| October Culture Notes..... For the Wairarapa region (New Zealand) |
| In General..... |
| CULTURE CORNER |
| . You need to be keeping up a regular spray program of both insecticide & fungicide now, as the weather conditions are ideal not only for the bugs that love your orchids, but also the many different fungi that can set up in your plants in a very short time. CYMBIDIUMS, to get the new growths maturing rapidly, these plants need to have good light & good ventilation. For any plants that didn’t flower & those that have had the flower spikes removed, a feed of a nitrogen rich type food can be given at every third or forth watering, from now through till mid December to help produce good strong growths. You should also be looking at removing all remaining flower spikes this month, as this will give plants that are not being repotted a flying start for next year. As the weather is starting to warm up a bit your waterings can be increased, but keep a watch that things don’t get too wet as there will still be some pretty cold weather right through to Labour weekend. It doesn’t take much to set off rots if the conditions are right. Any plants that still need repotting should be done now, so that they can get on with their growth & ultimately next years crop of flowers. CATTLEYAS, to prevent “Black Leg” or blackening off of the young growths, now is a good time to spray around the base of the plant & over the top of the media with a lime water solution. Repotting can be undertaken after flowering, & as soon as the new growth starts to move, if they need to be. If you are going to divide the plant up, it is good practice to leave at least three old growths at the back. If there is a dormant eye it will almost always sprout. These can be feed similar to the cymbids, but at a slightly weaker rate. PHALAENOPSIS enjoy being repotted after flowering. From now on ensure that the mix is damp & kept that way, as they don’t like to be dry for even short periods. They can receive a weak nitrogen rich fertiliser every couple of waterings from now on to boost the new growth along. PAPHIOPEDILUMS, as they finish flowering, those that need repotting can be done, but generally they prefer to be left undisturbed for at least a couple of years to get the best growth out of them. As with Phalaenopsis, these plants also like to be kept damp. Feed with a very weak strength nitrogen food, as too strong a fertiliser will burn the roots. MILTONIAS these are much the same as the paphs & only need a very weak feed every couple of waterings |
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