Blog

By vashti | Published: June 28, 2011

May Blog:

SHOWS!! We have now officially completed our show season, with the last one being the big Regional Orchid Show in Wichita, KS. At this show David Bird (owner) won the Best Flower in the show (both for KOS & SWORGA) for a very intense green orchid called Ida Locusta! He received a trophy and a couple pieces of glassware and was the talk of the show for the entire weekend! Congrats on such a fun award!

We will travel to one of the largest Orchid Shows known as Redlands in Homestead, Florida in a few weeks to check out some of the newest in orchid trends, plants, and supplies. This show season has been a huge success with 8 destinations under our belt, we could not have asked for a better 3 months. Our customers continue to attend the shows and come out to see us and all our orchid varieties!! Throughout these past shows we handed out a lot of gift cards! If you purchased $50 or more, then you should have received a gift card to the cave with between $5-$25 on it. We are hoping all those cards will have a chance to be redeemed at the cave throughout the rest of the year!

CLASSES!! We have one more Orchid Class 101 this month before we discontinue them until September. The date is Thursday evening, on May 10th from 6-9pm. If you are interested in this opportunity please call the cave to register at (816) 252-4478!

TOURS!! We continue to do Tours of the cave so call to schedule an appointment soon! We ask that our groups are 10+ people and the fee is $5 per person. If the group is 10 people or less than the rate is a flat $50. We are more then happy to answer any questions so please call us at the cave! (816) 252-4478

MARKETS!! Beginning the first Saturday in May you can find us at the Overland Park Farmers Market as well as the City Market! We are excited for a warm, fun, busy market season!! We will try to be there every single Saturday until the end of October and provide great varieties & colors in Orchids!

January Blog:

We are greatly excited for 2012 as we have lots to look forward to! Along with brand new products, we look forward to our upcoming show season where we will be traveling all around the Midwest with 9 shows already on the schedule! Check our Calendar for all the show dates! We also have our Orchid Class 101 on the schedule for the next 3 months. We are offering a buy one, get one half off for Valentines day! If you print a page off our website and redeem it at the cave, we will give you and a special someone the opportunity to buy one seat in the Orchid Class 101, and get another seat for Half the Price! This is only available for the February class, as this is a Special Offer for Valentines day! The date is Thursday, February 16th from 6-9pm. What a great gift for a friend, family member, or spouse that is into learning more about orchids!

July Blog:

As the weather continues to be scorching hot, we get the privilege of working in the cave where the temperature is maintained around 70! Come visit us at the Cave during the week and at the Markets on Saturdays. This upcoming Saturday we will have Chocolate Orchids available for purchase. These gorgeous Oncidiums smell wonderful and bloom for months. Come early to get the best pick! This past Saturday evening Fox 4 did a interview on ‘Cool places to be in the Summer’, with Rob Lowe. It was a great way to allow people to see the Cave on television! Check out the following link to watch this great interview with David Bird, The Orchid Man!

http://www.fox4kc.com/news/wdaf-orchids-flourish-in-cool-kansas-city-caves-20110710,0,550723.story

Hope everyone’s summer is going nicely! Summer is actually considered to be our slower part of the season, but fortunately this year is different! We are just as busy as ever! We continue to do both the Overland Park Farmers Market as well as the City Market every Saturday. You can find us there selling blooming orchids among various orchid supplies. Tuesdays at the Cave is when we have lots of traffic and often do tours of various sizes. We are usually there Wednesday-Friday from 10am-5pm and welcome guests, we just ask for a phone call ahead of time to make sure someone is able to assist you. We have closed the two orchid growing classes that we have held at the cave ONLY for the summer months. We will begin those classes again in the Fall and dates will be available on the Calendar web page. Our next show will be in the middle of August at the Missouri State Fair. This is an annual event for us and will be selling lots of orchids/orchid supplies in the Horticultural building. Dates for that event can also be found on the Calendar! Currently at the Cave, David is doing lots of spring cleaning and organizing his thousands of orchids accordingly. We are in the process of  installing a kitchen in the classroom which will be available for students during class time, tours, and scheduled meetings! Come see us at the Cave or the Markets this summer and check out all that we have in bloom. With Forth of July right around the corner, we will be advertising various specials for the holiday!

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Lady Slipper

By admin | Published: May 21, 2010

(Paphiopedilum)
A great combination with moth orchids
(Phalaenopsis), both liking similar conditions.
Relatively small plants produce large yellow,white, pink, green and burgundy flowers.

Light: North or east exposure, or under grow lights.
Temperature:Mottled leaf types (Maudiae or sequential),
60-65 degrees F nights and 75-85 degrees F days.Green leaf
types (Multi Flora or Bulldogs), 50-60 degrees F nights and
70-80 degrees F days.

Moisture: Water every 5-9 days, providing as much humidity as possible.

Nutrition: 20-10-20 every 2 weeks at half-strength.

Potting: Small bark or medium coconut mix, every year, in spring or fall.

Tips: Allow plants to produce many growths before dividing
for better blooming. Remove spikes above foliage after all flowers
have faded.Watch for mealybugs. Use 1 Tbl. of dish soap and
1 Tbl. of mineral oil in a quart of water and spray.

Lady Slipper

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Zygopetalum

By admin | Published: May 21, 2010

Predominately green and purple waxy flowers with an array of sweet fragrances.

Bloomsevery 3-6 months on upright spikes of 3-9 flowers.

Light :North or east exposure or shaded west window.

Temperature: Nights of 55-65 degrees F and
days of 70-80degrees F.

Moisture: Water every 3-5 daysto keep plants continually moist.
Avoid getting water on the leaves, to prevent black spotting.

Nutrition: Fertilize with a 20-10-20 food during active
growth, one time each week.

Potting: Use a medium bark mix,with good drainage.
Repot every 1 or 2 years,when roots fill the pot. Plants will
not bloom if roots are overcrowded.

Tips: This orchid should be included in a beginners
collection.The new hybrids from Germany and Australia are
easier to grow and bloom than the Zygopetalum species.

Zygopetalum

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Dancing Doll (Oncidum)

By admin | Published: May 21, 2010

(Oncidium Alliance)
A unique group of orchids created to
bloom in a wide range of colors and shapes.

Included are the spiders, stars, popcorn orchids, many with haunting fragrances.

Light: East,west, or south window withprotection from hot afternoon sun.

Temperature: Cool nights (50-65 degrees F) nights and warm days (70-85 degrees F) days. Summer outdoors in a
shady location for best growth and blooming. Leave out latein fall to chill for spike initiation.

Dancing Doll

Moisture: Plants with thick fleshy roots require less watering than plants with thin roots and leaves.Water thoroughly
every 5-7 days.Water more frequently when plants are producing new growth. Provide good humidity.

Nutrition: Feed weekly with 20-10-20 in spring and summer, 6-30-30 in fall and winter.

Potting: Repot every 1-2 years when media begins to breakdown or the roots all grow outside the pot. Remove old
flower spikes at the base when flowers have faded.

Tips:Orchids with abbreviations like Bllra., Mtssa., Oda., Odbrs., Onc., or Vuyl., belong in this group.

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Dendrobium

By admin | Published: May 21, 2010

A very diverse tribe with a wide range of cultural needs.
So many colors and flower shapes make this a worthwhile challenge.
Cane type or Nobile Dendrobium

Light: South or westwindow.

Temperature: Warm days (75-95 degrees F) in spring and summer and cooler (45-65 degrees F) in the fall and winter.

Moisture: Water thoroughly and allow media to dry out. In the fall restrict water until new buds begin to emerge and
then water regularly. Laturia and Formosum types require continual weekly watering throughout the year.

Potting: Repot every 2 years, in a medium bark mix.

Nutrition: Feed with20-10-20 in spring and summer and a 6-30-30 fertilizer in fall and winter.

Tips:When purchasing an orchid, be sure it is properly potted and
healthy,with good cultural instructions. Plants may produce a keiki (baby) if temperatures are too warm in the fall.

Dendrobium

Posted in High Light, Intermediate | Leave a comment

Moth Orchid (Phalaenopsis)

By admin | Published: May 21, 2010

The Moth Orchid (Phalaenopsis) is the easiest orchid to grow.
Flowers are carried on a long spike with 3-12 blooms, that can last 4 months and bloom twice a year,with good culture.

Light: East sun is best or bright indirect light.Protect from hot summer sun.

Temperature: Room temperature, 65-85 degrees F. In the fall, chill at night for 3-4 weeks.A 15-20 degree change from day to night will induce
spike initiation.Leave a window open at night or place the plant outdoors in a shady spot until there is evidence of a spike.

Moisture: In a bark mix water thoroughly every 5-7 days. In a moss media water when surface moss begins to turn light colored
or lift up the pot about every 10- 20 days. Avoid getting water in the crown of the plant.

Humidity: Good humidity is he most important cultural need to make the flowers last longer and the orchid to thrive. Place the
orchid near a water source like a sink,bathtub, or mist the plant daily.A humidity tray will also help.

Nutrition: Fertilize after each watering with 6-30-30 bloom formula in fall and winter.Switch to a high nitrogen fertilizer
20-10-20 in spring and summer.

Potting :Repot in spring every other year or when roots all begin to grow outside the pot.

Tips: When the orchid has only 2 flowers left,break the spike below where the first flower was and the plant
may grow a secondary spike and bloom again in 2-3 months.If the orchid is stressed it may produce a keiki (baby).

Moth Orchid

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Cattleya

By admin | Published: May 21, 2010

Cattleya Orchid or “Catts” or the corsage orchid. Known as the “Queen of Orchids”with a wide
range of colors, shapes and sizes,many with heavenly fragrances. Best of the “smell me” orchids. Flowers last 2-8
weeks,with some blooming 2-3 times a year.

Light: West or South window with protection from hot afternoon sun. Summer outdoors in a shady location.

Temperature: Cool nights (50-65degrees F) and warm days (70-95 degrees F)

Moisture: Water thoroughly once a week and not again until media is completely dry.Maintain high humidity.

Nutrition: Fertilize weekly with a 20-10-20 throughout the year, heavier in spring when plant is producing new growth.

Potting: Every two years,when plants grow out of the pot or the media breaks down, but only when new roots are present.

Tips: If a plant does not bloom, increase light and feeding. Peel flower sheath apart if it turns yellow or brown, to allow
buds to develop normally. Use 1 Tbl. of dish soap and 1 Tbl. of mineral oil in a quart of water to treat scale insects.

Cattleya

Posted in High Light, Intermediate | Leave a comment

South American Lady Slipper Orchid

By admin | Published: February 10, 2010

Phragmipedium

Exotic looking flowers, some with petals up to two feet long and others with intense orange, pink, green, red, and some purple flowers.  Flower last only 3-4 weeks, but will have 3-15 sequential flowers on each spike.

Light: East, west, or south window

Temperature: Cool nights (55-65 degrees F) and warm days (70-85 degrees F).

Moisture: Phrags, prefer rain water, reverse osmoisis water or distilled water or the leaft tips may turn brown.  Water every 3-4 days, never letting plants dry out.  Maintain high humidity.

Nutrition:  Fertilize with 20-10-20 each week.

Potting: Repot every 1-2 ears in moisture retentive media.

Tips:  Allow plants to produce many growths before dividing for better blooming.  Remove spike above foliage after all flowers have  faded.

South American Lady Slipper

Posted in High Light, Intermediate | Leave a comment

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