Cool October Orchids

I am just amazed by the number and beauty of the orchids you guys have. And always something in bloom. Working to that end is my goal. Thanx for sharing

Thanks for all the nice pictures and the sharing of your knowledge of orchids. I am a neobi to the growing of orchids, but hoping to learn some new stuff from you guys. I am better with the outside plants, today I was blessed with flowers from my Confederate Rose, it is 8 ft. talll, one is white and the other changes it's color. I am glad I don't live north, they are having a hard time with snow and power loss. Etelka

Elaine, I had a regular screened lanai and then changed it to part sitting/part green house. Now all I have to do is close the windows. Have a look.

Jim

Dyzzy, I think bringing the orchids in when it's cold is a very good idea unless you look at them as disposable landscaping.

Ted, you seem to be well on your way with collecting. You've posted lots of pretty pics.

Scott, I know my orchids are not always the "show and tell" kinds that the rest of you grow but there's a good reason I grow quirky little aliens. Not sure what it is but there is a good reason. Joking aside, the reason is because many of the orchids I grow are coming from places being deforested and slash and burn clearing is common to create new agricultural land. The governments in these countries often will not let orchid growers or orchid organizations rescue plants before they destroy their habitats. Some day it is entirely possible that you will only see these in private collections. The few plants that are allowed out for export are being cloned by a very select group of folks trying to preserve orchid species for posterity.

Etelka, glad you are enjoying the orchid forum. Some lucky folks here do get to grow their orchids outside. Mine only go outside for summer camp.

Jim, the enclosure is looking great. I've been meaning to show you the progress on your gift from last November, Acampe papillosa...

And, Jim, I hate to spring this on you BUT it has been ten months since we were together and guess what? We had a BABY!!!! I've named it Acampe Jim Jr.

Laurel, any efforts toward conservation are admirable, and I love seeing the rareties you share. What a sad reality about en-masse deforestation. I guess that speaks to adding species to all our collections, intsead of focusing solely on hybrids. Speaking of species, your instructions for my Dendrobium lindleyi are well under way. She's tucked away from rain, and is my only orchid still outdoors at this point. Since she sits on a south window ledge, I give her a few extra degrees as I'm sure the house provides some warmth. It's the most sun I could provide, while still undergoing the needed chill. You're right - it's counterintuitive to withhold water for such a period of time - but I'm doing so in hopes of a show like yours. It seems to be a fairly established little plant...with about a dozen pseudobulbs.

Having moved everything else under florescent lights for the winter, I've got a sudden burst of robust root growth. It's interesting. I hope it's a sign that my lighting is substantial. It doesn't measure a lot of footcandles unless you're within a few inches of the bulbs, but that is ONE BRIGHT BASEMENT. I've ordered some mylar sheeting to better reflect and multiply my efforts. My den's and brasso's were of the biggest concern, so they're almost touching the bulbs. The phal-type dendrobiums are getting prepared for their portraits. Just a few more days...

Scott, really the people who are doing the cloning get all the credit. They are like the panda breeders and I am like a zoo with a few pandas. Maybe after a few years, and if all goes well, I will have a division to share of this or that. About your Den. lindleyi...don't start starving it until after Thanksgiving. I am watering the cool Den. mounts two to three times a week now instead of daily. They are still being fertilized on a regular weekly schedule. I look for signs of yellowing or dropping leaves to let me know when to quit if I need to start earlier. Sometimes you have to make them go dormant and other times they tell you it's their time. Keep them out as long as it's above forty or so degrees. If you have a cool night bring them in and then put them out again. They need as much light as possible to set blooms well. As soon as this cold wave passes I'll hang mine on the deck rails in direct sun at this point and leave them out until the next cold wave.

It's been close to freezing the last day or so. Here is a view of the greenhut from the great room. You can't see the other hundred or so orchids hanging on the other side of the Vandas. I can stand in the kitchen and see this view as well. It's comforting on cold days. The current temperature in there is almost seventy degrees and humidity is close to 80%.

At least Laurel didn't say anything about support payments. :>)

Jim

Jim, your enclosure is wonderful. One day when we're feeling wealthier we may convert our pool enclosure to something like that. THEN will I ever collect orchids! Is your pool inside there?

Meantime, I have a nice east-facing space that I can enclose on cold nights, and that's where the orchids will camp out if we get cold this winter. It's against a patio door to the house, so there will be plenty of supplemental heat. My two little phals came through our short spell of 'winter' weather last year with flying colors with that protection. So I am pretty confident I won't lose the others, all of whom should be even more cold tolerant than the phals.

So far - fingers crossed - we've had a few nights in the 60's but haven't had any threat of cooler weather. All the windows open all the time, that's how I like it. With the exception of the spathiphyllums that are in the ground and blooming like crazy, and the epidendrum that is sprawled all over the place under the tree fern, they are all inside the pool cage near the patio doors already.

There are a lot of people around here that do manage to keep orchids going in their landscapes. Many of them are out on the barrier islands - like Debi is - which stay warmer in winter and cooler in summer though. But I'm not ready to risk any of my new babies yet.

That was coming; the support conversation I mean.

This message was edited Oct 30, 2011 6:03 PM

My pleasure to stir the pot here - go for custody, Jim!

By the way, we all want visitation rights, too. Don't we Scott, Debi, Bree, Ted, Etelka, PP and Qwilter. (did I miss anybody?)

Happy Hallowe'en! (never thought to dress one of my kids up as an orchid before!) Elaine

The Lady of the night is blooming away! When I let the dogs out this morning it almost knocked me over! Time to fall back this weekend --don't forget! All this rain has made all the the orchids very happy. When I moved some around earlier, moved one into the pool cage and left another under a tree-- tree one-- with less water is budding- will crawl down to tree later today and get pictures-- was one of the orphans. Attached pix is not it-- just thought I'd send! It's with the "I don't what to do with these" group outside the pool cage-- gets mist every AM

lol..a custody battle at our age might set a record. Someone call Guinness.

Elaine, yes, the pool is still in there.

Jim

Elaine, Carol gets visitation too as do my old friends from here who are not here currently. I miss them a lot and send photos now and again.

Debi, that's a very nice Catt.. I like the colors. Most of mine got fried in March. I've got no Fall bloomers to show but some sheaths. Maybe they will bloom later in the season.

Jim, don't try to deny it. Acp. Jim Jr. is absolutely your baby. We are okay for now but eventually, when Jim Jr has roots here, he will need support. You can forget about custody 'cause of abandonment issues. I'm going after a nice tree fern totem and not that synthetic Epiweb stuff! BTW, everyone gets visitation. I am already planning the Bar Mitzvah for thirteen years from now (bagels, lox, smoked herring). Still don't have a DJ but mark your calendar.

I'm rolling on the floor here and still don't have my wine.

Jim

Well between the rolling and the wine Jim, frankly that's why Jim Jr. is with me (ya'll are witnesses). Now go look in your trees for that Den. eriaeflorum you told me to get you at Andy's last May and I can't get a straight answer from you as to whether you have it or not. Mine is beginning to bloom like crazy and yours was as big and healthy as mine.

It's dark out there. Besides, it's Halloween and who knows what evil lurks in the bushes?

Jim

Jim, that's a great shot of the lanai! I'm green with envy! Now go find that Den eriaeflorum!

Laurel, thanks for remembering me! I'm easily forgetable, since I haven't posted anything lately. Our weather has been very unkind to orchids this year. I just keep watching the buds blast and the sheaths dry up, or get 1 or 2 flowers on a spike after watching the buds for a month. Nothing worth a picture. Cymbidiums look like they may do well though. Got my fingers crossed!

Happy Halloween everyone!

Carol

Can I come to the Bar Mitzvah, I will bring some Hungarian walnut pastries and some violin music. You guys are funny. Thanks. Etelka

I'd think you could get in on the Hungarian walnut pastries alone. They sound great. Laurel is more of the violin music type; I'm a fiddle guy myself.

Jim

I've had her strudel and it's killer! I had to put Steve on rations 'cause Etelka left bunches with me after our Round Up.

Meanwhile I spent the morning at the dentist getting prepped for a crown after breaking an onlay last night. Arghh!

I've started a November flower thread. Please join me here http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1228030/