Question:
My Phalaenopsis Orchids have finished flowering. How far should I cut the brown stem back and how do I get them to rebloom? Also, when should I consider repotting them?Answer:
- Phalaenopsis Orchids are one of the longest blooming and easiest to grow indoor flowering plants. Moisture, light, and nutrients are the three keys necessary for continued success.
- It's natural for the old flower stem(s) to turn yellow/brown and die back. I wouldn’t cut the old stem off at the soil; instead, leave a four-inch-long section. A new flower spike should develop off the old stem in about eight to twelve weeks.
- Insufficient light is the most common reason why they don’t rebloom. The indirect light from a kitchen or bathroom window is usually sufficient. If this isn’t possible,
- I’d invest in an Agrosun Gro Light from Hydro Farm. The clamp on the light is positioned two to three feet above the Orchid foliage.
- During the winter months, fifteen to eighteen hours of light is needed and less, as the days get longer. The watering schedule doesn’t change once it finishes flowering.
- Typically, they’re watered once every seven to ten days depending on the location.
- Orchids are fed monthly with an Orchid Food. Gro More is one of several popular orchid fertilizers available. Gro More’s 20-20-20 is the general-purpose fertilizer for year round applications. It feeds through leaves and roots stimulating bud formation and root development.
- Phalaenopsis Orchids are repotted every eighteen to twenty-four months. When repotting, remove all the roots that are a dark-colored, soft and mushy. Sometimes they may be withered and dry, with a fiber running through the middle of the root.
- Once the roots have been trimmed, center the plant with all of its roots down in the pot and add fresh, pre-moistened orchid bark. The bark should come up just below the bottom of the lower set of leaves. You then wait a week before resuming your regular watering and fertilizing routine.
Question:
I’ve dug up and replanted an overgrown bed of Breaded Iris. I’m curious about the small holes I found on the rhizomes. It's like someone with an ice pick was very patient and evenly poked holes. I threw away the 'Holy' rhizomes. Are there bugs in the soil causing this problem and what should I treat the soil to prevent this from reoccurring?Answer:
- Sleep easy, there is no problem(s) here. The holes on the rhizomes are where the roots were attached. As you dug the Bearded Iris clumps up, a certain amount of roots separate from the rhizomes. The uniformity of the holes and their locations on the rhizomes are a dead giveaway. Insects attack roots in a random pattern. You can double check this by pulling some roots off and examining the pattern.
- Also, to increase blooming next year, apply 0-10-10 during the winter months. I’d make three applications, six weeks apart.