Orchids in my garden

[Queenie O.]

9 minutes ago, Jake said:

Can you do your miracle work on my scale.  I have tried all kinds of manure but my hair refuses to grow.....he, he.  

I could try Jake, but not sure if I could help you.

[Queenie O.]

I own a lot of orchid books, and they're fun to look at, but are not too much help in growing or identifying orchids locally here. While in the States I was able to pick up two helpful books in a used bookstore called:

Orchids of the Philippines, by Jim Cootes, and Orchid Growing in the Tropics, from The Orchid Society of Southeast Asia.

 These have been helpful for general knowledge and identification. Maybe some of you could find copies for sale. Overall though, I don't think that these books are necessary for growing orchids here.  If living in the Manila area, The Philippine Orchid Society would be fun to join I would think. No such club in my area of Cebu.

Just getting some orchid plants, and seeing what works for you is more fun. I hope you folks all get an orchid or more! 

[Jack Peterson]

Found these as I was searching Something, Any use to you?

 

http://purificacionorchids.com/index.php/growing_tips

http://www.bhg.com/gardening/houseplants/projects/easy-to-grow-orchids/

 

 

 

Jack

Morning All

 

 

[Queenie O.]

On 5/18/2017 at 10:17 AM, Jack Peterson said:

Found these as I was searching Something, Any use to you?

 

http://purificacionorchids.com/index.php/growing_tips

http://www.bhg.com/gardening/houseplants/projects/easy-to-grow-orchids/

 

 

Jack

Morning All

 

 

Good info Jack--Thanks! I'm always looking around for more plant info!

[sonjack2847]

5 hours ago, Dave Hounddriver said:

I know a guy named Bill Caldwell who lives on the beach near me.  His wife raises and sells cacti and I guarantee you do not have all the ones she has.  Its a fabulous collection.  Come see me sometime and we'll wander down there if you want to see it.

Will do Dave thanks

[mogo51]

On 5/17/2017 at 4:49 PM, Queenie O. said:

W                                                                                               hen we first moved in here, I put the word out in the neighborhood that I was looking to buy orchid plants to add to my future dream garden. Many local people came bearing single orchid plants attached to small coconut husks. None had flowers at the time, but I was told that they would surely bloom. I had faith in what they told me, so I bought them all.( Some were just given and not sold too) We wired them to trees all around and hoped for surprises. Some bloomed pretty quickly, but now three years later, some more are finally emerging. I'm not exaggerating when I say that sometimes a bract emerges without notice, and the next day orchids appear! Looking into the mysterious face of an orchid makes you stop to study how unique and exotic they are. I'm so happy to have all these around, and I vow to learn their names over time too. I think that this recent orchid flower is called "Cleisostoma weberi" Maybe there are Visayan names to learn but that will take me longer.

I'll add some others that are around the yard also.. I'll let you know if any more show their faces.

 

Hi Queenie,

I had coffee in a wonderful garden/cafe on Saturday and there were some fabulous orchids on display.  I remembered your wonderful post and photos, so am going back later this morning and will take a few photos.  Hopefully, I can get them onto the post for you to see.

[Queenie O.]

5 hours ago, mogo51 said:

Hi Queenie,

I had coffee in a wonderful garden/cafe on Saturday and there were some fabulous orchids on display.  I remembered your wonderful post and photos, so am going back later this morning and will take a few photos.  Hopefully, I can get them onto the post for you to see.

Wow--that would be fab Mogo!!

[OnMyWay]

Thanks for all the tips include here!

We bought 4 or 5 orchids in small pots late last year and they kept flowering until this past month.  They were not very expensive.  When we got home from 30 days in the U.S., the flower were gone and the stems are a bit ragged now.  It seems that too much rain is not good for them.  Our yard guy was coming by twice a day so I am fairly certain they were kept watered when needed.

We bought some orchid food at Ace but I didn't really see a difference in the quantity of flowers.

Trader Joe's in the U.S. currently have a lot of orchids for sale from the same supplier.  They are quite nice with other small houseplants planted in the pot.  Prices were $8-20 with the $20 being quite large.  I bought one for my sister and she said they only water them once a week in the S. Cal dry climate.

I bought some Miracle Grow All Purpose plant food while in the U.S.  I used to have good results with it and I hope it will work here.

[Gator]

On 5/17/2017 at 9:49 PM, Queenie O. said:

Hmmn--that makes sense Iintrepid. I brought orchid plant food in a BB box-- organic and non-organic, thinking that spraying this on orchids would give me "superior" results. Didn't do a thing! My late mother-in-law taught me to tuck egg shells in between the coconut husks, and I did that but not regularly. We collect rain water and use that when we have it on plants and orchids, but just water from the hose is mostly all I use. I've found that soaking orchid plant roots seems to get them going as opposed to the spraying of water that some experts seem to do. Maybe because it's ho,t the orchid plant roots have time to use the water and dry out thoroughly  through the day.

Beautiful orchids Queenie!

My great aunt who lived in Venice, Florida had a very nice collection of orchids. I recall her making her own fertilizer for them. She'd boil a large potato (grated; with the skin too), about a dozen egg shells, a mashed ripe banana, some molasses (maybe a tablespoon or two) and pinch of epsom salt in a large pot. After letting it cool and steep overnight she'd pull out the egg shells. She would also sprinkle some bone or fish meal into pots and then add her special brew.  

Commercially available fertilizer already has the right mix of nutrients so I doubt adding egg shells would provide any noticeable benefit to your orchids. 

My SO's mom puts eggshells over new buds and over the stems right after the flowers drop off (she lives in the northern part of Bohol). I asked her why and she gave me two reasons - the calcium and to protect them from slugs/snails. She also buries any leftover fish around her garden. 

 

Our little guy was fascinated with grandma's orchids. But we had to be careful as he would try to eat them, lol. 

Edited June 12, 2017 by Gator

[mogo51]

18 hours ago, Queenie O. said:

Wow--that would be fab Mogo!!

Sorry Queenie, could not get them across to here or onto my computer from phone for that matter.  The SO will have a go for me tonight.