I'm from Tulbagh, Western Cape, South Africa. Tulbagh is a small farming community.
Get Pushed Challenge: I have been doing this challenge on and off...
Beautiful orchid - such a vibrant colour. These are very easy to look after Sally. Do not water from the top of the plant. Once a week/2 weeks stand the pot in water right over the top. I sometimes put some plant food in the water. Leave for about 20 mins then take out of the water and drain. The flowers last for ages and then finally fall off. Carry on with the once a week watering and your orchid will flower again and again. Be patient!! I have lots of orchids - I used to kill them off by overwatering but an expert in the garden centre told me what to do and it works!!
@pamknowler Thanks for the info, Pam. I shall do this and keep you posted! I have murdered one off in the past, but only after it finished flowering, so this will be a challenge!
@pamknowler Pam, sorry just need to pick your brain re my orchid. Thanks to your advice it has survived thus far. The flowers are now dying back. Should I cut back the stems once the flowers have all died? If so, should I cut it close to the leaves?
@salza Sally ask away - only happy to help!! When the flowers die on the stem I leave the stem alone until it dies back itself. I then cut it off down close to the leaves. Carry on with your watering - stand in the water for a while, drain and put back in pot. I do this every week or two - depends if i have the central heating on in the winter. You will find a new stem will grow and you will get new flowers on that stem. You will know when to cut the stem as it will look dead. Good luck!!
@pamknowler Thank you so much! I think it will be such a shame if I manage to bump it off now after managing to keep it alive for neigh on 5 months! I shall be inspecting it closely tomorrow as the one stem has lost all its flowers. The other stem still has some that are looking rather sorry for themselves.
@salza Just thinking Sally the orchids seem to have a time when they don't do anything - no flowers at all - and then it all starts again. Just be patient. I do feed mine now and then - liquid feed in the water.
October 25th, 2013
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