The Monday Garden, March 6, 2005, Issue 154A
Eco-gardening at its best
Here’s another orchid too tough for even me to kill: the Iwanagaara Apple Blossom. I’ve had several cultivars from different sources and they’ve all done well for me, and for most of the people to whom I given the divisions.
Picture: Iwanagaara Apple Blossom just opening March 5, 2005.
Here’s the cultural notes:
Water: While it's still in a 3-inch pot, water twice a week. When transplants into 4 inch or larger pot, water weekly. Use ˝ strength fertilizer for tropical flowering plants almost weekly (highest number in middle) before flowering; after flowering use an organic balanced fertilizer. Skip the fertilizer at least once a month and don’t fertilize at all during the rest period.
Best way to water: soak submerged for a minute or two. Important: plant should become partially dry between waterings.
Flowering: Will flower on new stalks (like most orchids). Once buds appear, do your best to keep the humidity up – or the buds can die.
Bugs: none noticed – seems pretty much immune.
Light: needs bright light; can take a lot of sun; watch for burning in mid-day or afternoon sun.
Temperature: This is a medium-temperature orchid that does well in ordinary household temperatures (but not super-cold air conditioning). Like most orchids, it needs a 10-degree drop in night temperatures to bud. This happens naturally on windowsills.
Air: orchids need circulating air; don’t over-crowd.
Humidity: orchids like humidity. Set over damp pebbles and sprinkle pot moss daily. Wash leaves at least once a week.
Potting mix: Use a commerical bark chip mix for orchids -- meduim texture; add some moss on top of the bark chips for looks, to keep the bark in place, and to moisten for humidity.
picture: an Iwanagaara Apple Blossom that I had in 2002 that really looked like an apple blossom.
watching the flower open:
CLICK HERE for more about Phalaenopsis
CLICK HERE for more about orchids generally
Photo credits: Sue Sweeney © Sue Sweeney 2003, 2005