Not sure if these shoots at the foot of my arborescent jade are just weeds. Many thanks for any help.
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Share Your Indoor Plant Pictures
- Thread starter LTS3
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Looks like basil or mint. But it's hard for me to be certain.
Both basil and mint are strongly scented - rub a leaf between your fingers and then smell the fingers. That should confirm / eliminate either of those two possibilities. But they don't look like either of those options to me.
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Not about you at all
thank you for sharing your expertise and please continue to post. This thread has been more active in the last couple of months and has been great to hear from everyone, and there are natural lulls between posts at times. Please stay. 
My grow lights should arrive today. Finally ordered them a couple days ago. Some succulents are stretching towards the window and others have leaves downturned, meaning unhappy with the amount of light they are getting. Hoping the new light will make my plants happier.
I almost gave in and bought an orchid at the supermarket but I didn't. I don't know if they always had them or I just didn't notice before but a lot of them are in the clear plastic pots which are then set inside decorate pots. I took one of them out and it had a lot of healthy looking roots. I almost gave in. They had white ones and pink ones. They weren't all potted like that but several of them were.
I gave in and went back. There was another one there that was really pretty and was $8 cheaper but I took the inside pot out and it was sitting in a half inch of water. If they had watered recently it would probably be okay but if it had been sitting like that for awhile that would not be good.
I have some questions, I am scared to death of killing an orchid. The roots are kind of going crazy. There are some that have grown up over the foliage, is that normal or does it need repotted?
I noticed some of the flowers look droopy and then there are others getting ready to open. Is this normal or does it need watered? The directions that came with it said to let it sit in water for 5 minutes once a week then let the inside pot drain completely before putting it back in the decorative pot. The mix that it is in is really dry but it's a mix of bark chips so I imagine that dries out really quick.
Roots growing crazy like that is normal. Orchids are epiphytes so their roots latch on to things. They are called "aerial roots" but all roots of an orchid are aerial technically speaking. Watering will depend on your climate and how fast the medium dries out. If I were you, I'd pick up a small bag of bark and sphagnum moss from the pet store and repot it into something slightly larger if you can. But that is entirely up to you. I have my orchids in pure cedar chips and I water/soak them every 2 days. Sometimes every 3 - 4 days. It depends. Mine are also sitting in a colander for maximum air circulation around the roots.
Don't be scared. I thought Orchids were difficult at first but the more research I did, the less scary they seemed to look after. And eventually, they weren't scary at all. I hardly do anything to mine except for watering and they are perfectly healthy. Lots of new roots and leaves.
I am infamous for overwatering. Everything I have read about orchids is that they do not like their feet to stay wet. I have read a couple of articles that have said to 'flood' them. Take them to the sink and water until it is running out of the bottom of the pot then let them almost completely dry before doing them again. This is some type of moth orchid which I think is the ones that are sold in grocery stores and they aren't supposed to be as much in need of humidity as many orchids. Also supposed to water the medium they are in rather then the plant to avoid crown rot. I read that I should wait until it is no longer in bloom to repot and that orchids are often in what appears to be ridiculously small pots.
If the medium is super loose and airy (straight bark and almost nothing else basically) then you can't overwater them. But considering yours, I'd just flood it like you said once a week or whenever the bottom is dry. Yes, and you should avoid getting water in the leaf joints and the centre because they will rot. And also, no chlorine water, that will kill them. I don't know about waiting until they are not in bloom. I repotted mine as soon as I got them and they did fine so it might be just personal preference but if you feel more comfortable waiting then definitely wait. And yes, humidity isn't really an issue with phalaenopsis orchids.
C catapault : I'm pretty sure it was nothing you posted. Threads just sometimes go quiet for a while. Especially the off (cat) topic ones.
Not about you at all
Oh, that's gorgeous.
I see
Graceful-Lily
replied, but I'm going to tag
Jcatbird
, as she has a lot of experience with orchids, and even if your questions have been answered, she may want to both see your orchid, and comment on it.
I went to the company's website, they are a wholesaler. This orchid is infused with color using natural substances. They had a list of colors and the color that they will rebloom as. The pinks will rebloom as white or purple. This is one that is for breast cancer awareness which is why it is infused pink and also why it cost more then the others. Their blue will rebloom as yellow and their other colors rebloom as white.
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You made my day
I read your post and saw the next post was you, but there were orchid pictures.... oooohhhh boy, I think she went back to get it.... and you did! 
Beautiful. That is so interesting they infuse the color of the flowers. Never knew that could happen with potted flowers. What types of things get infused to create the color?- Joined
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Some plants are showing low light stress. This one has downturned leaves, and the one on the left is growing more spread out.
This one was stretching towards the window
This one offshoots growing longer, maybe stretching due to lower light.
Many new baby offshoots on the stem.
Lithop wrinkly and lightly watered today
My Haworthia is magically alive. Thought it was dying, and accidently left it butt chugging in some water over night.... but then it plumped up like it was happy? Maybe it is alive and well? Looks like it has grown, too.
Neat babies on the right growing bigger on the large propagate leaves.
New lights installed! I think they are on a lowest setting, and will increase the next few days. In a south facing window.
You know that hanging soap dispenser plant thing I made? Well, it fell the first night it was hanging and is still sitting here weeks later. Need to repot.
Happy babies growing strong.
This one was stretching towards the window
This one offshoots growing longer, maybe stretching due to lower light.
Many new baby offshoots on the stem.
Lithop wrinkly and lightly watered today
My Haworthia is magically alive. Thought it was dying, and accidently left it butt chugging in some water over night.... but then it plumped up like it was happy? Maybe it is alive and well? Looks like it has grown, too.
Neat babies on the right growing bigger on the large propagate leaves.
New lights installed! I think they are on a lowest setting, and will increase the next few days. In a south facing window.
You know that hanging soap dispenser plant thing I made? Well, it fell the first night it was hanging and is still sitting here weeks later.
Need to repot.
Happy babies growing strong.
You made my day
It's from a grower in Southern Florida called Silver Vase. The process is patented and they keep it secret, they only say that they use completely safe food grade substances to do it. The first color they did it with was the Blue Majestic. They took it to a flower show and it pissed a lot of growers off. I guess a blue orchid is like the holy grail and the other growers thought they had cheated to create one.
denice
Your orchid appears healthy but the smallest buds look like they are going to blast, meaning, fall off. That can be dues to a change of environment, shock, too little humidity or other environmental issues. Pest control chemicals or things like that can cause blasting but I suspect the plant is just tired and had been moved during the sales process. Not a real problem. Should not happen again. The process of dying an orchid flower isn’t that much of a secret but the companies that do that are hoping no one else will cash in on their idea. Many types of flowers are dyed for unusual colors so it isn’t a new idea but the method is a bit different for orchids. We’ll let them hold onto their method as long as they can since they used great imagination to figure it out.
It would be difficult to do at home anyway. My only objection to dyed orchids is when my customers would call me frantic that something was wrong with their orchid when it bloomed again. “It used to be blue! Now it’s changed color!” Lol They failed to read the tag when they bought it and did not know the color was dye. Some were quite upset when they realized it would not be blue again. I hated having to be the bearer of bad news. Pinks, white, yellows, sunset hues are the norm with those. Dark Red even exists though is not as common. The colors of the dyed orchids are really pretty. As a breeder, I can tell you that blue is a very rare color in orchids of any type. There are some species that do have blue tones. Not the moth orchid though (Phalaenopsis) These “moth orchids” are commonly sold for many reasons. The flowers can last two to four months! Yep! The plant can rebloom too! When teaching about orchid growing I always tell people that most of the types commonly sold thrive on neglect. True to a point. They don’t like over watering and rot easily. Less attention is better in that case. If in doubt, don’t water. The bark chips actually hold water pretty well. Soaking the plant for a good five minutes is required for the bark to have time to absorb the water. Take notice after soaking of the weight of the pot. When the plant does need watering, the pot will feel much lighter. Fertilize with a balanced fertilizer about every other time you water. By balanced, I mean the three numbers on the package of fertilizers are the same like 20-20-20. Mark the date when your plant is blooming because next year, before the same time period, give it a bloom booster fertilizer for more, and stronger flowers. The middle number will be higher that the other two on a bloom booster. Weak flowers or dropping foliage usually indicates root damage. As from too much water. Allow the plant to dry and get it started on a regular routine.
Here are the basics/ general guidelines for most types.
Temperature- orchids like about the same as humans. Below 55 , bring it inside!
Light- Too much sun will sunburn the leaves. The leaves may even feel hot to the touch. Morning sun is best. Too little light and the plant won't bloom. Leaves may be stunted or curled.
Air- Not all orchids are epitpytes. Some are lithopytes, terrestrials and some that require a symbiotic relationship with other plants. You have an epiphyte. Most epiphytes grow in the branches of trees and require good air circulation. There is a strong cycle of being soaked and then breeze drying them out. The moth orchid has natural veins that , in nature, would be pointed downwards as the plant would not be upright as it is in a pot. The veins act as a drain system for falling water. Rot would be unlikely because the foliage would dry and the crown would not fill with water.
Water- Many orchids live in very moist environments and high humidity. Soaking rain, ( but also air circulation) and humidity keep the roots happy. Green root tips mean the roots are actively in growth. You can add humidity by putting the pot on a dish filled with pebbles and water so that as the water evaporates, the plant gets even humidity. The flowers will last longer this way. Do not put the pot down into the water. Slightly above it!
Food- In nature, orchids get food from the surrounding elements. Epiphytes get rain with nutrients and leaf litter often falls around them as well as the bark of any tree where they grow. Being potted in bark or other orchid mix is not enough. We must supplement with fertilizer. Some potting mix actually robs the plant of nitrogen.
Repotting-Should only be done when new growth has begun, if the pot is truly too small or if the old potting mix is rotting. Never re pot while the plant is in bloom. You could lose the flowers if the plant gets shocked. Repot in a bark or bark mix with spaghnum moss. Always soak the potting mix for a day before repotting since bark tends to be very dry and , at first, somewhat water resistant. Pot in a pot the same size or only one size bigger if at all possible. Two reasons. The plant will expend all energy growing enough roots to fill the pot AND a large pot will remain moist too long as well as building up an excess of fertilizer. Excess fertilizer will show up as fertilizer salts or white residue on the pot. This can burn the tender new roots.
Too much info? Lol Water about every ten days to two weeks by soaking potting medium, feed every other watering, morning light, if you are comfortable sitting where you have the plant, chances are, you have the right spot.
There are a lot of tricks and tips but just remember, don’t treat it like a regular houseplant that grows in soil. It doesn’t want a lot of pampering.
This thread is very active! C catapault Are you here? Flowers for you!
Said it better than I could lol! Glad to know you are an avid orchid keeper? Or expert? I'm going to start collecting others that aren't the standard phals, do you have any experience with those? Have you heard of MissOrchidGirl?
The process of dying an orchid flower isn’t that much of a secret but the companies that do that are hoping no one else will cash in on their idea. Many types of flowers are dyed for unusual colors so it isn’t a new idea but the method is a bit different for orchids. We’ll let them hold onto their method as long as they can since they used great imagination to figure it out.
The colors of the dyed orchids are really pretty. As a breeder, I can tell you that blue is a very rare color in orchids of any type. There are some species that do have blue tones. Not the moth orchid though (Phalaenopsis) These “moth orchids” are commonly sold for many reasons. The flowers can last two to four months! Yep! The plant can rebloom too! When teaching about orchid growing I always tell people that most of the types commonly sold thrive on neglect. True to a point. They don’t like over watering and rot easily. Less attention is better in that case. If in doubt, don’t water. The bark chips actually hold water pretty well. Soaking the plant for a good five minutes is required for the bark to have time to absorb the water. Take notice after soaking of the weight of the pot. When the plant does need watering, the pot will feel much lighter. Fertilize with a balanced fertilizer about every other time you water. By balanced, I mean the three numbers on the package of fertilizers are the same like 20-20-20. Mark the date when your plant is blooming because next year, before the same time period, give it a bloom booster fertilizer for more, and stronger flowers. The middle number will be higher that the other two on a bloom booster. Weak flowers or dropping foliage usually indicates root damage. As from too much water. Allow the plant to dry and get it started on a regular routine.
Here are the basics/ general guidelines for most types.
Temperature- orchids like about the same as humans. Below 55 , bring it inside!
Light- Too much sun will sunburn the leaves. The leaves may even feel hot to the touch. Morning sun is best. Too little light and the plant won't bloom. Leaves may be stunted or curled.
Air- Not all orchids are epitpytes. Some are lithopytes, terrestrials and some that require a symbiotic relationship with other plants. You have an epiphyte. Most epiphytes grow in the branches of trees and require good air circulation. There is a strong cycle of being soaked and then breeze drying them out. The moth orchid has natural veins that , in nature, would be pointed downwards as the plant would not be upright as it is in a pot. The veins act as a drain system for falling water. Rot would be unlikely because the foliage would dry and the crown would not fill with water.
Water- Many orchids live in very moist environments and high humidity. Soaking rain, ( but also air circulation) and humidity keep the roots happy. Green root tips mean the roots are actively in growth. You can add humidity by putting the pot on a dish filled with pebbles and water so that as the water evaporates, the plant gets even humidity. The flowers will last longer this way. Do not put the pot down into the water. Slightly above it!
Food- In nature, orchids get food from the surrounding elements. Epiphytes get rain with nutrients and leaf litter often falls around them as well as the bark of any tree where they grow. Being potted in bark or other orchid mix is not enough. We must supplement with fertilizer. Some potting mix actually robs the plant of nitrogen.
Repotting-Should only be done when new growth has begun, if the pot is truly too small or if the old potting mix is rotting. Never re pot while the plant is in bloom. You could lose the flowers if the plant gets shocked. Repot in a bark or bark mix with spaghnum moss. Always soak the potting mix for a day before repotting since bark tends to be very dry and , at first, somewhat water resistant. Pot in a pot the same size or only one size bigger if at all possible. Two reasons. The plant will expend all energy growing enough roots to fill the pot AND a large pot will remain moist too long as well as building up an excess of fertilizer. Excess fertilizer will show up as fertilizer salts or white residue on the pot. This can burn the tender new roots.
Too much info? Lol Water about every ten days to two weeks by soaking potting medium, feed every other watering, morning light, if you are comfortable sitting where you have the plant, chances are, you have the right spot.
There are a lot of tricks and tips but just remember, don’t treat it like a regular houseplant that grows in soil. It doesn’t want a lot of pampering.
This thread is very active! C catapault Are you here? Flowers for you!
My little ones are doing great!
Even the tiny piece of leaf got a pup growing strong!
And my itty bitty snake plant is starting to grow too! Thought it would have died because it barely had roots when I got it and it was overwatered.
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You will be chasing the rare orchids soon. They are mesmerizing. I was on one web site and he had some orchids that were in the thousands of the dollars. I don't think he is legit because he was selling ghost orchids. Everything else I read about them they are nearly if not impossible to keep. That along with their very specific requirements is why they are so rare.
Jcatbird
Thank you for the information. I was wondering about feeding them as well as the watering. Also thanks for letting me know about the unopened ones probably falling off. I will be expecting it now rather then freaking out that it is already dying.
Graceful-Lily
I have been in the orchid business for many years as a grower, breeder lecturer and in conservation of endangered species. Here and elsewhere. My interest in breeding focused on preserving species and in locating orchids for breeding programs. Most of my species work was geared for places like Botanical Gardens and Universities. Part of my passion was for teaching others how to grow and enjoy the plants as I do. There is a vast array or species to choose from. Some flowers are the size of a pin head. I also photographed them for the AOS shows. My Grandparents grew them when I was young. They both passed early but they left me with the love of plants. I do not know MissOrchidGirl but I am sure we have a shared passion.You have done well with those baby plants! Rooting the snake plants after root loss is awesome. Once it gets older you may get flowers too.
If you have any orchid questions, I’ll be happy to answer. I suggest you start with things like Dendrobiums, Oncidiums, Phals. or even Cattleyas if you have good light. I love the Slipper types too. Vandas are a challenge unless you have a greenhouse because they require a lot of light and very high humility. Bulbophyllums are easy but have kind of weird flowers and some have stinky aromas. Lol Hard to beat the Vandas for flower size, colors and patterns though.
Vanda
Laelia
Brassavola, Sophronitis and Cattleya hybrid.
Schomburgkia tibicinis species. The bloom stem is about six feet long. Lol
Oncidium
One of the weirder ones I mentioned. Lol
That’s my thumb behind the flower!
denice
It’s still possible those other buds will open. Keep the humidity up but if they fall, it’s nothing you did that caused it. Even a rapid change in temperature in my greenhouse can cause blasted buds. There is a neat trick to try and get more flowers after all those finish. See where the bottom flower is on the stem? If you look closely, you will see small bumps or nodes below it on the stem. If you break the stem off just barely below that bottom flower ( above the nodes) once it falls off, those nodes can produce a second , side bloom stem. The plant must have enough energy and light to produce it but it usually works. That one is really pretty so hopefully you get more flowers. It can also produce babies or “keikis” from the bloom stem. Always a bonus!Some Ghost orchids are now being produced legally for sale. As you noted, they are not the easiest to grow though. All the leafless types take special care but that one does have a neat looking flower. If a seller is legit, they should warn you about difficulty of growing. Rare? It was stripped from the wild some years back illegally but when confiscated it was produced through breeding programs and cloning. At first, they legally hit the market in quantity but now may have declined somewhat. If you haven't read “The Orchid Thief”, you might find it enlightening. ( Not the movie though! The story there is much altered for dramatic effect and IMHO it was awful) Very strange things happen when dealing with rare or unobtainable items. Much of what happened is well documented and I have known some of it myself. Way back, orchids were only owned by those who could afford to sponsor orchid hunting expeditions. Worth their weight in gold. Cloning and lab grown plants have made them available to all us plant lovers with exceptions. The most recently awarded orchids will be more costly. You were right to warn about catching the orchid bug!
Mesmerizing is right! BTW some have wonderful aromas. Oncidium Sharry baby smells like chocolate. Maxillaria tenuifolia smells like coconut. ( or Hawaiian tropic suntan lotion depending on your perception)
They have a ghost orchid in a preserve in South Florida. They advertise when it is in bloom and the casual tourist type has to take binoculars to see it. They have a walkway that goes out over the swamp and they have an arrow on the railing pointing to it. It is estimated to be about 50 years old. They tell people to look up because it is fifty feet up in a Cypress tree.
