MALIBU LOCALS ONLY: ZUMA CANYON ORCHIDS

Zuma Canyon Orchids was founded in 1971 by Dr. James McPherson and Amado & Maria Vazquez.  For the past 5 years, the business has been run by Amado and George Vasquez who have gained an international reputation as orchid experts.

In a sleepy residential area of Malibu on Bansall Canyon, Zuma Orchids is a beautiful and peaceful sanctuary.  Amado and George grow many varieties of orchids, from the simply decorative to the extremely rare and collectible (many of which they created.)  They are always delighted to discuss orchids – after all, these beautiful blooms are their passion – willing to share information and advice. 

In fact, George Vazquez has been growing orchids for about 30 years and is an accredited orchid society judge.   George was responsible for founding what is now the permanent location in the new headquarters of the American Orchid Society.  Over the past 50 years, the Vasquez family (Amado, George and Maria) have received over 800 American orchid Society awards.

Zuma Canyon orchids not only provides spectacular orchid arrangement which can be seen in many Malibu-area homes – they also ship orchids (carefully packed!) all over the world.  But even though he is an internationally-celebrated orchid grower, for George, Malibu is always home.  “I have traveled the world, and Malibu is a unique environment.  The great places in the world always rise to the top – just like cream.”  An ideal day in Malibu for George is spending time at home with friends, enjoying their company as well as enjoying the land, gardening.  His flowers, a sunset and a stroll on the beach – heaven!

Tips on Phalaenopsis Orchids, courtesy of  Zuma Canyon Orchids

The Genus Phalaenopsis is one of the easiest and most rewarding orchids for the beginner, with or without a greenhouse. Following are a few basic cultural guidelines. 
The larger, more mature plants can bloom for three months.
at a time, and in some cases can bloom twice a year.

LIGHT: Phalaenopsis grow best at approximately 1000 foot candles. (Most photo stores will have foot candle light meters.) These plants are never to receive direct sunlight. The older the plant, the more tolerant to light. The ideal light condition for an apartment or windowsill grower would be a southern exposure. The key to light is "hours of daylight." In the winter the plant must receive 12 hours of light. Remember the key word is "daylight hours." Just morning or afternoon light is not enough for proper growth. Always filtered light - never direct sunlight.

TEMPERATURE: Phalaenopsis will grow between 60° and 90° F, the optimum night temperature is 68° and 68° and 85° F during the day. However, plants will grow reasonably well at temperatures of 64° to 65°F at night and warmer day temperatures.

HUMIDITY: Relative humidity during the daytime should be approximately 70%, and at night about 50% because when night temperature drops, the relative humidity will increase. The easiest way to provide adequate humidity in a home is to fill a plastic or glass tray with gravel or small rocks, and keep a layer of water at the bottom of the tray. The pot should be placed on top of the gravel stones, making sure the bottom of the pot does not come in contact with the water. As the water in the bottom of the tray evaporates, the plant will receive that humidity. It is the plant that should get the humidity, and therefore, the tray should be approximately the width of the leaf and the length of the leaf spread (from the tip of one leaf to the tip of the opposing leaf).

AIR MOVEMENT: Good air movement will prevent fungus and spores from settling on the plant and will also prevent spotting on the flowers due to high humidity. Good cross ventilation is sufficient, however, if you must lock up your home or apartment -especially if you are going to leave for a day or two in warm weather-  it is important to run a fan for the length of time you are away. In a greenhouse, it is important to have air movement 24 hours a day, simply because the relative humidity increases with night temperature and because of the area and size. Air movement is essential.

WATERING: Phalaenopsis should be watered every 5 to 7 days by giving the plant a complete drenching. If the weather is heavily overcast they may not dry out in that time or during the summer in intensive heat the plants can dry out a day or so earlier. Make sure that the plant is dry before you water.
Water in the morning to allow any water that is collected in the crown of the leaves to evaporate. If you must water on an overcast day, be sure to check later and remove excessive water by either tilting the plant or taking a tissue to absorb the water in the crown of the plant to prevent crown rot. Small seedlings in 3" and 4" pots will dry out faster and should be watered at shorter intervals.

FERTILIZER: Our fertilizer contains all the nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus, calcium, zinc and iron, as well as all the trace elements needed for growing in fir bark -whether you feed every watering, or every other watering. Plain water every four or five weeks will flush out mineral or salts that build-up in the pot.

POTTING: This has the greatest variance of all the culture requirements. Because of different regions in the United States, and world-wide as well, it will vary whether you use fir bark or moss, tree fern, fiber -or whether you will be growing the plant in pots or on plaques. The major requirement is that they have very good drainage. The majority of growers in the United States, especially commercial growers, use fir bark. (Medium size ½" to 5/8" for mature plants. Fine size 1/8" to ¼" for small seedlings). This bark eventually decomposes, so plants should be repotted about every 18 months to two years.

Plants should be dry when repotting -and potting medium should be moist. We mix a little dolemite lime, a little perlite, and a little charcoal in with the fir bark, sprinkle with water and mix well before potting the plant. Tamp bark down firmly but carefully around plant, then do not water for about 10 days. This gives the plant time to recover from the shock of repotting.

These are merely guidelines and not absolute rules. It is always wise to check with successful growers in your area, or through an affiliated AOS Orchid Society. To find the one nearest you, call the American Society at 1-561-404-2000.

ZUMA CANYON ORCHIDS, INC 
Toll free (877)-MALIBOO 
FAX (310)-457-4783