Ascda. Ann Reaben Prospero "Most Articulate Lady" HCC/AOS
| Although it mostly passes unnoticed to millions locked in their
air-conditioned bubbles, July in South Florida is quite different from June.
While the pattern of afternoon showers built from the moisture of the morning's
sea breeze persists in July, the thunder-storms are sharper and shorter. The
clouds linger less and the foliage dries more quickly. Less quantity of rain
falls in July than in June and periods of several days typically pass without a
drop. This is good news for orchid growers. July (and August) allow orchidists
to focus on the first essential of orchid growing, drying the plant
out. Frequently, neophyte growers ask "What if I go away for several weeks in the summer and there is no one to water the plants?" The response is "That's wonderful". Experienced growers use the break in the rainfall during July and August to dry their plants "hard". Depriving orchids of water for several days until they and the media or baskets they grow in are bone dry is essential to good orchid culture. By drying the plants hard, one deals a severe blow to orchids natural enemy, fungus.Orchids have evolved to withstand drought because fungus can not. During severe drought fungus' only defense is to cease all growth and retreat into a spore stage. Hopefully(and with good cultural management) these pathogens will not be aroused from this slumber until the first drizzle of September sets in, allowing our plants two months to mature and harden their growth making them less vulnerable to the September conditions which give some advantage again to the fungi. Careful watering and judicious drying will do more than any other practice to ensure healthy plants. Drought is the orchid plants armor against disease. Be sure that your plants dry as completely as the weather of July permits. Nonetheless, as our plants are in full growth they need adequate water in July therefor after a hard drying, orchid plants need a thorough re-hydration. If the next rain fall is insufficient to saturate pot, roots and media, the grower should add to the natural moisture until he is sure both roots and media are saturated, using two or three applications of water spaced a few minutes apart. When the plants stop dripping is the time to apply the next dose of water. Don't stop watering until the "heft" of the pot tells you that it is holding as much water as it can. More typically in July, orchidists should use these opportunities when more moisture is required to substitute fertilizer for water and saturate the roots and the media in the same thorough manner. In July typically think of fertilizing rather than watering. Weekly application of a commonly available balanced fertilizer (20-20-20 or 18-18-18) at two teaspoons per gal. will supply the nutrients that our plants require in this period of lush growth. This balanced formula should be alternated every other week with potassium nitrate and Epsom salts (one tablespoon each) to supply the extra magnesium and potassium we now know are plants need on a regular basis. Even better (although not so readily available) lower phosphorus fertilizers containing extra magnesium and calcium with a formula like Peter's Excell(15-5-15) have been shown to be the precise fertilizer our plants need. This formula is recommended year round. Hopefully such orchid specific fertilizers will become more widely available( and not just at Motes Orchids). Lowering the phosphorus intake of our plants is particularly important in South Florida. Always apply fertilizer in the same way as water, in two to three doses spaced a few minutes apart. Apply the fertilizer to the point of "run off" IE. when the solution starts to fall off the plants;stop and move on to the next plant. Repeat the application a few minutes later when the plants stop dripping. In July more than ever, never, never follow the frequently heard and disastrously bad advice of watering before fertilizing. Always substitute fertilizer for water: now and at every season. Roots saturated with water cannot absorb fertilizer but the prolonged wetness can rot your plants. Don't give fungus the upper hand by wetting the plant's foliage and roots more often or longer than necessary. Careful watering is especially important throughout the rainy season. The wise orchidist will have long since finished all of his potting of sympodials and the top working of his vandas but for the rest of us this is the eleventh hour. Autumn is closer than we think and vandas will need at least three months to settle in before the first chill of October tickles their root tips. Unless you can protect them thoroughly from cold, Vanda top cuttings and keikies should not be made after the end of July. If you do take cuttings remember the "3 root rule". Count down from the crown and make the cutting beneath the third or fourth root. Keep as many leaves as possible on the stump and you will be rewarded with a greater abundance of offshoots. Always slip the sterile knife or shears down between the stem and the leaves and then cut transversely to save as many leaves as possible. Be sure to anchor the cutting firmly in its new lodging. Tie them up and tie them down! There is no time for mistakes in July. Thrips are much less of a problem in July as the rain tends to wash them away and doubtless there is an abundance of other lush fodder for them elsewhere in our yards. They can reappear in a prolonged patch of dryness, so if you need to think of watering in July it may be dry enough to worry about thrips. A prophylactic spraying for thrips in July will also put a damper on scale crawlers. If a second spraying with soap follows the first by seven to 10 days, the population of mites will be scotched as well. Sprayers and SprayingAlthough with very strictly observed growing regimes and with correctly spaced and perfectly lighted growing areas, it is possible to grow orchids in South Florida without the use of chemical sprays, most experienced growers find in the long run that at least some spraying, albeit with the most user and environmentally friendly substances, is unavoidable. For those of us with less perfect conditions and less time to monitor the inevitable problems that will occur in a diverse collection of orchids in Florida, spraying is a necessary evil. To answer that necessity; what sort of sprayer should a hobbyist have?The answer lies in the nature of the job. The essential task in applying any chemical is to achieve thorough coverage of all the plant surfaces to protect the plant or destroy the pest organism. This coverage can be accomplished with either high volume or high pressure. The hose end jar attachments that are readily available for a few dollars in most garden shops produce large volumes of spray and are easy to acquire and use. They can be quite effective but are highly inefficient. This extravagant use of large volumes of spray material is both expensive and environmentally insensitive. Their best use is for applications where a drench rather than a spray is the desired treatment. As orchids usually are grown with more open media and in general are more exposed, these hose end applicators are better used for applying fertilizer than plant protection chemicals. A better strategy for most applications is the higher pressure spray created by sprayer with some sort of pump. The higher the pressure of a spray stream the smaller the droplets in the stream. Small droplets are good because they penetrate deeper into the foliage and coat more thoroughly. A small tank sprayer with a hand pump in its lid is very effective in applying chemicals to the average orchid collection. Tank sprayers come typically in 1, 2, or 3 gal models. While these to are widely available in garden shops and merchandisers like Home Depot, the quality of these mass marketed sprayer frequently disappoints. Such sprayers are so important to even large growers for spot treatment, everyone is well advised to make the effort to find a good quality model at a farm or nursery supply company. A good sprayer is worth the time to locate and the money to purchase(in fact only $5-$10 more) because of the years of good service it will perform. Even better, and also available at farm supply stores are back pack sprayers. These are usually 3 gal models with a lever action pump that makes maintenance of good high pressure for even coverage very simple. The cost is perhaps double that of a small tank sprayer but these durable and effective devices are the answer for large orchid collections or gardens. When one finds that he is mixing too many tankfuls of spray in one of these small sprayers(those orchids keep growing out there night and day!), it might be time to consider buying a power sprayer. Whether electric or gas powered, these are much easier and faster. They are also more effective since they develop higher pressure and thus produce much better coverage. Small 5gal models can be had for a few hundred dollars and larger models for much more. The quality of both the engines and the pumps are to be considered as well as price. For applications proximate to an power source the electric models are often the best value. Gas powered models offer mobility to range over larger areas. Whatever sprayer one might use, spray with care. Always wear protective clothing and gear as we have advised elsewhere. Always follow the label directions. Always use only chemicals that are recommended and approved for orchids by the State of Florida. Always spray early or late in the day. Always be mindful of spray drift and keep chemicals on the target crop. Always store chemicals in a safe place. Orchid EventsAmerican Orchid Society Monthly Judging - Montgomery Research Institute of Fairchild Tropical Garden 11935 Old Cutler Rd( just south of the junction of Old Cutler and Red Road, Coral Gables) Saturday July 8th at 12:00 Noon-always an educational experience. The public is invited to bring their finest orchids to be judged or merely to observe the beautiful flowers being evaluated. Ask the Chairman if you can observe a team judging but remember only judges and students should comment during the process!With summer here, Motes Orchids now has monthly sales. This month's is July 8th and 9th from 10:00AM to 5:00PM. Come and see what a wealth of wonderful and fragrant orchids bloom in the summer! Free Orchid Growing Classes at Motes Orchids now also occur monthly. This month "Growing Cattleyas" will be the topic on Saturday July 8th and "Growing Dendrobiums" on Sunday July 9th both start at 11:00 AM and last about an hour . Come and see why many say that these free classes by Dr. Motes, who brings 45 years of experience to the subject, are better than any they ever paid for! Motes Orchids is located at 25000 SW 162 Ave, that's just south of Coconut Palm Drive (248 St) and SW 162 Ave. Both Motes Orchids and Knaus are 21/2 miles due East of the Redland Fruit and Spice Park in the heart of the Redland tropical agricultural district. Take Turnpike south to US 1 at exit 12(Caribbean Dr in Cutler Ridge), continue south on US 1 to 248St, then right (west) on 248St to 162 Ave then left (south) one block to Motes Orchids. Call 305 247 4398 Or email vandas@mindspring.com for further information. |