Dear Doc:

What do you do with your orchids when there is an impending hurricane?

— Terri

Dear Terri:

I hope you and your orchids were safe during the passage of Hurricane Sandy.

However, what about the people who have too many to take indoors?

Many years ago, I used to take my husband’s motor car out of the garage and replace it with my special orchids. It never dawned on me that the car was more valuable than my orchids. Well, since then I have left them all outside during the passage of hurricanes and storms.

Dear Doc:

My orchids had a long, hard summer and just seem to be recovering. One dendrobium is fighting back with a spike; however, the leaves are starting to go yellow and the plant is full of spots. What’s wrong? How can I fix it?

— Worried orchid mum

Dear worried orchid mum:

You may have mites if the spots you are speaking about are black. Have you ever sprayed your orchids with fungicide and insecticide? You might want to go to a farm store with the leaf or you could try Newmectin. Use a 1/4-1/2 teaspoon per gallon of water. Spray once per week.

GUESS WHAT I HAVE LEARNT!

• The building acts as a shield for some of the orchids.

• If you have tall trees and shrubs close by, they usually take more battering than the orchids.

• The breeze goes through the leaves of the orchids, which are shaped like palm leaves.

• The blooms might get torn and fade more quickly than usual.

My experience aside, what I do after the hurricane is to give them some vitamins. However, my orchids have grown much taller and are now competing with the shrubs. Anything I cannot change, I change my attitude towards it.

In fact, from all the post- Sandy reports I’ve received, the orchids suffered the least damage outdoors.

Betty Ashley is an avid orchid enthusiast who has spent decades successfully cultivating orchids for herself, as well as for orchid lovers across the island, earning herself the title ‘Orchid Doc’. Send your orchid questions and/or concerns to: bettymay@flowja.com.