skip to main content

The Single Life

Spike? Are you there?

22 years ago

You might just want to save space - this forum obviously isn't working out. I appreciate all your efforts.

Barbara_Tampa

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (12)

Wings2W
22 years ago
Sorry Barbara and all...

I am new and not certain what to expect from this forum.

I know many things we have in common and many others not.

I try to stay busy,24/7, but do take time to read and try to post. Isn't the easiest thing being an introverted newbie.

Any ideas? Perhaps some of the more experienced members could help with the rules of accepted posting.

I'm new. My very loved SO passed 6/03. Am trying to etch out being single once again. I don't do the "social" scene or the internet. Simply thought others on this forum might share a few words of wisdom.

Wing
kayjones
22 years ago
Wing, allow me to extend my deepest sympathies to you - GOD BLESS YOU! I can't know how you must feel, but if I can offer a shoulder or a listening ear, please feel free to contact me.

There is a 'grieving' forum here on gardenweb.com, so I would ask you to give those folks a chance to assist/empathize with you during this difficult time.

Please post here, or contact any one of us here, if we can be of any help.

Here is a link that might be useful: Grieving forum
Related Discussions
'Tis the season
Q
Comments (17)
Jane, You are definitely right about the dirt plants, but then again, most yard and garden plants are designed to grow in full sun. Two problems with orchids. 1) They don't move water as quickly as dirt plants so cell elongation is hampered more under high light/low humidity than it is with high water pressure garden plants. 2) Orchids are partial shade plants, and each has its own native place in the forest canopy, with forest floor growers like Paphs (and most house plants) being the lowest light. The physiology is adapted to a certain light range, too much light and you get daily chemical backup damage, and energy goes into cleaning up the mess each night rather than growth. I disregarded the conventional wisdom to grow seedlings at lower light (probably I read in Northen's book and others) because I didn't think my light was that high, but after a while I found that I was even stunting my adult catts. High light also goes hand in hand with lower local humidity, and that may have been a big factor too. I grew stunted (75% size) cattleyas for a couple of years until I 1) built the collection large enough that they were self shading due to being packed on the bench, and 2)I moved many to the Oncid benches. I also stunted Phals and Paphs under shoplights because I had so much reflective maerial around them (white stone below and mirrors on 3 sides. It wasn't until I recently moved and put my paphs in a bedroom corner that they actually started to grow big. If you are having flower spacing problems, most notably with things like yellow Catts, which tend to open buds before they get out of sheath, you will get the spike to elongate more if you take them out of growing light and put them down into phal light when the buds start to mature. The overal spike length of phals may not change noticable with high light because of high growth rate, but the flower spacing will. You might not have problems, but if you do, like with the yellow catts, keep that bud end out of the high light. The low humidity right next to bulbs doesn't help the matter. The biggest problem I have ever had with light stunting was growing African violets in a bright apartment. Under my Phal conditions they were so flat and tight that flowers couldn't make it between the leaves easily, and watering had to be from below. That is why I laugh whenever I see it recommended that Phals be grown in AV light.
...See More
Professional Grower's Notes on Blooming Phalaenopsis/Phals
Q
Comments (0)
Diana in Houston nicely shared her notes under a thread called "Phal Insider Growers info." Arthur and others added information and had questions. The following is primarily Diana's editing of that original post. Thanks Diana! I just came from my orchid club meeting where we had a local wholesale commercial phalaenopsis grower as the speaker. It was interesting but nothing special until he and Dr. Wang, our mentor and reknown orchid researcher, started talking about what was required to make phals bloom, and have more flowers, (a specialty of Dr. Wang's). Here's the scoop: 1. A phal NOT blooming can be determined by temperature AND light. A commercial grower can KEEP PHALS FROM BLOOMING until a particular time by keeping the temperature above 82 degrees. However, a cheaper way is to shade the greenhouse with 50% shade cloth. 2. To initiate spiking, the temperature must remain consistantly below 82 degrees. A temperature of 90 degrees, even for a short time, will prevent spiking. 3. To have more flowers on a spike, from the time the spike is 2 inches, until it is 8 inches, the temperature must remain consistantly between 65 degrees and 77 degrees. Day and night difference is not involved. This commercial grower gets the phals as 4 to 6 inch bare root plants from Taiwan. He pots them in 4 inch pots and grows them on for about 6 months, at which time they go into 6 inch pots. He then keeps the benches of phals he wants to spike under plastic with an air conditioner (on 24 hours a day) at each end until the spikes are 8 inches tall (approximately 6 weeks). He then moves them out until they have 4 or 5 flowers open, then delivers them to jobbers. As you can see in Dr. Wang's information above, withholding blooming to produce bigger and better blooming is standard practice in the industry. (Notice he says that growers raise the temperature to prevent blooming, but he added that greater shading will produce the same effect.) Nothing specific was mentioned about phal species. I would assume that the species that make up the modern hybrids would be responsive. I failed to mention that the commercial grower said that he stops the cooling when the spikes reach 8 inches, but that it was for economic reasons. He has the plastic cover on an arched frame about two feet above the benches. He could have it higher and let the spikes reach a greater height by cooling for a longer time, but it is better for him to have fewer flowers and be able to treat another batch of plants, then to have fewer plants, but more spectacular flowers. Also, Both he and Dr. Wang use RO water and cal/mag fertilizer exclusively. Doesnt the air conditioning lower the humidity? That question came up at the meeting. Larry said that, between the area being closely covered with plastic, and the regular watering schedule, (hand watered, not automated) the humidity did not drop low enough to affect the orchids. Posted by: ArthurM NSW AUST (My Page) on Sun, Aug 1, 04 at 17:59 There is a little problem in that most of the above relates to spring flowering Phalaenopsis. Add Doritis to the equation and i'm not sure what will happen. Perhaps this is why I've had so much trouble getting Doritaenopsis Tamara to rebloom though I found the start of flowering spike the other day and where it is sitting on the windowsill has been down to 12C. This autumn flowering trigger must relate to one of the species that appears in the ancestry of most modern hybrids...But there are some that initiate flowering in early spring such as the large white that I auctioned at our last OS meeting purely because it grew enormous leaves and outgrew its welcome. Flowered December so counting back 110 days spike would have started about late August (Spring Here). Phal amablis is in flower now so flowering was initiated when it was still warm. Doritis pulcherrima flowers summer as does Phal. violacea so expect different behaviour from primary hybrids. If you read down the thread, you see that Dr. Wang actually says just to 'increase the shade' if you want to withhold flowering until a later time. How you cool your phals is largely determined by where you live, and whether you can keep them outdoors at a range that will not threaten them for long enough to get a lot of flowers on each spike. If you have ever seen Dr. Wang's phals, there are as many as 50 flowers on one plant, and the flowers are huge. The spikes can be three feet long. That is produced by carefully controlled temperatures and feeding, not just submitting them to some cool weather. I live in the southern tip of Texas, and the weather dips down to the low 40's or upper 30's several times each winter and the upper 90's in the summer. My phals are outside year round. Some of them rather then whether they will spike or not bloom beautifully, with short but full spikes. Others are loaded with flowers, but they are small. This depends on their heritage. Some are just finishing their bloom now, in August, and others will bloom in the cooler weather and throughout the winter. The only rule that seems to hold is that most of them thrive with a steady cool period. How long that period is will determine the quantity and perfection of the flowers,
...See More
Can you please name these leaves
Q
Comments (2)
Someone on GW's Cacti & Succulents forum can probably tell you which agave it is.
...See More
Could this be a dendrobium spike?
Q
Comments (7)
Oh all that is good for me to know because I thought it's too cold for den. When the outside - 26,27 below Celsius, even though I set the fireplace to be at 13, it still goes down to 10 or 11 degrees. (It's the remote control's fault). Never reads accurate. Set 13 but if it's in minus in single digit outside, it is 14 or 15 degrees inside but if down to minus 20ish outside, it will be down in the room to 10 0r 11 so it's hard for me to adjust. I just hope that all my orchids will survive and do okay. So far, since I moved all my orchids in this room over a month ago, I got 3 orchids spike for me (rebloom the second time this year) so that is a good news and to know that your orchids can do well in 10 0r 11 C. puts me at ease. I will sure post the bloom if they will bloom for me later.... Tanie
...See More
Wings2W
22 years ago
Thanks Kay, yes, I know. I spent a great deal of time at a different site with 24/7 chat for a very long time.

Just thought maybe I could get some idea of what other single people "do" when they're not working 24/7. Being single isn't the easiest thing with the world being geared for couples.

I visit other sites and GW boards. Am looking for a yard to buy with a house attached. Maybe, then, will have more to contribute.

Did fry my monitor this morning. YUK! Wish I had the tenacity to buy a HUGE one. ;). I even thought of checking into having my PC hooked up to my big screen tv but thought that might be a bit much.

Thanks, again, for your thoughts. True, no one knows until they experience it personally. Is the hardest lesson on earth but I know I'm not alone.

Wing
kayjones
22 years ago
I can tell you what I do in my 'spare' time (ya, right)! I grow tropical plants, so tend those, mow my grass, clean my house, look for a second job, play on the computer, working on learning Microsoft Word and how it does all that neat stuff, play with my grandbabies, watch very little tv, kick around in some thrift stores, and if I'm REALLY bored, I will call a friend and visit with her on the phone. I go to bed at 9:30 and get up at 5:30. My days are full enough to please me, with enough time to do what I want, when I want.
bunnyman
22 years ago
What to do with my time is never a problem. From the moment I get up until I go to bed there is one thing after another. I often work 7 days a week so simple chores like cooking and cleaning are a challenge. My home has endless projects to work on. At the moment bookshelves, shutters, a second garage door opener, painting, some tile to grout, and new curtains to hang all are on the to-do list. It takes 16 hours or so to mow my lawn from one end to the other so riding the lawnmower is available whenever it is not raining. Much of the time I just put all the work off and relax in front of my computer or play with my cats. Last night I went out for beers after work and was talked into shooting pool for a couple hours. Then I like my food so there is always something interesting to cook up. Steaks to cakes and all things inbetween... nothing beats home cooking. I have a stack of books about ten foot tall that I've not opened the cover on and 3 or 4 that I'm attempting to read at the same time. The garage and basement both need a project level cleaning and new shelves put up. A wheel bearing on my truck needs a looked at.

Today I slept till noon. Exhausted and sore from work yesterday. By the time I cook some brunch, check my e-mail, look over a new retirement plan for work, and pet my cat for a moment it will be time to head down the road to work. I'll be back home about midnight getting cleaned up and back on the internet while cooking some supper. Can't stand the bars on weekends because of all the cigarette smoke. Port Huron is calling me this weekend for a visit with some friends if I can get out of working.

This forum ain't dead it is just sleeping.

: )
michael
kayjones
22 years ago
ANOTHER interesting Michael - UNBELIEVABLE! You sound as if you have enough to do to occupy several people - but remember: housework makes you ugly, and no play makes you dull, so relax and do nothing when you can, so you won't be ugly and boring! LOL
walksalone
22 years ago
:(((((( Lost kitty to diabetes, only six yrs old. Leaves littermate bro.

Been too sad to post.
Wings2W
22 years ago
Too Funny Kay! How come I'm not georgous??? Huh! Huh!

Well, spent the afternoon with a realtor checking out an OLD HOUSE. A bit scary, being alone, with things that need to be done but the basic house is great. Pocket doors, french doors to the outside wraparound porch, attic room, etc. Of course, NO storage but big closest and the biggest "old" bathroom I've ever seen. I'm meeting him tomorrow at 10:00. Just need a sleepless night.

I think Bunnyman could make a great living just cooking for others! I have to see if I have any leftovers tonight. Actually, we have a cottage biz that does cooking for others. One can buy fresh or frozen and they do quite well.
Is the homemade type one can't get in the stores.

Would really like to haunt the garage sales and thrift shops but I'd be too nervous and have a ton of things already. Maybe will check some things I have on consignment.

I do tend to get paranoid when contemplating spending much $$. Being frugal was a necessity and now is a hobby. :) I certainly would have enough work/projects to keep me busy for a very long time.

Wing
bunnyman
22 years ago
I'm sorry to hear about your kitty WalksAlone. My cats really make the house a home.
ivamae
22 years ago
I've been alone too, since losing my partner 5 years ago. Yes, I can keep busy. There is always housework, meal preparation, grocery shopping etc., but that is not the same. It doesn't take away the loneliness. It is no fun to go on drives and outings by oneself. I miss the closeness etc. so much. I have a dog and I don't know what I would do without him. He is so loyal.
All the best, Wings.
Kathsgrdn
22 years ago
Wings2W, did you buy the house? I'm looking at homes right now..in fact I have to meet with my realtor this morning to look at some more. Not very encouraging at the moment. I found one but it's 50 years old and the kitchen needs remodeled, but they're asking about $10,000 more than it's supposedly worth. But I love it. ) :
Wings2W
22 years ago
No, I didn't. It needed too much for the price/area. Is still listed too. I became suspect of maybe "unseen" things when I realized the refrigerator had been unplugged with food inside. YUK.

I tend to get saturated and retreat. Very busy at work and probably wouldn't appreciate much either right now.

Good luck! You been shopping long? Send me a note. I have a few links you might like.

^w^

Related Stories

FLOWERS Keep Your Garden on Point With Spikes of Purple

Tall purple blooms bridge color gaps, contrast round flower forms and make for intriguing masses in the landscape

GARDENING GUIDES Flower Spikes Nail Impact in Summer Gardens

Get to the point in your landscape with spiky flowers and plants that create excitement and drama

GARDENING FOR BUTTERFLIES Great Design Plant: Red Yucca Spikes Dry Spots With Color

By Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

Neither heat nor cold nor lack of water fazes this flowering succulent, which adds spiky texture to Southwestern landscapes

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Penstemon Parryi

By Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

Drought-tolerant Parry’s penstemon greets spring with pink flowering spikes that delight passersby and hummingbirds alike

SHOP HOUZZ Shop Houzz: Create a Country-Style Home Bar

Get cozy with rustic furniture, Mason jar accessories and a tall glass of spiked tea

0

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Pride of Madeira

By Annie Thornton

Try this drought-tolerant stunner for its massive flower spikes that burst with purple, drawing butterflies and birds to the garden

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Aloe Vera

By Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

Bright yellow flowering spikes decorate this popular aloe from late winter into spring, much to the delight of hummingbirds

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Anise Hyssop Delights Licorice Lovers

By Pollination Press LLC

With its distinct scent and flower spikes, drought-tolerant Agastache foeniculum stirs interest among humans and winged creatures alike

TREES Great Design Plant: Cascalote Tree for Sunny Southwestern Style

By Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

Enjoy lovely yellow flower spikes in fall and winter with this drought-resistant tree

FLOWERS Great Design Plants: Penstemon Rostriflorus

By Susan J Tweit

Plant bridge penstemon, also called mountain fountains, for its long-blooming scarlet spikes that act like a living hummingbird feeder

Sponsored

Hope Restoration & General Contracting

35 Reviews

Columbus Design-Build, Kitchen & Bath Remodeling, Historic Renovations