Is it necessary to have these neat growing contraptions?

[Tikva]

Hi
I'm completely new to this forum and only slightly less new to orchids - I bought my first one EVER 2 weeks ago...
I REALLY am attatched to my orchids already and I don't want them to die on me. I live in NH and it's about 61F inside my house. It is SO dry in my house! I have the orchids sitting in humidity plastic containers with water - but not touching the water. Other than that, I am trying to keep myself from watering them too often.
What is important for me to do to keep my flowers alive and happy?

[ATester]

Hello Tikva!! Welcome to the forum. Winter time can be a tough one for keeping the humidity up (and for me I live in a not so well insulated building formerly a mill!). Anyway, for me I keep my humidity trays full at all times and I keep them fairly close together to keep the localised humidity up. I also have a humidifier that I fill at least twice a day (once before work and once when I get home). Another way to keep your humidity up is to take sheets of plastic, and hang them up in your growing area making a tent around them, but watch out for stale air that could lead to mold, a small fan is real useful.

So, what else are you growing besides the Masd. 'Celtic Frost'? Where in NH are you?

Aaron

[ATester]

OH, I also forgot to mention, I spray the plants roots almost every day as well (well, at least the ones that suck up water like there's no tomorrow...

[Tikva]

Hey there...
Thanks for the reply and the inexpensive way to take care of them YAY!
So I'm in Nashua for now but if I could move to a place in the middle of no where, I would rather! We have a home with drafty icky windows - I can feel the breeze <do you call it that with the 50mph frigid blasts lately?>
I'm off to _________today to get some supplies... - I'm going to try to grow a coffee plant from a seed.
I have 2 Lucky Bamboo plants (one isn't so lucky lately), an ivy that smells like chocolate mint but that one needs some TLC as well *sigh* - not a good track record, huh?...
As for my orchids - I just got back from Miami and Key West and on the drive back from Key West, I picked up my first orchid - my Sharry Baby. I got so many compliments and it smells so good. It's my baby for now :c) I went to an orchid show the next week in Nashua and bought the Celtic Frost for my daughter (she's 7 and may join the local orchid club with me). The I browsed _______ - I have a thing for scented orchids. They just arrived yesterday - I'm not good with the technical names, but one is Oncidium Twinkles and the other looks a bit rough maybe - it's Momilani Rainbow "The Gypsy" - does that help?
PM me with other sites that have lots of info on orchids so that I don't drive the forums here crazy?
Thanks!!

[ATester]

Hello again,

I think you need to have started five posts in order to do the whole PM thing, but I could be wrong. I missed out on the show in Nashua, but Julie has been raving about it (and she promised some photos ;-) I joined the NH Orchid Society not too long ago, it sounds like there are some fairly interesting seminars that will be coming up, and they also go out orchid watching (I guess that is the best term) observing some of our native orchids. Our showiest and easiest to spot is Cyprepedium acuale (the Lady Slipper) but we have TONS of others through out the state, some of them not being all that obvious that they are orchids.

Let us know what you did to keep up the humidity, we all have come up with our own and ingenious ways to do it. Speaking of which, it is time to refill the humidifier.

[Piper]

I missed out on the show in Nashua, but Julie has been raving about it (and she promised some photos ;-)

Yikes! Well, I'm quite sure I didn't, because I didn't take my camera! But here is my post from last year's show (still fun to look at!)

http://www.rv-orchidworks.com/orchid...ht=Orchid+Show

Tikva, you're welcome to come on our sojourn to the Dartmouth greenhouse if you'd like!

Julie

PS - ATester reminded me I have a humidifier to refill!

[ATester]

[QUOTE=Piper]Yikes! Well, I'm quite sure I didn't, because I didn't take my camera! But here is my post from last year's show (still fun to look at!)

Ahh well, it was worth a try They should have pics posted from this year's show pretty soon on their site anyway.

[Tikva]

Yikes! Well, I'm quite sure I didn't, because I didn't take my camera! But here is my post from last year's show (still fun to look at!)

http://www.rv-orchidworks.com/orchid...ht=Orchid+Show

Tikva, you're welcome to come on our sojourn to the Dartmouth greenhouse if you'd like!

Julie

PS - ATester reminded me I have a humidifier to refill!

When is the Dartmouth trip? :c)
You were another I was planning to page.... I love your avatar. I got to see my first bald eagle in the wild - at the Kittery Outlets :c)

[ATester]

When is the Dartmouth trip? :c)
You were another I was planning to page.... I love your avatar. I got to see my first bald eagle in the wild - at the Kittery Outlets :c)

Wow, of all the places I have seen them, I have not seen any in Kittery, but then they must stay away from the Trading Post . I've seen lots of hawks ("Wiggley Bridge" in York, ME) though.

[Piper]

I hear bald eagles love the outlets - who doesn't - but Diane would be the pro.

The trip is whenever everyone who wants to go is available. It needs to be during the day though on a weekday, though. Hope that doesn't put off anyone interested.

Julie

PS - Tikva, that was at a falconry in the Scottish Highlands in '04.