Quote Originally Posted by orchidsal View Post
Love the Ascocenda Connie. It seems with orchids there is always plenty of side work. Between pest control, Repotting. and in my case keeping the green house clean it definitely keeps you going. I shouldn't, but I still hate repotting, so I respect how much of this chore you have to do. Do you water your Vandaceous types twice a day Connie? I was for well over a year and a half, but now I find it's a rather grueling core as I can't use a hose in my green house. I'd flood underneath this hillside home and eventually ruin the green house tile floor. With the greenouse evaporative cooler the temps are mild, in the sevenities F. during the day and sixties at night so that second watering is probably not necessary anyway. Humidity runs 70% to 85% this time of year with humidifiers going and our summer rains. I don't know that I'll ever match the number of blooms you get in Florida on Vandas, Cattleyas, Encyclias, and Dendrobiums in particular, but I work in a nice 'bubble' at least. AL
I do water twice daily...but maybe you should consider misting? It won't create as much run off, and if you do that a few times a day it won't matter that you haven't thoroughly watered because mist is easier for them to take in anyways. Some afternoons when it's in the 90's I go sit in the vanda section and put the hose thing on mist. It's great for cooling off, the vanda love it....and I just enjoy sitting there like that. When I do my mistings in addition to my waterings the roots grow faster than anything. With your lower temps I know that isn't possible...but maybe one watering and one good misting will do better in your area. And I know it's fun to get a high flower count, but you'd be surprised at how many of the flowers hate this heat and don't bloom right. So maybe a lower count wouldn't be so bad...you probably have tons and tons less flowers that rot. My Laelia tenebrosa was so awful this year I cut the opening buds off and set it into lower light for awhile. They were rotting before they could open and I didn't want the rot spreading. Each growing environment comes with it's own challenges I guess...