Happy Halloween Everyone!

My name is Steve Miciak and I'm the South Tampa Orchid Professor (STOP).  I provide in-home care and one-on-one education for orchid growers in the Tampa Bay location.  I'm based out of Davis Islands and travel to your home for a reasonable fee to help you and your orchids succeed.

 As you may have noticed, the weather is starting to cool down.  Your orchids have noticed as well and that is why it's important to remember to cut back your watering as we approach the cooler months.  Orchids do best when they receive these four actions in the proper ratio; Water, Fertilizer, Sunlight, and finally Air Movement.   As the weather cools down, the amount of water, fertilizer, and air movement should be reduce and the amount of sunlight increased.  Always remember to water first thing in the morning to allow evaporation to take place prior to nighttime.  Your orchids don"t like being wet & cold at night.

When I think of Halloween and orchids the Brassia or spider orchid comes to mind!  These easy to grow orchids have long and slender petals and sepals which make them look like spiders.  They are a beautiful orchid that is hardy and did I mention easy to grow? They enjoy brighter light conditions (similar to a Cattleya) but not noonday bright and will respond favorably to a moist but not wet watering routine during their growing season. One of the benefits of having a Brassia orchid is the fragrance, they smell wonderful. 

So this Halloween when you're preparing your house for the little goblins, take some time and "treat" yourself to a spooky orchid, a Brassia!