Do you feed banana peels to your epis when they are going through their winter sleep?
Do you get gnats from the banana peels? I want to start using them on my orchids in the house but I don't want little black pests flying around. LOL
Banana peel ? for picabo
I have never had the Epies or orchids in the house. I do feed the banana peel year round. They are in the basement or Greenhouse over winter and in the yard all summer. I have never noticed the gnats, or other nasty little flying things. but I am sure they are there. The peels turn black fairly quickly. I can see that it could be a problem in the house.
Mine don't really seem to go through much of a winter sleep. I was noticing some growth on the Rick Rack today that looks like it may be the start of buds. They are putting on a lot of new growth since I moved them inside, but it will be a while before I know if these spots are buds starting or just a new arm. It takes my Rick Rack several months to develop buds.
Betty
Thanks, Betty. I may go ahead and try it in the house. If I get bugs, I can remove the peels until the plants go out in spring. I am just so eager to get blooms on my epis that I want to do everything possible to help them along. My orchids do well as it is but I wouldn't mind giving them a little help as well.
My Epies like to be root bound, and seem to like to high humidity. Most will bloom when I move them in for the winter. My GH is soo small, they hang almost pot to pot, but they seem to enjoy it. It is almost like a jungle in there. LOL
Betty
NoH2O
Banana peels may be a good cheap source for Potassium for plants OUTSIDE, but using it on Orchids INSIDE? Somehow that doesn't strike me as a good thing. Buzz buzz little flies.... What's wrong with a soluble fertilizer on your Orchids?
edited to add more
cut and paste:
"Using banana peels to add color to rosebushes? Actually, that one offers as much good science as horse sense. Bananas are a strong source of potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, calcium and iron and trace amounts of zinc, copper and manganese, among other things, so you would be passing some of those minerals along by slipping a few sliced banana peels under your rosebushes."
So that's what picabo is feeding her beautiful plants. Most soluble fertilizer will do the same. Here is the composition sheet on "Peters"
http://www.scottsprohort.com/_documents/misc/Peters_Brochure.pdf
Banana peels outside - great
Banana peels inside - not me....
This message was edited Oct 28, 2005 10:13 AM
I use orchid food and Epsom salts on my orchids and they bloom just fine. I guess I just don't want to have to wait until spring when the plants go out to try the banana peels! But you are right about the wee flying critters....I definitely don't want them in the house. Heck, I don't want them outside either. LOL
I bet if you spread a little soil over the banana peel you won't have a problems with flies. I like the organic approach to gardening and know where my banana peels are going to go. .