| November Culture Notes..... For the Wairarapa region (New Zealand) |
| In General..... |
| CULTURE CORNER |
| Most orchids will be getting into their active growth cycle now, but as there is still a real mix of both good & bad weather, so you will really need to watch as to when to water. You want your plants to get off to the best start they can without rots setting into the new growths or the root system. Keep that spray program going for both fungi & insects & watch for signs of woodlice entering the bottoms of your pots as they can do quite a bit of damage to the roots. Keep up good light & plenty of good ventilation. CYMBIDIUMS Every second watering these should be receiving a feed of nitrogen type fertiliser to boost their growth along & make it nice & strong. Make sure that they are getting good light & plenty of ventilation a round them. Take care that they aren’t allowed to dry out completely now on. Any remaining flower spikes should be removed now to allow the plant to get on with next seasons growth, & any plants that still need it should be repotted now. If you are positioning your cymbidiums outside for the summer, make sure that they get plenty of light, but are not left directly in the hot mid day sun as their leaves will suffer sunburn. Your plants should be given a good flush through with water at least once a month to wash out any excess salts from your fertiliser at this time of year. A watering Epsom Salts mixed at a rate of a teaspoon to every 10 litres of water will help green up the leaves & is most beneficial. Don’t mix in any fertiliser with this. AUSTRALIAN Dendrobiums These plants like to be kept reasonably cool & out of direct sunlight, but not too shaded. They may be repotted if they require it as they finish their flowering. If it looks like there is still about one & a half growths space between the plant & the edge of the pot then they will go for another season. Give a nitrogen type feed at each second watering, & keep up good ventilation. LAELIAS & VANDAS These can also be fed every couple of waterings & need good light, but not direct burning sunlight & also plenty of good ventilation. NOBILE type Dendrobiums now need to make good quick growth to get those canes up to maximum size to ensure plenty of flowers next time round. They can be watered daily & feed with a potash type food every couple of waterings. CATTLEYAS, can be feed the same as the cymbids now that the new growths are moving. Keep their media moist with regular watering. Catts also like good light& humidity at this time, but not strong enough to burn the leaves. To prevent blackening off, it’s a good idea to spray the crown of the plant & the media (not the leaves) with a hydrated lime solution. METHOD FOR LIME SPRAY is to 1/4 fill a 4 litre container with lime then fill with water and stir, let this settle till the water is clear, then put 300mls of the clear lime water with 10 litres of water. This can then be used to spray the crowns & media. This needs to be done at least two or three times a year, just stir it a couple of days before use (the mixture not the plant). PHALAENOPSIS need to be kept damp at all times now & as the new growth should be starting to appear, a regular feed at about half that for cymbidiums is a good idea.. These plants don’t need a lot of light at this time of year, if you notice the leaves taking on a reddish tinge they are getting too much sun light. These plants like to be repotted after they have finished flowering. Trim off the spent lower stem & roots when you do repot, as this lowers the plant & allows the new roots to find their way easily down into the mix. Dust any cut areas with cinnamon powder. PAPHIOPEDILUMS should be starting to show new growths, so they must be kept damp at all times but don’t over feed, 1/2 strength Cymbidium fertiliser is about as much as they need, as long as their new growths are firm & shiny they are doing well. These plants don’t like excessive daytime temperatures, but keep the night temperatures from dropping below 8oC. About 50% shade is the ideal for this genus. These plants will appreciate a change of mix & a slightly larger pot every couple of years. SLABS ideally need a misting night & morning, & a total dunking for 10 minutes or so once a week will be a big help to your plant. Misting at night allows the water to remain on the roots & leave letting the plant get maximum value out of it. |