Dear Orchid Doc:

I have been trying dendrobiums, but I find that they grow slowly and I am discouraged by this. Do you have any suggestions?

Beverley

Dear Beverley:

I am hazarding a guess here, but it would appear that you might need to introduce some humidity. There is a greenhouse plastic that will be able to help. You should see an improvement within a month. It is a clear plastic made for greenhouses which can be found at most garden stores. Please note that too much sunlight too early retards the growth of dendrobiums.

Dear Orchid Doc:

I have some phalaenopsises, and I have noticed that the leaves have a crack down the middle. I have accused the gardener on more than one occasion of cutting the plant. Do you think that there is a slim possibility that something else could be wrong?

Theresa

Dear Theresa:

These things happen all the time. I sympathise with the poor gardener getting the blame for things he didn’t do! The reason for your leaves splitting in the middle, however, is irregular watering. You need to get a regular schedule for watering them, basically at about the same time and same amount, and not just when you remember.

Dear Orchid Doc:

My mokaras bloom in a very ad hoc manner. The last bloom was two years ago. I do fertilise them as heavy feeders. Of note is that all of the others are doing well, except for these and the cymbidiums. I am in Irish Town.

Carlene

Dear Carlene:

Irish Town is supposed to be one of the preferred areas for most orchids like phalaenopsis, epidendrum and certainly cymbidium.

Mokaras usually require less sun than the semiterete (Sun Vandas)to bloom. That said, perhaps you are giving them too much shade or else thrips or mites could cause the spikes to be aborted. If the latter is the case, then an insecticide like Miticide will clear it up in no time.