Last summer I inherited my mom’s collection. She had hers for about 2-3 years. They were thriving and she put little effort in. She had them in her bathroom which was thee most perfect place. When I had to take them in my room which is cold and dry they’ve suffered. Also I repotted them and it’s just been so hard to get them back to where they were. I’ve lost one and most of them have no roots 😔😔😔 from stem and root rot. I got that book you mentioned and watch a lot of UA-cam. I ordered everything you use 😄😄😄 I transferred all of them to water culture because they just were not doing well the the bark mixture I had. I’ve learned so much and most of all I love them and the way I feel from tending to them. You are my favorite orchid channel. I love your blessing at the end and I wish you the same 🥰🥰
Hi Alexis! Thanks so much for sharing your story and for your sweet comment. It made my day! :) I was thinking as I read your comment that orchids usually don't like to be moved after a while...they get used to their homes and settle in, just like we do. So don't get discouraged that these orchids are taking a while to adjust. You're learning and enjoying the process, and that's the key. I'm wishing you lots of growing success and many blessings into your life! :) Amy
My story is not long. I started out with a few orchids I purchased in full bloom to make a casket floral arrangement for my sweet mother-in-law. When the blooms were buried with her, I still had the plants and wanted to keep them alive. I tried my best with the little knowledge I had and then discovered your UA-cam channel and a few others. I still had losses because I was buying rescue orchids but the ones that did make it were platforms of my learning from folks like you and I kept right on. I now have about 150+ orchids that are not all Phals. They surprise me daily. I foster orchids for people, bring them back into bloom and send them back home. I give orchids I’ve rescued and rebloomed away to people to enjoy. I tell them if they tire of the plant, want to learn more about orchids or just want me to foster it to rebloom, I’ll be glad - just call. Still learning every day. My growing space is now filled with blooms of all colors and sizes. The space is filled with sweet memories that make me smile. Thank you for sharing your story. You are the part of my story that kept me trying and learning. Grace and peace to you. P.S. Went to Maryville College, met my husband there and birthed our son there. Now live in southwest Virginia.
That's a GREAT story, Pix! It's wonderful that you foster orchids for people and give orchids away that you've rescued for their enjoyment! Wow! You're spreading a lot of joy around...I feel happy just reading your comment! I'm so honored to be part of your orchid journey...thank you for letting me know. May God's blessings flow in your life. P.S. My parents live in SW VA! It's a small world, Pix! :)
Hi Amy!😊 My hubby bought me my first orchids-on clearance from Home Depot in January 2018. I blame him for my obsession now!😂 They were the "just add ice" kind, and that's just how I cared for them for several months, until I discovered UA-cam and learned so much about them and how to really care for them from home growers like you and others😊 Since then I have acquired about 45 phals--all for clearance prices from Wal-Mart, Kroger, and Home Depot. It's so satisfying to see them bloom! Especially in winter here in Michigan! I love having flowers to look at and take care of when it's so dreary and the sun rarely shines. Thank you for sharing your expertise w us! You inspired me to try water culture, too! God bless you and your orchids❤😊
Hi and thanks for your orchid story! It's really interesting to see how people start growing orchids, and I'm so honored to be part of your journey. :)
Hi Amy I have been growing orchids for almost 5 yrs now that orchid still have today. My daughter gifted to me as birthday and just like you I knew nothing about orchid growing but the difference between us have the internet and yes youtube lol but on serious I still struggle to,keep them alive. For nearly 3 years I still lost alot of orchids before I got the hang of it lol. Thank you for sharing your experience with us, it's nice to hear your back story of orchid growing. Keep safe and happy growing : )
Hi! Thanks for sharing your story! Like you, the first 3 years were the hardest ones...then I started learning! :) It's a pleasure to share my experience with everyone...I want people to be able to learn how to grow well and experience the joy of growing these beautiful plants! Happy growing! :) Amy
I look at your orchids and it’s visible by their healthy looking leaves, the abundance of air roots and constant blooming that you have gotten your orchid growing down to an art form. I salute you and congratulate you on your upcoming anniversary as an awesome and caring orchid grower.. Thank you for sharing your skill and lessons learned in growing these beautiful plants. Bless you and your family too. Amy
Thanks so much for the sweet comment and the blessing...and you're learning, Amy! 6 orchid spikes...that's HUGE! It took me longer than 2 years to accomplish that! You're doing really well...just by your name alone you have seeds of orchid growing greatness in you! lol! ;) Blessings! Amy :)
My husband started a job and inherited a row of orchids on his work windowsill. He brought them home, I over loved them and over watered them and before I got a tds meter I was burning roots at 1700pps from a regular garden fertilizer. One has survived, I’m bringing her back fro two leaves and one root. She’s now got four leaves. And I started buying orchids in bloom to inspire me on. Now three years in, I started a UA-cam channel and I’m still learning. I’ve expanded a grow room and feel like finally, this summer something may rebloom from my efforts. I was inspired by your videos and was saddened when you took a break from UA-cam. So glad you are back with your sunshine, perspectives, and experience.
I loved reading this, Michelle. You just didn't give up and learned from your mistakes. Good for you! YES, I burnt many roots from a whopping dose of fertilizer many times. You said something really important here...you buy orchids in bloom to inspire you on. That's important. When you have something beautiful to look at, it changes your perspective on growing...you start with success. I did that as well, and it kept me moving forward. Great comment...thanks for sharing...and it's so good to be back! :) Bless you my friend!
Thank you for making this videos and sharing all your knowledge. The first orchid I ever bought was 16 years ago. I still have her. I have almost killed her several times. I have learned so much in the last year by watching youtube orchid channels and reading. Your videos are the ones that have taught me the most. Like you said, you never stop learning and acquiring knowledge. My orchids are doing so great right now thanks to you!
For five years I had tried but I always lost my orchids few months later. even the first one that started to grow leaves for me a guest of mine dropped it on the floor so I was mad for few years 😅 til the last summer my roommate left an orchid in the house so I took it to my parents and surprisingly it grew and it's spiking now and its really magic and I went to the forest and collected a pine bark that seems that the orchid just loved it so I can't wait to buy my next orchid even the prices is not inviting. And thank you for the advices and the conversations
I've had a few mishaps with orchids dropping to the floor as well, so I understand what you're saying! lol! ;) I'm so glad you kept growing orchids and now you have success! Thanks so much for watching and I wish you lots of growing successes in the future! :)
I bought my first orchid in2020 from Ikea. My daughter in law took me for my first ever trip to ikea. We both bought the phals because they were only $7 and so big. Neither one of us knew what to do. UA-cam videos help a lot, especially yours! My is reblooming now.
I love your shared wisdom and joy of growing orchids. I done 3 years of growing with your help and totally look forward to many more. I've never had such a passion before in my life and you helped me emencly, thank you.
Very well done. I have been growing orchids for about 30 years. My first orchid was given to me by my cousin. It was a Dendrobium. Unfortunately I no longer have it. I didn’t know beans about growing orchids, but I was smitten by them. So I started buying Phalenopsis, because they were what was available. So like you I studied to learn . I now have a collection of close to 80 different varieties. When they do well and rebloom it’s always exciting. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I enjoyed watching, and many blessings be upon you. 🤗🥀
Thanks for sharing your orchid story, Shirley! That was awesome! You've been growing for 30 years...wonderful! I can tell they bring you a lot of joy. :) Blessings to you and your family! Amy
I enjoyed your story! I'm so lucky to still have my first phal from 7 years ago. She's actually blooming right now! I made a similar mistake as you, rotted her roots. It survived! I went from one extreme where I gave too much water... To giving it very little water. It withstood the abuse, till I learned the right balance. Lovely seeing your videos as always. I agree with your point on buying high quality bark & moss
Hi! It's always so nice to hear from you, and thank you for sharing your story! Wow, you have your first phal...well done! Balance...that's a great word for growing orchids! :)
I'm convinced that I don't get enough light for my orchid's. Installing lights this week. Can't watch them die slowly anymore over the winters. Thanks for all your advice, over the years. 🤗🇨🇦
Always so nice to hear from you! And I'm really excited that you're installing lights. Please keep me posted on how your collection does with them...wishing you lots of success! Thanks for being so faithful to my channel...I appreciate you! :) Amy
You're doing the right thing! Sure it will work for you like it works for me. It's the very first winter I haven't got ANY issues with the orchids - all due to the new grow panels I've invested in. (I had light tubes before, without any success.) Good luck and great flowering!
It makes such a difference!! All the best with your lighting set up. I have a little grow light that I bought a couple of years ago, when I decided to grow some cherry tomatoes from seed. Anyway, I set it back up to help give my orchids some extra light over the winter, it's so grey and dark in London at this time! Anyway, I had all my orchids except my dendrobium under the light, and now I've got my first flower spike growing!! I have quite a few sad phals, I've moved them into my bathroom as they maybe too weak and lacking in structures to really benefit from the supplementary lighting. I thought they could benefit from the bathroom being more humid! I want to get some more, but I really don't want the ones that give pink light.
@@Genevieve8002 you don't have to buy the pink one. On Amazon there are lots of full spectrum grow lights and day light panels. You could also try normal leds, even kitchen led lights, just strong enough, and just combine the colours (Kelvin) taking 2 tubes/ bulbs. As you're from the UK you could also check Annabel's channel, the orchid room. She's from the UK, too and has got links to products she's using. I hope I could help and all the best to you and your plant!
@@juliapaust4840 Thank you, yes I'm aware of and browse on Amazon a lot looking for the non pink ones!! I bought mine from a greenhouse specialist based in the UK in the end. Because I wanted something that could just fit nicely on my windowsill, think it's either 5000k or 6000k. Just that the light is a fluorescent, instead of an LED. Thanks again, I'm aware of Anabel's channel too, she has a very extensive set up and I just have a small number of orchids, don't want to overwhelm myself, just want to keep things simple until I feel I'm more experienced.
I started my first orchid about 28 years ago in Florida. At that time, my friend told me orchid plants are very challenging to keep. And I love challenges so I bought one and tried it out. But unfortunately, it died several months later. So I read books and started to have a few more plants. This time I was a bit successful and even have some rebloomed. I kept my collection small only including Phal and Catalya. I also had a 75-gallon mini reef to take care of too. Since 2019, I got rid of the tank because of too much work on maintenance (I am a super senior now) so I started to concentrate on keeping more orchids. Now I have over 50 of them. Most of them rebloom for me. However, I have killed some of them because I have been experimenting on different media -- LECA, moss, bark, and a combination of them. But it has been challenging fun, keeping me busy in my retirement. Thanks for your channel. I learn a lot from it.
Thanks so much for sharing your story! Orchids definitely provide a challenge...I think that may have been part of why I kept growing them, too. I think it's wonderful that you've grown them for so long and I can tell it's a fulfilling hobby for you. My grandmother grew plants all her adult years and into her super senior years as well...it kept her young! I'll be growing orchids when I'm 120! lol! Thank you for watching and happy growing! :)
You reminded me of myself Amy I new nothing about orchids when I first started I thought when they were down blooming that was it. I would not care for them after thinking that they would not boom ever again boy was I wrong! I’m so glad for you’re videos they are so helpful to me I learned a lot in the past 3-4 years . I now have 10 orchids and thanks to you they are all thriving . Thank you so much Amy 😀
I have been travelling the orchid highway for three and half years. Started with a Phal, killed it, plus the second and a third. Then found Dendrobium and Cats. Not killing so frequently now, even a few re-blooms. Still can't grows Phals! Re potting requires 3 hands and the entire kitchen! Everyday is a learning curve, and I couldn't do it without your guidance and inspiration. Much love Ju xxx
Hi...and thanks for your awesome comment, Julie! :) My first success with with a Catt as well! Phals are not the easiest orchid to grow. Every time I buy one and the tag says, "Easy To Grow", I chuckle. I think Dens and Catts are absolutely gorgeous, and I'm so glad to hear they're growing well for you! I'm so glad you're on my channel! :) Blessings to you! Amy xxx :)
U were the reason I started growing orchids.I lived in Pa.and had a collection until scale hit and I didn’t know what to do so lost most.I now live in Florida and I’am trying again.I just got the moss u recommended and my phalanopsis I grow in moss.Having the most trouble with root growth and blooming cattleya.Their in bark.I’am so glad ur back
Wow, thank you for sharing that with me! I'm honored to be part of your orchid journey. I'm wishing you lots of success. I can only imagine the beautiful orchids you'll be able to find in Florida! :) Blessing! Amy
Dear Amy, a really nice, touching story, and thank you very much for sharing! I was determined too when my daughter gifted me some orchids for Christmas a few years ago and they were about to die just 2 months later! Cause no one told me to use warm water and to remove the peat part! 🙈 I felt so ashamed that I couldn't grow them just like any other plant! Although I had orchids earlier, I count my hobby as being started 3 years ago and it was every day learning since then and this is the first successful winter for them and me thanks to proper grow lights at last. It's a big gift for beginners to have your advice and to be encouraged - it is really a great thing. Keep going and be safe!
Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and your beautiful orchids. I am still so new with growing them. Just 1 year and my first orchids were 2 that were gifted to me by my children for Mother's Day. I went on to buy more and I now have 11 Phals which are all in spike again. I did kill one unfortunately at the beginning but so far the rest seem happy. Thank you so much for the blessing you end with, I love that you do. Blessings to you too.🌺
I learned about growing orchids from my dad who learned from a Japanese man that owned a nursery that was local to us. He was a very good person who loved to pass on his knowledge.
Hi Deborah! It's really special you learned about growing from you dad...like I learned about AVs from my grandmother. It's something you always carry with you. :) Blessings!
I started in2019 I saw one Bloom at my mom's house 🏡 and like it,so I started growing one .I wanted more ,so I started to watch videos on UA-cam , this year I bought four three phals and a vanda I hope to buy more in the future.
You've inspired me to try again with orchids. I had an orchid, phalenophis(sp?) almost 7 years ago. Unfortunately, I killed it within a few months. I didn't try again because I didn't want to kill another beautiful plant. However, I've been watching your vids and others for the past 3-4 months and now I feel comfortable enough to try ago. I brought 2 Vandas yesterday. I am going try very hard to keep them alive.
Thank you for this . I started growing orchids two years ago . I killed the first one gifted to me but since i have had one bloom and one rebloom and am still dancing . These are two dendrobiums . I just bought three cattleyas that growing very well in my care and i am waiting patiently for some blooms . I learned how to care for orchids by watching your channel and some other creators eg Danny ( Miss orchid girl) Thanks so much .
Thanks so much for sharing, Glovana! Dens and Catts are gorgeous...I really enjoy growing mine. It sounds like you're really doing a great job with them...congratulations on those blooms! :D I'm so happy to be part of your orchid journey...Danny's channel is excellent to watch as well. Happy growing! Amy
Your orchid at the end is beautiful and must bring you much joy (as they all do). I have become more confident in keeping orchids since watching your videos. Especially your watering/ fertilising regime. In Australia we have had some really hot days recently, but I protected my collection and do not see much damage. I haven't had any re-blooms yet, some stressed ones have gone to plant heaven 😧. Have a lovely day.😊
Hi Roslyn! Thanks so much for your sweet comment and for sharing your story. I'm honored that my videos have helped you. And yes, I love all my orchids, but Phal Legato is special, she's been with me so long. Have a wonderful day and happy growing! :) Amy
I just loved hearing about your orchid journey. My first orchid was a standard sized Phal I purchased about 12 years ago. I knew nothing about orchids. I did know from research that after the blooms and spike died to cut it off. So I did. I kept alive for 6 months. That winter I took the plant to Florida. Was staying in a hotel suite with a balcony. Living room had a western facing window with great light and sheer curtains. When we were in the suite turned off air conditioning and opened both balcony doors. When we went out in the day housekeeping would turn down air to 62 degrees. After being cold in the day and warm at night with humidity it bloomed. Gorgeous white large blooms. 40 blooms in all. On the way home got some bud blast and lost flowers. Then I realized after a week she did not look so well. Potting mix was bad as this was a Home Depot type orchid. I knew nothing about repotting. I repotted in fresh bark mix and she died a week later from stem rot. But I remember those blooms. Now I have rescue mini Phals from 2 to 7 years old. No spikes yet but great leaves, roots and air roots. There is always hope. I am using your Brita filter idea. The Neofinetia look happy. God bless and keep making great videos.
Wow, this was an interesting comment....thanks so much for sharing! You have the most interesting "first orchid" story! I seriously can't stop thinking about this! lol! So it was in cold daytime temps and warm humid temps at night and it bloomed. 40 flowers. My jaw just dropped open. :D I'm hoping your Phals bloom splendidly for you in the future. If the plants look good, they should bloom in time. And you grow Neofinetias...that's awesome. Happy growing and God bless you! :) Amy
@@OrchidWhisperer Yes cold days with air coming down from ceiling like a fan. Warm humid nights to thaw out from housekeeping chilling the room. Cannot duplicate in the north. I am trying cold days about 60 degrees in window and warm nights about 77-78 degrees away from windows. I only hope.
I started off 2 years ago with a no ID mini phal, that was my first orchid. Prior to that I'd only cared for a few house plants. Anyway, I got that first orchid and the first few months while it remained in bloom it was fine, then the bloom cycle stopped and it started growing vegetatively. I had it in a part of the room that didn't get direct light, but to me still got light. I didn't really do much research on the care of mini phals and decided to repot into a clay pot with regular orchid potting mix. I noticed that it seemed to become dull and lackluster, then one day I had it too close to a scented candle and inadvertently gave the orchid leaf burn. 😔 This set the orchid all the way back. I still have her, she is not thriving, but what I've also learnt is what you have also shared in one of your videos. Mini phals require more light and water!! Another mini phal that I bought nearly a year ago, it seemed to always want water, way more than any of the others, but that one stayed in bloom the longest and remains the healthiest of all my orchids and it's currently growing a new flower spike from between the leaves, I'm so happy!! This is going to be the first one that I've had that looks like it will rebloom for me😍. I also just came to the realization that in my environment, my orchids thrive better in plastic pots than clay pots! I am still trying to establish which water and fertilizer regimen that best works for me though, but i am getting better with that side of things. I also added some supplementary lighting over the course of the winter as it's so dark and grey here in the U.K. at this time. The rest of my little phals are rescues and remain in various stages of recovery. Thank you for all that you do and for sharing your knowledge and experience with us. 😏
Thanks so much for sharing your orchid story, Genevieve! This was such fun to read! It sounds like you really have a good grasp on growing orchids in your environment in such a short period of time...that's amazing! Always great hearing from you. Happy growing, my friend! :)
I started about 5 years ago. I received one four years before. But I was not into it. I kept it because of pretty leaves but never really did any thing but water it when the moss was straw looking. Then I moved to different side of building and actually had bright light. The orchid grew a baby and that excited me. And I started reading up on Care of orchids. I repotted it and it was growing roots . But it never did much else no leaves or spikes. I finally gave up on it . Threw it away. So I now have learned more and Own 6. I follow your system they are now producing new leaves. And have nice looking color. But no spikes in four years,no matter what info. Good light and potting mix. It is discouraging
Cheers from Canada! Very nice video with some great advice. Your orchid journey sounds very similar to mine although I'm not as far along... I first got a phal to rebloom 5 years ago and like you said it was a happy dance moment for sure. I'd been trying to grow them for a year or 2 before that with little success. I joined the local orchid society group here a couple years ago and found that helped me a lot in sharing info and new plants. Anyway thanks for the video and stay safe.
Hi Amy greetings to you and your family happy you have gone through the time to become a true orchid grower, anyway I'm going to go off the topic right now to ask about a fellow and friend UA-camr whose name is Rick's Orchid I know his family was going through some challenging time I do pray His wife Jan and Him. Rick are both doing well all the best I learn so much from you and Rick thank you
Hi Amy. I love your story. I had to do some research before I could comment. I think my first orchid was a Blue phalaenopsis for Mother's Day from my husband in 2014. I have no idea if I still have that orchid or not. I don't believe I do. I do have my white phal with fuschia dots from April 2016. She finally started reblooming for me around a year ago and is my only phal in bloom right now. I found you and started to increase my collection when our youngest daughter was in college. I think during 2018? I'm developing a love for the mini phalaenopsis. I picked up two new ones last week. 🥰 Now I'm trying to keep up with all of the different types of orchids that I have! I have way too many house plants too. They keep me happy while my flower gardens are in hibernation. Tammy in N AL 🙋♀️💕
What a great video! Thanks. My first orchids all got rotten roots, I placed them it a spot where they were not getting enough light, I was following the wrong directions given. In my experience they thrive on light so now mine are in a southern exposure and reblooming 😁
I am having good success with growing phals mounted on cypress driftwood. Have you ever tried mounting an orchid? The many blooms on your orchids is amazing.
Thank you, Margo! I don't have anywhere to hang a mounted orchid, or I would give it a try! And cypress driftwood is beautiful in and of itself, so I'm sure they're beautiful! :)
I truly enjoy your videos. You give clear and exact advice. Also, I have learned to be patient and keep it simple. I follow your potting tips and fertilizer routine. I started with 5 rescue phals. I gave up with 2 of them. The other 3 are now blooming, I have added 2 Twinkles ( one has a tiny spike) and a Sharry Baby. I keep all my plants under grow lights. Now that I have my orchid routine down I find they are easier to care for than my so called " easy common house plants". I wish I could add a Vanda but I don't think I have the light or room for it.
Thank you so much for your comment! :) Patience and simplicity...those are very wise words for orchid growers! It sounds like you have a really good schedule with your orchids...that's so important. Just so you know...there are smaller varieties of Vandas. lol! I think the Neofinetias don't require quite as much light as the larger Vandas do.
By the way I did mention in my other comment I still have my first Orchid but that doesn't mean I didn't have a couple tragedies happen with orchids I bought after purple freckles! It sure is a learning experience... I now have over 70 orchids and I bought water called bag babies at Lowe's and so I've branched out into a couple different kinds of orchids besides the Big Box store phalaenopsis. Don't be afraid and the one thing what you have to do is number one like you said pick out a healthy orchid check out the root system and try to pick one that has good aerial roots! The next thing I do is I try to repot my orchids right away in fresh bark because you don't know how old the media is there in and it could be acidic and kill the roots pretty quickly. So mine are reported in to Fresh bark and now I try to make sure that there is some charcoal and pumice in that bark and they all go into a clay pot that have the slits in the side. Repotting has never caused my orchids to lose their flowers the only thing that's cause them to lose their flowers after I fought them is to put off repotting them! Thanks so much for this video
Been catching up on some of your more recent orchids videos tonight, and you mentioned in one of the videos that it's 20 years since you first started growing orchids, as your daughter is now 20!...I was then thinking, wow 20 years, I wonder how Amy got started with the hobby, and what drew her to it??...Anyway, I just let youtube autoplay the videos, then this one came up!! Perfect!!!
! Through the years I bought an orchid here or there and they died. I love my house plants my garden outside and I just figured I didn't understand what orchids needed. Like you said no UA-cam only books and in reality there wasn't this flood of phalaenopsis available. Finally three years ago I needed something to cheer me up so I bought an orchid then I called Purple freckles... Luckily I still have that orchid and it has re bloomed and it is like a miracle and you feel like you know what you're doing when you can get an orchid to rebloom! You feel like you'd climb to the top of Mount Everest... I found a couple great channels on UA-cam yours was one of them and so was Jacqueline's orchids which is really Carolyn and her husband Jack combining their name to be j a c o l y n s orchids... Cell phone microphone doesn't know how to spell the Channel's name right... And Rick's orchids on UA-cam... Between the three of you I learned a lot about about growing orchids... In fact I was worried about you for a while and I would post a comment and say are you all right because I think you were off UA-cam for over a year so I'm glad to see you back! This is a wonderful video and I enjoying it very much I'm at the 8th minute mark! I love your use of the TV trays. After I ran out of room to have one row of orchids in the bay window I used the TV trays next to the bay window I'm behind the couch so I could have two more rows of orchids! And then I bought some plant stands so I can have two tiered rows and that wasn't enough so I found some three tiered hanging baskets that I hung in the window to take up all that empty space! Even though my orchids are a little crowded they seem to have made their own little ecosystem and enjoy being with each other teehee
I bought an orchid at the grocery store probably 15 - 20 years ago, and it sprouted two more. They have rebloomed every year. However, this year they don't seem to be blooming. I don't know why. Is it because they are old? It's the same window, and fertilizer. No idea why, which is why I'm watching this channel.
How long has it been since they've been repotted? Sometimes a repot on an older plant is in order for them to rebloom, since everything else is the same with them.
A note to encourage you not to give up: often the orchids we get from the grocery store aren’t healthy and they are already on their way downhill. Start with a healthy one. I thought I had killed two, but now I know what was wrong. I have 10 orchids in total and they are all ok. Some are looking better than when I purchased them. Good luck and happy growing!
February 3021 will be my second year growing orchids. And after killing more orchids than I care to remember. I now have six phalenopsis orchids in spike and I am jumping for joy..
I have been doing orchid for 3 yerars phalaenopsis orchid with my first one my first one the first 3 died but now i have like 20 phalaenopsis 5 vandas 1 Cattleya 4 Dan Durham orchids all doing good
Wow!!! Great video. I raise Christmas and Thanksgiving cacti, and was given my first Phal three years ago as a Mother’s Day present from my husband. I have added several, one miniature sadly went to Orchid Heaven recently. I’ve had secondary spikes on that first orchid, and a secondary spike in a newer one. I was just gifted a huge plant with two orchid plants in it, from a respected local nursery, in a very pretty pot with no holes!!!! It’s blooming now but I should repot it. Should I separate it into two plants? And when?
Thanks so much for your sweet comment, Lenore! I've seen these large displays with orchids in pretty pots with no holes. The problem is, if you leave them in that pot with no drainage, they will rot. If the blooms are almost all the way bloomed out, I would repot into 2 separate pots. You might lose a bloom or 2, but it's better than the orchids rotting. Keep me posted...I hope they do really well for you! :)
@@OrchidWhisperer ok thanks. I kinda figured I should separate it and repot. I tend to use orchiata bark and it looks like it’s now in some sort of bark so I think I’ll stick with that rather than New Zealand Moss
I decided to separate my huge orchid plant that I wrote to you about a few days ago. It had two orchid plants in one wooden pot. I listened to and followed exactly your video on repotting orchids. As I carefully removed what turned out to be moss, (I thought it was bark before I really checked it out).....the amount of moss I removed was unbelievable. The roots were healthy, I washed them, soaked them, got all the moss out, repotted in NZ orchiata medium bark with styrofoam chips in bottom, tapping as I went along, then watered well. So I now have two beautiful white orchid plants which look very happy and I am sure will have room to breathe.. I said a little blessing over my two new plants and I know they will do well. Your video on repotting was so so helpful, and I thank you.
I want to share my story. Ive got my first orchid last 5-6 yrs. Im not sure anymore since i almost lose hope on her until it blooms this year. Its a Phal. Aphrodite subs. Formosa something. The white one with rounded petals and yellow lip with orange dots inside its lip. I habe the same adreneline rush when i first saw her but after i bought her and her flowers withered, it does not bloom anymore. Its just grow leaves and roots and lost it leaves and no blooms. I hold for so long until last year and decided to put her in the balcony where direst light will hit her pretty hard. Then where her leaves started to lost and started to gain yellow spot because of so much sun but still i didnt remove her there. Its hard for me but i have to stay her longer until the cold season comes. And at long last she blooms. The sudden drop in temperature from summer to cold season works. She blooms so big. Her flower that i havent seen for yrs is there. But my joy didnt last, i was careless. Accident happen and the flower broke. I feel frustrated. I was crying everynight. Imagine like youve been waiting for someone for a long to come. And when it comes, it breaks. But i move on, i said to myself ill take that lesson to next orchid that i will buy. So i put the broken flower in a vessel with water hoping to make it long last at least weeks. After that i decided to buy another orchids and try to do my best with another one. I watch yt video and now got a recipe of mine that im gonna put in work and hope for the best result, if not as you said, ill put what i learned to the next one. Thats it. Tnx for this beautiful story. It lifts me up. Tnx again
My first orchid was white and I bought it in a Yard Sale. It was in a bad condition but I love to rescue plants. I have it for several years but unfortunately last year die😥.
I use water culture as a temporary method for a struggling orchid. It doesn't work well for me in my environment for long term. They do very well in it till winter, and then it's a struggle. Thanks for watching! :)
Do you still have Vanda orchid? Will you tell a little about your experence. I live in Denmark and i have here in the winter monts had Big problems with Them. Youve been my orchid Queen for serverals years.
Oh, thank you for your sweet comment, Marlene! That made me smile! Vandas require a lot of light, so place it in your sunniest location in the winter. They just don't like low light conditions. Also, the shorter day length is hard on them. The days will be getting longer soon...and Vandas grow roots in the Spring. Hope yours start to do better soon! Happy growing! :) Amy
Last summer I inherited my mom’s collection. She had hers for about 2-3 years. They were thriving and she put little effort in. She had them in her bathroom which was thee most perfect place. When I had to take them in my room which is cold and dry they’ve suffered. Also I repotted them and it’s just been so hard to get them back to where they were. I’ve lost one and most of them have no roots 😔😔😔 from stem and root rot. I got that book you mentioned and watch a lot of UA-cam. I ordered everything you use 😄😄😄 I transferred all of them to water culture because they just were not doing well the the bark mixture I had. I’ve learned so much and most of all I love them and the way I feel from tending to them. You are my favorite orchid channel. I love your blessing at the end and I wish you the same 🥰🥰
Hi Alexis! Thanks so much for sharing your story and for your sweet comment. It made my day! :) I was thinking as I read your comment that orchids usually don't like to be moved after a while...they get used to their homes and settle in, just like we do. So don't get discouraged that these orchids are taking a while to adjust. You're learning and enjoying the process, and that's the key. I'm wishing you lots of growing success and many blessings into your life! :) Amy
Orchid Whisperer 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼 thank you so much ❤️❤️❤️
My story is not long. I started out with a few orchids I purchased in full bloom to make a casket floral arrangement for my sweet mother-in-law. When the blooms were buried with her, I still had the plants and wanted to keep them alive. I tried my best with the little knowledge I had and then discovered your UA-cam channel and a few others. I still had losses because I was buying rescue orchids but the ones that did make it were platforms of my learning from folks like you and I kept right on. I now have about 150+ orchids that are not all Phals. They surprise me daily. I foster orchids for people, bring them back into bloom and send them back home. I give orchids I’ve rescued and rebloomed away to people to enjoy. I tell them if they tire of the plant, want to learn more about orchids or just want me to foster it to rebloom, I’ll be glad - just call.
Still learning every day. My growing space is now filled with blooms of all colors and sizes. The space is filled with sweet memories that make me smile. Thank you for sharing your story. You are the part of my story that kept me trying and learning. Grace and peace to you.
P.S. Went to Maryville College, met my husband there and birthed our son there. Now live in southwest Virginia.
That's a GREAT story, Pix! It's wonderful that you foster orchids for people and give orchids away that you've rescued for their enjoyment! Wow! You're spreading a lot of joy around...I feel happy just reading your comment! I'm so honored to be part of your orchid journey...thank you for letting me know. May God's blessings flow in your life.
P.S. My parents live in SW VA! It's a small world, Pix! :)
We also are in SW Virginia, and I loved reading your story!
@@bethjoy7675 Beth, I live in Lynchburg. Are you anywhere nearby?
Beautiful story!
Hi Amy!😊 My hubby bought me my first orchids-on clearance from Home Depot in January 2018. I blame him for my obsession now!😂 They were the "just add ice" kind, and that's just how I cared for them for several months, until I discovered UA-cam and learned so much about them and how to really care for them from home growers like you and others😊 Since then I have acquired about 45 phals--all for clearance prices from Wal-Mart, Kroger, and Home Depot. It's so satisfying to see them bloom! Especially in winter here in Michigan! I love having flowers to look at and take care of when it's so dreary and the sun rarely shines. Thank you for sharing your expertise w us! You inspired me to try water culture, too! God bless you and your orchids❤😊
Hi and thanks for your orchid story! It's really interesting to see how people start growing orchids, and I'm so honored to be part of your journey. :)
Hi Amy I have been growing orchids for almost 5 yrs now that orchid still have today. My daughter gifted to me as birthday and just like you I knew nothing about orchid growing but the difference between us have the internet and yes youtube lol but on serious I still struggle to,keep them alive. For nearly 3 years I still lost alot of orchids before I got the hang of it lol. Thank you for sharing your experience with us, it's nice to hear your back story of orchid growing. Keep safe and happy growing : )
Hi! Thanks for sharing your story! Like you, the first 3 years were the hardest ones...then I started learning! :) It's a pleasure to share my experience with everyone...I want people to be able to learn how to grow well and experience the joy of growing these beautiful plants! Happy growing! :) Amy
Louisiana here! Im trying to learn Orchid terminology .. Your channel is awesome! May you cont to be blessed in all you do! Ty soo much!
I look at your orchids and it’s visible by their healthy looking leaves, the abundance of air roots and constant blooming that you have gotten your orchid growing down to an art form. I salute you and congratulate you on your upcoming anniversary as an awesome and caring orchid grower.. Thank you for sharing your skill and lessons learned in growing these beautiful plants. Bless you and your family too. Amy
Thanks so much for the sweet comment and the blessing...and you're learning, Amy! 6 orchid spikes...that's HUGE! It took me longer than 2 years to accomplish that! You're doing really well...just by your name alone you have seeds of orchid growing greatness in you! lol! ;) Blessings! Amy :)
My husband started a job and inherited a row of orchids on his work windowsill. He brought them home, I over loved them and over watered them and before I got a tds meter I was burning roots at 1700pps from a regular garden fertilizer. One has survived, I’m bringing her back fro two leaves and one root. She’s now got four leaves. And I started buying orchids in bloom to inspire me on. Now three years in, I started a UA-cam channel and I’m still learning. I’ve expanded a grow room and feel like finally, this summer something may rebloom from my efforts. I was inspired by your videos and was saddened when you took a break from UA-cam. So glad you are back with your sunshine, perspectives, and experience.
I loved reading this, Michelle. You just didn't give up and learned from your mistakes. Good for you! YES, I burnt many roots from a whopping dose of fertilizer many times. You said something really important here...you buy orchids in bloom to inspire you on. That's important. When you have something beautiful to look at, it changes your perspective on growing...you start with success. I did that as well, and it kept me moving forward. Great comment...thanks for sharing...and it's so good to be back! :) Bless you my friend!
Thank you for making this videos and sharing all your knowledge. The first orchid I ever bought was 16 years ago. I still have her. I have almost killed her several times. I have learned so much in the last year by watching youtube orchid channels and reading. Your videos are the ones that have taught me the most. Like you said, you never stop learning and acquiring knowledge. My orchids are doing so great right now thanks to you!
Thank you so much for your sweet comment, Claudia! You made my day! :) Happy growing! Amy
I’ve been growing an orchid for about 6 hrs!
So far, so good! Lol!
Wish me luck (or wish it luck)🙃
God Bless🙏
For five years I had tried but I always lost my orchids few months later. even the first one that started to grow leaves for me a guest of mine dropped it on the floor so I was mad for few years 😅 til the last summer my roommate left an orchid in the house so I took it to my parents and surprisingly it grew and it's spiking now and its really magic and I went to the forest and collected a pine bark that seems that the orchid just loved it so I can't wait to buy my next orchid even the prices is not inviting. And thank you for the advices and the conversations
I've had a few mishaps with orchids dropping to the floor as well, so I understand what you're saying! lol! ;) I'm so glad you kept growing orchids and now you have success! Thanks so much for watching and I wish you lots of growing successes in the future! :)
I bought my first orchid in2020 from Ikea. My daughter in law took me for my first ever trip to ikea. We both bought the phals because they were only $7 and so big. Neither one of us knew what to do. UA-cam videos help a lot, especially yours! My is reblooming now.
I love your shared wisdom and joy of growing orchids. I done 3 years of growing with your help and totally look forward to many more. I've never had such a passion before in my life and you helped me emencly, thank you.
You are so welcome, Esther! I'm honored to be part of your orchid journey...thanks so much for watching! :)
Very well done. I have been growing orchids for about 30 years. My first orchid was given to me by my cousin. It was a Dendrobium. Unfortunately I no longer have it. I didn’t know beans about growing orchids, but I was smitten by them. So I started buying Phalenopsis, because they were what was available. So like you I studied to learn . I now have a collection of close to 80 different varieties. When they do well and rebloom it’s always exciting. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I enjoyed watching, and many blessings be upon you. 🤗🥀
Thanks for sharing your orchid story, Shirley! That was awesome! You've been growing for 30 years...wonderful! I can tell they bring you a lot of joy. :) Blessings to you and your family! Amy
I enjoyed your story! I'm so lucky to still have my first phal from 7 years ago. She's actually blooming right now! I made a similar mistake as you, rotted her roots. It survived! I went from one extreme where I gave too much water... To giving it very little water. It withstood the abuse, till I learned the right balance. Lovely seeing your videos as always. I agree with your point on buying high quality bark & moss
Hi! It's always so nice to hear from you, and thank you for sharing your story! Wow, you have your first phal...well done! Balance...that's a great word for growing orchids! :)
I'm convinced that I don't get enough light for my orchid's. Installing lights this week. Can't watch them die slowly anymore over the winters. Thanks for all your advice, over the years. 🤗🇨🇦
Always so nice to hear from you! And I'm really excited that you're installing lights. Please keep me posted on how your collection does with them...wishing you lots of success! Thanks for being so faithful to my channel...I appreciate you! :) Amy
You're doing the right thing! Sure it will work for you like it works for me. It's the very first winter I haven't got ANY issues with the orchids - all due to the new grow panels I've invested in. (I had light tubes before, without any success.)
Good luck and great flowering!
It makes such a difference!! All the best with your lighting set up. I have a little grow light that I bought a couple of years ago, when I decided to grow some cherry tomatoes from seed. Anyway, I set it back up to help give my orchids some extra light over the winter, it's so grey and dark in London at this time! Anyway, I had all my orchids except my dendrobium under the light, and now I've got my first flower spike growing!! I have quite a few sad phals, I've moved them into my bathroom as they maybe too weak and lacking in structures to really benefit from the supplementary lighting. I thought they could benefit from the bathroom being more humid! I want to get some more, but I really don't want the ones that give pink light.
@@Genevieve8002 you don't have to buy the pink one. On Amazon there are lots of full spectrum grow lights and day light panels. You could also try normal leds, even kitchen led lights, just strong enough, and just combine the colours (Kelvin) taking 2 tubes/ bulbs. As you're from the UK you could also check Annabel's channel, the orchid room. She's from the UK, too and has got links to products she's using. I hope I could help and all the best to you and your plant!
@@juliapaust4840 Thank you, yes I'm aware of and browse on Amazon a lot looking for the non pink ones!! I bought mine from a greenhouse specialist based in the UK in the end. Because I wanted something that could just fit nicely on my windowsill, think it's either 5000k or 6000k. Just that the light is a fluorescent, instead of an LED. Thanks again, I'm aware of Anabel's channel too, she has a very extensive set up and I just have a small number of orchids, don't want to overwhelm myself, just want to keep things simple until I feel I'm more experienced.
I started my first orchid about 28 years ago in Florida. At that time, my friend told me orchid plants are very challenging to keep. And I love challenges so I bought one and tried it out. But unfortunately, it died several months later. So I read books and started to have a few more plants. This time I was a bit successful and even have some rebloomed. I kept my collection small only including Phal and Catalya. I also had a 75-gallon mini reef to take care of too. Since 2019, I got rid of the tank because of too much work on maintenance (I am a super senior now) so I started to concentrate on keeping more orchids. Now I have over 50 of them. Most of them rebloom for me. However, I have killed some of them because I have been experimenting on different media -- LECA, moss, bark, and a combination of them. But it has been challenging fun, keeping me busy in my retirement. Thanks for your channel. I learn a lot from it.
Thanks so much for sharing your story! Orchids definitely provide a challenge...I think that may have been part of why I kept growing them, too. I think it's wonderful that you've grown them for so long and I can tell it's a fulfilling hobby for you. My grandmother grew plants all her adult years and into her super senior years as well...it kept her young! I'll be growing orchids when I'm 120! lol! Thank you for watching and happy growing! :)
You reminded me of myself Amy I new nothing about orchids when I first started I thought when they were down blooming that was it. I would not care for them after thinking that they would not boom ever again boy was I wrong! I’m so glad for you’re videos they are so helpful to me I learned a lot in the past 3-4 years . I now have 10 orchids and thanks to you they are all thriving . Thank you so much Amy 😀
Hi Esmeralda! Thanks so much for sharing that...I'm so happy for you that they're thriving! Your comment made my day! :) Amy
I have been travelling the orchid highway for three and half years. Started with a Phal, killed it, plus the second and a third. Then found Dendrobium and Cats. Not killing so frequently now, even a few re-blooms. Still can't grows Phals! Re potting requires 3 hands and the entire kitchen! Everyday is a learning curve, and I couldn't do it without your guidance and inspiration. Much love Ju xxx
Hi...and thanks for your awesome comment, Julie! :) My first success with with a Catt as well! Phals are not the easiest orchid to grow. Every time I buy one and the tag says, "Easy To Grow", I chuckle. I think Dens and Catts are absolutely gorgeous, and I'm so glad to hear they're growing well for you! I'm so glad you're on my channel! :) Blessings to you! Amy xxx :)
U were the reason I started growing orchids.I lived in Pa.and had a collection until scale hit and I didn’t know what to do so lost most.I now live in Florida and I’am trying again.I just got the moss u recommended and my phalanopsis I grow in moss.Having the most trouble with root growth and blooming cattleya.Their in bark.I’am so glad ur back
Wow, thank you for sharing that with me! I'm honored to be part of your orchid journey. I'm wishing you lots of success. I can only imagine the beautiful orchids you'll be able to find in Florida! :) Blessing! Amy
Dear Amy, a really nice, touching story, and thank you very much for sharing!
I was determined too when my daughter gifted me some orchids for Christmas a few years ago and they were about to die just 2 months later! Cause no one told me to use warm water and to remove the peat part! 🙈 I felt so ashamed that I couldn't grow them just like any other plant! Although I had orchids earlier, I count my hobby as being started 3 years ago and it was every day learning since then and this is the first successful winter for them and me thanks to proper grow lights at last.
It's a big gift for beginners to have your advice and to be encouraged - it is really a great thing.
Keep going and be safe!
Thanks so much for sharing, Julia! And I so appreciate the kind words and encouragement...your comment made me smile! :) Blessings to you! Amy
Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and your beautiful orchids. I am still so new with growing them. Just 1 year and my first orchids were 2 that were gifted to me by my children for Mother's Day. I went on to buy more and I now have 11 Phals which are all in spike again. I did kill one unfortunately at the beginning but so far the rest seem happy. Thank you so much for the blessing you end with, I love that you do. Blessings to you too.🌺
I learned about growing orchids from my dad who learned from a Japanese man that owned a nursery that was local to us. He was a very good person who loved to pass on his knowledge.
Hi Deborah! It's really special you learned about growing from you dad...like I learned about AVs from my grandmother. It's something you always carry with you. :) Blessings!
Orchid Whisperer ..... we both had special people in our lives that we learned from it appears. Blessings 🙏
I started in2019 I saw one Bloom at my mom's house 🏡 and like it,so I started growing one .I wanted more ,so I started to watch videos on UA-cam , this year I bought four three phals and a vanda I hope to buy more in the future.
You've inspired me to try again with orchids. I had an orchid, phalenophis(sp?) almost 7 years ago. Unfortunately, I killed it within a few months. I didn't try again because I didn't want to kill another beautiful plant. However, I've been watching your vids and others for the past 3-4 months and now I feel comfortable enough to try ago. I brought 2 Vandas yesterday. I am going try very hard to keep them alive.
Thank you for this . I started growing orchids two years ago . I killed the first one gifted to me but since i have had one bloom and one rebloom and am still dancing . These are two dendrobiums . I just bought three cattleyas that growing very well in my care and i am waiting patiently for some blooms . I learned how to care for orchids by watching your channel and some other creators eg Danny ( Miss orchid girl) Thanks so much .
Thanks so much for sharing, Glovana! Dens and Catts are gorgeous...I really enjoy growing mine. It sounds like you're really doing a great job with them...congratulations on those blooms! :D I'm so happy to be part of your orchid journey...Danny's channel is excellent to watch as well. Happy growing! Amy
I love your channel, your orchids & your calming southern voice, from one southern to another. Be well friend. :)
Thanks so much for your kind comment😊 The South is in the House! :)
Your orchid at the end is beautiful and must bring you much joy (as they all do). I have become more confident in keeping orchids since watching your videos. Especially your watering/ fertilising regime. In Australia we have had some really hot days recently, but I protected my collection and do not see much damage. I haven't had any re-blooms yet, some stressed ones have gone to plant heaven 😧. Have a lovely day.😊
Hi Roslyn! Thanks so much for your sweet comment and for sharing your story. I'm honored that my videos have helped you. And yes, I love all my orchids, but Phal Legato is special, she's been with me so long. Have a wonderful day and happy growing! :) Amy
I just loved hearing about your orchid journey. My first orchid was a standard sized Phal I purchased about 12 years ago. I knew nothing about orchids. I did know from research that after the blooms and spike died to cut it off. So I did. I kept alive for 6 months. That winter I took the plant to Florida. Was staying in a hotel suite with a balcony. Living room had a western facing window with great light and sheer curtains. When we were in the suite turned off air conditioning and opened both balcony doors. When we went out in the day housekeeping would turn down air to 62 degrees. After being cold in the day and warm at night with humidity it bloomed. Gorgeous white large blooms. 40 blooms in all. On the way home got some bud blast and lost flowers. Then I realized after a week she did not look so well. Potting mix was bad as this was a Home Depot type orchid. I knew nothing about repotting. I repotted in fresh bark mix and she died a week later from stem rot. But I remember those blooms. Now I have rescue mini Phals from 2 to 7 years old. No spikes yet but great leaves, roots and air roots. There is always hope. I am using your Brita filter idea. The Neofinetia look happy. God bless and keep making great videos.
Wow, this was an interesting comment....thanks so much for sharing! You have the most interesting "first orchid" story! I seriously can't stop thinking about this! lol! So it was in cold daytime temps and warm humid temps at night and it bloomed. 40 flowers. My jaw just dropped open. :D I'm hoping your Phals bloom splendidly for you in the future. If the plants look good, they should bloom in time. And you grow Neofinetias...that's awesome. Happy growing and God bless you! :) Amy
@@OrchidWhisperer Yes cold days with air coming down from ceiling like a fan. Warm humid nights to thaw out from housekeeping chilling the room. Cannot duplicate in the north. I am trying cold days about 60 degrees in window and warm nights about 77-78 degrees away from windows. I only hope.
THAT'S COOL ORCHIDS COLLECTIONS
I started off 2 years ago with a no ID mini phal, that was my first orchid. Prior to that I'd only cared for a few house plants. Anyway, I got that first orchid and the first few months while it remained in bloom it was fine, then the bloom cycle stopped and it started growing vegetatively. I had it in a part of the room that didn't get direct light, but to me still got light. I didn't really do much research on the care of mini phals and decided to repot into a clay pot with regular orchid potting mix. I noticed that it seemed to become dull and lackluster, then one day I had it too close to a scented candle and inadvertently gave the orchid leaf burn. 😔 This set the orchid all the way back. I still have her, she is not thriving, but what I've also learnt is what you have also shared in one of your videos. Mini phals require more light and water!! Another mini phal that I bought nearly a year ago, it seemed to always want water, way more than any of the others, but that one stayed in bloom the longest and remains the healthiest of all my orchids and it's currently growing a new flower spike from between the leaves, I'm so happy!! This is going to be the first one that I've had that looks like it will rebloom for me😍. I also just came to the realization that in my environment, my orchids thrive better in plastic pots than clay pots! I am still trying to establish which water and fertilizer regimen that best works for me though, but i am getting better with that side of things. I also added some supplementary lighting over the course of the winter as it's so dark and grey here in the U.K. at this time. The rest of my little phals are rescues and remain in various stages of recovery. Thank you for all that you do and for sharing your knowledge and experience with us. 😏
Thanks so much for sharing your orchid story, Genevieve! This was such fun to read! It sounds like you really have a good grasp on growing orchids in your environment in such a short period of time...that's amazing! Always great hearing from you. Happy growing, my friend! :)
I started about 5 years ago. I received one four years before. But I was not into it. I kept it because of pretty leaves but never really did any thing but water it when the moss was straw looking. Then I moved to different side of building and actually had bright light. The orchid grew a baby and that excited me. And I started reading up on Care of orchids. I repotted it and it was growing roots . But it never did much else no leaves or spikes. I finally gave up on it . Threw it away. So I now have learned more and Own 6. I follow your system they are now producing new leaves. And have nice looking color. But no spikes in four years,no matter what info. Good light and potting mix. It is discouraging
Cheers from Canada! Very nice video with some great advice. Your orchid journey sounds very similar to mine although I'm not as far along... I first got a phal to rebloom 5 years ago and like you said it was a happy dance moment for sure. I'd been trying to grow them for a year or 2 before that with little success. I joined the local orchid society group here a couple years ago and found that helped me a lot in sharing info and new plants. Anyway thanks for the video and stay safe.
Thanks for watching and for sharing your story! :)
Hi Amy greetings to you and your family happy you have gone through the time to become a true orchid grower, anyway I'm going to go off the topic right now to ask about a fellow and friend UA-camr whose name is Rick's Orchid I know his family was going through some challenging time I do pray His wife Jan and Him. Rick are both doing well all the best I learn so much from you and Rick thank you
Hi! I haven't heard from Rick in a while. I hope he's doing well. Thanks so much for watching and happy growing!
Thank you do much for continuing to teach us, I pray all is well with his family
That light shining through in the room is awesome 🙏
Thank you for sharing, this is so beautiful I love 💕 Orchids 🌸 God richly bless you and have a blessed evening.
Thanks so much for that blessing, Elinor! :)
Hi Amy. I love your story. I had to do some research before I could comment. I think my first orchid was a Blue phalaenopsis for Mother's Day from my husband in 2014. I have no idea if I still have that orchid or not. I don't believe I do. I do have my white phal with fuschia dots from April 2016. She finally started reblooming for me around a year ago and is my only phal in bloom right now.
I found you and started to increase my collection when our youngest daughter was in college. I think during 2018?
I'm developing a love for the mini phalaenopsis. I picked up two new ones last week. 🥰 Now I'm trying to keep up with all of the different types of orchids that I have! I have way too many house plants too. They keep me happy while my flower gardens are in hibernation. Tammy in N AL 🙋♀️💕
Hi Tammy! Thanks so much for sharing your orchid story! Blessings to you sweet friend! 💖🌺🌻
What a great video! Thanks.
My first orchids all got rotten roots, I placed them it a spot where they were not getting enough light, I was following the wrong directions given. In my experience they thrive on light so now mine are in a southern exposure and reblooming 😁
Thanks so much for your sweet comment, Gaia! :) Congratulations on your orchids reblooming...you're doing a great job with them! Happy growing! Amy
I am having good success with growing phals mounted on cypress driftwood. Have you ever tried mounting an orchid? The many blooms on your orchids is amazing.
Thank you, Margo! I don't have anywhere to hang a mounted orchid, or I would give it a try! And cypress driftwood is beautiful in and of itself, so I'm sure they're beautiful! :)
22 years, first orchid was oncidium "wildcat", I would be very impressed if anyone had their first orchid (I don't). The learning curve is steep!
Yes, the learning curve is quite steep indeed! lol
I truly enjoy your videos. You give clear and exact advice. Also, I have learned to be patient and keep it simple. I follow your potting tips and fertilizer routine. I started with 5 rescue phals. I gave up with 2 of them. The other 3 are now blooming, I have added 2 Twinkles ( one has a tiny spike) and a Sharry Baby. I keep all my plants under grow lights. Now that I have my orchid routine down I find they are easier to care for than my so called " easy common house plants". I wish I could add a Vanda but I don't think I have the light or room for it.
Thank you so much for your comment! :) Patience and simplicity...those are very wise words for orchid growers! It sounds like you have a really good schedule with your orchids...that's so important. Just so you know...there are smaller varieties of Vandas. lol! I think the Neofinetias don't require quite as much light as the larger Vandas do.
Amy, I thank you very much. Have a wonderful weekend. Amy
By the way I did mention in my other comment I still have my first Orchid but that doesn't mean I didn't have a couple tragedies happen with orchids I bought after purple freckles! It sure is a learning experience... I now have over 70 orchids and I bought water called bag babies at Lowe's and so I've branched out into a couple different kinds of orchids besides the Big Box store phalaenopsis. Don't be afraid and the one thing what you have to do is number one like you said pick out a healthy orchid check out the root system and try to pick one that has good aerial roots! The next thing I do is I try to repot my orchids right away in fresh bark because you don't know how old the media is there in and it could be acidic and kill the roots pretty quickly. So mine are reported in to Fresh bark and now I try to make sure that there is some charcoal and pumice in that bark and they all go into a clay pot that have the slits in the side. Repotting has never caused my orchids to lose their flowers the only thing that's cause them to lose their flowers after I fought them is to put off repotting them! Thanks so much for this video
Hi... Good to see u back
Hello 😊 and thank you!
It's so touching. Thank you very much for sharing❣🙏
Thank you 💐💐💐
God bless you too❤️❤️❤️
Been catching up on some of your more recent orchids videos tonight, and you mentioned in one of the videos that it's 20 years since you first started growing orchids, as your daughter is now 20!...I was then thinking, wow 20 years, I wonder how Amy got started with the hobby, and what drew her to it??...Anyway, I just let youtube autoplay the videos, then this one came up!! Perfect!!!
It's hard to believe my daughter is 20...and it's also hard to believe I've been growing orchids for 20 years! :) Great to hear from you!
! Through the years I bought an orchid here or there and they died. I love my house plants my garden outside and I just figured I didn't understand what orchids needed. Like you said no UA-cam only books and in reality there wasn't this flood of phalaenopsis available. Finally three years ago I needed something to cheer me up so I bought an orchid then I called Purple freckles... Luckily I still have that orchid and it has re bloomed and it is like a miracle and you feel like you know what you're doing when you can get an orchid to rebloom! You feel like you'd climb to the top of Mount Everest... I found a couple great channels on UA-cam yours was one of them and so was Jacqueline's orchids which is really Carolyn and her husband Jack combining their name to be j a c o l y n s orchids... Cell phone microphone doesn't know how to spell the Channel's name right... And Rick's orchids on UA-cam... Between the three of you I learned a lot about about growing orchids... In fact I was worried about you for a while and I would post a comment and say are you all right because I think you were off UA-cam for over a year so I'm glad to see you back! This is a wonderful video and I enjoying it very much I'm at the 8th minute mark! I love your use of the TV trays. After I ran out of room to have one row of orchids in the bay window I used the TV trays next to the bay window I'm behind the couch so I could have two more rows of orchids! And then I bought some plant stands so I can have two tiered rows and that wasn't enough so I found some three tiered hanging baskets that I hung in the window to take up all that empty space! Even though my orchids are a little crowded they seem to have made their own little ecosystem and enjoy being with each other teehee
Awesome comment, Kathleen! Thank you for sharing! :)
@@OrchidWhisperer thank you for your kind reply
I bought an orchid at the grocery store probably 15 - 20 years ago, and it sprouted two more. They have rebloomed every year. However, this year they don't seem to be blooming. I don't know why. Is it because they are old? It's the same window, and fertilizer. No idea why, which is why I'm watching this channel.
How long has it been since they've been repotted? Sometimes a repot on an older plant is in order for them to rebloom, since everything else is the same with them.
@@OrchidWhisperer They have been in water culture for years, large clear glass vases.
@@rebeccapopp9738 then it's probably one of 2 things: insufficient light or insufficient fertilizer.
You have an amazing collection and you know how to care for them. I am killing most of the orchids i buy! 😩
A note to encourage you not to give up: often the orchids we get from the grocery store aren’t healthy and they are already on their way downhill. Start with a healthy one. I thought I had killed two, but now I know what was wrong. I have 10 orchids in total and they are all ok. Some are looking better than when I purchased them. Good luck and happy growing!
Good advise...thanks for sharing and encouraging! Happy growing! :) Amy
February 3021 will be my second year growing orchids. And after killing more orchids than I care to remember. I now have six phalenopsis orchids in spike and I
am jumping for joy..
CONGRATULATIONS on those spikes, Amy!!! Jumping for joy for you!!! :)
Thank you for sharing! I wish I watched your video back when I got my fist phalaenopsis loooong time ago.
Thank you so much for your comment...it made me smile! :)
I always enjoy your videos and appreciate your advice. Thank you.
So nice of you, Sharon. Thank you for watching! :)
Wonderful advice!
I have been doing orchid for 3 yerars phalaenopsis orchid with my first one my first one the first 3 died but now i have like 20 phalaenopsis 5 vandas 1 Cattleya 4 Dan Durham orchids all doing good
Wow!!! Great video.
I raise Christmas and Thanksgiving cacti, and was given my first Phal three years ago as a Mother’s Day present from my husband. I have added several, one miniature sadly went to Orchid Heaven recently. I’ve had secondary spikes on that first orchid, and a secondary spike in a newer one. I was just gifted a huge plant with two orchid plants in it, from a respected local nursery, in a very pretty pot with no holes!!!! It’s blooming now but I should repot it. Should I separate it into two plants? And when?
Thanks so much for your sweet comment, Lenore! I've seen these large displays with orchids in pretty pots with no holes. The problem is, if you leave them in that pot with no drainage, they will rot. If the blooms are almost all the way bloomed out, I would repot into 2 separate pots. You might lose a bloom or 2, but it's better than the orchids rotting. Keep me posted...I hope they do really well for you! :)
@@OrchidWhisperer ok thanks. I kinda figured I should separate it and repot. I tend to use orchiata bark and it looks like it’s now in some sort of bark so I think I’ll stick with that rather than New Zealand Moss
I decided to separate my huge orchid plant that I wrote to you about a few days ago. It had two orchid plants in one wooden pot. I listened to and followed exactly your video on repotting orchids. As I carefully removed what turned out to be moss, (I thought it was bark before I really checked it out).....the amount of moss I removed was unbelievable. The roots were healthy, I washed them, soaked them, got all the moss out, repotted in NZ orchiata medium bark with styrofoam chips in bottom, tapping as I went along, then watered well. So I now have two beautiful white orchid plants which look very happy and I am sure will have room to breathe.. I said a little blessing over my two new plants and I know they will do well. Your video on repotting was so so helpful, and I thank you.
always learning from you ❤️
I'm so glad! :) Thanks always for your sweet comments, Gricelda! You're such a blessing to me!
I want to share my story. Ive got my first orchid last 5-6 yrs. Im not sure anymore since i almost lose hope on her until it blooms this year. Its a Phal. Aphrodite subs. Formosa something. The white one with rounded petals and yellow lip with orange dots inside its lip. I habe the same adreneline rush when i first saw her but after i bought her and her flowers withered, it does not bloom anymore. Its just grow leaves and roots and lost it leaves and no blooms. I hold for so long until last year and decided to put her in the balcony where direst light will hit her pretty hard. Then where her leaves started to lost and started to gain yellow spot because of so much sun but still i didnt remove her there. Its hard for me but i have to stay her longer until the cold season comes. And at long last she blooms. The sudden drop in temperature from summer to cold season works. She blooms so big. Her flower that i havent seen for yrs is there. But my joy didnt last, i was careless. Accident happen and the flower broke. I feel frustrated. I was crying everynight. Imagine like youve been waiting for someone for a long to come. And when it comes, it breaks. But i move on, i said to myself ill take that lesson to next orchid that i will buy. So i put the broken flower in a vessel with water hoping to make it long last at least weeks. After that i decided to buy another orchids and try to do my best with another one. I watch yt video and now got a recipe of mine that im gonna put in work and hope for the best result, if not as you said, ill put what i learned to the next one. Thats it. Tnx for this beautiful story. It lifts me up. Tnx again
Thanks so much for sharing your story. I wish you lots of growing success! :)
@@OrchidWhisperer Thank you. 😊
My first orchid was white and I bought it in a Yard Sale. It was in a bad condition but I love to rescue plants. I have it for several years but unfortunately last year die😥.
Is it OK to prepare the water solution the night prior to watering and just keeping it overnight?
I don't let my fertilizer water set overnight, I use it the same day. 😇🌺
Hello Orchid Whisperer, do you still use water as a medium for your orchids? I know a while back you did, do you still today? tks
I use water culture as a temporary method for a struggling orchid. It doesn't work well for me in my environment for long term. They do very well in it till winter, and then it's a struggle. Thanks for watching! :)
Do you still have Vanda orchid? Will you tell a little about your experence. I live in Denmark and i have here in the winter monts had Big problems with Them. Youve been my orchid Queen for serverals years.
Oh, thank you for your sweet comment, Marlene! That made me smile! Vandas require a lot of light, so place it in your sunniest location in the winter. They just don't like low light conditions. Also, the shorter day length is hard on them. The days will be getting longer soon...and Vandas grow roots in the Spring. Hope yours start to do better soon! Happy growing! :) Amy
i want one do you ship lol
Lol!!! :)
I was given one about 4 years agofuchsia, I've looked into buying another but none of the colours are as nice as the one I already have.