November Orchid Blooms Make Us Thankful

I know this isn't a great picture, but all I 've got. All the phals are now spiking-- including the one shoved down into a bougainvillea pot that is in full sun and gets drowned every other day. All the others are in the pool cage and get misted 3 times a week. I'm always amazed how much abuse these phals can take! don't know why this picture is sideways. This orchid came from an estate sale and was dryer than dust-- sat under the oak tree for a while and then moved to the pool cage to get misted every morning. One just like it has attached itself to the oak tree and gets water from the lawn system and when I remember and I see no difference in the blooms.

Nice huge plant, Debi. :o) Is that Brassocattleya Maikai? Well flowered...

Rene10, that's a gorgeous catt! Those flowers look huge compared to the small leaves.

Debi, that's a lovely picture and a fabulous orchid. In my inexperienced eye, that's exactly what an orchid should look like.

Elaine

I want to move to Florida so I can enjoy some of that fun.!!!

These are very pretty orchids. It's making me soften my attitude toward Catts.. Good thing I don't have space for all but the minis.

Debi, what Laelia is that? Have you said before? What a bloomer! I'm especially impressed by the way you mounted the pot to the side of that wall to get a more natural appearance.

Bree, love that Cymbidium. Is yours fragrant? I have a lot of trouble getting good photos of pendant flowered Cymbidiums because the container is always the background.

Jim, does your David Sander bloom more than once a year? I've got a Rhyncholaelia digbyana, one of the parents (the other is Brassavola cucullata, and it buds out much later in winter or spring. It's hard to bloom. My cucullata is not blooming right now either. I know you see David Sander tagged as a Brassavola all over the place, and I know you are fixed in concrete about name changes but this has nothing to do with name changes...David Sander is a Rhyncholaelia/Brassavola cross and thus a Rhynchovola. No ifs, ands or buts! Except that you are stubborn.

I'm so enjoying all the photos and chat even though I have no idea what it is your talking about LOL I'm trying to learn though as you can tell I'm new to all this !!! can any one tell about a good book for beginers I have Ortho's All About Orchids I have 4 phal's and one catt and thank you again for all the pics
Gloria

Gloria, thanks so much for joining us. I think I've got that Ortho book around somewhere too. My most frequent recommend is Rebecca Northern's book http://www.amazon.com/Home-Orchid-Growing-Rebecca-Northern/dp/0671608916 if you are interested in all aspects. It is challenging enough for the beginner but not so difficult that you need a science degree. It might get you more hooked. Get a used copy on half.com or some other site. Don't ever be afraid to ask questions here. There are several relatively new people on this forum who have jumped right in. Us old(er) timers welcome a new blood transfusion!

When it comes to growing orchids there is the art and there is the science. Beginners want to learn the art and when they become more experienced usually become interested in the science. When the two merge and become what some call an obsession it really is a case of possession.

thank you I have always loved orchids but never tryed them then my daughter got me one for my birthday 5 years ago and its still alive and it flowerd last fall so she got me 3 more this year for me at my first show and sale so now I want to learn all I can

Yes, the David Sander seems to bloom at will and it has now produced a kiki. Also the blooms are getting larger. There are two or three more buds on it now. Yes, I do still call it a Brassavola. Back when it was first named, digbyana was a Brassavola too. Besides, I like the way Brassavola rolls off the tongue.

Bree, nice Cym

Scott, no, I don't bring all Oncidiums indoors in the summer. I have had trouble growing Beallaras and the local orchid club folks advises me to keep them cool during the summer months. I thought I would give it a shot. Dancing ladies grow like weeds here in the heat.

Rene, gotta love the floof. Great color on the Lemon Chiffon.

Debi, you drown your bougainvillea every other day? I keep mine dry so it will flower. I've never heard of pouring that much water on a bougainvillea. As for your phals, mine just will not take sun.

Jim

yes this Cymbidium is hard to get a decent shot of. Yes! it has a strong yummy fragrant.
Rene10- Love Lemon Chiffon.
Great shot of Maikai 'mayumi' debijaynes if it was spun around.

One of these days I'll get a decent picture that doesn't have to spun! That orchid is in a window alcove by the koi pond-- three screened " windows " there and they work well 'til a big wind! I have looked and looked for my newspaper clipping about that orchid and am unable to find it. Will look later today to see if either has a tag.
THe bougies get lots of water-- I know they should be dry, but they are potted and get hot hot sun. When we lived in Ocalal FL I had a bougie and orchids and creeping fig on a west and east facing wall--odd courtyard-ish configuration. I watered off the well 45 minutes daily.EVERYTHING bloomed like mad. The bougie had to be cut on a regular basis and bloomed profusely, as did the orchids-- in fact the vandas bloomed 4 times a year in that location.I wish I could devote more time to the yard here-- maybe one day I can.
The picture I think now is right side up!

My green No ID Dendrobium is opening its first blooms. The brush-strokes are somewhere between a rust and a tan color.

Here's the whole plant. It loves to bloom...and has 4 spikes this year.

Pretty blooms on a very healthy looking plant. Congrats, Scott.

Jim

That's a winner, Scott. Absolutely gorgeous.

Apologize for the play-by-play here, but I'm excited about the two spikes on my Phal. amabilis var formosanum 'Variegata'. The long one is making buds. Bit worried they will abort while I am away next week but I'm also not willing to change it's location at this critical point, so it's going to have to tough it out on the patio inside the pool cage. I'm hoping the weather holds for just one more week. We have not had a night below 50 yet.

If they hold, I'll have a flower pic for the December thread, finally, besides my faithful spathoglottis.

Great shades on that Den., Scott.

Elaine, any orchid that blooms faithfully is a winner.

Here's a photo from this morning of Vanda Manuvadee x Fuch's Delight and Beallara Tropic Tom. They were just hanging out together.

New kid on the block is Tolumnia Golden Sunset 'Paprika Dust'. It's been with me since it was a baby. This is its first time blooming. It looks like my Tolumnias are going to be blooming on the early side this year. There are a bunch in spike.

For the newer comers, Tolumnias are a separate species of miniature Oncidiums. They were known as miniature Oncidiums when I started growing. The name was later changed to Equitant Oncidiums and now they are Tolumnias.

Here is the plant...

A single flower left on this NOID Tolumnia. I keep saying I need to hunt down that tag and not doing it. Maybe I need to go over old photos.

Whoops, that wasn't the right photo. Here is the plant...

A chorus line of Vandas in the greenhut. There are a few in spike.

Early in this month's htead I posted this Maxillaria variabilis http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/fp.php?pid=8879088 and mentioned I got one as a cutting in a different color. Here is the second one with only one flower. It was just mounted so I'm surprised it bloomed at all.

Here is the plant.

With so many beautiful November blooms, I can't wait for December's.

I need to start a "Orchid" diary so I can remember what I just learned.

I appreciate those of you who have included me in your conversations. One of the other forums I follow don't say too much to the outsiders.

One benefit to the monthly threads is that you can go back through posts and see orchids blooming in specific seasons. That can help you select plants for the seasons you would like to see flowers. For example, I originally started my latest collection by acquiring plants that bloom in winter. I have more time to enjoy the flowers and coddle the plants at that time. It's especially nice come short winter days. If you have questions about specific plants from older threads you can DM the posters or post them on a separate thread. By posting questions on separate threads viewers, both novice and experienced, are able to respond more readily.

I agree with pfPeg I want to learn but some time you get the feeling your interupting with dumb questions

I hope no one here gives you the feeling your questions are dumb. Those of us who are regular posters go our of our way to welcome new people and answer questions. If you have questions that you are shy about posting then DM me or one of the other regular posters. I might not be fast but I will respond. Speaking of that, I am guilty of having old mail, thanks for the reminder.

Thank you Laurel !! and I did order that book from Amazon it should be here in a week if theres any more let me know I love to read ;0)
Gloria

I don't believe I have ever read a post where the question or questionor (?) was talked to down to at all on the board.
I've been into orchids for some 15+ years now and been on DG since '08. I have learned a lot in those years, but the number one thing is, that I know what I don't know. Don't get overwhelmed when someone throws out those fancy names, look them up later if you want, but at some point it all starts to click. I talk to other people I know, nursery growers and especially this group. Always get the answer I need.
And sometimes when I get a plant to bloom, I want to brag. This group has some tremendously successful growers but I never feel out of place showing my plants in bloom.
As long as I'm on the soap box, let me say that there is a wealth of info on the web about orchids. Some of it written by some of the great orchid growers. Some by people who I think owned one orchid once and now is an expert. You can always check here. The book recommended is a good one. As you get more into it I have found Botanica's Ochids and Taylor's Guide to Orchids great reference works. For my own likes I also have Fragrant orchids by Steven A. Fowler and Growing Hardy Orchids by John Tullock. Amazing what you may think is a fragile plant and it's in this book.

OK, I'm done

thank you I shall look those up ; and I love this site but I have been on some others that I no longer ask questions I can understand that answering the same ? all the time can some times be a bother so I read a lot first to see if I can find the answer first

Thanks Ted for your thoughts. Like I said earlier, I find this forum is full of people with the passion to help others and not just ignore us. Guess I should get a Kindle, but I feel technology is moving so fast that I can't keep up. The Kindle has been replaced by the Kindle XXX (Kindle Fire???).

I just love the books with larger pictures.

Like Ted said, I often use this thread to 'brag' about finally blooming a certain type of orchid. Keep in mind, I might have FAILED to bloom that same orchid for years, so I'm especially proud when I find the trick...LOL!

I've never once worried that my questions might be deemed 'dumb,' probably because I know there are folks on here with all levels of experience and expertise. All are welcomed. And nearly every orchid grower - even those I consider experts - will likely admit there are things they just can't grow well, whether its their environment, culture, or mistakes in caring for them. Mine is usually ineptitude. :o) The internet is a great place to find the answers...if you sort through enough.

Speaking of books, there's one in particular that I have, called Bloom Again Orchids. I can't remember the author, but she lists 50 orchids that are reliable bloomers, and it's a nice collection to consider. My favorite book - although it's like an encyclopedia - is The Classic Cattleyas, by Chadwick and Son. I bought it to specifically help with the cattleya alliance orchids I've collected, but failed to flower. I study online where the orchid came from (what "parent" plants were used in its hybridization) and try to adjust to its needs in-situ (the care it receives in its natural habitat in the wild). This book has also taught me that I've collected some plants that will probably never do well for me, and that I should trade them off. Sad, but true.

Lastly, I've never felt like an "outsider," but that's probably because I come from a large family where you have to grab hold and hang on...ha ha! I'd encourage anybody to jump right in! People here are always helpful and kind, from my experience...

A day without learning something new is a lost day. I ALWAYS ask questions and encourage everyone I now to do the same!
Debi

Any of you familiar with spathoglottis - I bought these bareroot pseudobulbs cheap on eBay. They're not much to write home about, but I understand they multiply quickly. I'm wondering how deeply I plant these pseudobulbs. Are they just like Phaius orchids - also terrestrial - where half the bulb is above soil-level? Any help is appreciated. Hopefully I can give these a healthy start.

Scott, make sure all of the roots are covered with well drained soil. I find they tend to work themselves up out of the soil so a little deeper is better than too shallow.

We have reached the beginning of another month so please join us at http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1232139/.

Jim