Growing Instructions For Orchids requiring Bright Indirect Light to bloom. These plants are best grown with West or Southern exposure with protection from the hot afternoon sun.  Full morning sun is ok.

Remember  blooms will last longer in the lower light inside your home.  Those plants which require bright light to bloom can be moved after blooms are gone.

Phone: 713-472-1364

Fax: 713-946-1749

Email: palmerorchids@hotmail.com

Humidity

All plants enjoy humid     conditions.  Humidity can be  obtained by:

1. Placing plants on humidity trays  be sure that bottom of pot does not touch the  water.  

2. Placing plants near a small decorative fountain or near an aquarium.

3. Placing a saucer of water near the plant so water will evaporate to create humidity.

4.  Placing orchids in kitchen or bath where more          humidity is located

Asocentrum & Asocenda  Vanda type plant 

Usually grown in slatted basket  does best if watered thoroughly every day.  Temp 60 to 90 is preferred.  Heavy Feeder  Fertilize with full strength each week.

Cattleya  “Queen of Orchids”

Includes BLC  SLC  EPI  EPC LC  HWRA  POT   CTNA                                                                                     

Water approx once per week, allow to dry completely before watering again.

Cymbidium  “Corsage Orchid” 

After flowering place outside in bright filtered light.  Allow to remain outside until temp reaches 35 at night  Filtered  morning Sun is excellent                                                             

Dendrobium   Nobile Type

Loses its leaves in winter,  water should be withheld when leave fall, no water  or fertilizer until it produces buds in the Spring water once per week after leaves appear

Dendrobium   Evergreen Type

Keep in small pot—loves to be root bound.  Water once per week—but be sure plant is dry before watering again

Oncidium    “Dancing Lady Orchid”  & Intergenerics  Includes BLLRA BRASSIA Odcdm

Try to keep bulbs plump, water every 5 days.  Less in winter or when days are cloudy.

Phaius  “The Nun Orchid” 

This orchid will actually grow in soil.  When blooms are gone, the plant should be placed outside in bright indirect light  Treat same as cymbidium  See above

Phragragmipedium     So American Slipper

Phrags grow along waterfalls so they are constantly moist.  Unlike other orchids they will grow standing in water. 

Vanda    King of Orchids

Native of Thailand it loves hot, bright, and humid conditions.  We water thoroughly each day and fertilize once per week with full recommended strength of fertilizer.

BRIGHT LIGHT

Fertilization:

We recommend you fertilize your orchids each time you water using 1/4 strength of recommended rate per gallon.

Use any brand of balanced, water soluble fertilizer,  (all three numbers the same —20-20-20,  14-14-14,  10-10-10)

The fertilizer does not need to say Orchids on the package, Orchids cannot read, but if you feel safer do not mix where they can see.

Application rate will vary with the fertilizer you use,  mix 1/4 of recommended strength, and water orchids using this mixture.

Easy way to remember is fertilize weakly—weekly except as noted above.  We fertilize year round on same schedule.

We use a bloom boost fertilizer on our plants once per month.  Bloom boost is labeled for “All blooming plants”

Bloom Boost will always have a high middle number  10-58-14  or 12-65-20.  (Super Bloom or BR-61 are examples)

Remember to spike an orchid use fertilizer with middle number that spikes above the other two numbers.

Summary: 

Use balanced fertilizer at 1/4 strength every week for three weeks, then use Bloom Boost at 1/4 strength on the 4th week of ea month