The 12 Top Holiday Questions

Whew. Our Garden Lights Holiday Nights display is finished! We threw open the doors Friday night and as visitors flowed through the Conservatory and Orchid Center we could see delight in so many faces. It was enormously gratifying and worth all of the hard work just to see those faces.

Everyone had LOTS of questions! So, from the Department of Frequently Asked Questions comes the following:

Q: How many Poinsettias does our gigantic Poinsettia Tree have?

A: Five hundred.
The Inside Scoop. Our eighteen foot tall tree has enough rings for 544 plants, but we have never used that many. We do a complete switch out of plants after four weeks, so a total of 1,000 Poinsettias will inhabit the tree during this holiday. The tree has an automatic irrigation system so that we don't have to hand water them all.

Q: What are the lovely lily-white flowers at the base of the tree?

A: Amaryllis Wedding Dance
The Inside Scoop. Amaryllis (Hippeastrum) are different from many other bulbs in that they don't require a cold rest--just a mild temperature drop--in order to flower. Find out how to grow Amaryllis here.

Q: How many plants grow on the Poinsettia Wall in the Conservatory Lobby?

A: Three hundred.
The Inside Scoop. Here are some tips for keeping your Poinsettia looking good throughout the holiday. First, remove your plant from its plastic sleeve immediately upon arriving home.  Plastic sleeves are the pits for Poinsettia bracts. Second, grow it warm--no colder than 62º at night and 70-75º during the day. Keep it in bright light, away from drafts and let it dry out a bit between watering. Follow the links to find out more about Poinsettia care and Poinsettia history.

Q: What is the wonderful fragrance in the Orchid Display House?

A: Angraecum eberneum subsp. superbum, an orchid native to Madagascar that is fragrant only at night. The entire bed is in flower now and the fragrance is heavenly.
The Inside Scoop. The fragrance is produced to attract a night-active pollinator--a hawk moth--that feeds on the nectar located in the flower's long spur.

Q: What's up with the Three Bears?

A: This year the family has adopted a pet dog! (Above right, enjoying his glow ball.)
The Inside Scoop. Only one visitor asked whether a family of bears might not be more likely to regard a dog as a potential dinner rather than as a pet. Certainly not. Our bears are vegetarians.

Q: What's Baby Bear's name?

A: He doesn't have one (yet). Please suggest one!

Q: Where do Mama & Papa Bear shop for clothes?

A: Bloomingdales.
The Inside Scoop. Not really. Tres Fromme, our Landscape Design & Planning Manager, made an undercover trip to Target to buy bear accessories, but only because he wanted to check out the store's selection of Transformers.

Q: What flower in the Orchid Display House smells like vanilla?

A: Oncidium Twinkle 'Red Fantasy'.
The Inside Scoop. The lovely yellow form of Twinkle is flowering above the reflection pond, and also smells like vanilla.

Q: What are the beautiful white orchids in the Orchid Atrium?
A:

Beallara Tahoma Glacier 'Green'

The Phalaenopsis Blast--one of two this holiday

Dendrobium Mini Snowflake (aberrans  x johnsoniae)

The Inside Scoop. Dendrobium aberrans is an adorable miniature that you can find flowering in the Tropical High Elevation House later this year.

Q: What are the festive plants on the trellis in the Orchid Display House?

A: Begonia Veronica & Nephthytis (syn. Syngonium) Holly.
The Inside Scoop. Begonia Veronica is a type of Rieger Begonia. It is a short day plant--meaning that it flowers naturally in winter. Nephthytis is a ridiculously easy houseplant.

Q: What is the trio of plants under the Poinsettia tree?

A: (Top to bottom) Poinsettia Freedom Red, Homalomena 'Green Gem,' Amaryllis Wedding Dance, Nephrolepis 'Green Fantasy.'

Q: What other wintry white orchids are in flower now?
A:

Angraecum longicalar

Laelia rubescens

Bring your friends and family and stop by! The Garden is open regular hours during the day. Garden Lights Holiday Nights opens nightly at 5 pm.

When to Repot Your Orchid (Part 2)

Now that you know how often to repot your orchid you may also wonder when.
Q: When is the best time to repot my orchid?

A:  At the start of a flush of new root growth.

Why?
Because an orchid establishes very quickly in a potting medium during the part of its annual growth cycle when its roots are actively growing. In nature that span usually coincides with the onset of the rainy season.

Many people are surprised to learn that tropical orchids have an yearly cycle of growth, flowering and rest--a cycle similar in some ways to the yearly growth cycle of temperate zone perennials, but more subtle. Orchid roots do not grow continuously throughout the year.

How do you know when a potted orchid is producing a flush of new roots? They are not always visible.
It's pretty easy, actually, to tell indirectly. Look for a new vegetative (leaf-producing) shoot on your plant. Most orchids produce new roots right around the time the new vegetative shoot appears. Think of the new shoot as a green flag signaling that it's time to repot. I have trained my eye to spot new shoots as I scan our orchid collection. When the new shoots are the size of my little finger, it's time to repot.

A new shoot on Laelia purpurata indicates that it's time to repot.

Is it bad to repot during those months when the orchid's root system is not growing?
It can be. If you damage the root system--and it's hard not to inflict a little bit of breakage during repotting--you can impair the orchid's ability to take up water. It could be months before new roots replace the broken ones. In the meantime your plant may start to decline.

Two new shoots on a Dendrobium Red Emperor 'Prince' that is ready for repotting.

A green flag: the new shoot of an Oncidium intergeneric at the start of its growing cycle. 

Be careful not to confuse a young flower spike and a new leafy shoot! Some orchids produce a flower spike that emerges near the base of a mature shoot--in the same neighborhood as the new vegetative growth. A young spike and a young leafy shoot can look very similar early in their development. If you're not sure it's best to wait. Within a couple of weeks it should become obvious.

What about orchids like Phalaenopsis (above) that don't produce a new shoot? When do I repot my Phalaenopsis?
The best time to repot Phalaenopsis (and other monopodial orchids) is within a month or two after flowering.

Coming soon: a review of commercial potting mixes for orchids.

When to Repot Your Orchid (Part 1)

Q: When should I repot my orchid? Does it matter when?
 Absolutely!

However, there are two ways of interpreting when:
Frequency How often does an orchid need to be repotted? and
Timing During which stage of the orchid's annual growth cycle should repotting be done?

The next two posts will address these questions separately. Today's post tackles the first: How often should I repot my orchid?

You don't need to repot your orchid every year. At the Fuqua Orchid Center we strive to repot our orchids every two years as a general rule. But that is just a general rule. Sometimes one or three years is more appropriate. When I am evaluating our plants with regard to repotting there are always three questions I ask:

1. Is the orchid about to overgrow its pot?
The Oncidium intergeneric (above) has two new shoots (pointing leftward). They look fine now, right? But imagine how they will look next year at this time in the same pot when those two shoots have matured into fat round pseudobulbs. Pretty crowded. Now is the time to repot!

2. Has the orchid's health declined (shriveled pseudobulbs, wrinkled or yellowing leaves) or has it overgrown the side of the pot?
The Laelia (above) should have been repotted two years ago. Yikes. If we wait another year it will be in a serious state of decline. As it is, this plant is so overgrown that it needs not just repotting, but dividing as well--major surgery which could have been prevented had we repotted it in a timely fashion. This plant needs emergency intervention!

Cattleya Mix. Brand new (left) and after two years (right).

Premium Sphagnum Mix. Brand new (left) and after two years (right).

3. Has the potting mix broken down?
Question 3 is especially important. The quickest way to kill your orchid is to let the soil mix break down. Here's what you need to know:

• Most orchids available commercially are tropical in origin, and the majority of tropical orchids are, in varying degrees, epiphytic--they live in trees. Their roots are often exposed to brief drenching rainfall, wind and drought on a daily basis. They are not covered in wet soil.
• In cultivation orchid roots need a potting mix that allows some air circulation. That's why the best orchid mixes are chunky and coarse in texture.
• A high quality orchid mix--either the classic bark/charcoal/perlite type or the newer premium sphagnum variety--lasts about two years, depending how much warmth and moisture it is subjected to.
• Over time bark and sphagnum break down, and if watered at the same rate they become increasingly waterlogged. Ask yourself: Does the mix take a lot longer to dry out than it used to? Is the moss now dark brown or covered with green moss? Is the bark soft and crumbly and dark brown? Time to replace it!
• A constantly saturated potting mix will kill your orchid.

The bottom line: repot your orchid about every two years.

A 'yes' answer to any of the 3 questions above means that your plant is a good candidate for repotting. But maybe not immediately! In order to time your repotting correctly, see my next post.

Where do I cut my Dendrobium after it blooms?

Wondering where to cut your Dendrobium orchid spike after it flowers? You are not alone!  We get lots of questions about Dendrobium spikes. Dendrobiums are very diverse anatomically and I suspect many folks simply aren't sure where the spike ends and the stem begins. So I am going to show you two common types of Dendrobium and where to cut their spikes. It's pretty simple.

Look familiar? The most common type of Dendrobium available commercially are the myriad colored hybrids that have Dendrobium phalaenopsis in their pedigree. They have erect stems ranging from one to two and a half feet tall. Their leaves are carried on the upper half of the stem.

The Dendrobium pictured above is ready to have its spike removed. Notice that the flower spike originates near the apex of the stem just above the last leaf. The spike itself has no leaves or bracts.

After your Dendrobium has finished flowering remove as much of the spike as possible without cutting into the leafy stem. Check my earlier post for more about cutting tools.

Old stems will not flower a second time, but DON'T remove them, at least not yet. Your plant needs them. A strong plant consists of minimum of three mature stems. The best time to remove surplus stems--typically the oldest stems that are leafless and yellowing--is when you are repotting. Once the plant is unpotted you can easily cut the horizontal rhizome that connects the upright stems and remove the portion with shriveled stems.

I love the Dendrobium nobile hybrids like Dendrobium Red Emperor 'Prince' (above) --they are some of my favorites for using in our annual Orchid DAze display; and I'm pleased to see that they are becoming more popular and more common in the retail market. You may have bought one last year at our Gently Used Plant Sale.

Notice that the Dendrobium nobile flowers are not carried on a single tall spike. Instead they are produced on short spikes of two to four flowers that appear at each node along the stem. It's easier to see the short spikes after the flowers have fallen (below).

The short spikes turn an unsightly brown (see above) after the flowers have fallen, so I like to remove them with a razor blade, cutting as close to the stem as is reasonably possible.

Dendrobium nobile and its hybrids are a bit trickier to grow than their cousins, the Dendrobium phalaenopsis hybrids--but they are SO worth it! Check here for How to Grow Dendrobium nobile.

Wondering where to cut your Phalaenopsis spike? Find out here.
click here to find out where to cut your Cattleya spike.
To find out where to cut your Oncidium spike, click here.

Where do I cut my Cattleya after it blooms?

I'm glad you asked! It's important to know where to cut your Cattleya spike after it flowers. Cattleya anatomy is a little quirky and it is easy to make a mistake. The good news is that there's really just one bit that requires an introduction--the bud sheath. Once you are able to recognize a bud sheath, deadheading a Cattleya or its close relative Laelia is a snap.

So grab your favorite cutting tool and follow along!

1. Locate the bud sheath. Have a look at the photo above. Both flowers are supported by a vertical spike. The upper part of the vertical spike is visible emerging from the top of a green bud sheath.  The sheath is sealed on two sides and open at the top. The lower part of the spike is faintly visible in silhouette through the backlit bud sheath.

The purpose of the bud sheath is to protect the young flower buds as they develop. It remains in place even after the flowers are spent. Bud sheaths are green or papery brown. Cattleyas and laelias are stealth bloomers--in many species the bud sheaths appear months before blooming, with the buds emerging just a week or so before opening. The flowers often take me by surprise.

2. Look carefully! If no flowers or old spikes are visible, carefully examine the bud sheath to make sure that it is an old sheath. You don't want to accidentally remove a sheath full of young buds.  Gently squeeze the sheath to make sure that there are no buds inside. The color of the sheath is not a reliable indicator. Some orchids, like the Laelia pictured above and below, have sheaths that remain green after the flowers are spent. Others produce bud sheaths that turn papery brown while the buds are still developing inside.

Each mature shoot--the pseudobulb, leaf and bud sheath--produces just one flush of flowers during its lifetime.  If you can still see the old spike with its spent flowers you needn't look for a second flush of buds inside the sheath. The show is over. It's time to remove the spike and sheath.

3. Find the spot where the bud sheath meets the stem. The bud sheath and its flower spike originate at the top of the stem (pseudobulb) and they are surrounded by one or two leaves.

4. Position your cut as close as possible to the base of the leaf. 

5. Make the cut through the sheath and spike.

6. Examine your plant for more old sheaths. Any pseudobulb that matured recently could have a sheath. You can use the same cutting tool to remove all the old sheaths on that plant. That's it! Don't forget to safely discard or clean your cutting tool before cutting another plant.

Why is it important to remove old sheaths?

Prompt deadheading of cattleyas and laelias is a high priority in our greenhouses. Old bud sheaths often fill with water and bacteria, becoming bags of icky aqueous goo. You can get away with being lazy about deadheading your Oncidium, but not your Cattleya.

Wondering where to cut your Dendrobium? Find out here.
Click here to find out where to cut your Oncidium spike.
Go here to learn where to cut a Phalaenopsis spike.

Where do I cut my Phalaenopsis after it blooms?

Where do I cut my Phalaenopsis spike? is on the short list of frequently asked questions at the Fuqua Orchid Center.

Yes, it's sad to say goodbye to your Moth Orchid spike. A year is a long time to wait for more flowers. But you don't have to wait an entire year. If you remove the spike in the right location you can produce a second flush of flowers from the same spike in a few months. It's easy!

1. Choose a clean sharp cutting tool. See my earlier post on cutting tools for orchids if you're wondering what tool to use.

2. Take a close look at your Phal spike. You will see a series of beige bands (called bracts) that encircle the spike at approximately 5" intervals. In the photo below one bract is visible just above the green twist tie. See where the beige bract widens and becomes shield-shaped? Beneath that protective bract is an inactive bud. 

By cutting the spike just above that bud you remove the inhibitory hormones that are holding the bud's growth in check. The cells inside the bud then differentiate into a flower spike. In a few weeks you will see the new spike begin to elongate.

3. Make the cut. Holding the spike securely with one hand, make your cut about one quarter inch above the beige bract.

4. What  now? Hang onto your bamboo stake as you will need it to stake the elongating spike once it is about eight inches tall.

Sometimes the bud produces a small plantlet, or keiki, rather than a new flower spike. After the young plantlet has produced a couple of roots about three inches in length before you can remove it from the old spike and pot it up.

Two additional things to think about:

• If your plant is weak or in need of repotting, it's best to repot and allow your plant to rest and recuperate this summer without the additional strain of producing a second spike. 
• Don't get too excited thinking that all of your orchids will produce a second flush of flowers in this way. Not true! Only a few--some Epidendrums and Oncidiums--do this.

Wondering where to cut your Oncidium spike? You can find out here.
Click here to find out where to cut your Dendrobium spike.
To find out where to cut your Cattleya spike, click here.

Where do I cut my Oncidium after it blooms?

Your Oncidium orchid has finished flowering. It's time to remove the flowers. Now you're asking: Where do I cut my Oncidium orchid after it flowers? Here is the answer in 5 steps:

1. Choose a cutting tool. The best choice is a pair of hand pruners or a single-edged razor blade. Which is best? See my earlier post about cutting tools for orchids.

2. Know what you are cutting. Spike or stem? The spike, or inflorescence, is the reproductive part of the plant. A stem is one of the vegetative, or non-reproductive, parts of the plant. You are removing the spike not the stem.

Below is an Oncidium-type orchid with several mature shoots. On Burrgeara Pacific Command 'Ekolu' a mature shoot consists of a oval-shaped pseudobulb (which is part of the stem) and two leaves. 'Ekolu' can produce several new shoots each year and every newly matured shoot can produce a flower spike. The flowers last about eight weeks before fading. Then it's time to remove the entire spike.

In the foreground, a finished spike with the leafy pseudobulb that produced it.

3. Ready to remove an old spike from your Oncidium? Trace the spike from the flowering end to its origin at the base of the pseudobulb--nestled between the pseudobulb and a leaf. [below]

See where the spike emerges near the base of the oval pseudobulb?

4. Hold the spike with one hand and make your cut with the other [below]. Make your cut as close as possible to the pseudobulb without nicking the pseudobulb or your fingers. It's okay to leave about an inch of old spike behind.

Cut your spike here.

5. Take care of your tools. Wrap your razor blade in duct tape before throwing it away; or clean and dry your pruners before putting them away. You're done!

Check here to see where to cut your Phalaenopsis (Moth Orchid) spike.
Wondering where to cut your Cattleya spike? Find out here.

to find out where to cut your Dendrobium spike, click here.

How do I cut my orchid spike after flowering?

Time to deadhead the orchids

How do I cut my orchid after it flowers? is one of the most-asked questions that we receive at the Fuqua Orchid Center. This is a terrific question. It's smart to ask before cutting. It is possible to destroy your plant by hacking off the wrong parts.

Where to cut depends on what type of orchid you have. You also need to know the difference between the spike and the stem of an orchid. The next four posts will show you where to cut the spike on four popular types: Oncidium, Phalaenopsis, Cattleya and Dendrobium.

When is up to you. It doesn't benefit the plant to remove a spike before all the flowers have fallen. Nor is it detrimental to leave a brown shriveled spike in place forever (except among the Cattleya relatives--they sometimes accumulate water inside old floral sheaths resulting in stem rot--more about that later.)

First, let's talk about cutting tools.

The ideal cutting tool for deadheading orchids is:

• sharp
• slices rather than crushes
• clean and free of plant sap or plant tissue

Your household scissors are not a great choice even if they are brand new and sharp. Scissors will crush a flower spike leaving behind damaged tissue.

You may already own a pair of hand pruners. Pruners are probably fine for deadheading your orchids if you own just a couple of young orchids.

However, if you have more than four or five orchids, or orchids that are hand-me-downs it's wise to think about your cutting tools and your pruning practices more carefully.

Consider the blade on your hand pruners. Unless they are brand new they are probably not clean. Do you remember which plant you pruned last? It's sap remains on your blade along with countless bacteria and fungi. There are many plant-specific viruses, bacteria and fungi that infect and weaken orchids. Many of these die over time after exposure to light or cleansers. But some viruses can remain alive in the environment for months. Viruses are carried from plant to plant on cutting tools and by certain common insects like aphids and thrips. 

How likely is it that your plant has a virus that could infect your other plants? If you have just two plants, or plants that are recently out of the laboratory, the likelihood is pretty small. But if you have many plants, some of which are decades old, the chances are much higher. Unfortunately you can't be certain without a virus test. Anyone who has a sizable collection should practice clean cutting technique.

In case your're wondering...we like razor blades for deadheading and for pruning orchids because they are dependably sharp and ultra-clean, if not sterile. Our collection is large; many of our plants are irreplaceable and some are more than 20 years old. Thus our iron clad rule: One razor blade per plant. I buy them in packs of 100 in the paint department at Home Depot. Razor blades must be stored and disposed of responsibly. We keep open packs in small tupperware containers that have a tight-fitting lid. Used blades are kept in a similar container that is sealed and mummified with duct tape when full. 

My second choice is a pair of pruners that I flame with a propane torch for 30 seconds between plants. Flaming my pruners dulls the blade and I can never be entirely sure that every microscopic virus particle has been incinerated, so I'm never really happy using this method. What about using bleach to sterilize pruners? Bleach, even at a 100% concentration, won't kill all viruses, and it is highly corrosive to steel and aluminum. 

Even though gardening tools  make great gifts, I realize that not every serious orchid hobbyist wants to find a propane tank under the Christmas tree or a 100-pack of razor blades for their birthday. If you are using unsterilized pruners at least srcub them thoroughly with a toothbrush, dry them, open them up and then solarize them outside in full sun for a few days.

A sharp clean cutting tool is essential for horticulturists. Check my next posts for:
Where to cut an Oncidium spike.
Where to cut a Phalaenopsis spike.
Where to cut a Cattleya spike.
Where to cut a Dendrobium spike.

How to Grow Dendrobium nobile

Dendrobium Red Emperor 'Prince'

Dendrobium nobile hybrids make stunning potted plants. Staked upright they look exactly like a living bouquet, with flowers spaced so closely that it becomes hard to see the plant underneath. Dendrobium Red Emperor 'Prince', which we used in our Orchid Daze display,  is an especially vivid color combination--deep fuchsia and yellow. We are selling them today and tomorrow at our Gently Used Plant Sale.

Dendrobium nobile hybrids are seldom seen at retail outlets, unlike the ubiquitous Dendrobium phalaenopsis hybrids which you are probably familiar with. Dendrobium is a huge genus, widespread throughout Asia and diverse in morphology. Thus, there are many types (the group is divided into sections) of dendrobiums with different cultural requirements.

The Yamamoto Dendrobium website gives an illuminating description of the habitat: The nobile type Dendrobiums are  native to SE Asia and grow on branches of tall trees (read: needs very bright light) in cool areas up to 3,000 ft. elevation where night temperatures may drop near freezing in winter (read: cold temps are required in winter for bud initiation). There are two seasons: rainy summer and a dry winter in which there is very little rain for four months.'

In a nutshell: warm moist slightly shaded summer followed by cool dry full sun winter. We grow our plants in a 50% shade humid greenhouse and move them to a cold greenhouse (53 to 55 º nights) from November to New Year's.

The folks at Yamamoto have produced some terrific pages with detailed cultural information. If you are buying Dendrobium  nobiles at our Gently Used Plant Sale I would recommend that you keep them at 55º to 75º in order to maximize the longevity of the flowers.

How to Grow the Oncidium Intergenerics

Beallara Big Shot 'Kitty Kat'

Among the Dancing Lady orchids, subtribe Oncidiinae, the Oncidium intergenerics are the ballet corps: beautiful, even fragile looking, but in fact, quite strong.

Beallara Marfitch 'Howard's Dream'

Subtribe is one rung above genus on the taxonomic ladder. Genera within the (formerly) large genus Oncidium are closely enough related that hybridization is possible among them.

Beallara Tahoma Glacier 'Sugar Sweet'

Beautiful but tough--that's the goal of all of the breeding involved in making one of these complicated hybrids.  Want to buy one of those gorgeous high elevation Odontoglossum for your place in Atlanta? Why not just set your money on fire? Try a Beallara instead. Beallara combines four genera. Odontoglossum and Cochlioda for frills plus Miltonia and Brassia for warmth tolerance. There are lots of different Oncidium intergenerics bred for beauty and ease of growing.

Odontioda  Hot Pants 'Hot Stuff'

Oncidium intergenerics

Light

A few hours of mild but direct morning sun on an east facing window sill will provide enough light intensity for flowering. Make sure there are no trees or buildings blocking the light. A west-facing exposure will work if you make sure the leaves don't feel hot to the touch. In a greenhouse, 50% shade.

Temperature

All orchids like a daily 15º difference between day and night temperatures. The annual temperature range should be between 58º low (at night in winter) and 83º high (daytime in summer).

Water

Take a good look at the potting mix every day for the next week and learn to recognize the change in color & moisture that accompanies the drying-out process. The top 1/2 inch of potting mix will be lighter in color and drier on day six than on day one. Drench thoroughly from above when that top 1/2" looks dry. Saucers that allow standing water to accumulate and flow back into drainage holes are a bad idea.

Pots and Potting Media

You did pick a pot with drainage holes, right? Putting that pot inside another pot without drainage holes is cheating. Your plant will know. Your plant will know that you value waterstain-free furniture above its own life and it will die.
Oncidium intergenerics like to grow in relatively small pots in either a fir bark-based orchid mix (which you can buy from most garden centers) or a New Zealand sphagnum moss mixture (purchased online).

Fertilizer

1/2 strength all purpose soluble fertilizer every two weeks.

Odontocidium St. Anthony of Egypt 'Huina Road'