Catching Up On Odds & Ends

Strawberry Begonia

I added this picture and more to my Pinterest Board "Beautiful Foliage"

For the record, a strawberry begonia is neither a strawberry nor a begonia.  I do not know why it is called this except that it has a begonia looking leaf and it has marvelous runners like a strawberry that can grow up to two feet long.  

This plant is a Saxifraga Stolonifera which is an all together different family.  The runners make it a good grown cover in the frost zones between 7 and 10, but is favored as a houseplant because of it's beautifully marked foliage and the runners that will trail over the lip of a hanging pot. 

To grow inside, the Saxifraga Stolonifera likes a cool filtered sun.  It will grow in height to about eight inches.  You should feed it a standard fertilizer during the growing season.  Cut back on both fertilizer and water over the winter rest period.

Gardenia radicans?

 I have added some new pictures of this flower to

 my Pinterest Board "The Gardenias Are In Bloom".

Remember me telling you that the Gardenia is a large genus of plants?  Well here is one that I think is a good one to find.  As you see, the blossom is much smaller than the Gardenia jasminoides that I mentioned in a previous post.  This is a miniature Gardenia.  It grows in my neighbors yard and smells divine. Unfortunately, I am having difficulty finding out anything about this variety. It might be part of the radicans family but the ones I find on line do not have as many petals.  I am hoping that there is someone out there who might recognize it and tell us all more about it.  The plant is only about 3 feet tall which would make it a good plant for a conservatory or a large sunny window.  I will keep searching for answers.

I Guess I Know More Than I Thought

In February, I mentioned that sometimes plants do things that we don't think they should do.  My example was a flower stem of a phalaenopsis that I had cut off the plant after it was finished blooming.  I had stuck it in the dirt and to my surprise I watched it create two new buds.  I did not know what to think but hoped that the buds would become the beginning of plants, since I was sure that they could not really be flower buds.

Here is the update on this strange phenomena.  The buds dried out without producing anything.  Two more developed with the same results.  I finally removed the stem from the soil to see what was going on below and there was nothing.  So, my plant was the liar not me.  Do not let this discuorage you from trying something new.  My friend Rhona thinks that you can stick anything in the soil and it will grow.  Many times she is right.

Next time, we will talk about the wonderful world of colorful coleus.  These are great plants that can bring a myriad of color to the house. Until then, write me at houseplantsos@gmail.com or add any comments right here.

The Care of a Phalaenopsis Orchid

 .

Light Exposure

The Phalaenopsis orchid does not need a lot of sun and will be quite happy in an eastern facing window.  If you plan to place it in a western or southern window, I would recommend that you place it behind a shear drape or blind.  A good way of knowing if the lighting is correct is the shade of the leaves.  Dark green leaves say that the plant is not getting enough sun.  Be careful when you start adding light because the leaves will burn if they get too much sun.

Planting Medium

Your Phalaenopsis will usually come in one of two mediums (stuff that is in the pot).  One is a combination of bark and charcoal.  The other is peat moss.  Both of these mediums will hold water for the orchid's use and allow the roots to be free of too much water.  It is important that the roots not sit in water for any length of time or the orchid will drown.  If you find that your medium has dried out sit the pot in warm water for about 20 minutes and then drain completely.

Watering

It is best to water all your orchids in the morning.  This is important especially for the Phalaenopsis because of its leaf formation.  The leaves come out from the center and create a cup that holds water when it is misted and it loves to be misted.  If the plant does not get a chance to dry off by nightfall it could be exposed to a fungus called crown rot.

Depending on the humidity of the plant, water your Phalaenopsis from twice a week to every day.  Water and let drain.  Check the medium for moisture and mist any exposed roots. 

More Information

There is so much I could tell you about the Phalaenopsis that I am just not sure where to stop.  So here is just a little more information to get you started.  If you have any questions I did not answer just ask.

Cinnamon is a known anti-fungal and have been sprinkled on plants to kill active fungus.  This should be done with care because if it is too thick on your plant it will interfere with the photosynthesis. 

I have learned a watering tip from an orchid grower when I received a new Phalaenopsis for my wedding.  This is simple and easy for all us busy gardeners.  One or two ice cubes in the pot will slowly melt and water the roots.

Mature Phalaenopsis Orchids can develop bloom spikes two to three times a year and blooms can last up to six months. As you learned last week, there is a possibility that an old spike will through off a new spike and bloom again.

Thanks for reading this blog.  I hope that it has been helpful.  Please give me some feedback.  Any questions can be added to this blog or sent to me at houseplantsos@gmail.com .

Sincerely,
k.k.jones

Orchids for Easter

The Dendrobium Orchid

Since Easter is right around the corner, I thought I should start a series on the favorite flower to give at this time of year, the Orchid.  It is hard to believe that only 20 to 30 years ago, Orchids were considered exotic plants that only connoisseurs with the big greenhouses grew and an Orchid corsage was once the ultimate in Easter finery.  We can thank the big box stores for making them available to you and me.  They were the first to feed the masses by adding them to their choice of houseplants.  Now you can even find them in grocery and drug stores at this time of year.

The Orchid family is the largest family of flowering plants in the world and can be found in all types of environments.  The Dendrobium, one Orchid that we are familiar with has 1200 species alone and we know only one.  This is actually a hybrid Dendrobium Phalaenopis.

How Does It Grow?

Since most of us get our first Dendrobium as a gift and in full bloom, let's start there.  I received the Dendrobium seen here as a Christmas gift.  As you can see it is in full bloom.  The blooms are all on one long stalk and come from the top of a thick stem-like growth called a pseudobulb.  It is now February so you can see that the flowers last a long time and can continue to bloom from the top with the right growing conditions.  Once the pseudobulb is finished blooming, it will rarely bloom again unless it is from the same stalk.  The pseudobulb that is next to the blooms in the picture is where the last blooms were and the small pseudobulbs at the bottom of the pot are from when the plant was much younger and stalks of flowers were not as well developed.

I am pointing out the smaller pseudobulbs because I want you to notice that they have no leaves on them.  The Dendrobium Orchid  is known to be an evergreen Orchid but some will drop their leaves leaving them to look like dead stalks in an empty pot.  Please do not throw them out.  They are not dead, just sleeping.  Leave them alone and when you start seeing new growth in the bottom of the pot, start watering and fertilizing.  The new pseudobulb will usually grow taller with each blooming so be prepared to stake it to keep it from fall down.

Caring For The  Dendrobium Orchid

Happily, the Dendrobium is very easy to care for.  Like most Orchids, it does not like wet feet (roots standing in water) so it will come in a pot that will drain easily.  If your Orchid came with a decorative outer pot, remember not to let water stand in it for more than 20 minutes.   If you like you can mist the whole plant every day but a good soaking once or twice a week will be enough as long as the planting material stays moist.  Dendrobiums are usually planted in a bark or moss which holds water for the plant until it is needed.  This allows the air to circulate around the roots but still gives the plant water.  The Dendrobium likes a sunny location but does not like to be directly in the sun.  I like to give mine a morning sun which becomes more shady as the day goes on.  A southern window will do well if you step it away from the window by about 2 feet or place it behind a sheer drape.  That is about it. Oh!  Don't forget to fertilize.  The best way is a small amount every time you water.  If you are watering with a mister, be sure to clean your plants leaves now and then to keep the salt of the fertilizer from doing damage.  It is best to use an Orchid fertilizer and my favorite is Schultz.  It has a formula of 19-31-17 which is great to promote blooms.  For general healthy plants forgo the bloom for a good basic formula which again I favor Schultz with a formula of 10-15-10. Schultz Fertilizer Here is a link to make it easy to fine.

Thanks for spending some time with me.  Please keep your questions coming.  You can post on this site or email me at joneskathee@gmail.com .  If you would like me to send you a copy of any new postings right to your email box, just drop me a line and I will add you to my mailing list.

Yours until next time,
k.k.jones

 

 

My New Oncidium Orchid

My New Orchid

I was wandering through a craft fair yesterday and came across this beauty.  She is of the species call Oncidiums  For those of you who would like her proper name, she is A. Mtssa. Charles M. Fitch 'Izumi'.  This is important information if you are interested in buying this particular plant or if you plan get into orchid growing as a serious hobby.

Otherwise, just enjoy the flower.

As my experience yesterday shows, orchids are becoming easier and easier to find for the common indoor gardener.  You can find them almost everywhere, home improvement stores, grocery stores and even craft fairs.  So, I though you could use a little information to help you through. 

The orchid family is known to be one of the largest families in the plant world with over 5,000 names species.  They grow all over the world in all different terrains.   The ones that we are most familiar with are more semi-tropical and tropical.  Many are not grown in soil as they do not like wet feet.  This can make orchids a little difficult for the busy gardener because they still need water and their planting medium does not hold a lot. In other words, you will be watering smaller amounts more often.  One way of keeping them moist is to put them on (not in) a dish filled with stones and water.  This will increase the humidity of the orchid plants' environment.  I learned a neat trick when I bought an orchid from a big box store a couple years ago.  One or two ice cubes placed in the pot will release water slowly, allowing the orchid to drink what it wants and the medium will absorb moisture for later use.  This is a great time saver if you only have one or two orchids. It need only be done once or twice a week depending how dry your house is. 

Though you may not recognize my particular orchid, you have seen one of her sisters many times. Shades of yellow and gold are the most common colors of Oncidiums. Sometimes called "dancing dolls",  they look a lot like little girls dancing in the wind and showing off their long full dresses. 

Oncidium orchids adapt well to indoor living, doing well in an environment of cool to intermediate temperatures. They are not much different than you in their temperature needs.  Some will prefer a little warmer daytime temperatures but you can give it to them by placing them near a sunny window (which will also give them their lighting needs).  Be careful if you place them in a southern window that they do not get too much sun.  Just keep them back from the window about a foot.

For ideal temperature need: here are the recommendations of OrchidWeb.com .

Ideal night temperatures (fall, winter, and spring months) are 60°-64° Fahrenheit. Ideal daytime temperatures are 70°-85°F. Summer temperatures are generally a few degrees warmer.

Be sure to give them plenty of water while they are actively growing but cut back when they go into a dormant period.  Some people recommend a period of two to six weeks with no water during dormancy and directly after flowering.  I recommend a mild fertilizer mixture every time you water to be sure your plant is getting enough nutrients.

As for bloom periods: You can expect to see your Oncidium blossom twice a year.  This would be in the spring and the fall.  The blooms develops as a long spike called a spray.  New blooms grow from the top and sprays of some hybrids can grow up to four or six feet.  What I like best about orchids is that their blossoms last so long. One bloom can last for weeks. 

In closing, I would like to say that orchids are not hard to grow and as you probably know any plant  needs special care to get a blossom.  I hope that this blog will help you get started.  If you have any comments or questions, please add to this blog or email me at joneskathee@gmail.com .

Happy Gardening,
kk jones