What Does A Brassia Orchid Plant And A Spider Have In Common?

By Robert Roy
What does a spider and an orchid plant have in common? Yes, Halloween is a special day. Brassia orchid plant is a name given to these spider orchids. Indeed, you can see the resemblance to the spider in this picture.
These beautiful orchids are from the Genus, Brassia, the spider orchid. The long and slender petals and septals are like spider legs.They are named in honor of William Brass, a 19th-century British botanical illustrator, this orchid grows in the wet forests of tropical Central and South America, but it is also comfortable in cultivation.
Many species in the genus Brassia orchid plants are pollinated by parasitic wasps, which normally lay their eggs on spiders. The patterns and structure of Brassia orchids resemble a spider in its web enough to encourage these wasps to lay their eggs in the plants' blossoms and in doing so pollinate them.
The flower spike will provide you with a number of these flowers which do resemble spiders along the spike. Brassias are crossed with Miltonia and Ondontoglossums to produce some very pretty orchid plants. Some have flowers that reach about 10 inches in diameter.
And did I mention they are extremely fragrant as well.
They are not hard to grow but do require some specific parameters for their growth. First, spider orchid plants do require either high intensity bright light. This can be diffuse light. They should not have the direct noon-time sunlight.
During the day and into their growth and blooming period they like temps between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. At night the temps for the Brassia orchid plant should be between 55 and 65. Just after their blooming period the Brassia orchid plant need a rest for several weeks. This means that the temperature should be kept on the lower end of the range, 55 - 60 degrees.
As far as watering, they need to be kept moist but not wet during their growing season. The growing period is during the development of the pseudopods which are flat and when the inflorescence (flower spike). After this period you should water only once a week.
Spider orchid plants do need both humidity and air circulation. The humidity is between 50-70%. This is a little higher than most orchids. For air circulation you can use a small fan, but don't point the fan on the plant.
Now when you remember or see a spider you can imagine the beautiful Brassia orchid plant.
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Cattleya Orchid Plants - Why They are Not Popular

by Robert Roy

How popular is the cattleya orchid plants? Is it grown by hobbyists or not? How big is the flower? Before we get into the answers for these and other questions let's look at a bit of history of the cattleya. It is fascinating! Cattleya orchids have been named since the early 19th century. The earliest named cattleya was the Cattleya labiata.

Since then there has been a mystique about them. From the hobbyist perspective they are probably the most popular plant. The cattleya orchid plants have one of the largest flowers, 5 inches across. They are harder to grow as most of them flower only once per year. And the flowers last only about 2 - 3 weeks. Although the hobbyists are the ones particularly taken with cattleya plants now. They are becoming popular with non-hobbyist because of the size of the flower. These large flowers are exquisite and unique for corsages. For the cattleya orchid plants to become a main-stay of orchids several things are happening today. The new hybrids are lasting longer and they are blooming more than once per year. It has been shown that the orchids now can be bred for more frequent blooming.

This is important for the non-hobbyist who doesn't want the plant to be just leaves for 49 weeks a year. Cattleya orchids also will show the flower for more than 2-3 weeks and some of the hybrids have been shown to have flowers for up to 5 -6 weeks. Blooming more than once per year is important and actually has sponned another sub-industry. Some of the nurseries across the country will "board" your cattleya between blooming seasons. Currently the orchid registry in England has not added many hybrids.

Over the last 100+ years the numbers have been essentially stagnant. This means these orchid plants have been primarily in the hands of hobbyists and not the general public. Cattleya must be easier for folks to grow because most of us do not enjoy the benefits of a greenhouse. Indeed, cattleya orchid plants growers have been making some good progress in the frequency of cattleya blooming frequency and increasing the length of time that the flowers stay in bloom. I feel it will be over the next 2 - 5 years you will see the popularity of these beautiful plants increase.
About the Author
Bob Roy enjoys orchid plants and the great color combination they have. Subscribe to the Orchidaceae Newsletter and get your mini-ebook, "All About Orchids" plus a 10% discount on an orchid plant at http://www.orchids-plus-more.com/orchidaceae.html

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Orchid Care What The Flower Tells

By Robert Roy

In Orchid Care The Flower Will Tell You About Some Diseases

Tale for orchid care the flower. The orchid flower is usually a thing of beauty. When diseases strike it can be tell - tale. Like the leaves, the flower can tell you a great deal. Let's take a look at what we will learn...

Spotting of Flowers

A sign of fungal infection or mold is pink or light brown spots on the flower. When you see either, orchid care will suggest to be careful with your other plants as the infection can spread to other plants.
Remove the orchid flowers that are affected. The remedy is to get more circulation.

Flowers With Punctures

Yes, those aphids can get at orchids, too. Also, some insects including Thrips.
Orchid care the flower suggests that the remedy is spray the orchid with malathion, but be careful and use a face mask.

Flowers With Mottled Colors

Here caring for orchids will strongly suggest a second opinion is necessary. The cause could be a color losing virus. Even if this is suspected then isolate the plant. If it is a virus then you need to destroy the plant.

Bruised Flowers

The causes of bruising are many. It could simply be from mechanical injury. If this is the case the area of damage will not increase or go on to other flowers.

But it could also be from slugs or even cockroaches. You may need to investigate and use some dust to bait them. If from cockroaches then diazinon or Sevin on the ground around the plant, on the plant and the pot as well.

Caring for orchids also shows that the bruising can be from red aphids. If so use the malathion treatment.

Rapid Wilting Of The Flower

If you see wilting of the flower, especially the dorsal or upper septal this can be caused by a sudden temperature change or pollination from an "unknown" pollinator. (I didn't think orchid flowers were that particular!!). The remedies are those that make sense, moderate the temp changes and remove the affected flowers. Not sure what to do for the unknown attacker.

Deformed Flowers

Caring for orchids is not complete without the a word about deformed orchids.

Common causes include;

low humidity or high temp when the buds were developing
mechanical or chemical injury during bud formation

the bud has acquired an unexplained deformity

the potential of a virus infection, (you see many of the flowers have the deformity). Need to isolate the plant.

Caring for orchids does involve looking at the "whole plant". In orchid care the flower is important.

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Easy Care Of Phalaenopsis

By Robert Roy

Do you have a knack for being with moths? Most people would say, "no way". Yet, the moth orchids that I am talking about are the ones that sway nicely in the breeze and some of the newer hybrids have a nice fragrance. These moths are easy to care for, especially a beginner. These moths are found very frequently in gardens. These are the phalaenopsis orchids.

Phalaenopsis orchids are the one of the easiest orchids to care for in a home. Their blooms can last up to 3months and there are some of the most colorful hybrids. Like other orchids they require light, water, temperature, fertilizer and humidity. Seems like a lot but it really isn't

The best light is indirect light. It can be bright but not direct sunlight. If you have a west facing window sill this will do just fine. Direct sun can damage the leaves of the moth orchid.

Humidity is needed for the moth orchids. They actually grow in the wild in humid rain forests. In the warm months it would be nice to mist them every day or two. They also enjoy a bright bathroom.

Let's look at the temperatures that phals like. They are an intermediate temperature orchid. This means they like temperatures from 55 to 75 or 80 degrees. As a must, the must be a temperature gradient of 10 to 15 degrees for at least 14 days in the fall to stimulate their flower spike.

Moth orchids have no pseudopods to store water and for this reason they should not completely dry out. It is fine line to let them nearly dry out and at this point water them. You should be able to tell by seeing how light the plant is before you water it.

Another way is stick your finger tip down about an inch into the plant and it should feel almost dry. It is at this point you should water. Let the water run through the plant (in the top and out the bottom) for about 20 - 30 seconds. It is important that any orchid plant does not sit in water because it will get root rot.

Fertilize the plant twice a month with a week fertilizer solution. It is recommended to cut amount of fertilizer recommended by one half. Fertilize about every other week with a balanced fertilizer except durng the summer months of growth when you can use a high nitrogen fertilizer.

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Bamboo Orchids - a Little Different

by Bob Roy
Bamboo Orchid PlantWhen you think of bamboo you really think of bamboo sticks, don't you?There is an orchid that grows wild in some of the warmer climates like Hawaii and Southeast Asia called the Bamboo Orchid Plant. This is a very pretty orchid plant that easily grows on the hillsides. Imagine having a bamboo orchid plants in your backyard that are growing behind your home. What a pretty site that would be. These orchids usually grow to 5-6 feet. The stems are actually the pseudobulbs. A new pseudobulb grows each year. One of the variety, Sobralia, can grow well in light shade as well. This genus doesn't grow as tall either. It usually tops out at about 4 feet.Temperature range is quite wide, from a low of 40 degrees to a high of 80+. You don't see the bamboo orchid plant very much in the cooler climates of the Northeast or North Central states. If any they are usually indoor plants or out in the summer only.My wife has one of these that is still quite small, but this summer she is putting it outside just to see what it will do. Bamboo orchid plants need to stay moist. Do not allow them to dry out. Humidity is also very good for them as well. So if indoors you should be sure the humidity is about 50%. If not you can use a humidity tray. Fertilize them about every other week with a weak, diluted solution. Some people can have flowers on their orchids all year round. We haven't had that luck. And the flowers are fragrant.If you can get one of the bamboo orchid plant I am sure that you will be able to see it grow. Imagine, growing a five foot orchid!
About the Author
This site http://www.orchids-plus-more.com is devoted to these wonderful orchid plants. Did you know they are the second in popularity only to the poinsettia plants? You will find a good deal of information on how easy orchid care really is. They are wonderful to have around your home or for that special gift. Orchid flowers are beautiful and can last for years. Your plant will be appreciated for years and years.

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Care of Dendrobium Orchids

By Robert Roy
Dendrobiums
This month I am focusing our attention to the care of Dendrobiums. These are one of the most popular of retail orchid plants. They are a true epiphyte or air plant. There pseudopods can gather and hold water very efficiently. Generally there will be a hybrid phalaenopsis and dendrobium, commonly known as Dtps.
Potting
This needs only to be done every two to three years and it should be with a porous, free draining media. This may be a combination of wood chips, small stone and and pieces of styrofoam peanuts. This will allow the draining of water and fertilizer. Dendrobiums seem to grow best when the pot is smaller than the size of the orchid plant.
Lighting
The dendrobium orchids require about 50% sun or bright light. They will do well in an east or west window as well as a shaded south window.
They also do well under 4 - 40 watt fluorescent lights directly over the plant.
Temperature
These plants need a difference in temperature between the night and day. Preferably this difference should be about 10 - 15 degrees. The night temps they like is 60-65 with days between 80 - 90.
Air circulation is needed and is especially when the temps are above 90 degrees.
Water
Like most orchids Dendrobiums need to be kept moist while actively growing. When it is mature, as are most of orchids-plus-more.com plants they should dry between watering.
Dendrobiums thrive when the humidity is about 50 - 60%. Humidity trays are usually needed while the plant is in the home.
Fertilizer
Use a balance fertilizer like Jack's Classic 20-20-20. Use weakly, weekly. That is, use a solution which is between 1/4 to 1/2 the recommended dosage.
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This site is devoted to these wonderful orchid plants. Did you know they are the second in popularity only to the poinsietta plants? You will find a good deal of information on how easy orchid care really is. They are wonderful to have around your home or for that special gift. Orchid flowers are beautiful and can last for months. Your plant will be appreciated for years and years.
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The Incredible Daylily

by Donna Evans
Some people have referred to daylilies as the poor man’s orchid. Indeed, daylilies, like orchids, are a beauty to behold. Daylilies are no longer just the muted yellow and orange plants grown in road ditches. They come in every color from white to deep purple (almost black) and in a variety of sizes. If you don’t’ have a green thumb, daylilies are the perfect plant. They are relatively carefree and can turn an unused, dull area, into a stunning bed of color and texture. Daylilies flourish almost anywhere. They are also an excellent plant to use for erosion control, such as on a slope that is difficult to mow, and also as a ground cover plant.There are indeed a lot of the common yellow and orange daylilies around. However, there are some spectacular varieties that you should keep an eye out for:Black Eyed Susan: A real standout in the garden. This daylily has rich yellow-orange petals with a maroon and dark orange throat. Bama Bound: This daylily has a deep reddish color giving it a satin like appearance. Little Grapette: A miniatured sized daylily with grape-purple petals and a green throat. Beauty to Behold: A light lemon colored daylily with a green throat. The flowers are satin in appearance. The flowers are nocturnal; the day’s flowers actually open up the night before.Hyperion: This daylily has been around for over 80 years. The canary yellow flowers have a trumpet shape and are treasured for their delicate fragrance.
About the Author
Donna Evans is co-owner of Gizmo Creations, a landscape design firm located just north of Brainerd, Minnesota. Gizmo Creations has a over 20 years of experience in landscape design. Their award winning website has numerous tips and articles on landscape design.

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