Easy as Orchids

Ok, easy is not really what most people think of when it comes to growing orchids but it really does fit! Orchids are surprisingly easy to grow (think cactus with big, sweet-scented flowers!) so here are a few tips.

First of all, indoor orchids do not typically grow in soil. Normal potting soil will usually spell death to your once beautiful plant. These beauties grow in trees and on rocks in the wild so they need water to run off almost immediately. Never let them sit in standing water. Typically, indoor orchids are grown in very coarse bark to achieve this.

Orchids like very bright indirect light and most will take some direct sun through a window. Light is the single most important aspect of raising orchids, so provide good light! Eastern and southern exposure windows work best. Remember to avoid heating and air-conditioning vents, baseboard heaters, etc…

Orchids only need to be watered about once a week. Cattleya, Oncidium and Dendrobium like to fully dry out, Phalaenopsis like to be nearly dry, and Paphiopedilum and Epidendrum should be slightly moist. Do not think that the inability of the soil to hold water means dowsing them everyday, they really need to dry out a bit between watering like they would in a tree-top. Their roots are modified bulbs that are excellent at storing moisture between watering.

Use a high quality liquid fertilizer once a month when feeding them or twice a month at half strength. (We have found Fertilome, and Master Nursery products to be far superior to others). Plants should typically be bright green when properly fertilized. Deep green usually means too little light, and yellow is usually over-watered or under-fed. Not enough light is a common cause of ‘big green orchid with no flowers’!

Normal room temperatures of 60-70 degrees are ideal for most orchids, though many will take temperatures down to 50 degrees quite easily. In fact, most will bloom more readily if you allow the temperature to drop 10-15 degrees at night in the Spring and Fall.

Orchids like humidity. One of the best ways to achieve this is to set the orchid pot on a tray of loose gravel (polished rocks look nice and work great – avoid painted rocks). Poor water over the gravel so that it covers about ½ of the rocks allowing the orchid to sit above the water without touching. Rinse the stones and pan once every couple of weeks to keep things clean.

The main pests of orchids tend to be mealy bugs and scale. Both can be taken care of with a systemic insect control. Remember, follow label directions!

Enjoy the beautiful, long-lasting flowers of orchids. It’s ok if your friends think you have done the impossible by getting them to grow, we won’t tell.

What is the secret to growing great tomatoes?

The single biggest issue with tomatoes in the Willamette Valley is a lack of calcium. Virtually all soil in the valley is calcium deficient which causes our tomatoes to rot (blossom end rot) just before ripening. Another big culprit is cheap fertilizer. Cheap fertilizers (many national brands sadly fall under this label) use unstable forms of nitrogen in their mixes, especially water soluble fertilizers. Not only does the nitrogen become a plant-poisoning nitrite after a few days in the soil, it also restricts the plants ability to utilize calcium, compounding the blossom end rot issue. Good fertilizers use extra calcium, use stable forms of nitrogen as a significant portion of the mix, and contain the full spectrum of trace minerals needed for healthy plant growth. We would recommend Master Nursery Tomato Vegetable Food, or Dr Earth #5 for those who wish to stay Organic.

The next most important thing to remember when growing tomatoes is temperature. Tomato plants like it warm. Soil temperatures should be above 60 degrees, and night time temperatures should stay above 45 degrees. Anything less will significantly reduce the plants productivity, even when it does warm later in the season. Wall-O-Water will extend the season by about two weeks or about 3-5 degrees and is even more effective if it is put in place a few days before planting out.

Some other tips for growing the perfect tomato are: Set the plants deeper into the soil than you would other plants, covering the darkened section of the stem with soil, usually about 2 inches deeper than they are growing in the pot. Mixing a 1/4 cup of bone meal or lime in the planting hole will greatly reduce blossom end rot troubles - even with good quality fertilizers this is a big help for tomato, pepper, squash, pumpkin, cucumber and eggplant. Plant tall growing plants at a 45 degree angle to the soil. They will straighten after a few days and will develop stronger stems to support the big crop of tomatoes you are expecting later. Use red plastic mulch to increase your tomato crop - yeah, I thought it was silly at first too. But buckets of tomatoes later, I'm a believer! If you have a tomato that is to be wasted by blossom rot, cracking, slug damage, etc... use it as a quick wash-up before returning to the house. Crush the tomato in your hands and use it like soap on hands and forearms, it really cuts the dirt and green stains that come from working in the garden - the more over-ripe the better!