Dendrobium Orchid Care

Dendrobium Care from: http://www.orchids-plus-more.com This month I am focusing our attention to care of Dendrobiums. These are one of most popular of retail orchid plants. They are a true epiphyte or air plant. There pseudopods can gather and hold water very efficiently. Generally there will be a hybrid phalaenopsis and dendrobium, commonly known as Dtps. Potting This needs only to be done every two to three years and it should be with a porous, free draining media. This may be a combination of wood chips, small stone and and pieces of styrofoam peanuts. This will allow draining of water and fertilizer. Dendrobiums seem to grow best when pot is smaller than size of orchid plant. Lighting The dendrobium orchids require about 50% sun or bright light. They will do well in an east or west window as well as a shaded south window. They also do well under 4 - 40 watt fluorescent lights directly over plant. Temperature These plants need a difference in temperature between night and day. Preferably this difference should be about 10 - 15 degrees. The night temps they like is 60-65 with days between 80 - 90.

How to Grow Ginger

Asian and Mid-Eastern dishes often have a subtle and distinctive flavor that comes from spicing dish at end of cooking with fresh ginger root. As these dishes grow in popularity, many grocery produce departments stock this pleasingly pungent root for use in homemade dishes. Your favorite grocer’s produce department is also best place to find ginger root for growing.

What we call fresh ginger root is actually rhizome of ginger (Zingiber officinale) plant. Choose a smooth, shiny root that has some buds beginning. These will look similar to eyes of a potato.

•A fun way to start a ginger plant is to suspend a two-inch piece of rhizome over a glass of water. Do this by poking a toothpick on either side of root. Fill glass, submerging about one-third of ginger. When roots grow to about an inch long, plant rhizome just below surface of a rich, moist potting mixture in a pot that has good drainage.

•Plant ginger in a pot for growing indoors or out! Using a rich potting mixture, choose a pot at least four times size of your ginger rhizome or plant it in large pot that will be its permanent home on your patio, deck, or other outdoor garden area. Fill pot three-quarters full of potting mixture; lay your rhizome flat on top and cover it with about an inch of soil. Keep pot in a sunny location until sprouts appear, then move it to an area with good indirect light. Ginger won’t tolerate bright, direct light.