Why not grow orchids?

[amazondk]

Those are beautiful orchid photos.  I have been collecting orchids off and on for a lot of years.  Unfortunately many of them I no longer have since I left South Florida.  I had to start over when I moved here to Manaus. Around here in Amazonia orchids are real easy to grow, you can just neglect them.  I pick a new one up every once in a while on fishing trips or out in the forest.  One species that is very common here is the Catasetum group.  Some of them have very nice flowers.  I don't have any in bloom right now.  Here is where I currently keep most of my orchids which is the entryway garden in my house.  There is one in bloom on the right side.  This one has bloomed three times this year.  I also like to pick up philodendrons which are very abundant.  While walking in the forest you frequently come upon epiphytes on downed trees or limbs from storms.  I also collect a few while paddling around in canoes in the flooded forest at high water.  Since the water is up around 20 meters above the forest floor during that time you are actually in the canopy where the orchids are.  The place where I saw the most orchids used was Singapore.  They have them sticking on trees all over the place.  The botanical garden there is fabulous.

This is a Octomeria I believe.  It was growing in the middle of the lake we fish on.  I have one growing on tree fern fiber that does great.  It is not in flower here, but has real nice little white flowers.

[metalfan]

I have a ton of photos in my files of orchid blooms past, but I went out and took a few new ones of some blooming right now, and just a few neat ones not blooming.

This is a little cool creeping dendrobium in a coconut husk

[metalfan]

This is a huge wild thing of a dendrobium that presently is in bloom with 6 spikes that are going haywire all over the place. Chaos Theory of Gardening at its very best, LOL

[metalfan]

This is one of my faves, I love the color on this one

[metalfan]

I grow several different Jewel Orchids in greenhouse beds to add textural interest on the ground. This is a nice one

[metalfan]

This one hasn;t bloomed yet for me, maybe next year. Its the variegated form of Arachnis Maggie Oe. I have the regular green form too, it blooms pretty well. I love the leaves on this one though

[metalfan]

And last one for the moment, Burana Beauty. Love the colors on this one

[palmmermaid]

Nice shots, Gina!

And, Don, I have some of yours from south Florida that are doing just fine and have bloomed this year.  One of the vandas has wrapped itself all around a bottlebrush tree.  ANother just bloomed and I didn't get any pictures.  And the bromeliads we got from your place are also doing very well.  In fact, one of them remains unidentified by all our local experts!  So your legacy lives on!

[daxin]

I came across a few photos from a flower show in Taiwan. I'd love to see someone do something like this on a palm tree. Someone told me that in the Lake Region in Italy, it is a common practice to train climbing roses up palm trunks.

Oncidium and Phalaenopsis with bamboo

Phal. waterfall

Dendrobium tower

[Walter John]

Holy guacamole, these orchids are out of this world. What a thread.

Thanks to all and keep em coming.

[metalfan]

Holy Mary MOG That's FANTASTIC!!!!

Those Thais!

Was it here that someone posted thephotos of the outdoor Thai bathroom that had all the plants and orchids that grew right up into the room?

[Dave-Vero]

Taiwan exports a lot of orchids to the US.  They're grown under extraordinarily clean conditions, so they meet USDA import requirements.

That orchid display is incredible!  The annual show at Kew is much smaller.

[galveston1602]

Wow, this is a great thread!

I now wonder how some orchids would do with our windy cold winters.....  

I think the wind would probably rip the flowers to shreds....

Anyone from TX tried anything outdoors?

[Tomas]

Hi all,

mine is an experience with growing orchids in a protected spot of zone 9a/9b . I already had some cymbidiums, zygopetalums and dendrobium nobile, but I never content with things I already have. Kim, you say that any orchid seller “can tell you what you can grow from his stock”, but when I asked here, everybody looked at me probably thinking poor silly boy, he is going to waste his money killing the plants immediately. I started to change my mind after reading about this experience

http://www.oscov.asn.au/articles/catcold.htm

I ordered my first cattleya for outdoor growing three years ago and put also my Dendrobium chrysotoxum outside, both got through the winters without any sign of damage and here they are

C. intermedia var. orlata

D. chrysotoxum

Than I wanted more and now I have about 30 orchids growing outside

C. loddigesii

Slc Hazel Boyd

Where they grow the temperature probably doesn’t get below 32F, but very close to it and very often. So I try to select my plants looking for those that get some cold in their habitat and for the hybrids that have the most cold tolerant species in their ancestry.

I have the “Outdoor growing orchids for the greater Los Angeles Area” booklet, but it is not really helpfull for the colder zones growers as it doesn’t say anything about the cold hardiness, for example, the reed stem epidendrums are listed as easy, but they will turn to mush in any average winter here. Dave, I would be interested in knowing which of your orchids DID NOT turn to mush in your recent freeze.

The Santa Barbara Orchid Estate web site with their Temperature Tolerant plants is a great source of information, but I have noticed that Daxin says his Blc Chia Lin will grow in greenhouse only and it is recommended for outdoor growing by the SBOE, so maybe sometimes they may be too optimistic concerning the cold tollerance. I really would be interested in learning any specific orchid that was not mentioned yet that can take some around freezing temperatures.

Galveston, if you thing about the greenhouse grown orchids planted in bark or osmunda etc you probably have no idea how tightly they can fasten to thei support outside and how resistant these plants are to winds, dryness and sun. There are also many of them that flower in spring, summer and autumn, not in winter.

[galveston1602]

I just happened to be in a garden center today and came across a deal I just couldnt resist... thanks to this thread!!!!

I bought 15 orchids in 4" pots, not blooming or tagged.... but the price was right!

15$

So now the question becomes, how do I figure out what Ive wound up with.  there were lots of different tags in the bottom of the tray but none in the pots so I just left them there.  Id like to mount quite a few of these to some of my palms but id like to choose the most appropriate (if possible!)  if not, itll only cost a dollar to try

[Kim]

That's quite a little haul you have there!  If those were mine, I'd grow them in the pots in a sheltered location until they bloom, then decide where to mount them, based on color, form, etc.  This will be fun, each one that blooms will be like opening a present, a nice surprise!

[palmmermaid]

I often buy them when they are out of bloom or haven't bloomed yet.  Then when they do, it's like Christmas!

[ariscott]

Me too... especially the hybrids, you don't always know what you are going to get. Besides they are usually a bit cheaper if they are not in flower...

Here are some of mine. I wish I had more, but I need to clear some of the palm and actually plant them out to get some more other stuff, like orchids and broms.

Regards, Ari

[ariscott]

My favourite had to be Vanda. They are flowering all the time for me.

[ariscott]

My favourite dendrobium

[ariscott]

Last one for now... I need to take more recent photos.

[Tomas]

Looks like all your orchids are Phalaenopsis, the less appropriate genera for growing outside in temperate climates

Tomas

[jnstropic]

I've been experimenting with orchids for over 60 years.  It never stops.  I haven't been able to put my pictures on this site yet but I can invite you to see what I do with orchids in my back yard and sometimes in the front yard.

Just click: http://togofcoralgables.com/default.aspx

[weldertom]

(galveston1602 @ Nov. 09 2007,23:05)

QUOTE

Wow, this is a great thread!

I now wonder how some orchids would do with our windy cold winters.....  

I think the wind would probably rip the flowers to shreds....

Anyone from TX tried anything outdoors?

You'll have no problem on the Island until winter, but watch the temp in winter .... some years can be sketchy .....We grew them in Lake Jackson ....... see metalfan's info on cold tolerence....

[Really full garden]

Guatemala has many beautiful native orchids.Most are found at higher elevations.These are Brassavolas(sp.?).I rescue orchids from trees being cleared for sugar cane plantaions.These are growing happily on Dypsis lutescens trunks at the entrance to my office.

I also grow terete vandas - they seem to be the only ones that can handle sun and heat.

                                                                               Scott

[calyptrocalyx&licuala freck]

Here's my Favourite, The little, but very scented

Coconut Orchid. Pic 1, further back, Pic 2, a little closer

Cheers Mikey

[calyptrocalyx&licuala freck]

[Guest Lucinda]

Does anyone know how to separate coconut meat/nut from its husk without breaking husk into small pieces? I have some coconuts from my trees and want to use  the husks as a mount for orchids.  

I cut the whole coconut, i.e. husk with nut inside,  in half on the saw, then tried prying the nut out with chisel, screwdriver, etc., but the durned things won't budge.

Sure would appreciate suggestions.

[Alicehunter2000]

Bump for this nice orchid thread....wife is interested in flowers lol

[JasonD]

In San Francisco we can grow unusual cloudforest orchids like Odontoglossum mounted if we can spray them with the hose every few days. Otherwise, some more seasonal, water-storing varieties like Laelia and Encyclia (much flux in these genera) grow successfully mounted. I even have a mounted Zygopetalum in our garden, which surprises me. Long wet and cloudy periods can be a problem in the winter but not often for the mounted plants. Worst problem we encounter is slugs & snails.

[LilikoiLee]

Loved this post. All of the pictures are stunning. Makes me kick myself for neglecting our orchids while we were intensely planting palms. Our small collection is pathetic compared to what all of you have posted here.

My favorites (until I saw this post)were Phalaenopsis. I think I only saw one here - in ZA's post. I hope ZA or someone else can confirm that as well as its species. It is truly incredible.

I have scattered our orchids around the garden and in most cases have left them in pots because I read that they prefer to have their roots crowded. Is this true? I have seen many orchids (and bromeliads) in trees but am not sure how to keep them there until they root themselves. I heard of using nylon stockings (which I'm doubtful you can even buy here on the Big Island). What are you all using? Also, I read that orchids like fertilizer. How do your fertilize them when they're 10' above your head?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Lee

PS - Dean and Angela just throw them around their garden where they do very well!

[Silas_Sancona]

Lee,

Used everything from plastic netting, to fishing line, and old window screen and some moss( around the roots) when mounting some of my Orchids to wood or Cork bark planks. Works really well. Just be sure that the plants are anchored tightly enough that they can maintain good contact while they settle onto their new location.

As far as fertilizing, a diluted application of a liquid orchid fert. worked well. Most of the time, in the wild, orchids will garnish what nutrients they need from decomposing leaves that settle on or get trapped in their roots. Orchids which receive rainwater vs water from the tap are considerably healthier as well, at least from what I have seen.

-Nathan-

[epiphyte]

LilikoiLee, I use anywhere from 10lb to 40lb fishing line depending on the size of the orchid. But I've also used regular string in the past. It works just as well but is somewhat distracting. Usually within a year (with decent conditions) the orchid will have enough roots attached to the tree and the fishing line and/or string can be removed. Oftentimes you won't need to bother removing the fishing line as it will break down on its own.

When you're attaching the orchid to the tree...it's really important to make sure that the orchid is securely fastened. If the orchid can shift even a little...then the new roots won't adhere to the tree and you'll have to reattach it. Some orchids are a bit more forgiving in this regard...and there's more room for error in the tropics. But it's best to ensure that the orchid is tightly attached to the tree.

Location is really important. Even one tree can have numerous different microhabitats...and some will be more suitable than others. So if an orchid is large enough...I always recommend dividing it and attaching the divisions to as many different trees as possible. Three pseudobulbs is the standard division size for sympodial orchids. This "hedge your bets" strategy will help increase your chances of success. Plus, ideally, if each division survives...then you can have several trees filled with flowering orchids rather than just one. More trees with orchids is always better than fewer trees with orchids!

Lately I've been really interested in trying to grow orchids from seed. Unlike regular seeds, orchid seeds don't have enough nutrients to germinate on their own. This allows the dust-like seeds to travel great distances...but they depend on a type of microscopic fungus to germinate. Different orchids require different fungus...but parts of Hawaii definitely have some of the necessary fungus. For example, here's an orchid seed that germinated on my friend's palm tree in Oahu.

It's pretty easy to pollinate most orchid flowers...but it certainly does help to have somebody show you. I'm sure that anybody at your local orchid nurseries would be happy to show you how to pollinate orchids...especially if you've just bought a carload of them! Once your seed pods are ripe enough...you can sprinkle the seeds around the roots of the orchids growing on your trees.

Some more info...

Orchid Seeds Germinated on My Tree

We Need More Orchid Celebrities

For some inspiration...check out the flickr group for orchids on trees and the reddit group for orchids on trees.

[Cindy Adair]

Epiphyte and others have given great information and photos here!

In Puerto Rico I didn't have good luck with cotton string (termites? ate it overnight) or fishing line (host plant grew wider between our visits and notched trees). Cable ties are easy and although they cut into growing trees too, they seemed to cut in less than fishing line. Our favorite is IV tubing donated by veterinary clinics which has just enough stretch, but not too much.

I do like fishing line for mounting on bark (not going to grow!) on orchids in my greenhouse in Virginia. Growing them on trees is certainly my favorite and orchids from my local grocery store (after inspection in Virginia) travel in my suitcase fine and adapt with ease to the jungle.

[epiphyte]

apaandssa, if you haven't already done so, you should make friends with this guy...Jardin Boricua. Maybe you can exchange orchid seeds for anthurium seeds.

[Cindy Adair]

apaandssa, if you haven't already done so, you should make friends with this guy...Jardin Boricua. Maybe you can exchange orchid seeds for anthurium seeds.

I don't know this gardener but spent quite awhile last night admiring his photos after reading your post last night!

It looks like many were taken in Caguas which is one of many areas of PR I have yet to spend time in. I would certainly like to meet him and would be delighted to trade plants anytime! Do you know if he has a business selling plants?

Thanks so much for sharing the link!

[epiphyte]

Glad you enjoyed the link! I really like his collection because it is very well rounded. Well...he could probably use a few more orchids!

I have no idea if he has a business selling plants. You might consider uploading a few photos to flickr and then sending him a message. That way it would be easy for him to see the kind of plants you grow.

[Cindy Adair]

I just sent an email to the woman who sold us our farm to see if she knows of this collection. She is an invaluable resource about pretty much everything. If she doesn't, I'll certainly follow through with your suggestion as I think I still have a Flickr account....

[Missi]

@CB Lisa 

[Missi]

Can everyone who used Photobucket to share their photos in this thread re-post them?  I want to see the photos!