Phase-out of the large T-12 fluorescent bulbs by July 2014

There are several ways to grow orchids indoors.  Most people use light in order to get their plants to flower.  This can be done with the large T-12 fluorescent bulbs or sodium halide bulbs.  Fluorescent bulbs have the advantage of being able to use the space you grow your plants for other uses.  Sodium halide bulbs are expensive, require a ballast that needs to be mounted on a ceiling.  Sodium halide lighting raises the ambient room temperature by 10 degrees during the day time.  Once you install a sodium halide lamp, you have to dedicate the space to solely raising orchids.

Now here enters the US Federal government.  The large T-12 fluorescent bulbs will no longer be allowed to be manufactured or imported into the United States after July 2014.  Many people I know raise their collections under fluorescent lighting.  And it puts me into a quandary.  I wanted to buy some light carts.  They take 4 T-12 bulbs to power up for growing.  If I bought a light cart now, I wouldn't be able to get replacement bulbs next year.  All the other light carts I've owned have used T-12 fluorescent bulbs.  There are no retrofit kits for T-12 bulbs that I know.  You need new ballasts for the new bulbs.

So I dropped my plans for the relatively inexpensive light cart and figure I'd save up from an Edwardian case with the new smaller fluorescent bulbs.  That puts my plans for purchasing grow lights until January 2014.  It also limits the amount of plants I'll be to raise. 

However, the whole phaseout of the T-12 fluorescent lights and ballasts hasn't gotten much news.  Among orchid and plant growers, it should.  Manufacturers should be marketing the newer ballasts and lights right now.  As of today, I looked around only found the Orchidarium with the newer fluorescent ballasts and lights.  Again, just my luck. 

Repotting Cattleyas

Repotting Cattleyas can be tricky.  A Cattleya orchid grows by sending out new "eyes" or meristematic growth from a pseudo-bulb.  The plant grows laterally.  In nature, Cattleyas grow on trees.  And like most tropic orchids, they are epiphytes.

You'll need a couple of things when you go to repot your Cattleya orchid.  Here's a list of useful things:

70% Isopropyl Alcohol or weak 10% Clorox bleach disinfectant solution in a plastic container
Sterile razor blades
Sterile hand sheers or Exacto knife
Polystyrene peanuts (plastic foam chips) that aren't biodegradable
New plastic orchid pot 2" bigger than previous pot (6" to 8" should be the largest size you'll need)
Bag of Orchid firbark
Old newspaper to cover your workspace

1)  Place newspaper to cover your workspace.
2)  Look at the Cattleya.  Make sure its a candidate for repotting.  Has it outgrown its pot?  Are new roots visible coming out of the pot?
3)  Take the plant out of the pot.  You can tell if the plant needs to be divided if there are at least 7-8 pseudo-bulbs on the plant.  If not, don't divide the plant.  If there are enough pseudo-bulbs, divide the plant so each new division has at least 3-4 pseudo-bulbs with leaves.  Use sterile razor blades or exacto knife to divide the plant. 
4)  When you take the Cattleya out of the its old pot, look at the roots.  Remove any old fir bark media from the roots by gently picking away the rotting media.  Once that is done, make sure the root bulb (or root mass) isn't rotting.  Trim away dead roots with sterile hand sheers or razor blades.
5)  Once you have your orchid ready, line the base of the new pot with polystyrene chips.
6)  Place the Cattleya in contact with one side of the pot.  Making sure not to damage the lead growth (or eye). 
7)  Place fresh fir bark into the pot with your fingers.  Make sure not to cover the "eyes".  Leave a 1" gap at the top of the pot for watering.
8)  Water the pot so water drains away from the orchid.  The Cattleya's roots shouldn't be standing in water.  Root rot is the quickest way to kill an orchid.

Some advice.  Make sure you sterilize your razor blades and hand sheers before you start working.  This prevents infection and the spread of orchid viruses which can ruin the Cattleya flower.  I water about once a week.  I use an orchid fertilizer for fir bark.  I fertilize at 1/4 strength every 4th watering.  I use a calendar to tell me when to water.  I find this works best for plants that are grown under artificial lights and indoors. 

If you're interested in learning more, go to the American Orchid Society website:  AOS.org or contact the Orchid Society of Greater St. Louis.

Time for repotting your orchids...

Right now is a good time to repot some of your orchids if they are overgrowing their pots.  You can also tell when its time to replace potting media when it finally breaks down.  The fur-bark I put my plants into usually lasts about 2-3 years depending on watering. 

A good rule of thumb is if the plant's roots are hanging out of the plant, it is probably in need of replanting.  Some plants don't handle repotting that well.  That includes some Dendrobiums and Aerangis genera.  When you do repot, make sure to have a pot that is 2" bigger than the one it's currently in.  Since orchid species and genera vary so much, it's best to consult the PDF's on the AOS.org website to find out specific potting recommendations for your plants. 

Most people start out with Phalaenopsis, Cattleyas, or Paps.  If you have a question abour repotting, look at the plant roots and potting media.  Are the roots overgrowing the pot?  Is the media breaking down?  Do you have a tag with the plant's name and last time it was repotted?

If the plant roots are healthy and not overgrowing the pot and the media is still relatively solid, you can probably get away without repotting...

The next article I'll do will go into the specifics of repotting Cattleya orchids.  I just repotted a bare root Cattleya hybrid.  It didn't take that long.  But I wasn't dividing the plant and I put into a relative large plastic orchid pot.