Beginner's Corner

There are different reasons that cause yellow leaves and not all of them are a cause to worry. AGING If the plant is healthy with an active root system, the bottom or older leaves one or two yellowing could be just a part normal aging process of the leaves. LIGHT Too much light is another reason for the yellowing of leaves. Too much light will cause the chlorophyll in the leaves to deteriorate which in turn can turn your orchid yellowish to a light greenish colour and eventually cause premature loss of the leaves. If the plant is receiving the...

Orchids are fascinating and you can’t resist the temptation of growing one yourself. Most of the orchids that you get are hybrids specifically made for good looking flowers and easy to care plants. They are easy to grow provided a few basic requirements are met like light and humidity. Orchids, like all plants, need a balance of light, air, water and food to grow and flower well. Growing your orchids successfully at home is important to you as well as to us, most of the hobbyists do not have green-houses to grow plants. Infact you do not need a green house to grow orchids....

Do you like drinking hard water? Probably not, same with orchids. Water quality is one of the most important factors in growing orchids. So what would be the ideal water for orchids? The answer is rainwater because of rainwater results from evaporated water. It has no minerals or dissolved salt content. Having no minerals in the water is not great news, but it is a good starting point. That means now you can add all the  nutrients in the water that is required for the Orchid plant without increasing the hardness or total dissolved salt (TDS) to unacceptable levels.  For...

Choose a potting material which will not decompose quickly. For us Pine Bark have given great results and it is recommended potting medium by American Orchid Society (AOS). This mixture allows two-three years to lapse between re-potting efforts. Coconut Husk or the mix of coconut husk and charcoal also works. But coconut husk decomposes quickly, especially at the bottom of the pot, which increases the chances of root rot and fungal/bacterial infections. We wouldn't suggest using charcoal as a potting medium unless it is mixed with coconut husk.

Let the potting medium soak in water overnight before re-potting. Soaking with Revive (Seaweed Extract) and little of HighBloom has given us good results. Use Styrofoam or charcoal at the bottom of the pots for good drainage. When re-potting, avoid planting the growths too deep in the mix since the “eyes,” from which new growths emerge, will rot easily if covered with mix. Cut off the old dried roots with a sterilized cutting tool. This will help instigate the new root growth.  Keep the repotted plants in slightly shadier and humid place and slowly move to more light as and...