A few orchid related questions

[HHLL38]

Alright, I recently purchased Superthrive, Dyna-gro 7-9-5 and Pro Tekt and i've used them at quarter strength, weekly, as i've often been advised on this website.

My question is, is it okay to combine the three in a gallon of water beforehand?

That's what i'm currently doing, and i've noted significantly improved root growth, but little leaf growth. Is this due to the fertilization? My growing conditions? The time in the orchids life?

My growing conditions are as such:

East facing window, six hours of fairly bright light, 60-75 degrees, and approximately 60 percent humidity.

Are there any recommendations anyone would make on what to improve in my growing area? More light? Higher temps/humidity?

Also, I have a Dendobium Kingianum 'Bardo Rose' which I can't seem to find any specific culture information on, but I was watching some pretty intense root growth, but that has seemed to have stopped. Should I be concerned?

I also have a Paphiopedilum that has an open bloom and as I understood they only bloomed one at a time, but there seems to be another blossom on it's way past the current bloom. Is this normal? Is it a twin? It's a closed blossom, but it's slowly growing it's way past the current open blossom and looks like it's going to open.

I also have recently received an Alcra Pacific Nova 'Butter Buds' to try and rescue for my father. I can't seem to find any information on it and was wondering if anyone here knew anything about it. It seems to have this sticky sap coming from it's nodes and is slightly lillac scented. What is this sap? The psuedobulb seems shriveled, does it require more humidity?

Sorry about all the questions, but I figured one post would be better than separate topics. Thanks in advance for any help!

[Kmac]

Dyna-Gro is a fertilizer, I assume? I use Superthrive and a fertilizer both, together. Have not used Pro Tekt. I do use them weekly (and weakly) for 3 weeks, and then flush plants with plain water the last weekend each month (recommended to flush out excess fertilizer salts so they don't accumulate).

Yes, many orchids may slow down growth in the winter. Can't help on D. kingianum, sorry....but I would guess it is slowing down for a little rest in winter.

The brightness on the light is hard to judge over the computer of course, but generally, your window sounds pretty good to me. Not sure that 6 hours of fairly bright light is enough...how much total light do they get?

While many paphs have only one bloom, others are sequential bloomers or multis. Congrats!

Alcra Pacific Nova 'Butter Buds' is an intergeneric orchid in the oncidium family. It has a lot of miltonia clowesii in it, and a lot of brassia, and is pretty temperature tolerant. Gorw it like an oncidium (fairly bright light, more water than a catt...let it almost/just barely dry out), and it should be fine. I find the intergenerics are pretty easy growers.

Good luck!

[HHLL38]

Yeah, it's a fertilizer, i'll have to remember to give them some plain old tap water this weekend then!

Does it happen very quickly? Like three days ago, it was growing like mad, but now it's just stopped.

I'm not sure about the light, it varies from day to day, for instance, today the light is more of a glow, but phals like diffused light anyway, correct?

That's very reassuring because I didn't think the Paph was doing so well, guess not!

Thank you for the culture info, couldn't really find anything about it. Any guesses on the sap looking stuff?

Thanks for all the info!

[Jose R. Nieves]

First of all NEVER mix chemicals! Protek will coagulate when mixed with other fertilizers so better use it alone.
In winter almost all orchids slow down their growth pattern so its better to hold your fertilizer too.
Your Paph, is it blooming in the same spike (inflorescence)? It may be a "sequential" bloomer.
Some pictures would help. Happy growing!
Jose

[HHLL38]

Alright, so I should mix the pro-tekt with a different gallon of water?

The Paph is blooming from the same spike, which I thought was rather bizarre, with how large the flowers are, how could one little spike hold up two of those big flowers!?

Perhaps my Dend is just resting, I sure hope so! It was doing so well, then bang, no growth.

As I understand it's a January/February bloomer, is it perhaps readying itself to spike?

[Kmac]

Does it happen very quickly? Like three days ago, it was growing like mad, but now it's just stopped.

Uhm, not sure there, as I don't watch that closely on a day by day basis. But slowing this time of year would be normal.

I'm not sure about the light, it varies from day to day, for instance, today the light is more of a glow, but phals like diffused light anyway, correct?

Yes, but keep in mind that what is plenty of light for a phal or a paph is NOT enough for a dend. Oh, and orchids do produce a clear, sweet sap.

[mauraec]

The Paph is blooming from the same spike, which I thought was rather bizarre, with how large the flowers are, how could one little spike hold up two of those big flowers!?

Hi Sam - I have about 18 Maudiae-type paphs - which are generally single bloom on one spike. If the leaves are "mottled", it's probably a Maudiae. It's not common, but they do occasionally show a second bud - most of mine just sort of shriveled up while the main bloom was in full stride, but I bloomed a Maudiae crossed with paph fairrieanum in October, and it had twins! So it's not a sign of ill health - it's genetics, I believe, whether the second bud opens or not. - not to worry either way.

Kathi asked you about your light - 6 hours or so from an eastern exposure? I have mine in a southern exposure sliding glass door, and I still find that I have to supplement with growlights so that the plants can receive at least 11 or 12 hours of light. Your oncidium hybrid is going to require a good deal more light than you describe - still diffused, as for virtually all orchids, but brighter than the light phals and paphs do well with. I don't have a de. kingianum, but dens generally like bright light as well. You know, if you don't want to get into installing the full business of growlight, you can try some of the clip-on, or desk lamps, using daylight bulbs. I have a combination of both - but then, my collection, even with significant losses lately, is still taking over my whole apartment.

Hope this helps -

Maura

[HHLL38]

Well, i'm in the process of buying the materials to make an Orchidarium which will help with the lighting, Upstate NY this time of year is pretty dark, so i'm hoping they will at least maintain.

The Paph is a Paph. Valwin x moquetteanum. Not sure what that makes it.

Perhaps the Dend is reacting to the lower amounts of light, as I remember noticing the growth was strongest, for all of my orchids, when the light was the brightest. I have them in an East window, with nothing in between them and the window. For awhile I was unsure of the conditions, but I got a Thermometer/Hygrometer. So now I at least know the temp and humidity.

Thanks for the advice, I'll get the Orchidarium underway ASAP!

[Brutal_Dreamer]

......The Paph is a Paph. Valwin x moquetteanum. Not sure what that makes it. ...

Just looked it up and see that it is not named yet.

cheers,
BD

[mauraec]

Well, i'm in the process of buying the materials to make an Orchidarium which will help with the lighting, Upstate NY this time of year is pretty dark, so i'm hoping they will at least maintain.

The Paph is a Paph. Valwin x moquetteanum. Not sure what that makes it.

Perhaps the Dend is reacting to the lower amounts of light, as I remember noticing the growth was strongest, for all of my orchids, when the light was the brightest. I have them in an East window, with nothing in between them and the window. For awhile I was unsure of the conditions, but I got a Thermometer/Hygrometer. So now I at least know the temp and humidity.

Thanks for the advice, I'll get the Orchidarium underway ASAP!

The paph is a cross between a "bulldog" paph and a species sequential bloomer. They look VERY different by themselves, and moquetteanums are virtually extinct in the wild. I can't imagine what yours looks like!

As for the Orchidarium, go for it! Jason in the UK grows his in an orchidarium, so you might search the OT site for some of his photos. All I can say is, make it as big as you can fit, and leave lots of vertical space on at least a couple of shelves. I grow some of my paphs under lights in a converted reptile tank, but I have to move them as soon as they spike.


Sorry, Sam - I gave you the right name (Jason-UK), but I'd forgotten he calls his growing space a "vivarium" - not entirely sure what that comprises, but you might check it out anyway.