Help with Orchid please

[nelliegemini]

I bought this yesterday from Morrisons (£7.99).

I was wondering if anyone could tell me what type of orchid it is so I can get the care right. I bought a Phalaenopsis (well, that's what I think it is) a couple of years aga and it has been a treasure - easy to look after and each time I cut off the finished flower spike up comes another! I have bought a slightly larger pot and some orchid compost as a reward but it wont stop flowering. I am hoping the new one is as well behaved!

[nick the grief]

I bought this yesterday from Morrisons (£7.99).

I was wondering if anyone could tell me what type of orchid it is so I can get the care right. I bought a Phalaenopsis (well, that's what I think it is) a couple of years aga and it has been a treasure - easy to look after and each time I cut off the finished flower spike up comes another! I have bought a slightly larger pot and some orchid compost as a reward but it wont stop flowering. I am hoping the new one is as well behaved!

Hi Nell,

Trouble is they are grown by the 1000's these days and a a lot are hybrids. That said it has a look of a Cattleya about it.

Try here for advise http://www.orchid-society-gb.org.uk/index.html

[sarahspatch]

As Nick said orchids are hybridized readily.
Your orchid is part of what they call the Odontoglossum alliance - which consists of Miltonia, Oncidium and many more which are all related, so it can be hard to work out exactly which one you have!
The good news is that you treat them in a similar way: water them all year round, keep in a cooler room than the warm-loving Phaleanopsis, they like a minimum of 10c, and not too much direct sunlight. Cut the flowering stem down to the base after flowering - I'm afraid they won't flower quite as much as the Phaleanopsis, but are still worth the effort.
I think you got a bargain - at the garden centre I work they are usually over £13!!

[Pootle]

Strangely I've always found the orchids from Ikea to be the best for continued flowering! More expensive ones (bought for me as pressies - eek!) have died off where these £5.99 jobs keep on going - weird

And I've had the same thing with Peace Lillies...