Orchids?

[Stoner Smurf]

I don't know if this is necessarily the right place, but it does say General Indoor Growing. Does anybody know anything about maintaining orchids? I know they're kind of labor intensive and require nutrients, but that's about it.

My grandma has an orchid, and I want to help her keep it alive. I am sure I can whip up something it would like using my nutes. I only need to know how much, how often to feed, and what to feed. If anyone could help me out or point me toward some proper info, I'd be quite grateful. Thanks boys and girls.

Edit: I was just told all they need is ice (which obviously then melts into water). But I was under the impression they needed nutrients. If not why do you see so much orchid food?

 

[Seamaiden]

Not only is my own mother a serious orchid nut, but I have a cousin (in Puerto Rico, and she lives in the rain forest) and a paleoclimatologist friend who are SERIOUSLY into orchids. The paleoclimatologist is into the rarest, most expensive, difficult to keep species.

I know next to nothing about them except that most are epiphytes and can take nutrition from very little, don't usually grow well in actual soil and little else. I guess first it would be good to know what type of orchid your mom has.

Check it out, he keeps a python in this vivarium. I think he calls her Stella.

[youtube]2CTrS4fwSrQ[/youtube]

 

[Texas Kid]

I used to run orchids in my hydro store in waterfarms with killer success.

I ran Cymbidiums, Oncidiums, and Dendrobiums in strait up coco chips an orchid specific plant food. They did awesome, I used to argue with the orchids fiends on their website that they really aren't that hard to grow and maintain and they would get bent...gotta use specific charcoal and bark substraits, picky on light, picky on humidity, can't do it in Texas to dry, blah blah blah I heard it all. I had plants flowering in the first year that would normally not mature for 3 years..crazy what a plant does when you take off the kid gloves and put the screws to it

Cool lookin little buggers also...lol

Tex

 

[ibTheMan]

She flowers for me around the New Year every year.

 

[HeadGrow]

It really all depends on what kind of orchid. The most popular phalaenopsis orchid, the moth orchids, are prob the easist to grow and get to flower in a normal home environment. They are Some of the most tolerant to higher light and low humidity. Low temps will kill them though (but the same is true for almost every orchid).

Do u know the name or your gma's orchid? Or could u post a pic of it?

 

[homebrew420]

yep they are easy. water and food. keep them moist not wet and feed with half strength nutes once a week if the light is right. I used to have about 20 but like a true dumbass on a wonderfully pleasant febuary day here in northern colorado, yep about 65 during the day, took them to sunbath. I left them out over night now I have 3. Came from San diego, growing outdoors year round. Little bit of climate shock. Felt horrible for a long time and was out close to a $1000, lame.
Use cheap nutes, for orchids. Not waste the expensive stuff on them, they don't seem to care all that much.

Peace
PM if there are any questions I might be able to answer.