ChadwickOrchids

Question:

How should we care for our orchids during these cold winters? Diane F.

Answer:

One would think that tropical plants and snow storms are highly incompatible. Yet millions of orchid hobbyists across America are able to bridge the gap to successfully grow and bloom a wide range of orchid genera by creating healthy horticultural microclimates within their homes. The months of December, January, and February offer the greatest challenges, as well as the greatest rewards - if executed correctly.

Question:

I am very confused about the different ‘grow lights’ required for orchids. I am planning to mount florescent bulbs under shelves for Dendrobiums, Paphiopedilums, and Phalaenopsis. What kind and how many bulbs should I use? What duration should they be on? Scott M.

Answer:

Question:

I heard that the future King and Queen of Cambodia received a special orchid during their visit to Virginia last month. Can you tell me about that? Linda L.

Answer:

One of our clients, a relative of the Cambodian royal family, suggested that it might be nice to honor Princess Yinneka Norodom with an orchid hybrid bearing her name in anticipation of her impending ascension to the throne. The royal couple had scheduled a Sunday morning meditation at the Quan Am Phat Dien Buddhist Temple in Chesterfield County.

Orchids Go Hollywood!

That one word that best describes the world of orchids is glamour. No group of plants has ever captured the imagination like this strange, exotic, and beautiful flower.

Question:

I thought I was going to pass out at the grocery store after seeing what looked like an entire display of blue orchids! They don’t look real but what exactly am I seeing? Debbie T.

Answer:

Just in time for Easter. Put away your eggs. It’s time for dyed orchids!

My father recalls a time when cut white carnations were soaked in dye and passed off as pink. Or red. Or orange. They sold like hotcakes. Of course, no one had to be concerned with what the cut flowers looked like on their next blooming a year later.

Question:

What’s the best orchid show to attend these days? I’m just getting into the hobby. Jennifer B.

Answer:

There are few floral events more compelling than a good orchid show. Thousands of blooming plants all arranged to perfection with colors that baffle the mind. Longwood Gardens, Santa Barbara, and Miami International are commonly thought of as the best the sport has to offer.

Question

I am a native of Costa Rica and when I moved to the United States seven years ago, I brought a test tube baby of our National Flower, Cattleya skinneri. Since then, I have nursed the plant along and the pseudo-bulbs are now 3” tall. I have been fearful to put it outside where the deer might eat it so I keep it in my sunroom. Will this plant ever bloom? Denise R.

Answer:

Consumers have many options when buying orchids. The flowers can be about to open, fully in bloom, or half and half. Oncidiums, with at least one bud remaining, such as this popular hybrid, Sweet Sugar, are considered fresh.

Q) I sometimes see Dendrobiums for sale and marvel at their beauty but wonder if I can grow
them in my house. So far, I’ve had good luck with Phalaenopsis. Ashby S.