Frequently Asked Questions about Orchids.
- My Phalaenopsis has small, wooly bugs. What can I do about this?
- Since a few days I have a Cymbidium-plant in my living-room, but after a few days the lips of the flowers discoloured.
- About a year ago I’ve bought a plant with two leafs and a long spike with flowers. To my surprise, a little rosette appears. What to do with it?
- From a relative we became a large plant with many leaves, long spikes with many big white flowers. How must this plant be treated?
- Can you give directives for watering orchids?
Click here to ask your question!
Question:
My Phalaenopsis has small, wooly bugs. What can I do about this?
Answer:
These are probably mealy-bugs, although mealy bugs can also have a wooly looking. These bugs are very annoying. There are remedys against mealy bugs available at garden centres and by some horticulturist shops. This stops the activity of the bug, but it will always be difficult to completely get rid of these bugs. If you have enough time, you can give them twice a week a shower. Place the pot in a plastic bag that is closing under the leafs and hold the plant on the head under the shower. The bugs are washed off the leafs. You repeat this until you can’t see bugs anymore. The temperature must be handwarm.
Question:
Since a few days I have a Cymbidium-plant in my living-room, but after a few days the lips of the flowers discoloured.
Answer:
Keep the plant away from a radiator. The best thing is a day-temperature of about 20 degrees Celsius.
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Question:
About a year ago I’ve bought a plant with two leafs and a long spike with flowers. To my surprise, a little rosette appears. What to do with it?
Answer:
From the description we conclude this is a Phalaenopsis. The new rosette ( a so called “keki”) is not abnormal. It is due to the temperature in your living room. If you want to propagate your plant, wait till the roots of the keki are 3 cm long. Then cut the keki and repot it in a Phalaenopsis-substrate, which you buy at garden-centers. Keep moisty. If the air is dry, build a “tent” with some plastic sheet.
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Question:
From a relative we became a large plant with many leaves, long spikes with many big white flowers. How must this plant be treated?
Answer:
This plant is probably a cymbidium.
It requires temperatures of 15-25 oC at day time, at night 15 oC.
In living rooms it is not easy to keep this plant and make it flower again.
The best to try is to place it in a light, non -heated room, but don’t let temperature fall below 10 oC.
End of May the plant can be placed outdoors, not in full sunshine.
Water the plant twice a week.
When temperatures fall below 5 oC , put the plant inside.
Add a fertelizer for flowering-plants twice a month.
Cymbidiums don’t stand frost.
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Question:
Can you give directives for watering orchids?
Answer:
Allmost all orchids are sensible for brown roots which can easily rot.
Besides they don’t evaporate much, in comparision to other plants.
It’s best not to water too often; so once or twice a week. But when watering , let some water leak out of the pot, but this water must not remain in the pot!
In all circumstances: use rain water!
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