October meeting report:

At the October meeting we were very lucky to have an excellent speaker who filled in at the last minute! Talking on the subject of ‘Orchids as Houseplants’ 

Manos Kanellos gave a very informative and hands on talk all about Orchids, members brought along some of their own plants, not too sickly! but Manos explained the symptoms / problems with them.

Phalaenopsis orchids account for over 80% of all the orchids sold, either at Garden centres or supermarkets, coming mainly from the Netherlands. As the pollen is contained in a sack, they make very good gifts for Hay fever sufferers and are good in bedrooms.As for all plants, light, feeding, and watering is very important. Less light makes lots of leaves, more light makes less leaves and more flowers. The ideal temperature is warm to cool, not greater than 15⁰ and direct sunlight no more than 2 hours. Spray 2-3 times a week for humidity. If the roots are green (sponge like) they are healthy, if they are grey, the plant needs watering. Repot every 2 years, in spring after flowering, using a clear pot and bark.

Jacky