under locations) with it's own aerial roots you will want to the following;

1. Wait till it has at least three good size roots
2. Snip it off about 1 or 2 inches down the stalk…don't clip the roots.
3. Repot it NEXT to the existing mother plant for the first year (if it is time to repot the mother then repot both at the same time, in the same pot). After the first year you may place it in its own little pot. We do this because it's the same genre and it helps to keep it in the same mix it grew from to regulate humidity, watering and fertilization.
4. When potting it near its mother, make sure the roots are pushed downward with the small shoot that you have cut off. Roots are not malleable unless wet…so I would recommend soaking them in water before doing this.

It may take months before an Ariel Keiki is ready to be cut off below is a time warp picture of an example.

Note: you can keep the Keiki on the existing mother plant and it will bloom but it may look a bit sloppy because it's dangling in the air and it's not grounded. But if you like that look then by all means keep it!

B. Basal Keiki – If it is sprouting from the root base, along side an existing orchid (as shown in the second example – under location), you will want to do the following;

This case is very different from the above one because the Keiki is SHARING the root system of the mother (it does not have one of its own) and therefore CANNOT be separated! In this case you will want to leave it alone. These Keiki's tend to grow really fast because they are sharing the large, already existing and established, root system of the mother.

In the case of a Basal Keiki growing because the mother plant is dying, again you do nothing. The mother plant will die back/fade away and the Basal Keiki will replace it. How cool is that?!

In the case of a Basal Keiki growing because there was a build up of growth hormones on a healthy orchid, again do nothing. The mother and baby will grow side by side and create an even bigger orchid. Again how cool is that?!

Hope that helps,

Hannah

Please feel free to leave comments or questions

 

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Paphiopedilum Orchids

Paphiopedilum orchids are best known as their pseudonym, “The Lady Slipper.” They are really, really cool and unique as far as orchids go because they have one BIG bloom instead of a bunch of small to medium blooms.

The Lady Slipper is a monopodial orchid meaning it does not have a pseudobulb, like the common Phalaenopsis orchid. Monopodial orchids need to be watered more frequently because without a pseudobulb they do not have a water reserve. I treat my Lady Slipper the way I treat my Phalaenopsis orchids in that I wait for their mix to get dry and then water them. Click on this post to see how I water my orchids.

Lady Slippers also need special mix, which I get from rePotme, that helps them keep moist between watering. I also like to fertilize them in the same way I fertilize my other orchids.

• Spring – production of late blooming and repot when out of bloom
• Summer – production of new root and leaf growth
• Fall – production of new root and leaf growth/potential of new spike
• Winter – production of new spikes and blooms

Hope that helps,

Hannah

Please feel free to leave comments or questions

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Cymbidium Orchids

Cymbidium orchids tend to have tall spikes loaded with flowers! This orchid has much smaller pseudobulbs that are topped with long thin leaves. These leaves gently drape to form an attractive foliage plant. Cymbidiums have a fantastic range of colors including; white, green, yellowish-green, cream, yellow, brown, pink, red, and orange. Their blooms can last for up to ten weeks!

These orchids are easy to grown indoors but need MORE light (they need to be in a bright window in your home) and MORE water then the popular, Phalaenopsis. Phalaenopsis orchids have big thick leaves that store water whereas Cymbidiums have long thin leaves that store less water and will need more “man-made” help. If you notice wrinkled pseudobulbs this generally indicates a lack of water. Because of this I highly suggest putting them humidity trays because of their lack of water storage and I would also mist them. Learn here how to make your own humidity trays.

Like other orchids their blooms are triggered, naturally, by a combination of falling temperatures and reduced water. Their natural bloom season is during the winter. Cymbidium flowers grow in sprays, with spikes arising from new pseudobulbs every season

Also similar to most other orchids, Cymbidiums prefer to be repotted shortly after blooming as the new growth is beginning to emerge. They enjoy a rich, loose, organic potting mixture and can be easily divided during repotting in the spring.

One difference between Cymbidium orchids and other types is that they can survive lower temperatures then most orchids.

Cymbidium Basics:

• Water: water thoroughly then allow to dry out briefly between waterings.
• Light: these orchids like bright light. You can place them near a bright window
• Temperature: these types of orchids like a minimum temp of 40 degrees and maximum of 95
• Growth Habit: these orchids grow new pseudobulbs every year. Ususally in the fall bloom spikes emerge from new pseudobulbs at the base. The older pseudobulbs will not bloom again but they continue to support the plant until they shrivel up and die.
• Look for: New pseudobulbs in the Spring and Summer, Spikes in the Fall, Blooms in the Winter

Hope that Helps,

Hannah

Feel free to leave comments or questions.

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Season by Season Guide

This post is going to be a “one stop guide” of everything I do throughout the year with my orchids and what's going on with them during this time. You can click on the various links throughout this post for extra advice on what to do.

Quick background on orchids to help explain the seasons –

Orchids grow in nature at a different rate than orchids sold in stores. This is because stores buy orchids from nurseries which have a controlled environment which “forces” orchids into bloom by speeding up natural cues synthetically. They do this by giving them year round light, temperature and humidity that is controlled by indoor nursery environments.

• In nature orchids normally bloom once (for an extended period of months), usually in the Fall through early Spring. Their “nature” cue to bloom is the cool weather in the Fall.
• Normally in the Summer months leading up to Fall, orchids will be in their “active growth phase” which is when they grow new leaves and new roots. Orchids prepare for Fall blooms by storing up energy in new growth (almost like if you were to eat super healthy for a few months before a big race) which is why I give my orchids extra fertilizer at this time. Their “nature” cue at this time is the warm Summer months.

Nothing is wrong with nurseries “forcing” orchids into a cycle. But later on this post, when I explain that my orchids are on a certain cycle it may be confusing to you because your orchid may be on a different cycle. This may because you bought an orchid that was forced into bloom by a nursery or it may be because you live in a different climate. Once you have had your orchids for over a year they will catch up to a natural cycle.

My main goal is to make this easy for you! So if you have just received an orchid and it does not match up with the cycle below… then wait. I do this all the time with newly acquired orchids. I wait for their blooms to fall off. I then repot them and watch as they match up the next year.

Note: Occasionally I have repotted orchids and sadly they have not rebloomed. The are various reasons for this. Click on this post to see why.

Orchid Calendar Overview

Summer

Most of my orchids, that I have not recently bought or received, have been out of bloom for months. At this time they are preparing for their fall spikes (which become blooms) by shedding old leaves and growing both new leaves and roots. This is their natural energy cycle and is called their “active growth phase.” Many people panic when they see their bottom orchid leaves turning yellow and falling off but there is no need to worry because this is natural. When their leaves turn yellow you can either cut them off or they will shed naturally and seal themselves off.

At this time it is super hot, where I live, and I want to make sure that my orchids are not getting too dry or too hot! I regulate their heat exposure by placing them on humidity trays, misting them and placing a fan near them. Be especially careful of heat if you have your orchids outside.

• I make sure they are properly watered.
• I place them on humidity trays, some of which I have made on my own.
• I mist them.
• I make sure they get extra fertilizer.
• I also have a fan in the room that keeps them cool on really hot days.
• I repot any newly acquired orchids as soon as they go out of bloom.
• I am also looking for and treat pest, fungus and rot.

Fall

At this time my orchids are preparing to shoot out new spikes. Spikes are the little shoot that are often confused with roots which become the blooms we all love. Spikes look like little “mittens” at first :)

Naturally orchid spikes do not typically grow up, like we see in stores, which is why we need to stake and clip them. It does not hurt an orchid to stake it. This process is done because we think the orchids look “prettier” this way and this makes it easier to place multiple orchids together, on humidity tray, because they are not crowding each other.

If you store your orchids indoors, like I do, then you may have to give your orchids the “Fall Cue” by cracking a window near them for a week or two. This is because when we heat our homes, orchids do not notice that it's cold outside and don't know that it's time to start growing spikes/shoots.

I have prepared for this time by buying stakes and clips.

As the new spikes grow I stake and clip them with different size stakes. If you wait till the spike is longer, you may break it because when it's small it's super malleable and easily manipulated in the direction you want it to grow.

• I have cut back on my fertilizer at this time.
• I continue to water properly, but less than the Summer because they are drying out slower.
• I continue to have my orchids on humidity trays.
• I mist them.
• I repot any newly acquired orchids as soon as they go out of bloom.
• I am also looking for and treat pest, fungus and rot.
• I also take notes, comparing them to last year, keeping track of when I see the first spike appear.

Winter

At this time I am watching my orchids bloom with much anticipation! Most of my orchids have shot out spikes by November and have been staked. Now I am watching them grow, some of them are blooming while others are producing more and more buds. This is a really fun time!

Some orchids experience “bud blast,” which is super annoying. This is when an orchid has a bloom bud that is about to open and instead it shrivels up, turns yellow and dies! Click here for my post on this.

• I continue to cut back on my fertilizer at this time.
• I water properly, but less than I would in the Spring/Summer months because they are drying out less.
• I have my orchids on humidity trays.
• I mist them.
• I repot any newly acquired orchids as soon as they go out of bloom.
• I am also looking for and treat pest, fungus and rot.
• I take notes on the first bloom time and how many blooms.

SPRING

At this time my orchids have begun to shed their blooms. Orchids do this naturally – the blooms will shrivel and fall off one by one. Orchids have worked hard to produce these blooms as all of their energy is going to the shoot and its blooms. Eventually, when all the blooms have fallen, you will want to cut back their shoots in order to conserve their energy.

Not only do you want to cut back their shoots but you will want to repot them in premium mix. Even the best mix breaks down over time and giving them fresh new mix will help them prepare for their new leaf and root growth. This is also a great time to look at their roots, cut off dead ones and look for any rot.

Your orchid may need to be moved to a bigger pot at this time. Orchids like to be potted snugly but they do not like to be smothered!

Once the blooms have fallen the orchids begins their “active growth phase.” This phase is when they grow new roots and leaves. Without new and healthy root and leaf growth your orchid will not bloom next year. It's an energy cycle. It would be the same as a kid growing strong bones in preparation for a growth spurt, which is why we increase fertilization in the Spring and Summer months.

They will also shed their bottom leaves as new leaf growth appears. You have the option to let the orchid shed its leaf naturally (it will seal itself off) or cut it off. Click on this post for more information on this.

At this time, if you want, you have the option to move your orchid outside. You just need to make sure they do not get too hot. Do not put them in full sun – orchids like dapple shade. Also if you put them outside you will need to take extra care to make sure they don't dry out or get scorched.

• I make sure they are properly watered.
• I place them on humidity trays, some of which I have made on my own.
• I mist them.
• I make sure they get extra of fertilizer.
• I repot my orchids as soon as they go out of bloom.
• I also take notes on them to see when they drop their blooms, what their roots look like, and if I moved their pot size.
• I am also looking for and treating pest, fungus and rot.

Hope that helps,

Hannah

Feel free to leave comments or questions.

 

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Dyed Orchids

Orchid naturally bloom in the most beautiful colors! Which is why injecting orchids, or any other plant, with dye may be one of the worst crimes to plants EVER! I don’t understand why anyone (mostly florist and orchid sellers) would take an already gorgeous plant and dye it? What makes me so frustrated is that as orchid consumers (and mostly beginners) we are buying these orchids without knowing they are dyed. We see a pretty orchid and buy it for someone or ourselves and then are left with the consequences of some experienced grower that is knowingly selling them. If you own one and stumble upon this post – I want you to know that this is not your fault!!

The most common color orchids are dyed is blue. There are naturally blooming blue orchids… but they are really hard to find. Below is an example of a DYED blue orchid.

This “blue” orchid is really pretty but is basically poisoned! I explain this below…

The reason I am posting this at all, is that I had a really sweet girl email me, on my blog, the following question;

“I got a died blue orchid and all the leaves fell off and now it’s seeping liquid out of all the nodes. It is still in bloom but what do I do?”

Below our pictures she sent me of her dyed blue orchid…

Pic of beautiful orchid leaves that fell off

Pic of the dye on the bottom of orchid leaf… Can you see it – at the bottom?

Pic of dyed liquid seeping out of orchid nodes

To be honest….I had no idea what was going on with this orchid. I am normally pretty good and answering questions from viewers (based on all the helpful advice I have gotten) but this one stumped me. First, I did not understand how every leaf could fall of an orchid and it could still be alive! Second, I have NEVER seen liquid seeping out of orchid nodes!

So I asked my orchid guru at Garden Heights Nursery, Barb Giblin. The following is what she said in a nut shell –

This is a technique some of the growers have come up with to make the plants sell better because they look so different. We haven’t seen evidence that it hurts the plants (until NOW), but the reality is that the blue color will not reappear in future blooms. The flowers will return to their natural white color in the future. No special care is needed, but try to avoid getting the dye on you! It is hard to wash off apparently (which is a strange thought because if it’s hard to wash off, then how is it good for an orchid?).

She said whatever they dyed it with, they either used too much or it was toxic. This is probably the cause of the leaves falling off (leaves typically fall off if an orchid if it is over watered and/or if water pools at the top of leaves and it rotted) and the reason it’s seeping liquid. The plant is literally expelling extra toxic dye in an attempt to save itself!!

She said there is hope for these plant if you want it to try to revive it.

Do this;

• Cut the blooming stem off, at its base. This will save its energy.
• Repot it immediately in straight charcoal to pull all the toxics out of the crown and roots. If you don’t have charcoal then repot it normal orchid mix.

I hope this post helps if you are in a similar predicament and if not maybe it will discourage you from buying dyed plants in the future. If you want a blue plant then buy a naturally blooming blue plant (like a Hydrangea) please don’t knowingly buy one that has been basically poisoned!

Please feel free to leave comments or questions.

Hannah

 

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