Discover The World Of The Miniature Orchids
July 22nd, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed
There is no doubt that the orchids are some of the most beautiful flowering plants in this whole world. You would be a firm believer of this truth until you discover the world of the miniature orchids. Given that they are only maximum six inches tall you have to see them to believe how extraordinarily beautiful they are.
The miniature orchids are very much similar to the regular flowers with the only exception that they are tinier. Since this means they would be accommodated in smaller pots and so you would need to water them more frequently than the regular blooms. The best medium for these flowers would be tree fern plus fir bark and perlite because this would provide adequate aerating as well as hold in sufficient water.
There are three types of miniature orchids classified after the climates they prefer, i.e. those which love the heat or the tropical ones, those which are okay with the in-between climates and lastly those who prefer freezing temperatures.
The Tropical Miniature Orchids
These orchids love the tropical climate and would grow best when there is a lot of sun and warmth in the air. Among those who could be mentioned here are the Aerangis distincta from Africa which has some exceptionally beautiful white flowers, the Aerangus citrata, a native of Madagascar, which has immensely fragrant flowers, the Leptotes bicolor from Brazil which given white and fuchsia flowers only twice a year and the Polystachya bella from Kenya which has exceptionally beautiful yellow flowers.
The In-Between Miniature Orchids
These plants thrive best in medium temperatures where there are mild winters and cold summers. In this bracket you have the scented Laelia pumila from Brazil which gives an amazing yellow and lavender combination flower, the Pleurathallis ornate from Mexico which has very unusual but very beautiful fringed flowers, the Epidendrum porpax from Central America which is just three inches tall, and the Masdevallia infracta – another miniature from Brazil – which gives a copper and lavender mix color flowers.
The Ice Maidens Miniature Orchids
These miniatures thrive in cold climates where winters are severe and summers are cool. Some examples for these types of orchids are the Cochlioda densiflora from Peru which has an astounding bloom of flame color flowers, the Encyclia mariae of Mexico which grows about five inches in height and gives delicately sculpted green flowers as big as the plant itself, and the Sophronitis coccinea from Brazil which gives bright red flowers that grow even after they bloom.
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Mini Silk Orchids – Buying And Caring For Them
July 16th, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed
Artificial flowers are in great demand nowadays because they are easer to maintain while they look sometimes even better than their real counterparts. One very famous and popular example of such artificial flowers is the mini silk orchids. These flowers are amazingly beautiful and can be used for absolutely any occasion.
Where Do You Find The Best Quality Mini Silk Orchids?
Silk has been used for the first time for artificial orchids in Japan. The material is excellent for visuals as well as low maintenance. The mini silk orchids look, feel and behave like real flowers while all you have to do to sustain your collection is to dust them on daily basis and protect them from direct sunlight as light of such intensity would rob them of their color over time.
The best place to find artificial orchids at great prices is of course the Internet. You could get original artificial such flowers from Japan over the Internet while the best inexpensive imitation would be found at the flea markets closest to your residence. In order to get the best price and quality of the mini silk orchids you need to take some time off ad search over the Net carefully for the best offers available. You could easily compare prices and quality as you would check up what each site has to offer you.
Maintaining Mini Silk Orchids Is Easy
Congratulations for having bought the best choice of indoor plants, i.e. the artificial orchids. Whether these are large or mini the orchids are a delight to watch. You will find that all you have to do, when you buy the artificial flowers is to dust or wash these once in a while if you had a real plant you would have to do as many chores for it as well.
Yu will find that dusting is not even a fraction of the effort that was involved in maintaining a live plant. That real plant would require the three basic elements, food, air and water and you would need to offer it all. Watering the real plant, checking on it whether it reached the time for repotting or not, pruning the roots and finding the right medium to put into the pot, etc are only some of the chores you would have needed to do when you choose to have a real-life one.
The Mini Silk Orchids Really Hit Off
Wherever you want a great looking flower but feel that a real one would be more trouble than joy, check out the silk orchids. Be careful that you choose those of the highest quality which are guaranteed to hold color and shape for a very long time.
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The Attraction Of Jewel Orchids
July 10th, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed
Orchids are plants that usually bear beautiful flowers that come in striking colors and shapes. Jewel orchids, otherwise known as Anoectochilus under the subfamily Orchidoideae, are part of the orchid family but differ slightly from more common orchids. These jewel orchids are commonly found in Asian rainforests, growing in the ground. These orchids prefer high humidity and love soil that drains easily since they are used to thriving in leaf litter. There are some of these kinds of orchids that prefer the lower temperatures while others prefer warmer, more humid climes.
The difference between jewel orchids and the more common orchids lie in the leaves of these plants as well as where the plants grow. While most orchids are grown for their beautiful flowers, jewel orchids are primarily grown due to their leaves.
What Is In The Jewel Orchids’ Leaves?
The leaves of the jewel orchids are a unique velvety texture that renders their colors with more depth. Sometimes, the velvety texture makes for different colors depending on the angle of the viewer. The jewel orchids’ leaves also have very obvious veins that stand out from the base color of the leaves. These veins are what make the foliage of the jewel orchids very unique and rare. The veins’ colors range from deep red to silver and more colors in between. Many of the leaves of the jewel orchids are typically green, from light green to very dark, almost black.
The leaves are usually oblong or heart shaped and seldom long. These types of orchid plants do not grow very tall or very big. Although they also flower, the blooms from these orchids are not as attractive as the leaves. Some flowers are pretty to look at and do have exceptional scents but the leaves take your breath away. To make a jewel orchid plant look bigger, you can pant several pieces together to make an impression of largeness. One great thing about growing jewel orchids is that they are easy to multiply. Some grow from cuttings while others grow beside the mother plant.
Jewel orchids are highly suitable for indoor growing. This is because they like low light conditions as well as high humidity. Some people even grow these types of plants in their bathrooms due to the high humidity generated there. Jewel orchids can be grown more successfully indoors compared to outdoors but a little skill and effort can grow them outdoors as well.
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How To Identify Orchids Received Without Tags
July 4th, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed
There are too many types of orchids out there to know each one by name at sight. Each day more hybrids are introduced and it would be impossible for anyone to remember all the names there are. Nonetheless, when you receive or buy an orchid you would like to know what it is called. How to identify orchids in this situation?
Identify Orchids With The Help Of Experts
Wherever you live there would be someone who is overenthusiastic about these flowers. There could be greenhouse caretakers, orchid breeders, or plain and simple other orchid lovers just as you are. Check it out with them. Do they have a plant like yours? Do they have any idea about its name and identity? In most cases you would definitely get a clue once you go about enquiring about it.
Make things easier for you by carrying a few sharp photographs of your flower to show all those who you think would be able to help you.
Identify Orchids With The Help Of The Internet
You could also take the assistance of the Internet which would make your search much easier. Run a search for websites that specialize on information about orchids and have photographs of their blooms. Check out those against the orchid you have. If you are lucky you might find a match in no time.
You could also search for forums of orchid lovers where you could post a photograph of your orchid with a request to all who see it to try and identify it. You might get along with the name of your orchid a few great friendships with like-minded people.
You could also try sites which sell orchids and offer live chat feature for those who want to contact them instantly. You could find your answer there as most of these websites handle a wide variety of orchids and are well versed about many species. They would be able to identify orchids quite accurately owing to the nature of their job.
In the end you might not be able to identify orchids and you should be ready for this eventuality as well. However, just because you do not know its name it does not make your plants any less beautiful – so even if you do not have the name, you could still enjoy its beauty and be happy with it. You could also have some fun and give them some fancy names yourself.
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Facts You Should Be Know About Humidity Tray For Orchids
June 28th, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed
As an orchid lover and grower you would be familiar with the importance and uses of the humidity tray for orchids. However, there is always scope to discover something new even when you read or learn about something you are familiar with. Sometimes, going through something you are well versed with can provide new insights, when you find that time has moved on and these have brought about developments which you are not aware of yet.
The General Rules About Humidity Tray For Orchids
Humidity is not an aspect that can be considered on its own. There are other factors such as the intensity of light, the general weather and the temperature that needs to be taken into account before deciding on how humid would be the best for your orchid. As a rule you should never water your orchid anytime during afternoon or evening, more so if you are a beginner at this occupation.
The reason for this is that any drops of water that might remain trapped on the leaves would condense and hang onto the leaf long enough to lead to gradual rotting. The best time to water the orchid is early in the morning before dawn so the orchid would have enough time during the day time to use up the water and be on the dry side in the night when the temperatures drops.
The Ideal Humidity Tray For Orchids
When shopping for the ideal humidity tray for orchids keep in mind that this flower thrives when the level of humidity is around 50-70% during winter and a little higher during the summer. The easiest way to increase the humidity level of the orchid plants is to place the pots in humidity tray for orchids which are artistically but functionally created with the help of medium sized pebbles and a shallow water film.
Maintain the quality of the water you provide for your orchid by removing the pebbles every two months or so and having them washed thoroughly in weak bleach solution to clean them. This would easily remove the algae and salts residue that has accumulated over the time. Do not even think of adding algaecide in the tray directly as this would impact the orchid negatively.
Many people combine the beauty of fancy arrangements of a group of potted orchids with the practical humidity trays to create a beautiful and fully functional microclimate with just the right humidity. This can be breathtakingly beautiful while at the same time provide the required humidity to all the contributing plants. Remember to keep them spaced comfortably or it would constrict the air circulation and kill them.
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Learn How To Repot Orchids In Five Simple Steps
June 22nd, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed
There are different types of orchids and accordingly there are different requirements for repotting. Orchids such as Dendrobium, Pahiopedilum, Miltonia and Phalenopsis can do with annual repotting while Cattleya, Odontoglossum, and Oncidum need repotting once every two years. Orchids such as Cymbidium and Vanda would do well if repotting was done every third year.
In case you have no idea about how to repot orchids check out with the local orchid nursery or the Internet. You will definitely get accurate and full information on how to repot orchids from these two places.
Keep in mind that when you report an orchid plant your intention would be to provide new and fresh media rather then a larger pot. Most orchids do not grow well if they have too large pot as then they would concentrate on root development and stop growing upwards. For orchids such as the Phalaenopsis that have roots capable of photosynthesis you could have transparent pots to allow light reach the plant’s roots.
How To Repot Orchids The Easy Way?
It is actually easy if you know how to repot orchids; it takes just about five simple steps and you are done. For the first step you would need to have a pot ready; this need not be larger but it should provide enough space for the roots to breathe. Step two would have you remove the plant from its old pot by turning the pot over and giving it a slight tap on the bottom. Ensure that you shake away as much as the old material as you can.
Step three would have you inspect the plant’s roots closely so you could remove those roots which are withered. You will know that these roots are dead from their dried-out look as compared to the other healthy roots which would be thick and hard. Use a pair of scissors for this task.
For step four, take your orchid and place it in the center of the new pot and fill in the new material such as fir bark which is great for orchids as it makes breathing space inside the pot for the roots. Press light so the plant is held inside firmly.
Lastly, for step five you need to water the orchid until you have the water running out from the bottom of the new pot.
As you can see, there is nothing much to repotting an orchid. Now you can say you know how to repot orchids and guide others who are seeking help in this area.
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