Orchids Top the Popularity Charts

Phalaenopsis orchids are the best-selling potted flower in America and not without reason. They’re affordable, long lasting and gorgeous.

You may have seen the orchid brand called “Just Add Ice Orchids” in grocery stores and other retail establishments. They have lovely selections at very good prices. While the wording “just add ice” may seem a bit odd, their website assures us that it’s safe to add three cubes per plant per week to the top of the planting mix.

Many people don’t know when to prune away their orchids’ spent flowering spikes or where to make the cuts. Here is the company’s specific part of their website where they describe whether you should trim the stalks at all, and if so, how to do so.

Basically, if the stem is still green, trim it very sparingly. I have five phalaenopsis plants growing very, very happily in Lechuza self-watering pots. The plants have been in the pots since they finished blooming last spring, and lo and behold, this one is just starting to produce another bloom spike.

In case you are interested, Lechuza pots are available from their website: http://www.lechuza.us I am not aware of retail stores that handle them. Jimmy Turner, formerly of the Dallas Arboretum, got me started using them, and I am very satisfied.