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Due to high costs and overcrowding, we have decided to make the greenhouse into a shed for the winter. Brought all of the orchids indoors. Need to conserve on money.,
Vandas in bathroom on a clothesline that folds, and window for light, so they get a daily dose of water....
Dendrobs in a southwest window and drying out.
Phals in the sun room, along with paphs and phrags. Fan going all the time and they are on humidity trays. getting a bath weekly.
Catts and Oncids are in sheath so keeping them status quo for now, till they bloom some have already bloomed, waiting for ID from a certain party.....hmmmm
We have to see if we can keep the electric below $400. a month for the winter months. That was killing us financially. If not, we may be doing a Marcia and Gary and dropping the all but favorites....
Will keep a progress report for first winter electric bill....

Ps the greenhouse now houses, bikes, lawn mower, hoses, and boxes and bins of stuff that was overcrowding the 2 car garage..... can you belive that?

Yes, be sure to open your Eons Insider newsletter this week to read about who's hot on Eons this week. You'll see why!

Smiles!

Ri for EonsTeam

on some of my orchids. if this is mites? is there anything that can be done to keep it from spreading or killing the plant? Any suggestions for now? Help.

We rented this lot in Franklin, NC and will be spending May-Oct there this year. Last week we bought a new travel trailer that (hopefully!) will be big enough for us and two cats.
We sold all of our orchid show (sale) orchids and have moved our personal collections into the smaller greenhouse. We're installing an automatic sprinkler system so they can be abandoned for six months. Kind of a scary thought but all these orchids have kept us so tied down for the past nine years. Florida summers are hotter and winters are colder than I've ever experienced.
So, I am beginning the next phase in my life. Orchid Fever phase is over. I do have a tree on the lot so I may take my Nodusa...the second orchid I ever bought and the only one out of the first ten that survived. We kind of have a bond! LOL

Since its been quiet and our fearless leader is out on an adventure, does anyone have any questions..... I have somehow mixed up a few orchid tagss and since every year I take photos to keep a running log of bloom and colors. My darling hubby has mixed a few tags over the years. How do I go about finding the exact name for such and such an orchid? Anyone have a link? or if I post one or two with the same supposed name, buy look totally different, can someone help correctly name them?

My orchids don't really go to sleep, though since there are no blooms during the cold months, it seems as if they do. I take this time to divide, refurbish and get the plants ready for their wake up in spring. I have a solarium that the orchids call home year around. I have small web fishing nets across one corner of the room with peat moss and some rich compost that I use as a growing base. To provide year around moisture I have placed a small cold water humidifier under the corner and keep this area tropically moist. The orchids grow through the netting and provide a beautiful roof of flowers for a good portion of the year. I do sell a few of the orchids off each spring and add new specimens occassionally. I love my orchids and they seem to love their corner.

In my recent post about getting ready for winter and in a reply I mentioned several chemicals. Many of you avid gardeners garden organically. Orchids are so different from other types of plants that sometimes chemicals are necessary. To keep from having to use harsh and hazardous chemicals on your orchids I recommend the following:

1. Buy healthy plants! If an orchid is on a sale table it already has problems and you are exposing your other orchids.
2. Quarantine any newly acquired orchids for a month and observe them for problems before introducing the orchid into your collection.
3. Sterilize your pots before repotting. Soak clay pots in a household bleach solution for 24 hours, rinse well, then allow to dry in the sun for a couple of days. Not necessary for new pots! Plastic pots are so cheap just buy new ones. Sterilizing used ones in bleach causes the plastic to break down more quickly. Not worth the effort in my opinion.
4. Use the appropriate potting mix for your specific orchid. Consider inorganic mixes like lava rock or Aliflor when appropriate.
5. DO NOT OVERWATER!!! This causes the most problems of all!
6. Make sure there is air circulation in your growing area.
7. When removing dead leaves, spent bloom spikes, etc. use sterilized cutting implements. Never cut one orchid then another without sterilizing between cuts. I often use single edged razor blades for cutting.
8. Do not water or mist late in the day.Standing water on plants especially in cool, damp conditions can cause problems.
9. Keep your growing area spotlessly clean.
10. Inspect your orchids every time you water. Minor problems remain minor!

I do recommend that you use Physan-20 anytime you divide and repot an orchid.

Any other suggestions for growing orchids without chemicals are welcome!

It's time to inspect your outdoor grown orchids. Most will need to be moved to a warmer place for the winter. While it's still warm get your hose out and using a soft cloth thoroughly and gently give your orchids a bath. You can use insecticical soap or a couple of drops of dishwashing liquid (I like Lemon Joy) if you want. You will be removing dirt and chemical salts and residue. Look for signs of aphids, spider mites, etc. on the bottom side of the leaves. You might want to wipe the leaves (top and bottom) with regular rubbing alcohol. If so, do this first, they wash. Rinse the entire plant with the hose when done.

Remove any dead leaves from the plant. Clean the surface of the potting medium by removing any leaves and pulling out any weeds. (Use tweezers to get to the root!) If the pots look nasty, give them a good scrub while you have that hose out. A stiff brush and mild dish soap should do the trick. Don't worry about a little green algae that may have grown on clay pots. You'll take care of that next spring when you repot.

Water the plant thoroughly by letting water run through the pot for a full minute. Fertilize as usual, except Dendrobiums. If you use Physan-20 or a systemic insecticide apply that, too. Now your orchids are ready to move when that cold snap hits!

Here's a rough guideline on when to bring plants inside. Temps listed are lowest recommended for the plant.

Vandas and Ascocendas - 60 (below 55 they go dormant)
Cattleyas - 50 (well established plants can tolerate 40)
Slipper-type orchids - 55 (unless you have cool growing varieties then go by the recommendation for your specific plant.)
Phalaenopsis - they need a couple of weeks of cool nights to set their bloom spikes in the spring! 40-50 range.

Dendrobiums - 40-50 (Most of you have desiduous types. They are supposed to drop their leaves in order to form bloom spikes. Withhold water for a full month (Oct-Nov) then go back to watering schedule but do not fertilize. Remove dead leaves throughout the winter. DO NOT cut old canes even if they look dead. If they are firm, they are alive! They may or may not put leaves back on in the spring but they will probably form bloom spikes! Evergreen or Nobile type Dens should be cared for as usual and brought inside at around 50.

If you have questions about other types ask them in this thread.

These guidelines are for mature, established plants. Young, tender plants should be brought in at about 10 degrees above the temps listed.

Happy Growing and ask any questions. Step 2 will be about how to prepare your indoor growing space or greenhouse.

I'm going to be offline starting Tuesday and will be gone (mountain trip! seasons!!) for a week to ten days.
Since I've had no comments or posts for a week I figure you must all be busy buying and eating Halloween candy. I'm just saying SOME of us do that. LOL

Happy Growing, Marcia