The man you bought the plant from should have given you some tips on the plant's care. If he didn't, you might give him a call. One would think after raising the plant for twenty years he would be concerned that it's treated properly. The saying is "you can't give an orchid too much water, but you can water it too often." That means when you water, give the plant copious amounts of water, then wait until the medium is almost dry before giving it water again. The growing season for dendrobiums is the spring and summer, so that's when they need the most water and fertilizer. In the fall and winter when the light is weaker, they don't need as much water and fertilizer as they grow much more slowly, so the advice is to cut back on them at the end of August. In fact, some dendrobiums don't want any fertilizer or water at all. Where are the blooms coming from? If they are from a spike at the tip of the cane, then the plant would prefer to be watered and fertilized year round. If they are up and down the cane then it's the type of plant that wants a dry winter. And yes, the water runs out of the bottom because of the nature of the medium. Orchid roots also want air, so the medium has pockets of air. That's why the advice is to give copious amounts of water because it runs through so fast and with just a dribble the medium doesn't have a chance to get wet enough.

Anyone growing Rhus copallina var. latifolia 'Morton'? I have a hillside of white pines with an adjacent 30' x 30' grass opening. The grass on this hillside is now dead thanks to the drought and the hot location. I'm considering replacing the dead sod with 'Prairie Flame' Shining Sumac. I want it to look somewhat naturalized and massed with the added benefit of not having to mow the hillside. Does this particular sumac behave itself so that mowing where I want to maintain a foot path at the bottom of the hill will be all that's require to keep it within bounds. And secondly, will I need to grow something under this plant to prevent erosion and suppress weeds. If so , what would you recommend. I mostly do native plants in my yard, but I'm not opposed to adding a few non-natives to increase design possibilities especially when it comes to lower maintenance and function.

i would wonder about a frost or a freeze.. within the last week ... and.. as usual.. a pic would help ... the sun is still pretty low on the horizon.. being just weeks from the start of spring... i like to think of sun burn ... as more of a mid to late summer thing.. when the plant cant pump enough water.. for the heat .. and the leaves start to look sunburned .. scorched ... [and of course.. i mean in MI ... the further south you go... the earlier it can happen ...] and finally ... as with all BBS purchases... its hard to define.. what the heck happened to it prior to you buying it.. or how far south it was shipped from ... e.g. if it was shipped from FL.. and you left it out in 35 degree weather.. you should see where i am going with it.. see above ... this would be lack of a proper hardening off ... also ..... if you happen to go back.. or call them.. they might say something like.. yes.. we have have many complaints about that stock .. and then you know.. it wasnt you .... ken

Kay - Colorado Moon Fire is a little workhorse. It always jkeeps putting up more scapes here too, usually blooming to the end of July or early August. Mantis - Lord of the Storm's real name is Lord of the Wind. I think I was out in sun for too many hours today. :) The windswept look is the reason I bought it. That cultivar always has a lot of movement.