I really like that Bletilla...or is this a hybrid between Bletilla and Bletia?
June's Summertime Orchids
Sorry, Carol. I think I screwed that up once before, didn't change it and copy and pasted it all over again. I'll fix it now. By the way, you can get it at Logee's.
Jim
No need to apologize! I was looking it up in Botanica's Orchids, and Bletia is right above Blettila. Both terrestials, both purple, different continents, and heat requirements. I thought they might have crossed them. Unfortunately, spell check doesn't work well with orchid names. Thanks for the tip, but I think I need to back off the buying for awhile, and see if I can keep what I've got alive.
Me too!
Me too, as I'm sure there will be a painful learning process associated with this lanai conversion.
Jim
I found Blc Keowee 'Newberry' blooming out in the bushes. I've had it forever and love it to pieces.
Jim
Here from another angle.
And finally the plant.
That's an interesting one, Jim. Are they roofing today? I'm worrying about all this time you're spending out in the bushes.
Bree, those are nice Paphs.. P. Leeanum is killer. I'd love to see a photo in a week or two.
We are hosting a RU at Maypop this coming Saturday and have been doing several quick turn around trips from here to Atlanta to get ready for guests. It's put a crimp in the orchid photography.
Yes, Laurel. They are up on the roof installing panels right now.
Jim
I just went out and took a couple of pictures of the first polycarbonate panel to be installed.
Jim
A friend gave me a small dendrobium keiki this morning. I'm not really a dendrobium grower...with only a few of the 'evergreen' types, which do fine for me outdoors. This one, however, is the type that blooms on bare, trailing canes. He admitted the plant itself always looks "awful," except for the new growth...but that the dangling, thin canes would be covered with blooms eventually. I put this very small keiki in a 1" clay pot...with some barely moist sphagnum, then a layer of bark. I put it in this jar for consistent humidity...and placed it in a bright, indoor windowsill. I know if I sit this jar outside, I'll COOK the poor thing. Unfortunately, he had no ID for this. Any tips or advice?
These are great Dendrobiums. I grow mine outside in bright shade and give them no special treatment. Dendrobium Anosmum is a great example of this type of Den.
Jim
This message was edited Jun 20, 2011 12:16 PM
I just noticed that the posting police did not allow the second picture of the roof panel through. I'll try again.
Jim
Nice flowers, Jim. That makes me look forward to this effort. Carry a pitcher of iced tea to the poor souls who are working on your lanai. It's supposed to reach 101 here today, and it's WELL on its way. I've only been able to stay outside for about 20 minutes at a time. What a fantastic project you've got going! I'm sure you're glad to see the progress. I paid an irrigation guy to come out this morning and look at a 15-year-old neglected sprinkler system. He told me to spend more money. Shocker! Plant collections should come with Social Security numbers...so you can deduct them on your taxes, for God's sake...
I don't know about the jar, i know orchids like humidity but they also like air flow. And very bright light for dens.
Yes, the jar should come off, Scott. S.C. humidity at this time of year and regular watering is ideal. I like the deciduous ones best. The bare canes have a sculptural quality plus the variety of flower forms and colors is huge. These orchids require a drier winter rest to bloom well. I have some that don't get watered for months. I have just started potting some of these cane Dendrobiums in 4" Vanda baskets jammed with shredded coconut fiber. I wire basket on the bottom to make a hanger, then wire the plant to the bottom of the basket and then jam in hunks of shredded fiber. Then I hang the plant upside down 'cause that's where they're headed anyway.
Thanks for the advice, Laurel and Bree. I'll nix the jar for sure, and go ahead and put this outside. Since the whole yard gets only dappled light under white oaks all day, I think it will be happy. There is enough light, so far, that all my orchids are growing well right now...despite my concerns.
I'll have to make a super-small rhizome clip somehow...or the little guy will easily drop from the pot and get lost.
Jim, I've found some amazing pictures of the species you mentioned. The friend said this one bloomed a faint lavender color. We'll see. 'Nite, All...
Scott, this orchid can take a good bit of sun so keep moving it to brighter and brighter light. It should be able to handle full sun in your area by Fall. It needs something close to Vandas and more than Catts to bloom but since it is a cutting, and newly potted, it should not be in what would be it's maximum preferred light just yet. I don't know what you mean about "a rhizome clip". This orchid does not have rhizomes and nothing should be clipped. This Dendrobium grows and blooms on old and new canes. The keikis should be left on as they are a happy part of the whole plant. If you start cutting this small piece it will be years until you see blooms. Just leave it alone. It looks fine. Cutting keikis works better with Phalaenopsis. They mature and bloom much faster than Dendrobiums.
Jim, is that a Den. parishii? What's going on with the roof?
No, it was Dendrobium Anosmum.
Now for the bloody roof. Five of the roof panels were damaged in shipping (steel bands wrapped too tight) which has put a halt to things. They have to be reordered and who knows how long that will take. Now I hear the color of the reordered ones may not match the ones that have been installed so they will have to start over from scratch. I'm just hoping it is done before the first frost. The contractor is madder than I am but screaming hasn't helped. The orchids remain in the bushes.
Jim
It took me a bit to figure out the (steel) bands? But as I'm reading this, the trucking Co. tied down the load too tight, to keep it from blowing off the truck, And that damaged the panels.? Different color lot may be a problem, but take heart, and don't give them the check, until it's right! First frost is a long way off!
The only reason I mentioned a clip (of any type) is because the slightest wind could blow the tiny plant out of its pot onto the ground. I actually wondered if it was too small to cut-off in the first place with only one centimeter's worth of roots...and is basically sitting on top of the medium. I'll wire it into the pot from the bottom or something, then leave it alone outside. I can definitely find some spaces in the yard to increase its sunlight...once it establishes itself. And I have no intention of cutting it for years to come. Thanks again...
Carol, see http://cubits.org/orchids/thread/view/52243/ to get a better picture of what is going on. The panels come in 4 X 12 foot sheets. The sheets were stacked, wrapped in paper and rolled up. Someone put metal bands around the rolls, over tightened, and bent/wrinkled the edges of five panels. The delivery was made in a box truck. The reorder estimated delivery date is 6 July. All of the panels have been reordered so those already installed will come down.
Scott, I kept a paph kiki alive like that for four years. It never grew or flowered but sat there in a pot on top of the bark for all that time. Moving the orchids to the bushes for this lanai project finally killed it. The more orchids I have or perhaps the older I get, the less patience I have with the critical care ward.
Jim
jim whats a Paph kiki? I thought they only had new growths. Where did it grow from?
If I remember right, it was a small division that I got while repotting the main plant. I didn't know you couldn't call that a kiki.
Jim
It wasn't attatched to the main plant or you cut it off? I don't know whether you could call it one or not,ive just never heard of a paph keiki and was interested. btw- paphs do better when kept as a bunch of growths rather than single growths. I never divide mine just repot.
My P.Insigne has 2 flowers on it.
My little suk. x kevins wine
and Leeanum..
Bree, you sure have the right touch to grow slippers. They're wonderful.
Jim
Very nice slippers, Bree.
Jim so sorry about your enclosure difficulties. It's probably a blessing to have the roof off during these hot months. Can you start moving plants back in?
I'm here at Maypop getting ready for the GA RU that is happening this Saturday but before I came up yesterday I took a few shots. Here is Dendrobium auriculatum. It bloomed months ago but has a repeat flower. The flower is large in relation to its cane size, about 2" (5cms.)
You can see the burn damage in the previous photo. Arghh! Here is the flower from the rear. It is spurred.
And here's the plant...
This is Encyclia alata this week...
And the almost ever blooming Pleurothallis brighamii.
This is my Keifersteinia. The flower is jammed down in between the leaves and looks like a claw.
oh wow love to see a front veiw of that Keifersteinia Lauel. Reminds me of a Zygopetalum.
Blc. George Kings still going but not smelling nice anymore.
Love the Dendrobium and I'm with Bree in wanting to see more pics of the Keifersteinia.
About the lanai, the sun is too high in the sky for the house to cast any shade and even the Vandas won't take the intense full Florida summertime sun. The panels that are in place will be removed shortly so the new batch can be installed. I think I'll just let them continue to enjoy summer camp in the woods until this project is finished.
Jim
It's a rainy morning but we need it so no complaint here. I took these pictures this morning.
Bulbo frostii, my most reliable Bulbo.
Jim
The last bloom on Blc Keowee 'Newberry'. Beautiful and fragrant.
Jim
Still blooming, Blc Walanae Leopard 'Mai Ling' X Bc Richard Mueller.
Jim
