What do I do when the plant is done flowering?

Why should I buy a plant from an orchid nursery and not from Safeway?

How often should I water and fertilize?

I don't know if I can grow orchids where I live.

When should I repot?

What do I repot in?

I have an orchid (I'm not sure of the variety) and in the period of one week, the leaves have started turning yellowish/brown and dropping off. This astounds me because the same plant (on a different branch) has big, beautiful flowers stemming from it. What have/haven't I done to create this manifestation?

I have this sprig of orchid which has been blooming for two months. Is it possible to root the orchid plant, and then plant it?

With a few exceptions when the flowers are done you can cut off the flower spike near the base of the plant. The plant will flower next time from another spot on the plant (a new bulb, new plant, or higher up on the stem). With certain types of phaleanopsis the flower spike will branch again from a lower node and reflower. I wouldn't recommend cutting a phaleanopsis flower spike off until it is brown and woody or if it has been flowering for a large part of the year (this allows the plant to regain strength and put up a strong flower spike next year). The other exception is the Psychopsis genera which will continue flowering from the same spike for quite a while. Disturbing its flower spike sometime upsets the plant.

There are several reasons that you should buy from an orchid nursery. The most important is the quality of the plants.

When you buy from a store the plant you get is usually of marginal health and quantity. They have spent long journeys in boxes in planes and trucks (generally from Southeast Asia to a wholesaler to a distribution center to a store). When they arrive at the store care is minimal. Nurseries grow their plants locally and take great pride in the quality of their plants.

The second reason is the selection of plants. Stores usually have one or two types of common orchids. Nurseries have hundreds of different types of plants, ranging from the old standbys to the truly unique and rare.

The third reason is knowledge and customer service. Orchid nurseries have staff that can answer any question you have. They stand by their plants and want you to succeed as an orchid Grower. The best customer is a repeat customer.

If you want to save a dollar or two or you just want flowers for a couple of weeks, Safeway is a good bet. If you want quality plants that may outlive you, come to an orchid nursery.

See the growing tips located on this website. If you have specific questions email me.

Orchids grow everywhere except Antarctica. There is an orchid you can grow. If I don't have it, I'll tell you where to go to get it.

Orchids, like all other plants, need to be repotted once in a while. Some orchids don't need it for years if not decades, and others like to be repotted every year. A rule of thumb is if the potting medium is stays soggy for more than a week after watering it probably needs to be changed. If the plant is breaking the pot it probably needs a new home!

For potting medium there is another rule of thumb; the smaller the roots the smaller the medium. Most orchids are epiphytes (they grow in the trees) so they appreciate a really loose medium. Others, like Masdevallias and Lady slippers, are terrestrials (they grow in the ground or in really fine medium, and like a medium with some fine soil-like matter in the mix. You can plant most orchids in fir bark, lava rock, perlite, charcoal, a mixture of these mediums, or anything else that is inert and has good drainage. I do most of my growing in a mixture of fir bark, perlite and coarse horticultural grade charcoal (my mix is available for purchase in the near future). It's what is readily available to me, and the plants like it. Most nurseries carry some type of orchid mix. You can email me if you have questions on a specific plant. And remember, just because you see roots all over the place doesn't mean your plant needs repotting. Epiphytes are used to sending out roots all over to collect food and water.

Always use a pot that is just a little bigger than the plant. If you use a huge pot it holds too much water and the roots rot. I prefer glazed or plastic pots. Terra cotta pots allow water to evaporate through them, leaving salt and mineral deposits behind. Orchids don't like that. Some people like terra cotta, I prefer plastic. Either way, remember that glazed and plastic pots need to be watered less than terra cotta pots so take that into consideration.

I wouldn't be too concerned about the leaves falling off unless you spot brown soft spots or other signs of a pathogen. A lot of orchids are deciduous and lose leaves off the older plant growth. If you know specifically what type of plant it is let me know and I can tell you if you should be worried.

If the 'sprig' is the flower spike then usually you can't root them without hormones. Some types of orchids produce baby plants from a flower spike like a spider plant does. These babies, called keikis, will form roots and then you can twist them off and pot them.