My favorite orchids....

You go shopping at our favorite grocery store, and we see the floral section filled with such beautiful orchids, but they all look the same. They are the common phalaenopsis or "moth orchid." These are such beautiful orchids, but there are over 1200 different types of orchids. Orchids happen to be one of the largest genera of plants in the world. We have so many different shapes and even fragrances. When it comes to orchid fragrance we have a range from rotten fish guts to Chanel No. 5. So, let me tell you some of my personal favorites.

Phalaenopsis Photo....

Cymbidiums......

These orchids are and have always been my number one favorite orchid. They are large, very large, plants that have beautiful waxy flowers and occasionally come with a citrus/floral scent. These orchids can be grown from back bulbs, and often, they need dividing as they continue to grow very large.

Oncidiums/hybrids....

I love these orchids for their showy and often, colorful displays. The most popular one is the Shary Baby or chocolate orchid. Its chocolate/vanilla fragrance is addicting. These orchids have finer roots but are still an epiphyte type orchid. I like to pot these up in a slotted orchid pot with the smaller chunks of orchiata bark. They often are shaped like people. These are called the "Dancing Lady" orchids. There are so many different names. I do enjoy the Degomoara, Aliceara, and Beallara types.

Rhynchostylis/hybrids.....

I am absolutely obsessed with the rhynchostylis genera. I have almost all the color variations leaving me with 16 rhynchos. I love how strong the fragrance the smell is. It's a musty, peppery, citrus like fragrance that is so strong that it can be smelled from a floor away. These can be grown bare-root, but in Ohio, I have found much better success when they are potted in chunkier orchiata bark with stylite, perlite, and volcanic rock. My favorite rhyncho is the "peach" variation.

Phragmipediums.....

Everybody loves slipper orchids. Their unique shape and mystery are captivating. Phrags look just like the paphiopedilums but the culture is much different. When we hear "slipper orchid," we think of asian hybrids or species. Even the American common lady's slipper, but phrases are very different. The culture on these plants is a complete 180. Phrags like lots of water. They like water to run past the roots to refresh the oxygen levels within the pot. I water my phrags every other day while I water my paphiopedilums 1-2 times a week. These are usually sequential bloomers, and I love how many rhizome divisions develop per plant.

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Orchid fertilizer tips

Let's start our post with my latest bloom....RLC Summers Creation Not all fertilizers are created......Since Ive been keeping orchids, I have began to fine tune my watering procedures. Ive started to check the ph of my water to keep it around 5.8/6. Ive been switching around fertilizers and have found that certain fertilizers will adjust the ph of your water to 6 for you. How cool!! There is no such thing as a good or bad fertilizer. You just have to know how to use it. Quick facts, PH will effect micronutrient absorption. MiracleGro Orchid Fertilizer Now, this is not a bad product and it gets a pretty bad rap. I ha e noticed that when I add it to adjust water, it raises ph, so I have had to use more ph down with this. Better Grow Orchid Food I love this product! It pre adjusts my water to 6.0 for me at the recommended 1 teaspoon dosage. For my cattleyas and phrags, I do have to add some ph down, but not much. This has magnesium in it and does a ...

Bucket Orchids

I am very excited. My Coryanthes Misasii has arrived. It is very hard to find information on this species of orchid, but it is very cool. This orchid has a unique way to get pollinated. It fills this "bucket" with fragrant syrup, an orchid bee falls in, and has only one way to get out. It crawls through a small tunnel where the orchid places the pollen sack on the bees back. Very interesting. From a distance they look like flying butterflies. Some look a little naughty up close, but hey, they are just flowers. The care for this orchid seems like it would want to placed in spaghnum moss. Usually these orchids drop their flowers downwards, so they should be potted in a basket. The misasii has an erect flower spike, so thankfully, I'm okay there. It is a heavy feeder and i'm assuming with the way it uses liquid, it is a heavy drinker. I will keep you guys updated, but mine has a new growth. here's to finding out a new orchid. Good news, the pseduobulb ...

Thinning your fruit trees....

People always love seeing their branches filled with fruit, but we have to thin our fruit. There are many reasons to thing but the 2 most important are tree health and fruit size/quality. Plums are a good example of over-producing trees.Our burbank plum had hundreds of clusters with 8-12 fruits. When we look at the overall health of the tree, I notice twig blight, leaf curl, and an overall pale color to the tree. FRUIT TREES WILL PRODUCE THEMSELVES TO DEATH...... Yes, the overproduction of little fruits robs the trees of nutrition. Now, prunus fruits will have a "June Drop" where they drop the overproduction but by now, the tree has wasted its resources. Heres what we started with .... and ideally this is closer to what we want Even then, I could thin these a little more aggressively. This allows the fruit to get large and to develop nice flavor.

Brandal-Fetters Farm & Flora

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