Hello Dani, like you, I live in a very hot, desert climate (southern Arizona, U.S.) Here, we have about 9 months of hot weather, sometimes as hot as 46c. I have a very small greenhouse that I constantly monitor to make certain it does not get over about 37c. I have only warm & hot growing orchids; Cattleya, Brassavola, Phals, Epidendrums/Epicattleya, a few Dendrobiums, Vandas, Tolumnia, and a few Catasetums. I don’t even try anything cool growing because I know from experience that I can’t. Like you, I love the Miltoniopsis and Nobile types but I have learned there are those orchids I simply can’t manage to grow, I love your channel and am always telling people that I learned everything I know from Miss Orchid Girl. Keep up your good works!
Hello Dani, First to answer your question, my primary No-Go Orchid is Dendrobiums (for a couple reasons), and in my 35 years of growing orchids, I have killed all but 2 Dendrobiums, and have been able to get only 1 to bloom for me. This has been a huge bummer for me, as I have a lot of interest in Dens, especially the Aussie Dens. Luckily, if I had to pick only one Dendrobium, I couldn't have asked for a more interesting Dendrobium, as it is Dendrobium spectabile which has been growing well in my care and blooming pretty consistently for me. I love the video because it touches very much on some very important topics that are rarely discussed when talking about growing orchids. Anyone can grow anything anywhere, it just depends on how much time, effort, money you are willing to invest. Being honest with yourself on how much actual work you are willing to put into caring for orchids and matching your orchids to that level of care will to greatly improve your chances for success. Also, unlike most other houseplants, orchids are far more affected by your local environment. Understanding your local conditions is again a huge factor in success. I've been growing orchids for about 35 years now, but it was only about 15 years ago I got real serious about orchids. After killing yet another Dendrobium, I decided that if I was going to continue growing orchids, I was going to take a long hard look at the base conditions that I could provide (the conditions without doing anything - no additional lights, humidity, temps, etc.) and the amount of care I am willing/able to provide (my case, I prefer plants that can handle 'Set and forget' care, water weekly/bi-weekly). I took almost a year to observe how much light I got across the seasons, how much humidity, temps, etc. and when I was done, I looked for plants that matched my conditions. I found that Phalaenopsis was a near perfect match for my conditions/care. Initially, I was disappointed, but as I looked closer at the Genus, and focused on species/primaries, I've grown to love Phals., and with only a few exceptions, they thrive in my conditions. I then added Paphiopedilums, which make a very interesting counterpoint to Phals. I've since added a few LED light panels to be able to expand the range of plants I can grow to include Oncidium alliance, lower light Cattleyas and Brassocattleyas and a few others, but there are still plants I would love to grow that I simply do not, as I know I don't have the conditions nor the energy to give them the care they need.
Tip for growing miltoniopsis in dry, hot Mediterranean climate locations: get them as plugs. Little babies. They adapt way better. I have plants bought both as plugs and as young blooming size, and the ones bought as plugs do so, so much better at adjusting to the lower humidity. Do it in early fall, when it's a little less hot but you aren't yet running the heater, so they have a short adjustment period where the heat and dryness is a little less intense, or in the similarly mild early spring. Use 3/4 moss, with a little finer grade bark in the middle for aeration and a layer on top (to keep the bottom of the psuedobulb off the damp sphagnum). Water just before they can get dry, when the moss is still a tiny bit damp. Basically keep the roots green all the time, but not soggy. The babies have far more vigorous root growth than mature plants, and grow new ones pretty much constantly at that age, plus they're less susceptible to root die back than mature plants, so they're able to develop root systems that are extensive enough to keep the plant hydrated in the warm, dry conditions. They are also just more adaptable at that age (I find this is often the case with all my orchid species). Hope that helps someone out there. I know babies take a little while to bloom, but compared to the bloom delay from a severely setback plant, it's about the same wait, but with less struggle and frustration.
@@MissOrchidGirl That's really sad, because I'm sure a lot of orchid lovers in Europe would like to have the opportunity to get them. They're beautiful, but really hard to transition as mature plants (as you've already said in many videos). My climate is very similar to yours, and I really struggle with getting mature plants to adjust because it seems like they just can't root well enough in the heat, but the seedlings barely even pause at all. I'm trying now to get a sad mature miltoniopsis hybrid to recover from the shock of changing over from a greenhouse to my home, and it's barely hanging on. I'm about to resort to giving it a humidifier for a while until it can put out a new growth, but I'm worried it will just perpetuate a cycle of the plant depending on that humidity that I can't maintain forever.
If you use tulle fabric as screen/netting over/around the plants individually & . .. or using dowel rods settings 1 on each 'end' wrap the tulle fabric tautly around the dowel rod attach with a staples or other stable material[s] you'll be able to 'hang' by way of hooking the rods inside/ across window ... does create the best inexpensive way to prevent unwanted pests. Thank you for all your Magnificent works. ❤ & Tytyty Danny ❣
I’m with you on the climate thing. I don’t really get a winter where I live. So I try to stick with tropical growers so I don’t have heartbreak and frustration. I don’t want to give up on this hobby while I’m still pretty new at it.
I have a hard time keeping orchids that prefer to stay damp because my indoor grow space is prone to mold. I struggled my first year to find the right combination of orchids, media, and pots to keep mold at bay. Fortunately, there are a wide variety of mini vandaceous orchids and some dendrobiums that I can grow with success!
My grow room is not air-conditioned and got up to 100 F last summer. I had to move my Oncidiums to my screened-in porch area where on most days, we get a nice breeze and they were in a shaded spot. It kept them happy in the summer until I could move them back inside. I also followed a tip for potting: half and half mix of HP Pro-Mix Mycorrhizae Growing Medium along with tree fern fiber (or small bark). It has made a huge difference as they now grow better, less leaf wrinkling, and more roots. P.S. The one orchid I can't seem to grow successfully is the nicely fragrant Trichopilia suavis. I've killed two, one after another, so sadly I've decided not to waste any more time or money on this one!
I have the same season confusion with my nobilis. Looking forward to the mini cat orchids… because I’ve had two for 5 years, great looking leaves, constant new growth, healthy roots, plump pseudobulbs…no pests. Never even an empty slip for a flower - just leaves. Cariad’s Mini-Quinee and Cattleytonia Jamaica Red.
Thanks for this video!! This makes me feel it’s ok to be frustrated with my dendrobium kingianum. It grew offshoots but then they didnt grow large enough then they just all started to loose all their foliage 😭😭
Thank you for this video! Please don't be so hard on yourself :) I appreciate your elaboration on the climate, and growth (or lack of) your orchids. Thank you for sharing your orchid journey and knowledge and observations! For me, I love ascocentrums and they are my "trouble-child" hehe. They refuse to bloom for me, even though their roots & leaves are abundant. I love their blooms so I am not giving up yet but it sure is frustrating. Happy New Year 2022!
I live in Germany and moved to a new apartment last year. Before that, the area where I lived was quite humid and all of my orchids seemed to enjoy that. In my new place the humidity is much lower and it also gets quite a bit hotter during the summer in the apartment because it is on a much higher storey than my old place, and I don't really have the money to buy a bunch of humidifiers (or at least I'd rather spend that money on other things), so I'm pretty sure I'll not get any more miltoniopsis, and I'll certainly not keep any draculas and masdevallias in the foreseeable future, even though I would love to. The miltoniopsis I still have seem to do OK so far because I have one coolish room, but they are definitely not doing as well as before. The pest struggle is real for me as well here. Thrips and mites devoured some of my dendrobium nobiles, one epidendrum, and they constantly feed on many of the beautiful blooms of vandas and cattleyas. Mealy bugs nearly killed one of my cattleyas. I've somehow managed to keep the pests away from my clowesias and other catasetum type orchids so far, really hope I'll continue to be able to do so. I think it is really not worth the trouble trying to keep plants whose requirements simply don't agree with the conditions we can offer without too much hassle on our part. It is so frustrating and sad to see plants wither and die because they can't thrive in our home conditions, better to stick to plants that alreadly like what we can offer and enjoy them. Happy growing to everyone, I'm really excited for the mini cattleya video already!
Hi there! First off, thank you, Danny , for all your videos! You tought me lots of things about growing orchids! I can't say i have lots of experience - this past year is my first year of growing them. But I do want to make my contribution in this discussion just from my not so long observation how orchids behave. I have three dendrobium nobile - they are fun to grow but it's a bit of a hassle to make them bloom especially if your climate is not really natural for them. I live in South Alabama and our Winters are not stable: one week is chilly, down to 30s at night, and another week is pretty warm, 50s and even 60s at night. I kept them outside with night temperatures in upper 30s at my own risk, and they did great! So as long as it's not freezing they should be fine. But these temperatures should be consistent: if it's 30s , it should stay at 30s or 40s, for a month or so. If it goes up and down, the blooming won't be that great I would think. Mine have got finally some flower buds, but they are not on every cane, mostly on old ones where there were no flowers last year. Now, I heard people leave them in a fridge for nights as long as there is no fruits in it. And that's what I am intending to do next year. Hopefully it will work. And during the days I put them outside in full sun! For the whole day! I thought they would burn or something but no, they did great too! The leaves just turned out to be pretty yellowish with burnt tips but that's all, but it's no biggie - the leaves are supposed to fall off anyways. Overall I guess they love these extreme temperatures between day and night and lots of sun during the day. They even started to grow new canes! I just thought it was amazing )) As for phals , I read somebody couldn't make them bloom. All my phals are either blooming or growing flower stalks. They do need the temperature difference of about 10 degrees in F between night and day. I either opened the window just a little bit for them or turned off the heater in the house for a night to make it chilly in their room. I wish everybody happiness from all your orchids!
Thank you for this video. I've never grown catasetum orchids but nobile & miltoniopsis are already on my list to never buy again. Oddly enough my oldest nobile is doing well enough, just newer ones I can't seem to keep going. I knew that the miltoniopsis was a risk and mostly keep it in the window sill in my kitchen during 9 months of the year. I've had it for 3 years. It's slowly shrunk down to the last new growth. What is the name of your new warmish growing one in this video? Starting to feel the same way for my one agraecum. My weather conditions in south florida are simliar to yours. But I keep everything outside aside from a few things in the kitchen window sill. All my vandaeceous orchids are super happy hanging from tree branches. Happy regular Phals in pots and mounted on trees, polychilous phals which are a big favorite and growing in number, various other dendrobiums all do great. I'm starting to wonder about my big cattleyas. They have been struggling. I've been really into the nadosa hybrids. That star shape is just so pleasing and the surprise spots on the lip. I can't get enough of them! And then the fun mystery of... will it be fragrant during the day from the cattleya cross or at night from the nadosa?
I began growing Casm. orchid last year. I grew a new growth and it was bigger than any other growth it had produced. It flowered for me but it blew some buds after I brought it inside for the winter. I urge you to find a grower in your country that grows these orchids.
💚 you give me hope! I'm fairly new to having chids. I'm not sure if the winter that can dip down to the 30s in the winter would be good to put them on trees. And I'm still battling with survival after repotting😔
I absolutely love miltonopsis I live in a cold climate. Currently the outdoor temperature is 4 degrees Fahrenheit. I have 3 and they all seem to be doing well on my windowsill
I was think about trying another orchid besides Phalaenopsis s (to go with my others). Thank you for bringing us this education of "Pro's and Cons" and not just a specific orchid. Yet another awesome video! You've done so much for Orchid lovers everywhere. Thank you and hello from Oklahoma, USA.
Thank you for this video. I’m struggling with trying to grow phals in my northeastern United States environment. Full blown winter here super low humidity in the house and very droopy plants that aren’t happy and neither am I. I’m thinking my household environment just isn’t good for them. I can’t get the humidity even up to 40% some days. Environmental factors are definitely not fun to deal with. And like you I’m not about to spend a fortune on all kinds of things,not to mention hiking my energy bills up to an all time high. Just not feasible.
I live in Maine and have struggled learning about orchids in general. Ironically, the toughest struggle for me is proper watering. I now have almost 300 assorted plants.
I also have struggles with super low humidity, but in my case it's because I live in the arid southwest. With Phalaenopsis, I found that adding a lot more moss (roughly 65% by volume) to the pots helps with dry air conditions, as it gives the roots more time to absorb water before the media dries out completely, but I do balance that with slightly chunkier bark to avoid compaction in the pots. Learning how to care for orchids in specific growing conditions is definitely a learning curve.
I absolutely agree in consideration of my climate when I purchase orchids. I live in a hot, humid and very sunny climate. My phalanopsis can get sunburned very easily. I have limited space that is filtered for sun. I don’t want to watch them die after I repot and nurture them. The orchids bring me such joy but not if I have to work too hard to be a successful grower. Who has the time? Very good subject
This is partially why im a little nervous about giving miltoniopsis and maybe a warmer growing dracula a try. I worry about it being to warm durring the peak of summer, so part of me doesnt want to try if its just going to die off and it would be a waste of money. But then again I wont know untill I try, and even if they dont survive it will still be a good learning experaince for me. I hope at some point in the future you are able to find solutions so you can grow these and get them to thrive when your ready to try them again.
I have had spider mites , thousands of fungas gnats too, I tried everything and it only worked s little while . I decided to use Aribico Organics for natural pest control by using beneficial mites and nematodes. Finally I am free if pests ! Like a miracle! I highly recommend beneficial insects .
Hello Danny, you're absolutely right. We have to work with our climate. To me, there no sense putting money in grow tent, cooling systems except if you're a grower. I live in Canada and I'm not used to hot temperatures, I won't have hot grower because I not I won't stay the heat the need. That my opinion.
good info.. I've had pretty good luck so far. .i live with 4 seasons and strictly grow indoors.. just got some Berrina lights waiting for my new shelves a work in progress
I feel your pain! I have three orchid types that do not want to cooperate with me. One is an encyclia that creates new growths without a problem but refuses to rebloom. I have tried all types of light scenarios with no luck. I also have an epidendrum that is slowly dying on me and I have no idea why. It refuses to create roots in the media so I have to water it by hand every day and of course it also refuses to rebloom. The last are my vanda types but I know that has more to do with the lighting situation in my house. I only get natural light in one location which is a sliding glass door but I can’t keep my plants there because they get in the way. I have full spectrum grow lights but they just seem to be surviving instead of thriving.🤷♀️
I just bought a dendrobium nobile hybrid and sadly im somewhat regretting that purchase, because i live in the low desert abd i'm not sure if they'll do well in an indoor climate with a very short and not intense winter. Too late now since i've already ordered the nobile, but perhaps i can send it to a friend or trade it. I love dendrobiums, they're one of my favorite orchids in terms of flowers, but i think i may try a denphal or (biggest wishlist plant) dendrobium spectabile which i have coveted for 4 years now
Hi! Fell in love with the sarcos last summer. And found that Akernes orchids in Belgium have a lot of new mixes of them. Georgeous. So if you ever wanr some, you know where to find them.😃👍🇸🇪
😍😍 that Brassavola😍😍 I'm super new at this and I'm still learning to do all things well for phals, cattleyas and denbrodiums but I would love to find one of those!
No trouble with orchids thanks to you! I just bought a Coryanthes though and you have no care vids to watch so we'll see how that goes! I would really like a video on small rooted / not phalaenopsis roots ajf how to identify bad roots, it seems much harder on some oncidium types
Yeah, you're definitely not alone - zygopetalums & miltoniopsis have not been successful for me. I will try again but I just don't seem to be able to get it right. The Vanda is OK but I don't think it quite has enough of a summer to really make a very good bloom show - only ever one spike. Oh and my Nelly isler didn't even last a year. Ones that have been successful here in the UK are the dendrobium nobiles, cymbidiums and oncidiums all seem to be doing well. And my jewel orchid grows like a weed! It's so bushy and lushious!
I live in northern Spain, we have hot summers, but also good winters. I gave up with cymbidiums, miltoniopsis and lycastes, but i have a great collection with zygopetalums, dendrobiums, phals and cattleyas, and they do very well in my climate.
I agree with all of these, and I live in a mediterranean climate too but i get cooler nights because im very close to the ocean. I'm not allowing myself to buy any more catasetums or milts; and angraecums are too slow-growing for me (but i still adore my didieri and dollii). For me, I just havent been able to get the timing right with my catasetums so theyve all perished except my After Dark 'SVO' (which is doing great, im guessing because its a complex hybrid), my small Melana Davison (which is the only catasetum that ive successfully put into dormancy), and my tenebrosum (which is struggling but has good momentum). Catasetums' requirements just dont fit with my watering schedule/technique. I've also been buying a lot of mini catts recently, lots of nodosa and alaorii hybrids.
Dani, Dani, Dani its as if you're reading my Orchid mind! My most challenging Orchid to grow in my home is any type of Miltoniopsis or Miltonia. After losing 6 over a two! year period, I surrender, they win and I lose!! 😁. I don't think I'll try them again, but they are so beautiful!
I am always losing battles with phalenopsis orchids. They slowly die. They have tons of roots. No root rot or crown rot issues. The only issue is, the leaves are getting infected by someone! The underside of leaf gets rusty spots and slowly one by one gets yellow and drops off the plant. It’s a damn slow process. Not sure what’s infesting them. But it’s a long lost battle with the Phals. I tried species and hybrids in phals and every plant I get, starts these symptoms and eventually give up.
im dealing with thrips these days but only on my dendrobium nobile orchids, my catasetinae don't get hit for some reason and my catasetums don't really enter dormancy due to the room a grow them in
i royally messed up on my catasetum care this season but at least it’s only one. my sarcochilus only grows leaves and idky it wont bloom. my mini-catt is sunburned but otherwise growing well lmao 🤣
For some reason Pleione orchids won't do for me, they normally shrivel up and rot shortly after blooming and I do know why. I tried not watering during their rest period and just watering a little and they always die. Same with Habenarias.
My Den is so confused we have about the same weather patter but without the humidity. But my Den produced 3 kakis instead of flowers when the growth was mature
I`m so sad to hear you won`t do any catasetum type videos anymore, for these are my favorites! I grow about 30 catasetums right now, hybrids and species. If you are ever interrested in a little chat about catasetum type orchids, I`m here 😉
I’m having much trouble growing the Ascocentrum ampullaceum in my home, it ems very temperamental and enjoys a lot of water but growing new leaves painfully slow while losing older leaves faster than it’s new growth can keep up, I recently installed some led grow lights and I hope that helps but so far after one month I have not seen any difference… any advice?
Hello i have been struggling with my phals since i have them i grow my orchids outdoor in a shade house only my phals would not bloom they grow leaves and roots like crazy, i live where at night its still hot like during the day soo... the issue is my climate but not willing to let them go so still trying to set things right for them
Have you checked Akerne orchids? They have really a lot of different options when it comes to sarcos. They renewed their website and what I've seen in the unboxing, the plants are healthy looking. Not saying that you should change your mind, just to share the knowledge, that there are some nurseries that have better selection on Sarcochiluses. :)
Ever since I got into orchids I've wanted a big-flowered Vanda, but I know that my current environment isn't suitable. Perhaps one day when I have a greenhouse.
Hi Miss Orchid Lady. Love your work ! We have a few bugs flying around our orchids. I don,t know what they are, or if they are an issue. Do you have suggestions ? Thank you
@@laurakb196 therewas some red on the body, plants look really healthy, except , no flowers, waterd and drained weekly by running water and resting before returning to pot. Schlutz 15 5 5Plant food every 2 weeks. No flowers or buds for a year, 12 healthy plants for 6- 1 years. Like a tiny housfly or fruit fly Cold Canada . Thank you Laura
@@jmack619 I’m sorry I can’t be more help, I’m pretty amateur and can only grow phalaenopsis. I started growing them because they are safe if naughty kitties take a nibble. And of course I love orchids. I’m in northwest Oregon US so it gets cold but usually mid to upper 20’s f and briefly. My major pests in the house are fungus gnats which I haven’t been successful getting rid of. I had scale on my lime tree which bushtits ate when I put it outside. One of my phals also got a couple scale and since the leaves are so fleshy it’s hard to know if I got rid of them but they never spread so I did. Sorry for being so chatty, I’m pretty lonely these days.
I have a phalyneopsis orchid question. If mine has buds and is reaching toward the light and filtered sun window, can I turn it away from that position or leave it alone? Thank you for your expertise and answer, if you have one. Or maybe someone else can answer this if listening now to MissOrchidGirl.
Yes you can certainly turn them. I do although I’m running out of room and I don’t like the leaves to touch each other. One year a spike had a neat spiral. One thing I noticed with one of mine that almost always has blooms when a bud opens it faces the light and the blooms don’t turn. A bunch of blooms were facing outside and none for me to enjoy. I turned the plant around and the next blooms then faced outside so I had blooms going both directions. It’s happening with the second bloom now and I’d include a picture if I could.
@@laurakb196 Thank you for your encouragement and story about the “faces” . I would want to turn them so that I could see them too! You were very thoughtful to answer my question. I appreciate it!
@@lindadaigle3205 you’re welcome! I’m always happy to talk about things we all care about, like orchids. I’m no expert by any means but do have experience.
I'm not buying anymore Dendrobiums, because I grow in the home and have extremely cold weather, so dry air in winter. I have a couple doing okay and I'm happy with them.
Hey can anyone tell me what the ID of the orange... I think cattleya type orchid in the outro is? The one that's in the white and green self watering pot? I am very intrigued by it
I have had a Nelly Isla for three years. It was in flower when I bought it. The second year it wouldn't flower. This year it sent out spikes but when the buds were about to open they mysteriously dried up. Maybe there was too much heat. Since seeing your instructions on dendrobiums. Mobile and phaelanopsis types have flowered for a second year. Thanks to you. I wasn't able to grow them before.
NO, you are not alone. For example, I LOVE echeverias. But they are mealy bug magnets and I live in mealy bug headquarters. My echeverias is where mealy bugs hold there seminars on the latest ways to drive SolarWinds crazy all spring and summer long. I have to face it, I just cant provide a healthy environment for any echeverias or anything with a farina for that matter. They're beautiful but it's just too much work to grow them here. It takes over my life. Sigh. It would be like trying grow a Saguaro in the rainforest. It is just too labor intensive. Phals however, they love it here.
I don't have the urge to grow catasetums.. not because they are not that appealing to me.. it's just my skill is not yet good enough, they may be dead the next day🤣🤣🤣
I kill Neofinetia falcata, no matter what. They all go the same way. The lower leaves start falling off and work their way up the plant. Hybrids of it, no problem.
Hello Dani, like you, I live in a very hot, desert climate (southern Arizona, U.S.) Here, we have about 9 months of hot weather, sometimes as hot as 46c. I have a very small greenhouse that I constantly monitor to make certain it does not get over about 37c. I have only warm & hot growing orchids; Cattleya, Brassavola, Phals, Epidendrums/Epicattleya, a few Dendrobiums, Vandas, Tolumnia, and a few Catasetums. I don’t even try anything cool growing because I know from experience that I can’t. Like you, I love the Miltoniopsis and Nobile types but I have learned there are those orchids I simply can’t manage to grow, I love your channel and am always telling people that I learned everything I know from Miss Orchid Girl. Keep up your good works!
Hello Dani,
First to answer your question, my primary No-Go Orchid is Dendrobiums (for a couple reasons), and in my 35 years of growing orchids, I have killed all but 2 Dendrobiums, and have been able to get only 1 to bloom for me. This has been a huge bummer for me, as I have a lot of interest in Dens, especially the Aussie Dens. Luckily, if I had to pick only one Dendrobium, I couldn't have asked for a more interesting Dendrobium, as it is Dendrobium spectabile which has been growing well in my care and blooming pretty consistently for me.
I love the video because it touches very much on some very important topics that are rarely discussed when talking about growing orchids. Anyone can grow anything anywhere, it just depends on how much time, effort, money you are willing to invest. Being honest with yourself on how much actual work you are willing to put into caring for orchids and matching your orchids to that level of care will to greatly improve your chances for success. Also, unlike most other houseplants, orchids are far more affected by your local environment. Understanding your local conditions is again a huge factor in success.
I've been growing orchids for about 35 years now, but it was only about 15 years ago I got real serious about orchids. After killing yet another Dendrobium, I decided that if I was going to continue growing orchids, I was going to take a long hard look at the base conditions that I could provide (the conditions without doing anything - no additional lights, humidity, temps, etc.) and the amount of care I am willing/able to provide (my case, I prefer plants that can handle 'Set and forget' care, water weekly/bi-weekly). I took almost a year to observe how much light I got across the seasons, how much humidity, temps, etc. and when I was done, I looked for plants that matched my conditions. I found that Phalaenopsis was a near perfect match for my conditions/care. Initially, I was disappointed, but as I looked closer at the Genus, and focused on species/primaries, I've grown to love Phals., and with only a few exceptions, they thrive in my conditions. I then added Paphiopedilums, which make a very interesting counterpoint to Phals. I've since added a few LED light panels to be able to expand the range of plants I can grow to include Oncidium alliance, lower light Cattleyas and Brassocattleyas and a few others, but there are still plants I would love to grow that I simply do not, as I know I don't have the conditions nor the energy to give them the care they need.
Tip for growing miltoniopsis in dry, hot Mediterranean climate locations: get them as plugs. Little babies. They adapt way better. I have plants bought both as plugs and as young blooming size, and the ones bought as plugs do so, so much better at adjusting to the lower humidity.
Do it in early fall, when it's a little less hot but you aren't yet running the heater, so they have a short adjustment period where the heat and dryness is a little less intense, or in the similarly mild early spring. Use 3/4 moss, with a little finer grade bark in the middle for aeration and a layer on top (to keep the bottom of the psuedobulb off the damp sphagnum). Water just before they can get dry, when the moss is still a tiny bit damp. Basically keep the roots green all the time, but not soggy.
The babies have far more vigorous root growth than mature plants, and grow new ones pretty much constantly at that age, plus they're less susceptible to root die back than mature plants, so they're able to develop root systems that are extensive enough to keep the plant hydrated in the warm, dry conditions. They are also just more adaptable at that age (I find this is often the case with all my orchid species).
Hope that helps someone out there. I know babies take a little while to bloom, but compared to the bloom delay from a severely setback plant, it's about the same wait, but with less struggle and frustration.
Io non vado d’accordo con le Asconopsis 😩
Agreed, but in 9 years I've never seen Miltoniopsis seedlings anywhere in the EU 😔
@@MissOrchidGirl That's really sad, because I'm sure a lot of orchid lovers in Europe would like to have the opportunity to get them. They're beautiful, but really hard to transition as mature plants (as you've already said in many videos). My climate is very similar to yours, and I really struggle with getting mature plants to adjust because it seems like they just can't root well enough in the heat, but the seedlings barely even pause at all. I'm trying now to get a sad mature miltoniopsis hybrid to recover from the shock of changing over from a greenhouse to my home, and it's barely hanging on. I'm about to resort to giving it a humidifier for a while until it can put out a new growth, but I'm worried it will just perpetuate a cycle of the plant depending on that humidity that I can't maintain forever.
If you use tulle fabric as screen/netting over/around the plants individually & . .. or using dowel rods settings 1 on each 'end' wrap the tulle fabric tautly around the dowel rod attach with a staples or other stable material[s] you'll be able to 'hang' by way of hooking the rods inside/ across window ... does create the best inexpensive way to prevent unwanted pests. Thank you for all your Magnificent works. ❤ & Tytyty Danny ❣
I’m with you on the climate thing. I don’t really get a winter where I live. So I try to stick with tropical growers so I don’t have heartbreak and frustration. I don’t want to give up on this hobby while I’m still pretty new at it.
dont give up, orchidaceae is the second largest family of flowering plants so theres more than a few out there that will fit anyones climate!
I have a hard time keeping orchids that prefer to stay damp because my indoor grow space is prone to mold. I struggled my first year to find the right combination of orchids, media, and pots to keep mold at bay. Fortunately, there are a wide variety of mini vandaceous orchids and some dendrobiums that I can grow with success!
@@StefanNeher and I have two running continuously.
My grow room is not air-conditioned and got up to 100 F last summer. I had to move my Oncidiums to my screened-in porch area where on most days, we get a nice breeze and they were in a shaded spot. It kept them happy in the summer until I could move them back inside. I also followed a tip for potting: half and half mix of HP Pro-Mix Mycorrhizae Growing Medium along with tree fern fiber (or small bark). It has made a huge difference as they now grow better, less leaf wrinkling, and more roots. P.S. The one orchid I can't seem to grow successfully is the nicely fragrant Trichopilia suavis. I've killed two, one after another, so sadly I've decided not to waste any more time or money on this one!
I have the same season confusion with my nobilis. Looking forward to the mini cat orchids… because I’ve had two for 5 years, great looking leaves, constant new growth, healthy roots, plump pseudobulbs…no pests. Never even an empty slip for a flower - just leaves. Cariad’s Mini-Quinee and Cattleytonia Jamaica Red.
Thanks for this video!! This makes me feel it’s ok to be frustrated with my dendrobium kingianum. It grew offshoots but then they didnt grow large enough then they just all started to loose all their foliage 😭😭
Thank you Danny
I love your
Attitude, it’s not good for me and it’s not good for the orchids.
Such a great perspective thank you!!
Thank you for this video! Please don't be so hard on yourself :) I appreciate your elaboration on the climate, and growth (or lack of) your orchids. Thank you for sharing your orchid journey and knowledge and observations! For me, I love ascocentrums and they are my "trouble-child" hehe. They refuse to bloom for me, even though their roots & leaves are abundant. I love their blooms so I am not giving up yet but it sure is frustrating. Happy New Year 2022!
I live in Germany and moved to a new apartment last year. Before that, the area where I lived was quite humid and all of my orchids seemed to enjoy that. In my new place the humidity is much lower and it also gets quite a bit hotter during the summer in the apartment because it is on a much higher storey than my old place, and I don't really have the money to buy a bunch of humidifiers (or at least I'd rather spend that money on other things), so I'm pretty sure I'll not get any more miltoniopsis, and I'll certainly not keep any draculas and masdevallias in the foreseeable future, even though I would love to. The miltoniopsis I still have seem to do OK so far because I have one coolish room, but they are definitely not doing as well as before.
The pest struggle is real for me as well here. Thrips and mites devoured some of my dendrobium nobiles, one epidendrum, and they constantly feed on many of the beautiful blooms of vandas and cattleyas. Mealy bugs nearly killed one of my cattleyas. I've somehow managed to keep the pests away from my clowesias and other catasetum type orchids so far, really hope I'll continue to be able to do so.
I think it is really not worth the trouble trying to keep plants whose requirements simply don't agree with the conditions we can offer without too much hassle on our part. It is so frustrating and sad to see plants wither and die because they can't thrive in our home conditions, better to stick to plants that alreadly like what we can offer and enjoy them.
Happy growing to everyone, I'm really excited for the mini cattleya video already!
Hi there! First off, thank you, Danny , for all your videos! You tought me lots of things about growing orchids! I can't say i have lots of experience - this past year is my first year of growing them. But I do want to make my contribution in this discussion just from my not so long observation how orchids behave. I have three dendrobium nobile - they are fun to grow but it's a bit of a hassle to make them bloom especially if your climate is not really natural for them. I live in South Alabama and our Winters are not stable: one week is chilly, down to 30s at night, and another week is pretty warm, 50s and even 60s at night. I kept them outside with night temperatures in upper 30s at my own risk, and they did great! So as long as it's not freezing they should be fine. But these temperatures should be consistent: if it's 30s , it should stay at 30s or 40s, for a month or so. If it goes up and down, the blooming won't be that great I would think. Mine have got finally some flower buds, but they are not on every cane, mostly on old ones where there were no flowers last year. Now, I heard people leave them in a fridge for nights as long as there is no fruits in it. And that's what I am intending to do next year. Hopefully it will work. And during the days I put them outside in full sun! For the whole day! I thought they would burn or something but no, they did great too! The leaves just turned out to be pretty yellowish with burnt tips but that's all, but it's no biggie - the leaves are supposed to fall off anyways. Overall I guess they love these extreme temperatures between day and night and lots of sun during the day. They even started to grow new canes! I just thought it was amazing ))
As for phals , I read somebody couldn't make them bloom. All my phals are either blooming or growing flower stalks. They do need the temperature difference of about 10 degrees in F between night and day. I either opened the window just a little bit for them or turned off the heater in the house for a night to make it chilly in their room.
I wish everybody happiness from all your orchids!
Thank you for this video. I've never grown catasetum orchids but nobile & miltoniopsis are already on my list to never buy again. Oddly enough my oldest nobile is doing well enough, just newer ones I can't seem to keep going. I knew that the miltoniopsis was a risk and mostly keep it in the window sill in my kitchen during 9 months of the year. I've had it for 3 years. It's slowly shrunk down to the last new growth. What is the name of your new warmish growing one in this video? Starting to feel the same way for my one agraecum. My weather conditions in south florida are simliar to yours. But I keep everything outside aside from a few things in the kitchen window sill. All my vandaeceous orchids are super happy hanging from tree branches. Happy regular Phals in pots and mounted on trees, polychilous phals which are a big favorite and growing in number, various other dendrobiums all do great. I'm starting to wonder about my big cattleyas. They have been struggling. I've been really into the nadosa hybrids. That star shape is just so pleasing and the surprise spots on the lip. I can't get enough of them! And then the fun mystery of... will it be fragrant during the day from the cattleya cross or at night from the nadosa?
I began growing Casm. orchid last year. I grew a new growth and it was bigger than any other growth it had produced. It flowered for me but it blew some buds after I brought it inside for the winter.
I urge you to find a grower in your country that grows these orchids.
💚 you give me hope! I'm fairly new to having chids. I'm not sure if the winter that can dip down to the 30s in the winter would be good to put them on trees. And I'm still battling with survival after repotting😔
@@shoujobarton7692 Epidendrum magnoliae can handle temperatures below 30, so that one might be a good species to grow on trees.
I absolutely love miltonopsis
I live in a cold climate. Currently the outdoor temperature is 4 degrees Fahrenheit. I have 3 and they all seem to be doing well on my windowsill
I was think about trying another orchid besides Phalaenopsis s (to go with my others). Thank you for bringing us this education of "Pro's and Cons" and not just a specific orchid. Yet another awesome video! You've done so much for Orchid lovers everywhere. Thank you and hello from Oklahoma, USA.
Thank you for this video. I’m struggling with trying to grow phals in my northeastern United States environment. Full blown winter here super low humidity in the house and very droopy plants that aren’t happy and neither am I. I’m thinking my household environment just isn’t good for them. I can’t get the humidity even up to 40% some days. Environmental factors are definitely not fun to deal with. And like you I’m not about to spend a fortune on all kinds of things,not to mention hiking my energy bills up to an all time high. Just not feasible.
I live in Maine and have struggled learning about orchids in general. Ironically, the toughest struggle for me is proper watering. I now have almost 300 assorted plants.
Oklahoma here, I use a humidifier in the winter when it's really cold and dry and all plants do well. Good luck
I also have struggles with super low humidity, but in my case it's because I live in the arid southwest. With Phalaenopsis, I found that adding a lot more moss (roughly 65% by volume) to the pots helps with dry air conditions, as it gives the roots more time to absorb water before the media dries out completely, but I do balance that with slightly chunkier bark to avoid compaction in the pots.
Learning how to care for orchids in specific growing conditions is definitely a learning curve.
I live in Jersey and have two that I’m struggling to save. I’m making some progress, but very slowly. These videos are so helpful.
@@teresabrockett7525 ohhhh how I love Maine. We had a summer home there. It’ll struggle with watering.
I'm a beginner and have learnt so much from your videos, from South Africa and have warm/hot conditions so understand what you mean
I absolutely agree in consideration of my climate when I purchase orchids. I live in a hot, humid and very sunny climate. My phalanopsis can get sunburned very easily. I have limited space that is filtered for sun. I don’t want to watch them die after I repot and nurture them. The orchids bring me such joy but not if I have to work too hard to be a successful grower. Who has the time? Very good subject
This is partially why im a little nervous about giving miltoniopsis and maybe a warmer growing dracula a try. I worry about it being to warm durring the peak of summer, so part of me doesnt want to try if its just going to die off and it would be a waste of money. But then again I wont know untill I try, and even if they dont survive it will still be a good learning experaince for me. I hope at some point in the future you are able to find solutions so you can grow these and get them to thrive when your ready to try them again.
I would love to watch a video on mini kitties! Not easy finding them as a lot of nurseries do not show actual plant sizes.
I have had spider mites , thousands of fungas gnats too, I tried everything and it only worked s little while . I decided to use Aribico Organics for natural pest control by using beneficial mites and nematodes. Finally I am free if pests ! Like a miracle! I highly recommend beneficial insects .
My catasetums got devoured by thrips this year. I will love to see more mini cattleyas 🥰
Hello Danny, you're absolutely right. We have to work with our climate. To me, there no sense putting money in grow tent, cooling systems except if you're a grower. I live in Canada and I'm not used to hot temperatures, I won't have hot grower because I not I won't stay the heat the need. That my opinion.
good info.. I've had pretty good luck so far. .i live with 4 seasons and strictly grow indoors.. just got some Berrina lights waiting for my new shelves a work in progress
I feel your pain! I have three orchid types that do not want to cooperate with me. One is an encyclia that creates new growths without a problem but refuses to rebloom. I have tried all types of light scenarios with no luck. I also have an epidendrum that is slowly dying on me and I have no idea why. It refuses to create roots in the media so I have to water it by hand every day and of course it also refuses to rebloom. The last are my vanda types but I know that has more to do with the lighting situation in my house. I only get natural light in one location which is a sliding glass door but I can’t keep my plants there because they get in the way. I have full spectrum grow lights but they just seem to be surviving instead of thriving.🤷♀️
Don't worry Danny...I'll keep growing Nelly Islers and Miltoniopsis for you. They do great here indoors in Wisconsin.
I just bought a dendrobium nobile hybrid and sadly im somewhat regretting that purchase, because i live in the low desert abd i'm not sure if they'll do well in an indoor climate with a very short and not intense winter. Too late now since i've already ordered the nobile, but perhaps i can send it to a friend or trade it. I love dendrobiums, they're one of my favorite orchids in terms of flowers, but i think i may try a denphal or (biggest wishlist plant) dendrobium spectabile which i have coveted for 4 years now
Hi!
Fell in love with the sarcos last summer. And found that Akernes orchids in Belgium have a lot of new mixes of them. Georgeous. So if you ever wanr some, you know where to find them.😃👍🇸🇪
😍😍 that Brassavola😍😍
I'm super new at this and I'm still learning to do all things well for phals, cattleyas and denbrodiums but I would love to find one of those!
No trouble with orchids thanks to you! I just bought a Coryanthes though and you have no care vids to watch so we'll see how that goes! I would really like a video on small rooted / not phalaenopsis roots ajf how to identify bad roots, it seems much harder on some oncidium types
Sarchochilus need a cold winter rest to blom and are usually cooler growers as well.
Yeah, you're definitely not alone - zygopetalums & miltoniopsis have not been successful for me. I will try again but I just don't seem to be able to get it right. The Vanda is OK but I don't think it quite has enough of a summer to really make a very good bloom show - only ever one spike. Oh and my Nelly isler didn't even last a year. Ones that have been successful here in the UK are the dendrobium nobiles, cymbidiums and oncidiums all seem to be doing well. And my jewel orchid grows like a weed! It's so bushy and lushious!
I live in northern Spain, we have hot summers, but also good winters. I gave up with cymbidiums, miltoniopsis and lycastes, but i have a great collection with zygopetalums, dendrobiums, phals and cattleyas, and they do very well in my climate.
I agree with all of these, and I live in a mediterranean climate too but i get cooler nights because im very close to the ocean. I'm not allowing myself to buy any more catasetums or milts; and angraecums are too slow-growing for me (but i still adore my didieri and dollii). For me, I just havent been able to get the timing right with my catasetums so theyve all perished except my After Dark 'SVO' (which is doing great, im guessing because its a complex hybrid), my small Melana Davison (which is the only catasetum that ive successfully put into dormancy), and my tenebrosum (which is struggling but has good momentum). Catasetums' requirements just dont fit with my watering schedule/technique. I've also been buying a lot of mini catts recently, lots of nodosa and alaorii hybrids.
Dani, Dani, Dani its as if you're reading my Orchid mind! My most challenging Orchid to grow in my home is any type of Miltoniopsis or Miltonia. After losing 6 over a two! year period, I surrender, they win and I lose!! 😁. I don't think I'll try them again, but they are so beautiful!
To be honest, I don't think I'll ever give up on Nelly either... I just can't! 😂
I am always losing battles with phalenopsis orchids. They slowly die. They have tons of roots. No root rot or crown rot issues. The only issue is, the leaves are getting infected by someone! The underside of leaf gets rusty spots and slowly one by one gets yellow and drops off the plant. It’s a damn slow process. Not sure what’s infesting them. But it’s a long lost battle with the Phals. I tried species and hybrids in phals and every plant I get, starts these symptoms and eventually give up.
I ‘m curious about your cymbidium orchid and your plan on getting gloxinia.
im dealing with thrips these days but only on my dendrobium nobile orchids, my catasetinae don't get hit for some reason and my catasetums don't really enter dormancy due to the room a grow them in
i royally messed up on my catasetum care this season but at least it’s only one. my sarcochilus only grows leaves and idky it wont bloom. my mini-catt is sunburned but otherwise growing well lmao 🤣
Honestly I’ve always failed with Catasetums but I still want to try out with them again,because I love them so much
For some reason Pleione orchids won't do for me, they normally shrivel up and rot shortly after blooming and I do know why. I tried not watering during their rest period and just watering a little and they always die. Same with Habenarias.
My Den is so confused we have about the same weather patter but without the humidity. But my Den produced 3 kakis instead of flowers when the growth was mature
Yeah, that happened too 😔 they're just not for us it seems
I`m so sad to hear you won`t do any catasetum type videos anymore, for these are my favorites! I grow about 30 catasetums right now, hybrids and species. If you are ever interrested in a little chat about catasetum type orchids, I`m here 😉
I live in a warm to intermediate climate with fairly long Springs and Autumns and I still can’t get Miltoniopsis to thrive! It is frustrating!
I’m having much trouble growing the Ascocentrum ampullaceum in my home, it ems very temperamental and enjoys a lot of water but growing new leaves painfully slow while losing older leaves faster than it’s new growth can keep up, I recently installed some led grow lights and I hope that helps but so far after one month I have not seen any difference… any advice?
Nice video! 😃
I am just struggling with a Ionocidium Popcorn I got in December. Really don't know why it is doing so bad... not sure it will survive 😕
Hi Danny! Can you please make a video as how to do division of Cattelya
Hi, I already have videos on that, just type it in the search bar ☺️
que hermosura de plantas te bendigo felicitaciones gracias por tu video 😍🇨🇴👍🏼
Hello i have been struggling with my phals since i have them i grow my orchids outdoor in a shade house only my phals would not bloom they grow leaves and roots like crazy, i live where at night its still hot like during the day soo... the issue is my climate but not willing to let them go so still trying to set things right for them
Have you checked Akerne orchids? They have really a lot of different options when it comes to sarcos. They renewed their website and what I've seen in the unboxing, the plants are healthy looking. Not saying that you should change your mind, just to share the knowledge, that there are some nurseries that have better selection on Sarcochiluses. :)
Thank you!
Hi I love catasetun 😍me encantan 😘
Ever since I got into orchids I've wanted a big-flowered Vanda, but I know that my current environment isn't suitable. Perhaps one day when I have a greenhouse.
Something I've never had the courage to even try is a Dracula orchid. I just don't have the cool, humid, and darker environment I hear they need.
Understandable. Why waste time and energy on plants that don’t do well in your environment or don’t bring you joy.
Hi Miss Orchid Lady. Love your work ! We have a few bugs flying around our orchids. I don,t know what they are, or if they are an issue. Do you have suggestions ? Thank you
Are they tiny? Like miniature flys or gnats? Likely fungus gnats which aren’t supposed to harm the plant or roots but like water and damp soil.
@@laurakb196 therewas some red on the body, plants look really healthy, except , no flowers, waterd and drained weekly by running water and resting before returning to pot. Schlutz 15 5 5Plant food every 2 weeks. No flowers or buds for a year, 12 healthy plants for 6- 1 years. Like a tiny housfly or fruit fly Cold Canada . Thank you Laura
@@jmack619 I’m sorry I can’t be more help, I’m pretty amateur and can only grow phalaenopsis. I started growing them because they are safe if naughty kitties take a nibble. And of course I love orchids. I’m in northwest Oregon US so it gets cold but usually mid to upper 20’s f and briefly. My major pests in the house are fungus gnats which I haven’t been successful getting rid of. I had scale on my lime tree which bushtits ate when I put it outside. One of my phals also got a couple scale and since the leaves are so fleshy it’s hard to know if I got rid of them but they never spread so I did. Sorry for being so chatty, I’m pretty lonely these days.
Same problem with Catasetums 😣
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I have a phalyneopsis orchid question. If mine has buds and is reaching toward the light and filtered sun window, can I turn it away from that position or leave it alone? Thank you for your expertise and answer, if you have one. Or maybe someone else can answer this if listening now to MissOrchidGirl.
Yes you can certainly turn them. I do although I’m running out of room and I don’t like the leaves to touch each other. One year a spike had a neat spiral. One thing I noticed with one of mine that almost always has blooms when a bud opens it faces the light and the blooms don’t turn. A bunch of blooms were facing outside and none for me to enjoy. I turned the plant around and the next blooms then faced outside so I had blooms going both directions. It’s happening with the second bloom now and I’d include a picture if I could.
@@laurakb196 Thank you for your encouragement and story about the “faces” . I would want to turn them so that I could see them too! You were very thoughtful to answer my question. I appreciate it!
@@lindadaigle3205 you’re welcome! I’m always happy to talk about things we all care about, like orchids. I’m no expert by any means but do have experience.
Could you get a screen door to keep out pests?
As I said I do have a screen, but screens don't help as the pests are too tiny ☺️
I'm not buying anymore Dendrobiums, because I grow in the home and have extremely cold weather, so dry air in winter. I have a couple doing okay and I'm happy with them.
You should try predatory mites or lady bugs. They really help me.
Sadly I am not fortunate enough to have them available in my country, or find an online shop willing to ship to my location 😅
@@MissOrchidGirl Oh that's too bad, they work amazingly well.
I live in South Florida. Where are you? I don’t get cool weather. My orchids live on my east
facing terrace
Cyprus ☺️
Hey can anyone tell me what the ID of the orange... I think cattleya type orchid in the outro is? The one that's in the white and green self watering pot? I am very intrigued by it
Think you mean the Miltonia Sandy's Cove :D
@@MissOrchidGirl I googled it and it looks different than the one in the video so now I am very confused o_o
I have had a Nelly Isla for three years. It was in flower when I bought it. The second year it wouldn't flower. This year it sent out spikes but when the buds were about to open they mysteriously dried up. Maybe there was too much heat. Since seeing your instructions on dendrobiums. Mobile and phaelanopsis types have flowered for a second year. Thanks to you. I wasn't able to grow them before.
I never could grow the Den phals.. Epidendrums. They always wither off no. matter what i do for them.
I have an idea, an Electronic air filler for a screen! Zap them little monsters when they try to fly inside.
NO, you are not alone. For example, I LOVE echeverias. But they are mealy bug magnets and I live in mealy bug headquarters. My echeverias is where mealy bugs hold there seminars on the latest ways to drive SolarWinds crazy all spring and summer long. I have to face it, I just cant provide a healthy environment for any echeverias or anything with a farina for that matter. They're beautiful but it's just too much work to grow them here. It takes over my life. Sigh. It would be like trying grow a Saguaro in the rainforest. It is just too labor intensive. Phals however, they love it here.
I would just go for one that happy to grow in my environment. Growing things supposed to be fun
My weather has 45 degree C summers and 2 degree C winters. Lol. And I just got into Orchids. Haha
My Mobile dendribiums won’t bloom
If you can find a systemic pesticide, they work better than anything else for thrips.
Hi, I don't use toxic insecticides on my collection, I preffer non toxic ones due to health reasons and also the birds ☺️
💚💚
Where do you live?
Obviously miltoniopsis and all cool types, and I love milts ,so pain is real😑
Sometimes you just have plants that you just don’t want anymore. Mine are the neofinitia’s. They just don’t want to grow. Grrr.
I wish a macodes sanderiana would cooperate with me 😫😂
My nightmare - Dracula orchids :(
Not you dragging Angraecums 😭
Ooh sorryyyy 😭
@@MissOrchidGirl no worries I love your videos 🥺
I don't have the urge to grow catasetums.. not because they are not that appealing to me.. it's just my skill is not yet good enough, they may be dead the next day🤣🤣🤣
I kill Neofinetia falcata, no matter what. They all go the same way. The lower leaves start falling off and work their way up the plant. Hybrids of it, no problem.
I can’t see you
?
She wants anonymity and not to be recognized in the streets. Who can blame her? Lots of weirdos out there.