Episode 181: moth orchid rescue with Terry Richardson
Transcript
Episode 181
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Jane: Hello, I'm Jane Perrone and this is On The Ledge, breathing life into your houseplants since 2017. How are you diddling? I am in a state between heaven and hell. 'Twas ever thus, but possibly slightly tilting towards hell this week after facing my first ever infestation of... thrips! I think there's an episode coming up on this soon because the little so-and-sos have sent me into a tailspin but I will not be defeated. The thrips are on the retreat and I shall have the upper hand. Oh yes, I shall!
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Jane: In this week's show, I'm on a mission to help you rescue Moth Orchids that look like they're on their way out, and joining me is orchid revival expert, Terry Richardson, aka The Black Thumb, to offer up all his expertise, and I answer a question about large plants for a big loft space.
Before that, this! Thank you to MerryBane in Bulgaria for leaving a lovely review for On The Ledge, describing the show as "the best podcast ever to exist". I do love that kind of hyperbole! I'm living for it! Thank you to MerryBane and to new SuperFan, Sonya, who joined this week, unlocking extra content and, as a SuperFan, she also gets an exclusive mail-out which will be winging its way to you soon, Sonya. If you want to find out more about how to get hold of those extra episodes - there's more than 60 of them now - visit the show notes at janeperrone.com or just go to patreon.com/ontheledge. A reminder: I am still after your paeans of praise for Dr David Hessayon, author of The House Plant Expert, the bible we all still love after all these years, or perhaps we're newcomers to it, but either way, this book is the holy grail of houseplants, so if you love this book and you want to say something about why and how you love it, then I need your voice in an upcoming episode devoted to this book and its author! Just drop a voice memo to ontheledgepodcast@gmail.com It can be anything from 15 seconds to a couple of minutes long. Just make sure you include your name and where you are and you could be hearing your voice alongside that of a certain Mr James Wong! If you really, really don't want to record your voice, then you can just send me an email and I will read out your contribution, so please do get those to me in the next week or so, so you can be included in that show.
The On The Ledge sowalong continues to power ahead. I've been really enjoying looking at your posts on social media. What'sGrowingOn in the Czech Republic is growing Sinningia and Epiphyllum babies and they're looking pretty good. They're still teensy-tiny, but oh so cute. In Montana, Dani has been getting her loop out to look at her tiny cacti seedlings. They're so cute! She's got Mammillaria, she's got a chilli and cactus mix and she's got Mamilloydia as well and they're just so adorably small and covered in spines, so well done for that, Dani. Finally, on Instagram, LucidMagicLeaves has a teeny tiny Alocasia Polly seedling, which is adorable. I'm wondering if you grew that from a rhizome from your main plant? I'm guessing that's how it's worked but let me know, LucidMagicLeaves, but anyway, whichever, well done!
Over on Houseplant Fans of On The Ledge, Bobby is looking for some advice on growing orchids from seed, if anyone can help Bobby out? Holly has been going great guns with propagating for the sowalong. There's Dwarf Pomegranate, Monstera hypoestes, Philodendron selloum, Radermachera, and what looks like loads more. I reckon that there's some good signs of growth there on those pictures, Holly, so well done to you! It's not too late to get involved in the sowalong. Do go back and listen to the sowalong episodes. I'll put a link to those in the show notes and let me know how you are getting on and do keep us up-to-date with what you're doing. Just use the hashtag 'OTLSowalong' in all your posts so I can pick up on them.
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Jane: Where do you source your Phalaenopsis orchids, The Moth Orchid? Maybe you pick one up with your shopping at the supermarket, go to a garden centre, or even a specialist grower, but have you checked the local dumpsters recently? That's where Terry Richardson finds most of his fouls, the short term for these ubiquitous and oh-so-popular orchids. Terry is an expert at reviving miserable Moth Orchids and bringing them back to full health and full flower, so I gathered your questions and picked his brains.
Terry: What's going on, Jane? My name is Terry Richardson, also known as The Orchid Whisperer and The Black Thumb, and I rescue and revive orchids from dumpsters in my local neighbourhood.
Jane: Well, you've immediately piqued my interest, Terry! Tell me more about dumpster diving for orchids. That sounds amazing!
Terry: It's actually pretty hilarious that this is even a thing. In the States, typically, spring is a big orchid season. They're gifted all over the place, they're in all of the flower shops, grocery stores, everywhere, and typically around the end of spring/early summer, a lot of folks just don't know that an orchid is a living, breathing organism that continues to grow cyclically. Once the flowers drop, a lot of people will say, "Oh, this must be dead" and they drop them off at dumpsters and that's actually how I got started with orchid rescuing, was, I found one randomly at our dumpster here at our apartment complex, took it in and eighteen months later it flowered and it just completely opened up my world to orchids and the possibilities with them. So, ever since, I've been dumpster diving for orchids!
Jane: I love that! I am such a fan of the free plant, however it comes to you, whether it's a swap, or I've never even thought of doing that, but I have heard listeners in the past say, "Oh yes, I just saw this plant on the side of the road!". I wish that happened to me more often! I know exactly what you mean about people treating orchids as just a disposable thing that they could just get rid of and it's such a shame because they're such tough plants really, which is why you can revive them. How did you go on from there, after your first success with this dumpster orchid?
Terry: From there I just started to take a deeper dive into what it really took to keep them alive and to bring them back. I was literally flying by the seat of my pants with the first orchid that I rescued. As I started to make it known that this was something that I was doing, it's amazing how many people will gift you orchids. I've been gifted so many orchids from my wife's patients, from co-workers, from friends and family, so it's actually been a really nice way for me to be a little bit of a mad scientist! Because I have so many orchids, I can tinker with certain different types of media, different types of fertilising and it's really helped me grow in my ability to revive them and to find a good system that works for, in particular, Phalaenopsis orchids, so it's been a really cool journey.
Jane: What we're here to do today is, hopefully, do some virtual rescue of listeners' orchids that have suffered, perhaps from neglect, perhaps from just not having quite the right care regime. So I asked listeners for questions and we've had a great clutch of questions come in, so I want to crack straight on with some of these because this is the real good stuff we need to know; how to take care of these plants, how to bring them back from the brink. I've had a fair few orchids over the years, that I've neglected, and it is amazing how you can bring them back, but ideally, it's nice to just keep them in good condition all year round if you can and that's what you're here to tell us about. Let's crack on! The first question comes from Christina and this is an interesting one, I don't know if you know the answer to this, it's to do with the scent of Phalaenopsis, or rather the lack of, and Christina says that when she had orchids in the 1990s, very few were fragrant but she's noticed that there's increasing talk of fragrant Phalaenopsis and she's wondering if this is a new thing that's coming through with hybridisation, that breeders are specifically looking for scent to add to their Phalaenopsis? Have you heard that yourself?
Terry: Yes, when I first started getting into orchids that was one of the big questions that I had: why don't more Phalaenopsisorchids have a scent, or why don't many of the orchids that I owned have a fragrance or a scent? And Christina is actually right. There has been a conscious effort by growers around the world to, basically, hybridise scents and fragrances into Phalaenopsisorchids because they're probably the most popular orchid, definitely here in the States. Let's just be real, who doesn't like to have a house of flowers that is creating this beautiful fragrance and contributing to the atmosphere within that space. Plus, one of the things that I also found is that if you look at the price tag for just your general, run-of-the-mill Phalaenopsis compared to one that has a specific fragrance, there's definitely a difference in price. So, yes, the growers do want to continue to push the envelope as it pertains to creating beauty and contributing to that through orchids, but they also understand that it does help their bottom line as well. So in the research that I've done, there definitely has been a conscious effort to increase the fragrance, or the variety of fragrances, in Phalaenopsis orchids particularly.
Jane: I guess that gives you the whole package doesn't it? It gives you the flowers and the scent which is what people are looking for. This is my own question: are there any Phalaenopsis that have interesting leaves? I don't know if you're a variegation fan, but variegation is so big right now. Is anyone trying to breed variegation into Phalaenopsis, or is that a bridge too far?
Terry: To be honest, I'm not 100% on that. I will have to do some more research on that one and get back to you on that one, Jane.
Jane: Maybe any listeners have spotted some variegated Phalaenopsis leaves because that's one of the reasons that I've recently got into Paphiopedilums, The Slipper Orchids, because I like the cool looking leaves, but I'm sure somebody's somewhere is up to some variegation with Phalaenopsis. It's such a huge area of breeding, but maybe a listener will be able to educate us on that? Let's talk roots. I think this is probably the one thing that freaks people out the most about Phalaenopsis, are those roots which can be a little bit frightening, have you ever had a dumpster orchid which has literally just been back to its roots that you've managed to revive? Can you revive Phalaenopsis just from the roots, if all the leaves have died?
Terry: Yes, you can actually. It's so funny you asked that question, Jane. I literally just got a direct message from one of my followers on Instagram who sent me a picture of a foul orchid that literally had no leaves but had a good root system and just started to sprout a new leaf. So your roots are the main source of nutrients-collecting, so to speak, for your orchids, and if you have a strong root system, in many situations, provided you're putting it in a position, or in the right environment, you should be able to revive that orchid. I mean, orchids are pretty resilient. That's one of the biggest things that I've learned over the last few years working with them, is that if you find the right environment for them and you are consistent in your watering and fertilising and all of those things, they will do very, very well for you. But, yes, the root system is one of the most important aspects of the plant and if you have a good strong root system, yes, in general, you can keep the party going.
Jane: Should those roots... they often tend to go off on their own way outside the pot and start escaping the pot... Adrienne got in touch because she's worried about how often to repot her orchids and she's wondering whether it's wrong to have lots of air roots that are poking out outside the substrate, should she be cutting those off, or poking them back into the soil, or repotting? Do they need to be in the substrate?
Terry: That's another great question and that's the beautiful thing about orchids - the roots can be in the substrate and they can be outside of the substrate. So they're going to be gathering nutrients regardless of whether they're in the substrate or outside of the substrate. One of the really popular things to do with orchids right now is to mount them on different pieces of wood and they become really nice decorative conversation pieces in your home. To answer her question, typically, you want to repot your orchid every twelve to eighteen months. You can even go up to two years and when you're repotting, you want to upgrade about one to two inches in diameter because orchids like to be snug in their pots. They don't like to have a ton of room to grow, but you do want to give them a little bit of room to stretch out a little bit and to grow into that pot. As far as air roots being outside of the substrate, any time you have air roots that are growing above the potting media or the substrate in your pot, to me, I see that as a good sign that your orchid is going through the natural cyclical life cycle essentially. It is continuing to move into the next phase, which is increasing your chances of growing a flowering spike. Because, essentially, a lot of those roots that are in the substrate ,a lot of those roots are going to eventually die off and so you want to make sure that your orchid is constantly, basically, replenishing and replacing itself with new air roots which are typically going to grow out of the higher portions of your of your rhizome, if you will, and will, essentially, continue to contribute and collect nutrients through the air, actually, which is really cool!
Jane: I guess this is the heritage of orchids, these orchids as Epiphytes. They're used to that environment where they're just reaching out and they might hit another branch of the tree and support themselves, might access nutrients and water and so on.
Terry: Exactly! And do not cut your air roots. Don't cut it. Air roots are always a good sign that your plant is doing well and that it's healthy.
Jane: What should you be looking for when you're looking at a healthy root as opposed to one that's just come out of a dumpster dive?
Terry: There are a couple of things that will give you an indication of whether or not your roots are healthy and viable. Number one is when you water them, they typically will go from almost a light greenish almost white colour to a deeper green. They also feel nice and firm and turgid, whereas a dead root will be really flimsy. It'll almost feel hollow to the touch and when it's really dry, they break and they crack pretty easily. The other thing that you want to look for too, to see how your roots are progressing, to see how healthy they are, typically, if you notice a lot of air roots, they'll start off like that whitish grey colour as they're coming out but then at the very tips you'll notice, and there's some variation with this, that some roots have really almost like bright green, like lime green tips, and then some have like a deeper almost like purplish, or maroon, colour. Typically, the longer or the more of the root that is those lime green or those purplish maroonish tips, that also is an indicator of health as well. So when you're watering your orchids, especially for the roots that are outside of the potting media or the substrate, you want to make sure that you are also watering those roots as well to keep them nice and firm, to keep them healthy, because they are also contributing to the overall health and wellbeing of your plant.
Jane: Run me through the health check that a new rescue orchid that comes in to you, or you manage to pick up, what are you doing when you first get it? Obviously, number one, you're checking those roots. What else are you doing to assess the health of that rescued plant?
Terry: The first thing I do, like you said Jane, is I check the root system to see if it's viable, to see if there are any signs of rot in the roots. The next thing I'm going to look at is I'm going to look at the leaves and, in particular, in the crown of the orchid and underneath the leaves because that's where pests like to hide. Then from there it's making an assessment as to whether or not this is something I feel is going to be worth my time, right, because there have been orchids that I've come across, where it's, like, "Okay, there's nothing viable here," so there's no reason for me to bring this into my home!? Then when I do decide, okay, yes, the roots, check, are good, the leaves are good and even if there are some minor pests like mealy bugs or fungus gnats or something like that, I know that that's something that I can handle. So I'm intentional about when I bring that orchid in, but also making sure that if you need to quarantine that orchid for a week or two until you either deal with those pests or just to make sure that it is going to be healthy and happy in your home. That's the checklist that I run through. Generally, you want to look at your roots, you want to look at the leaves crown of the orchid and underneath the leaves and then you want to make sure that you're checking for pests.
Jane: Those leaves should be non-wrinkly? How do we tell a really healthy leaf? Does it generally have some bounce to it, or some leatheriness to it? I'm trying to think about texture...
Terry: You want your leaves to be to be firm and turgid as well. They will have a little bit of a bounce to them, so if you flick them they should come back and then return to their original position. If the leaves are really leathery, that typically is an indication that the orchid is dehydrated and lacking nutrients in some form or fashion, typically it just needs a little bit more water. So we can talk about a technique on how to rehydrate?
Jane: Let's go for that because I've got somebody who's got this exact problem. Lynne got in touch to say that the leaves of her orchid are limp and that she's assuming that it needs water but she says it's pretty wet right now and maybe she's wondering if it's too wet? Let's start with the assumption that this is a really dried out orchid and we can look at the substrate and see that's really dry. Is it just a question of chucking water at it every day until it feels better, or is there a better regimen for it?
Terry: There's a particular rehydration tip that I like to use and I've used pretty successfully with a number of orchids over the last couple of years. I actually have a tutorial video of this on my YouTube channel, so anyone who's listening can check that out if they're having this problem. Essentially, what you do is you take your orchid out of its original pot, you remove all of the old potting media, you remove all of the dead roots, anything that's not viable on the plant. From there you're going to make a distilled water and black tea solution and, essentially, what the distilled water in the black tea, or really the black tea, is going to do is it is going to replicate what it's like for an orchid to get fresh rain in its natural habitat. So it's going to increase the tannic acid within the orchid, which is going to stimulate root growth, it's going to stimulate leaf growth, but it's also going to rejuvenate and revitalise the orchid. One of my orchids, Chad, actually, was super-dehydrated. A friend of mine gifted me her orchid after she had been able to get it to flower year after year after year and then she ran into a spell where it was just really, really dehydrated and so I'd use this technique and I think I did that maybe last summer. Now Chad is flowering, living his best life! So that is one way to do it and you'll start to notice the effect of this rehydration method, you should start to notice the benefits of this over a week or so. What you do is, once you create your solution, you literally soak the roots in it and you're going to leave it in that solution all day. Then you're going to take it out of that solution and let it dry out and air out overnight and then you repeat that process every day until you feel like your orchid has bounced back. Then, once it's bounced back, then you repot it in a new pot and then from there you continue with your regular, scheduled orchid care, from your watering schedule and whatever fertilising and in whatever environment you think it's going to thrive best in, in your home, and then you just have a little patience and hope for the best. I've coined it 'spa week'! It's spa week for your orchids, essentially!
Jane: Is it possible to overwater these plants? Lynne's worried that hers is too wet. In a lot of plants, over-watering can cause those same wilting symptoms as under-watering. Is that the case with fouls?
Terry: Absolutely. I would say one of the number one reasons why orchids, and Phalaenopsis orchids in particular, don't make it is because of over watering. So I think it's important, when you're watering, to be intentional about how you're going about it and really understanding the different potting medias or substrates and how they retain water can really be a useful tool in how you go about fostering a healthy environment for your orchid. So, yes, over-watering, I really see it in orchids that are using a sphagnum moss or some type of moss substrate because moss tends to absorb water and hold water for longer periods of time. So if you're just saying, "I'm going to water this once a week, every week," without really having a good understanding of the type of potting media that you have then, yes, you could definitely be putting yourself in a position where over-watering your orchid is a strong possibility. One of the things, if you want to be super-specific about when to water your orchid, you should let it dry out over a week or ten days, or however long it takes for your orchid to dry out, depending on the size of the pot and the size of the orchid, and then, before you water it the next time, if you have a scale, whether it's a small scale, big scale, doesn't matter, put it on the scale and weigh it and see how much weight it has then go ahead and water it. Then put it back on the scale and you see how much weight it has. Then you can periodically, over the course of a week, seven days, ten days, you can re-weigh it and then also check the firmness of your leaves. If it's flowering, check to see how your flowers are responding, check to see how your roots are responding during that time and then you can gauge. Let's say an orchid is two pounds after you water it but it'll go all the way down to one pound when you need to water it and you can play with that range and that's just a more specific way for you to water it and it prevents you from over-watering as well.
Jane: Oh that's a really good tip! I think that's one for those people who like the scientific approach, but I can see how that would really help you to get a gauge of how much water your plant needs and how it's responding to that watering, so that is excellent information. Do you give any special water, or is it just tap water,? Rain water? What do you use on your fouls?
Terry: For the most part I use tap water but I also do collect rainwater. I live in Southern California where I think we've gotten two days of rain so far this year, which is not good, but yes, tap water is typically fine. Every city is a little different as far as their quality of water, so if you know that your local tap water isn't the best, then you may want to try a distilled water ,or something like that. I think anytime you can, use rainwater, whether you've collected it or whether you get a reasonable amount of rainfall in your local area, I think that's always going to be the best because that's basically replicating, or recreating, how orchids thrive and survive in their natural habitat.
Jane: I just like the idea of giving them rainwater. It feels like I'm giving them the plant equivalent of a fine wine.
Terry: Yes!
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Jane: We'll be back with Terry shortly but now it's time for the Question of the Week and it comes from Fola, who is in Manchester, and Fola is an upholsterer. What a fascinating job! I need you right 'round the corner from me, Fola! Please can you move down to Bedfordshire immediately! Anyway, assuming that's not possible, Fola has secured a lovely space on the fourth floor of a mill and wants to get some plants in there, naturally, and Fola sent some pictures of this space. It's wonderful and airy and large, as you would imagine, but that does present some issues: it's going to get very cold in the winter at night time and it could get very, very hot in the summer. It's a big space, so the plants need to be able to hold their own in that airy expanse. So what should Fola choose?
So far, Euphorbia candelabra and eritrea have come onto the scene, along with some Sansevieria and a castor oil plant, but Fola wants to know if there's anything else I would recommend. Of course, I have some ideas, I am never short of an opinion, as well you know! I think that the choices that Fola's made so far are excellent. Those Euphorbias will do absolutely fine with night time drops in temperature, provided it doesn't get frozen, they're going to be absolutely fine. I was also wondering about a Sparmannia africana, the African Hemp plant, which will be fine down to about 8C /46F. The only problem with that is going to be getting hold of one. They're not plants that you see that often, so have a look around. You may even be able to get some seed for that one. It's a plant that was popular in big, draughty country houses. They've got big, hairy leaves and they also flower. I've talked about them in the show before, but do check them out, Fola. I think they'd be a great addition.
I also think that a Monstera deliciosa, our old friend the Swiss Cheese Plant, would be absolutely fine. These plants are tougher than we tend to think. I am thinking about a picture that I've seen of Matisse's studio, with absolutely huge specimens of Monstera deliciosa in there. What a muse that would be for your work and, of course, easy to get hold of, relatively cheap and they could fill that huge space if they're happy. I have also read in our favourite book, 'The House Plant Expert', that you can grow Bay trees indoors. Now that's an interesting idea. Not something I've ever tried but in that tall ceiling space, it might look quite good if you had a standard Bay tree. I've got a couple of standard Bays in my garden, on the patio. I think the challenge would probably be keeping it on the right side of moisture in the winter. You want it to be probably quite dry but not too dry, so that would be an experiment that you'd have to try and I'd probably start out with a small Bay plant because that way it can grow and adapt to the circumstances, rather than having a big Bay which then dies on you and has cost you a lot of money.
I also think that a large Jade tree, Crassula ovata, would be a good choice. These are quite expensive to buy at the size that you'd need, however, I have seen them come up quite often on things like Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist and the like, because people, when they're moving house, oftentimes decide they cannot take their huge Jade plant with them, so that's an opportunity to pick up a good bargain, so do look that out. The reason why I think Jade plants are good, is that once they get to that tree size they are very, very tough. They can take cool temperatures, provided that the light is strong enough, Fola, so get them by the window and I think a Jade tree would be a really good choice and also look really stunning. I'm sure you'll be able to pair it with a really good pot and that way you get instant impact, which is what you're looking for in that large space. I think the key to this issue is just finding those large specimen plants that won't be swamped by the space or, if you can't afford to buy big plants, massing plants together. I'm thinking, as I often do, about the trough of Snake Plants, Sansevierias**, at the entrance to Don's apartment in Mad Men. Do you remember what I'm talking about? I'll put a link to a picture in the show notes so you can take a look at that. A trough full of Snake Plants always looks amazing, is super, super tough, will be absolutely fine in those conditions and it just has much more impact than an individual plant in a pot and if you've got that space why not use it? Fola, I hope those suggestions have provided you with at least a starting point for your plants. Do keep me posted and if you've got a question for On The Ledge drop me a line: ontheledgepodcast@gmail.com. And now it's time to head back to our chat with Terry, for more orchid rescue tips.
Jane: I now want to come onto the rather potentially controversial subject of substrate. Wayne wants to know: sphagnum moss, or bark, and also wants to know about semi-hydro, using Leca? Now, I've said on the show before that semi-hydro is totally unknown to me. I've never done it. I think people either tend to be crazy for that particular method, or not really very into it at all, just because they've not tried it. What's your take on orchid substrates?
Terry: Sphagnum moss, bark medias, coconut husk, lava rocks, or Leca, as a lot of people like to call them, I think all of those are really great options. I think a lot of it is really just up to your own personal lifestyle and where you are in your growth and development as an orchid parent, essentially. I would say, if you are the person who's super-busy, doesn't really have a ton of time to be watering a bunch of plants, including your orchid, I would say the sphagnum moss is a really great option, I would also say Leca is a really great option because you fill your reservoir, your vessel, with water and in a lot of situations, you do have to treat it because Leca is pH neutral, so you do have to supplement some of the nutrients that the orchid will need to thrive, but those tend to be a lot less maintenance because sphagnum moss is going to hold that moisture a little bit longer and Leca is going to be essentially using an evaporation model and really soaking it almost through osmosis, through the Leca balls, if you will, to feed your roots as they need more water. So those are ways that you can leverage the potting media and let it work for you for longer periods of time. The thing with sphagnum moss though, is that you can, for sure, overwater a lot more quickly than some of the other potting media, so that's something that you definitely have to be on the lookout for, which obviously can increase your risk of root rot. For me personally, I prefer your standard bark media for a couple of reasons: number one, you get a little bit more air flow and even though they love to be in high humid environments, I think it's better to keep the roots a little bit on the drier side than it's always, always wet. So bark is just going to give you a little bit more airflow and because our air roots like to take nutrients from the air, whether it's through humidity or just through different particles that are being floated around, I think that bark is a good option as well but, with the bark, it will likely require a little bit more watering. So for my orchids that are in bark, I find that even in the colder months, there aren't really cold months here in Southern California, but when it's a little bit colder, I find that I'm still watering them every seven to ten days. Whereas for my orchids that might be in sphagnum moss, I could potentially go, especially in the colder months, two weeks, sometimes even three weeks, but making sure that I'm paying close attention to how the moss and how the medium and the roots and everything are interacting together. The moral of the story is, it's really up to your lifestyle and what level of responsibility you want to take with your orchid, but all of those are really good options. As far as Leca, that's something that I've recently started to do some research on and started to get into, so I'm still learning a lot in that regard as well, but the more I'm finding out about Leca, the more I really do like how it's a set-it-and-forget-it for sometimes weeks at a time, depending on the size of your vessel and how big your reservoir is.
Jane: Like you, I'm really only at the beginning of researching Leca. I can see the appeal and it's just a question of, whatever substrate you're using, understanding how that choice of substrate is going to affect your treatment of the plant, which is the key thing. One other substrate - Colleen got in touch, and I've never heard of this before, but she has been looking at the option of using wine corks cut up as a medium for orchids. Have you ever heard of that? I can kind of see the logic of it, in that the material is not that dissimilar to coconut husk, or something, but have you ever heard of that?
Terry: No, not at all! This question was actually, like, "Oh man, let me look this up!" to be honest. It's funny, orchids will, for the most part, grow in just about anything, as long as they have good airflow so that the roots can take up that water and then slowly dissipate it over time and in between waterings. As long as the roots aren't being suffocated then, for the most part, they will grow in anything. I actually think that's a great idea and especially if you're drinking a lot of wine in your home, that's a great way to be sustainable! I think that's great.
Jane: I don't drink that much wine these days and I'm not really a connoisseur, so most of mine come with screw tops! I'd have to go around finding old corks but, as you say, orchids will grow in anything that's going to anchor them and allow things to be free draining. Colleen wanted to know if she should add some moss, I suppose adding some moss would increase the absorption levels and then it's just a question of knowing, if you were using pure corks, I guess it would probably need quite frequent watering as opposed to if you chuck in some moss, you're giving yourself a bit more leeway. We'll have to find out more from Colleen about these experiments because she's giving it a try, but I'm very intrigued by that one! So there's always something new to learn, isn't there?
Terry: Absolutely and that's the coolest thing about this journey for me, is that even though I've been doing this for a few years, I still feel like I'm such a newbie in a lot of respects, so this was a great exercise and like, "Oh, that's cool! I haven't really heard of that!" or, "Oh, let me look this up! Should I be doing this?"
Jane: I had a similar experience today, that I thought I had heard of every possible fungus gnat treatment and then I saw someone tweeting saying apparently Bounce dryer sheets are good for repelling fungus gnats and I'm like, "Yeah, right!" and then I Googled it and I've literally come across research from a pest expert who I've had on the show, talking about researching this very thing and that it does actually work!
Terry: What?!
Jane: Consider me absolutely dumbstruck by that one! Apparently it's down to the dryer sheets containing something called Linalool and that's what repels the fungus gnats, so I'm going to be buying me some dryer sheets!
Terry: Same here and it'll make your house smell clean! Sign me up!
Jane: Exactly! Let's crack on with these questions. We've got a question about the container - we've talked substrate - but the container is also important and this, again, seems to be something that splits growers. Do you go for a terracotta pot with lots of holes, one of those fancy orchid pots or an old-fashioned plastic pot, or indeed a clear plastic pot? It seems to be what they're mostly sold in, in this country anyway. What's the best option?
Terry: For me, personally, I prefer terracotta. I think terracotta pots are really great at retaining enough moisture in the pot so that it will extend some of your watering times without increasing your risk of root rot. I really do like the terracotta pot option, but plastic pots are just fine, orchids do just fine in plastic pots. I have a number of orchids that are in plastic pots right now and, for those, I think it's just about making sure that those pots have adequate drainage and as long as they have adequate drainage and they're in a place in your home where they can get good moisture evaporation then I think they're just fine. I think they're both just fine, to be completely honest, but I prefer terracotta, if I'm being honest.
Jane: Visually I can see the reasons for that. I'm guessing lots of the plants that you rescue are coming in the plastic pot that they were sold in and, once you've decided whether that plant's going to make it or not, you can dedicate it to a fancy pot?
Terry: That's what I was going to say about plastic pots, or clear past plastic pots in particular. The advantage of having a clear plastic pot is that the roots actually photosynthesise as well. So if they are able to be exposed to sun rays, or to sunlight, then that gives them a little bit of an extra boost. So that would be one of the disadvantages from terracotta pots is that, because they're opaque, they don't get the same level of sun exposure, which, in some cases, your roots will look white. So if your roots look white, no big deal - it just means that they're not getting as much sun, but as long as they're firm, as long as they're turgid, then you're good to go. So I think it's really about personal preference and whatever is going to be best for your lifestyle and what you're trying to do with your orchids.
Jane: Let's talk about reblooming. This must be a major concern of yours, as an orchid rescuer?
Terry: Yes.
Jane: I've had a message from Lucy who's had an orchid for fourteen years. This is a long time...
Terry: That's a long time! Oh my gosh!
Jane: It's a long time to be looking after this plant and it has not flowered in fourteen years. She's only got seriously into plants in the last couple of years so, obviously, she's trying to flex her plant parent muscles here, so that's great. How can she get this darn plant to flower, Terry!? What can she do?
Terry: A few things, and the biggest thing that I've learned over the last few years, is that it is absolutely 100% about the plant environment. Like we talked about earlier, if your orchid has a good root system, a good, pretty consistent leaf growth and you're not growing leaves that look diseased or look like they're not healthy, you should be able to get your orchid to flower again. One of the things that I always am tinkering with, and playing around with, with my orchids, is their environment. Generally speaking, you want to get bright, indirect light, typically in an east-facing window or west-facing window, I prefer east-facing windows because they get that early morning sun, which is a little bit gentler, whereas the west-facing windows, the sun is a little bit harsher at the end of the day and in the afternoon and could increase your risk of sunburning your leaves and sunburning your orchid. The other thing that you want to think about as well, is the temperature. Orchids do really, really great in temperate temperatures, typically between 60F to 85F - some of them can go up to 90F - but you typically don't want them to be in super-hot temperatures, or super-cold temperatures, for extended periods of time. The other thing that can really help to spark your flowering, or to send your orchid into a reblooming cycle, is creating a temperature difference between daytime temperatures and nighttime temperatures. When I first found out about this phenomenon of creating essentially a 10 to 20 degree difference between daytime and nighttime temperatures, I stumbled upon it. It actually happened to one of my orchids last summer that I rescued and I was quarantining it on our balcony just because it did have a few pests that I needed to get rid of, but over the course of those two or three months that it was out on our balcony there was literally about an 8 to 10 degree difference between daytime temperatures and nighttime temperatures and it ended up reblooming about two months after I rescued it. I wasn't fertilising it, I was just watering it consistently, so the only variable that changed for that orchid was that temperature change. So if you're in a position to create that type of temperature change, some people do it by putting it outside during the day and then bringing it inside at night and then setting their thermostat at a particular temperature to recreate that, so that's another thing that you can do. The final thing is fertilizing. You want to use a fertiliser that has a fair amount of phosphorus in it because phosphorus is the compound that is going to help to really push your orchid into a flowering state.
Jane: I can't imagine having a plant for fourteen years that hasn't flowered. That is dedication for you! I'd have probably thrown it out by now, but well done, Lucy, for sticking with it and I think that's all great advice and, hopefully, that will bring that plant back into bloom and that would be very exciting after such a long time. Now we're on to the next controversial subject with orchids, which is 'What do I do with that flower stem once those flowers have finally withered?' Do we leave it alone? Do we cut it back? Do we cut it to the base? There seem to be all different kinds of advice out there. Jonathan wants to know your take on this.
Terry: For me personally, I like to take a relatively conservative approach to cutting back my flowering spikes and I actually have a really good example of why it could be beneficial for you to take a more conservative approach. So typically, once my orchids drop their flowers I will just continue to water consistently, do any fertilising that makes sense at that stage of the game - I'm using a pretty balanced fertiliser, like a 20/20/20 orchid/food/fertiliser - and I just let the orchid do its thing. Just like any other plant, the orchid is going to do what it needs to do to continue to survive based on the amount of nutrients and the amount of water that you're giving it. So as the spike starts to brown, I'll let that tissue demarcate and then I'll prune from there. What I found is that, typically, I can get a rebloom within a matter of months. I've noticed that those blooms don't typically last quite as long as a bloom from an original flowering spike from the centre of the plant, but you can typically increase your chances of getting a rebloom. What I found most recently, I have an orchid that bloomed last year, and it had two flowering spikes. One of those flowering spikes completely died, so I pruned that one all the way back down to the bottom as the tissue declared itself, but one of the spikes stayed intact and basically grew another flowering spike and is in bloom and then, as the existing flowering spike was blooming, a new flowering spike actually grew from the bottom and is now growing. So I don't know how many flowers I'm going to get from that, so I think that particular example echoes or puts a feather in my cap for taking a more conservative approach to cutting back the flower stems. To be completely honest, as soon as your orchid drops its flowers, if you wanted to cut it back, there's nothing wrong with that because, I've heard it this way: orchids are low-key suicidal in the sense that as long as there is a flowering spike there they will do everything they can to flower, even if it means that it will eventually kill them. That's dedication! So just know that your orchids are working hard for you even if they don't seem to be. So there is reason to say, "Okay yes, maybe I should cut down this flowering spike" especially if it's, like, in constant bloom, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but so far I haven't noticed any ill effects of me leaving those flowering spikes and letting them die off on their own, as they want to, and then just pruning back as the tissue declares itself.
Jane: The urge to flower is strong, which is great. The wonderful thing about orchids is just how long those flowers last as well. You do get a lot of bang for your buck as it were, which is a very good thing. I think that has exhausted my list of questions but I want you to tell me the story of your most spectacular orchid rescue, like zero to hero - started off really bad but you've got the most amazing orchid at the end of it.
Terry: Actually, it's the story that I was telling you about earlier. Chad, which was an orchid that was gifted to me by a friend, was super-dehydrated, on his way out, and a friend gave it to me as a last ditch, "Can you save this?" and I was, like "I'll give it my best shot" and, actually, this was the first orchid that I tried the tea bag method, or the rehydration technique, on. I wasn't really sure that it was going to work, I wasn't really sure how successful it was going to be. I thought, for sure, that it was probably going to die. It also had a few pests on it when I got it as well, so I took a stab at it and it was one of those things where it was, like, "Let's see what happens!" and, sure enough, after about a week or so of doing my daily soaks and letting it air out overnight, it started to perk up. The leaves started to get more firm, I started to notice even some root growth while it was sitting in the solution. Then I repotted it and then after I repotted it, whenever you repot a plant there's always that first month or so where you're like, "I don't know - is it going to make it, is it going to make it?" So I was just making sure I was keeping a really, really close eye on it. Sure enough, after about a month or so, I started to see some really good new root growth and about two or three months after that, I started to notice a flowering spike coming out. This was a huge deal for me because, prior to this orchid, I had never produced a flowering spike from the core, or the centre, of the plant. So I had only been able to create reblooms from existing flowering spikes and so this was a huge deal for me, like, I can really do this for real now, I've done every step of the process of bringing an orchid to life and just continue to nurse it and be intentional with it. Now it has the most beautiful purple flowers, this deep purple, fuchsia colour, and it's really, really happy and doing really well, so big shout out to Chad, doing his thing!
Jane: Why did you choose the name Chad?
Terry: This just gives you an indication of how bad they were when I got them. Our friend, her name's Amy, she works with my wife, she actually gave me two orchids and so I was, like, "You know what!? You have the honour of naming them!" and so she named them Chad and Brad because they were sad. So it was Sad Brad and Sad Chad and so now they're both happy, so I'm still working on getting Brad to flower but he's doing really, really well, growing a new leaf right now, growing air roots like crazy and so that's cool.
Jane: That's awesome. I'm loving the names Chad and Brad! I had some weird election thing going on, where I was thinking, maybe it's to do with hanging Chads, like, it's a plant that's hanging down... I don't know - free association was happening there! It's been really great to talk to you, Terry, and thank you so much for answering all of those questions about orchid rescues. I'm going to be searching for half-dead orchids that I can revive now, creeping around behind apartment blocks! I'm going to get myself in trouble - I usually do! It's fantastic to get your inspirational advice and tips, Terry, so thank you very much for joining me today!
Terry: Thank you so much, Jane, for having me. It's been an absolute pleasure. I really appreciate the opportunity to engage with you and engage with your listeners, so this has been really fun. Thank you!
[music]
Jane: Terry's YouTube channel is Black Thumb TV and you'll also find him on TikTok on the same name. Do check out the show notes for all his links, info and pictures of the legendary Chad. That is all for this week's show. Thank you for joining me, I'll be back next Friday for more plant-based entertainment. Bye!
[music]
Jane: The music you heard in this episode was Roll Jordan Roll by The Joy Drops, Quasi Motion by Kevin MacLeod and Time To Move And Motivate by The Insider. All tracks are licensed under Creative Commons, visit janeperrone.com for details.
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Moth orchids looking miserable? Want to get your Phalaenopsis to rebloom? Terry Richardson aka The Black Thumb joins me to answer all your orchid rescue questions: plus I answer a question about plants that can hold their own in a loft space.
On The Ledge Sowalong update
If you haven’t sown anything yet, it’s not too late! You can listen to all the sowalong episodes here. Keep me up to date with what you’re up to by posting your pics and sowing progress on social media using #OTLsowalong so I can pick up on them.
Photograph: Terry Richardson.
This week’s guest
Terry Richardson is also known as the orchid Whisperer and The Black Thumb. He rescues orchids from dumpsters in his neighbourhood in California in the US, and revives them.
Terry is on Tiktok as @blackthumbtv and on Instagram as @orchidwhisperer19 and you’ll find his YouTube Channel here.
Check out Terry’s orchid rescue tips as you listen…
Terry’s orchid rescue ‘Chad’. Photograph: Terry Richardson.
Roots will gather nutrients whether inside or outside the substrate: it’s natural for some roots to be in the air, so do NOT cut these off!
It is sometimes possible to revive an orchid that has no leaves but a root system that’s still alive.
Healthy roots will feel firm and turgid whereas a dead rot will flimsy and sometimes hollow. When you water roots will turn silvery green to a brighter green.
Make sure the roots not in the substrate get wet when you water as well as the roots in the substrate.
Repot orchids typically every 12-18 months - upgrade the diameter by 1-2 inches (2.5-5cm).
When you rescue an orchid, quarantine it for a few weeks to make sure it is not suffering from pests such as mealy bugs.
Healthy leaves should have some bounce and not be wrinkly or limp.
If you have a dried-out orchid, try rehydrating it with a black tea and distilled water treatment. Check out Terry’s YouTube video for full advice on how to do this.
If you want a scientific way of making sure your orchid is watered right, weight your orchid when it’s dry (just before watering), then water it and put it back on the scale. Periodically re-weigh to see how it responds in terms of root and leaf health. This will help you gauge when it needs water.
When it comes to water, rainwater is ideal but tap water can be used too if you don’t have access to the former.
When it comes to potting mixes, sphagnum moss, bark media, leca, and coconut husk are all good choices: what you choose will impact how much you have to water. It’s easy to overwater orchids growing in moss, for instance.
Terry uses bark media as it encourages air flow around the roots, although this means that he needs to water more regularly than those in moss.
We hadn’t come across growing orchids in wine corks but thought it could well work!
When it comes to containers, plastic pots are fine provided you water carefully; terracotta pots are even better. The advantage of clear plastic pots is that they allow light to reach roots in the substrate, which means they can photosynthesise.
Intrigued by the idea of Bounce drier sheets repelling fungus gnats? Here’s the research paper, co-authored by friend of the show Raymond Cloyd, who appeared on the mealy bug episode.
Reblooming orchids is largely down to their environment: an east-facing window is ideal. They like temperate temperatures ie 60-85F/16-30C.
Creating a temperature difference of around 10F/5C between day and night conditions helps to spark reblooming.
Also make sure you are feeding with a specialist orchid feed, to provide the phosphorous the plant needs to flower.
Once your orchid has bloomed, what do you do with the flower spike? Terry lets the spike start to brown, and then he’ll cut back to there: spikes will often rebloom from the same spike. If spikes completely die, prune them back to the base. If you want to, you can cut the spike back to the base as soon as the flowers fade.
Question of the week
Fola, an upholsterer in Manchester, is looking for plants to fill a new studio based in an old mill: think lofty spaces and potential nighttime temperature drops.
The plants I suggest are:
Sparmannia africana, African hemp.
Monstera deliciosa, the swiss cheese plant. Here’s the picture of Monstera deliciosa in Matisse’s studio.
Dr Hessayon mentions growing bay trees (Laurus nobilis) indoors - this could work! I’d start out with a small plant and see how it goes.
A large jade tree (Crassula ovata) would do really well - look on Facebook Marketplace and the like to pick up a cheap one!
A massed planting of snake plants would look amazing. Here’s the pic of the trough of snake plants in Don Draper’s apartment I mention.
Want to ask me a question? Email ontheledgepodcast@gmail.com. The more information you can include, the better - pictures of your plant, details of your location and how long you have had the plant are always useful to help solve your issue!
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CREDITS
This week's show featured the tracks Roll Jordan Roll by the Joy Drops, Quasi Motion by Kevin Macleod and Time To Move and Motivate by The Insider.