Hi
I have a few plants that I am unsure how to care properly for, I bought this from costco but do not have a clue what it is??
It looks like it has 3 seperate sections and was all neat and tidy now is growing higher and not as tightly packed and nice looking as before, do i need to trim or prune? How do I do that etc
pls help as I love it and want to care for it properly
Thanks
This is the orchid, but th e2 buds have gone yellow and its still living in its tightly packed plastic case within the plant pot- should i remove it and recompost?
You're right - the top one is three separate plants. The one with the tiny red flowers is a kalanchoe, the one with the larger red flowers looks like a begonia and I'm not sure what the green one is. Kalanchoes are easy to grow. They're succulents, like a cactus, so wait until the soil is dry about half an inch or so down before you water. I've had good luck reblooming them by treating them like a Christmas cactus - keep them on a windowsill that gets sun during the day, but is in a room that stays dark at night, They bloom in winter and the shortening days are their cue to bloom. Begonias I'm not sure of - I've never kept the blooming ones.
The orchid looks like it's doing fine. It's normal for them to lose buds from the stress of being shipped. I wouldn't repot it right now. They're usually kept in smaller pots than a terrestrial plant of the same size would be. (In case the tag didn't say, it's a Phalaenopsis, also known as a moth orchid. One of the best orchids to start with if you're new to growing them.) They love an east or west window. I wait until the orchid mix feels dry to about the second knuckle of my index finger before I water (not very scientific, I know, but it works.) I take mine to the sink to water them and thoroughly wet the potting mix, then let them drain and put them back in their outer pots. Just be careful not to let water get in the center of the leaves - it can cause rot.
The flowers should last for several weeks, at least. When they fade, try cutting the bloom spike off just below where the last flower was. Sometimes the orchid will put out a new spike from below the cut.
Thanks so much :) the big red flowers (begonias i think) half of it has just broke off :( I think it is growing too high and snapped due to weight shall I prune it and if so how do i do that?
Begonias are easy to care for. That piece that broke will root if you stick it in a jar of water but plant it in soil as soon as sufficient roots have developed as keeping it in water too long will rot it. You can prune them without causing any harm. I prune mine at a joint and only prune to keep them from getting too leggy. They do very well in diffused light. I put mine out on my porch in a shady place for the summer and they bloom like crazy all summer long. They will bloom sporadically during the winter as long as they have bright light but not direct sun. Don't over-water it as that will rot the plant.
