a quick question for orchid growers... cats and phals in fla?

14 years ago

i have a few vandas, a few dendrobiums... but i have always found that the oncidiums are the easiest to grow outdoors here in fla... they bloom reliably for me a couple times a year, and are very tough.

but, i wonder, does anyone have luck with cats or phals?

my strategy is to buy them very cheap (less than $5/plant is my rule), pot them up well, put them in a shady place, water them when i remember and fertilizer them once in a while... survival of the fittest. lately i've found that tying them to driftwood with some long-fibred moss has worked very well for me.

would that word with cats and phals?

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Comments (9)

User
14 years ago
I have several Phals and 2 cats, they do just as well in pretty much the same environment as the dendros. The phals don't seem to be able to tolerate as much light, though, so I keep them further away from direct sun. I have all of my orchids on the patio beside the pool, under the shelter of the covered lanai. I believe the added humidity from the pool has a lot to do with my success with them. Just keep them out of all-day sun (mine only get it late in the day). Of course when it threatens to freeze, I bring them in the house, I really need to figure out some easier resolution to that problem. I would like to have an all-winter outdoor retreat to put them in but haven't figured out how to do that in a thrifty but eye-appealing way. Any ideas out there??
imagardener2
14 years ago
I have almost 100% cats and 100% sun, it's do or die in my yard :-). Only a few bit the dust and that was just now when we were out of town for 2.5 weeks and due to wet rather than sun.

The orchid habit started slowly but I've learned what many people already knew, orchids are low maintenance plants and leaving them alone is better than too much love.

Mine also inhabit the space next to the pool (faces south-all day sun) on plastic shelving for drainage. I've got PLENTY of humidity without the pool :-) Some of the larger cats are into blooming twice a year.

Mine are in orchid medium but a visit to another GW'er (annafl) has me thinking of changing to a different longer lasting medium (have to ask her again what she uses). Am also planning to tie to driftwood-that's a fall project to get the branches into pots and quikset to make trees for broms and orchids.

this shows the shelving (6'Hx4'W) and some blooms
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Denise
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Gary, it's more than *either* bozo *or* snobbish. Big middle of the continuum where most of us hang out. Knowing that live orchids are thrown out to die is tough. However, my 40 indoor plants are crowded, and just one of those large big box Phals would push a couple off the shelf. Denninmi, for me, the most important thing is to enjoy our orchids, whatever their source or price. I'm glad the big box stores have Phals and other orchids at low prices. I might never have gotten into orchids had it not been for one of those stores. Before then, I thought orchids demanded hothouse conditions and didn't know commercial growers existed. The stores introduce loads of uninformed folks to orchids. Your question about quality... Masses of big box orchids, identified or not, come from Thailand. Others may know if quality is similar to those from US commercial growers, but *I* feel better buying from a grower whom I can contact to see if they have an orchid not listed in their catalog, get detailed info about a particular plant, could visit if in the area, whatever. Your question about what the availability of these plants at low prices to the general public means to more professional orchid growers... I wonder about that, too, if I'm understanding your question. Have big box sales had a detrimental effect on US professional, commercial growers? My understanding is countless plants come from factory farms in Thailand, where the weather's ideal; utility, labor, transportation, & other costs are low; and the mammoth greenhouse compounds are largely or completely automated. It seems impossible for US growers to compete, but perhaps the two markets largely draw different customers. Or maybe hobbyists continue to buy from US growers while shopping at big box stores for inexpensive, blooming orchids that aren't available from US growers at those prices anyway. There are bound to be other variables. And... just know - for $15-$25 plus shipping, you can get a blooming size Phal from a US commercial grower, or one of the multitude of other orchids that grow in Phal conditions. These plants aren't likely forced to bloom, as the big box orchids are. If you order during the orchid's natural blooming season, you'll receive a spiking plant. Otherwise, it will flower during its next season, as most of yours probably do now. Enjoy, WhiteCat8
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annafl
14 years ago
Oh my gosh, Denise, those are some real beauties!!! You are definitely doing something right! My orchids are soooo neglected, you put me to shame. Have not repotted anything in 4 years, truly. Shameful. Have not fertilized in a couple or three months, and barely water once weekly, even in this awful, awful heat. Shame on me.

Despite me, my orchids are mostly surviving, not thriving. I have been busy with life, and what little time I have, I have been spending it in the veggie garden, or trying to get the yard under control.

In better times (when I used to repot on occassion), I used combinations of medium charcoal chunks, tree fern fiber, and then I'd throw in stuff like coconut chips and aerolite. I would just mix it together in a large plastic storage container. Stuff that I thought might need a bit more moisture I might put a little canadian peat moss. Really no set formula. The main thing I would avoid is bark, as that rots and makes repotting necessary every couple of years if you want the plant to survive at all. I am too lazy for fir bark. As a matter of fact, that's why my orchids have survived so many years of no repotting. There is mostly charcoal and tree fern fiber in all the pots. A few might have coconut chips. I used to get the stuff from my local nursery, or if I needed a lot, from OFE (are they still around?).

Michael, I too find catts to be the toughest of the orchids. They tolerate more cold and more light variation than any of the others. I have all of mine in pots, but they are in a covered (some kind of lexan-type stuff) screened house. Last year we got down to 33-34 several times in winter and I never brought them inside. They survived. Some of my phals really suffered (I am sooo bad), and have not fully recovered. Obviously, I would not recommend this, but it probably won't change this winter either (sooo bad). My MIL is a snowbird and hangs the few phals I've given her in their pots, under a ligustrum standard 6 months of the year and they bloom for her every year. Not great, great, but they do bloom enough to suit her.

Keep in mind you are in 9a, and I am borderline 10a, so you will probably be carting them in several times a winter. My advice is to not get too many to make this a big job. Phals are much more sensitive to cold than catts. Phals also need more regular watering to do well. If you attach your plants to driftwood, you will probably need to water quite a bit more. All things to consider.

Anna
johnjsr
14 years ago
Yes, cattleyas are a much better outdoors orchid than phals. I have 3-4 phals that I left outside on the patio this summer and they look crappy now. Cats are so varible. Some are tough as nails and some are, well... hothouse flowers. I have some that I'm constantly fighting scale and some that never get any. I have a mix of cat species, primary hybrids and some older hybrids. Not too many of the latest and greatest. I doubt that you will need to spend even 5 bucks for a plant. Orchid collectors are like drug addicts, they can't resist hooking some one else. ;>)
laelia anceps is a good one to mount, cold hardy (for an orchid) and drought tolerant. C skinneri, I have a good one, "Casa Luna". C. bowringiana, C.patinii all small mutifloral Central American cats that mount well. Email me if you're interested.
john
olyagrove
14 years ago
Yey, we are talking orchids!

Catts do great in Florida (Tampa, Fl) The bulk of my collection are catts, both species and hybrids (probably close to 250) Lots of light and air circulation, great drainage - and they take care of themselves

Phals are a different story. They do grow well, but need totally different conditions. My phals get a lot of sun, more than most phals would want, but they have adjusted. They are in the same shadehouse with catts and others, but are on the shadier end.
I grow my pots in pure sphagnum moss or mounted on treefern.
There are a number of fragrant ones....

Catts by far seem easier. Similar to phal type dendrobiums (the kind most local stores sell)

A few of the ones blooming now!
Catts
From Orchids September 2009

From Orchids August 2009

Phals
From Orchids September 2009
From Orchids August 2009

Olya
imagardener2
14 years ago
Anna

Thanks for the orchid media recipe...now I just have to find all that stuff, lol.
Where in Sarasota might one find tree fern fiber?

and Olya
GORgeous orchids. I love fragrant orchids, well fragrant anything really, but a big ol' orchid with fragrance, that's special.

Denise
annafl
14 years ago
Olya, I echo the gorgeousness of your orchids. Those phals are really special. Keep showing us what blooms for you. I always drool with your pics.

Denise, Farm and Garden has tree fern fiber and charcoal in small quantities. However, for larger and more economical sizes (it's expensive no matter what), and better selection, check out the ofe site. They have all kinds of stuff in different sizes.

Anna

Here is a link that might be useful: ofe orchid growing media in large quantities
an_ill-mannered_ache
Original Author
14 years ago
denise, olya, john & anna... THANKS for all the advice and inspiration. i think i'm going to go for a dozen catts. (two tees!) and thanks very much for the ofe--great prices!
olyagrove
14 years ago
Thank you Anna and Denise. Anna, I believe, you are the Queen of cattlyeas - such gorgeous specimens!

An_ill-mannered_ache, good luck. If you have done well with dends, you will do just as well with catts with the same conditions!

a quick question for orchid growers... cats and phals in fla?

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a quick question for orchid growers... cats and phals in fla?

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