January Orchids Part II

Nice dyzzypyxxy! Sure looks like a mostly Brassavola cross; it doesn't have the bigger lip that those crosses with the larger catts usually have. You mentioned this was the first boom it's had since you bought it. Was the plant big and clumpy when you bought it, or have you had it (bloomless) for a while? It seems like a lot of leaves for just one flower.

Hey looky what I picked up yesterday at Trader Joes for $12.99!

I was on my way to the plant district here in Manhattan just to look at the orchids and passed a Trader Joe's. I thought I'd take a look at what they had. They must have just got a shipment in. Intergeneric Oncidiums including a few that looked like Marfitch, some huge-flowered Zygo-crosses, and these nobile dendrobiums. It was so hard to walk away with just one! I had just been thinking I would like to try a Dendrobium nobile-type orchid, and there they were.

Here's a closer view.

I was even able to get the name from going to the grower's website (Matsui Nursery). It is Dendrobium Love Memory 'Fizz'

This message was edited Jan 22, 2012 11:53 AM

JeanK, thanks for the compliment on the phal. I have about 5 getting ready to burst into bloom, so I'll be sure to post the photos! Hope you will be able to post yours soon!

PtP, that's a lovely dendrobium.

Yes, I've had that Brassavola since early October and this is the first bloom I've had. It was stuffed into a tiny metal basket when I got it, and I struggled with it in that for a while before extracting it and mounting on a nice piece of cork. I tore off one small section when it came out of the basket, which I gave to my neighbor. Guess I should walk over and see how it's doing for him.

Here's what it looked like when I bought it.

Dyzzy, Whatever the name, it is a pretty flower!

That Brassavola looks familiar, Elaine, I just can't place it.

Nice Den. nobile, Pinetop.

My newest bloomer is Encyclia (syn. Dinema) polybulbon. This tiny came to the greenhut last Spring and is a first time bloomer for me. There are two other buds still in the sheaths. Though diminutive, it can form large mat specimens.

Here's a close up.

Little Ascocentrum garayi has five spikes and is still opening flowers. The flowers start off a golden yellow and turn more orange as they mature.

Close up of the plants and some ants having a nectar cocktail.

View of all spikes. The dark spots on the leaves are sun spots and means the plant is getting maximum light but not burning. Makes for lots of flowers. Ascocentrums take less sun than their Vanda cousins.

Jim's Ascocenda Crownfox 'Golden Dawn' is blooming yet again. The flowers are a little jammed and fewer this time out. I'm blaming the crazy weather.

Vasco. Viboon Velvet still won't turn those flowers around. Hope it gives me another chance soon. Need to photo it with a black background to show off those flowers better. They were slightly yellow when they first opened but are now snow white with a little purple airbrushing.

Those flowers on Bulbophyllum medusae are doing their own thing. I managed to get a stone under the one that was face down in the medium and another is late for the bus. They are very unruly!

This message was edited Jan 22, 2012 4:52 PM

Okay, I confess, not only am I misting her every time I go in the greenhut but my SO caught me with a chopstick "combing" her hairs before a photo op. He's about to have me committed. lol

She looks lovely with her hair all nicely coiffed, Laurel. LoL I'm sure I wouldn't be able to resist combing them either.

The little Encyclia polybulbon is just lovely - how big are those flowers?

And do they have a scent?
All of them look great to me!
I'm just hoping I'll have something to post before the end of the month.

Elaine, the AOS judging standard uses widest point to longest point. They are 5/8" x 5/8". I'd like to take better, not out of focus, photos and not point and shoot.

Carol, we cross posted. Yes they have a barely perceptible sweet smell. I'm not aws good at describing as others. My plant is so small that I have to stick my nose right in the flower. Surely a big specimen, loaded with flowers, would be fragrant. Now talking about fragrance...when I open the doors to the solarium in the morning the single flower left on Cycnoches chorochilon blows out of the room.

Hey, point n shoot is what the rest of us do, too.

I promise we're not judging your photography. Just love to see your pretty flowers.

I'm with Laurel in that that Brassavola looks familiar. I will search through my pictures to see if I can spot it.

Great show, Laurel. I'm glad to see Crownfox is still working for you. Combing the hair of meduase seems futile but you get points for the effort. Here is mine from a couple of years ago so you can see it is a common ailment. Perhaps some hairspray? Very nice Ascocentrum garayi.

Jim

I put up two 10 foot rods in the covered part of the lanai to house orchids that demand absolute shade. The first to occupy this space are the Stanhopeas. I hope they are happy here.

Jim

Mjsponies, that's not such a stretch. I recently heard an AOS regional head judge explain to probationary and student judges the best, most acceptable, way to groom orchids for AOS judging. There are no rules that go with grooming but some methods will not earn points even if they are best for the plant. For example, if you have a damaged leaf you should remove the whole leaf and not just the damaged section, regardless of how minor the damage. On the other hand, I've seen folks bring in plants for a local orchid society ribbon judging and be advised to not put leaf polish on their plants as it lends an artificial look to the plant. I get the last point but not the first.

Elaine, thanks for your patience with my photos. Some days are better than others.

Laurel, Talking about crazy weather messing with the orchids, I was just watching the weather report, and once again we're expecting a high of 58 tomorrow ( with 1/2 to 3/4" of rain) and 80 by Thursday, with wind, of course. Thank God for Mexican orchids! Even my Epidendrons are showing cold damage for the first time in 25+ years.

Hey, speaking of leaf polish, is there a way to get the salts off the leaves of my orchid without damage? The ones I've bought from the local fellow all have a lot of chalky salt stains on the leaves from his well water that he mists with. I've tried just wiping with a soft towel and rainwater but that doesn't help much if at all.

See the leaf, lower left. (the rest are wet, but they all look like that when they're dry)

This message was edited Jan 22, 2012 10:38 PM

I just read, but haven't tried, dilute Mayonaise with water, wipe on , wipe off with a soft cloth. "Orchids Made Easy" by Ryan and Laura Levesque. I don't recomend the book unless to a newbe to orchids. It is too general and I have several with the same info that cost a lot less.

Thanks, Carol. That seems to work great. I cleaned a leaf here and there, and will watch for a few days for any problems before I go cleaning every plant. Smells like a salad bar out there!

My orchid book said to try low-fat milk but I didn't have any, so the mayonnaise is my first attempt.

Mini purple x Chocolate drop

Den. Burana

P. Gary Romagna x Phinnocio

Lc. Fireball Flame

Bree, I know you live in a warm climate. How do you manage to keep your slippers cool enough to harvest all of those wonderful blooms?

Jim

I don't really, i think all the paphs i have are the ones that aren't as fussy as some can be. It doesn't get cold here and my Cymbidiums and some of my Paphiopedilums get marked leaves in summer which i think is from the heat and humidity. Then they look great in cooler months. I have them all under just shadecloth all year round. Its raining and raining here atm and rot will be next.

Bree, that's encouraging to me since I recently bought a little Paph. Gloria Naugle and I figured (plus Jim said) it might be hard to get it to bloom here. Yet we probably get more cool temps than you do. So I have more hope now.

My little Phal amabilis var.formosanum 'Variegata' has finally opened a flower. It has taken months, it seems!

I am working at mounting my B. 'David Sander' today and have been stopped by a mass of tightly bonded roots. See the play-by-play in the Mounting Orchids thread.

Paph prim 'n' proper just opened...

Bree, your Paphs always look so nice. I have several Chocolate drop crosses but since they are Catt's they suffered last year's burn in the greenhut. Love the color and substance of Chocolate Drop flowers.

In case there is a misunderstanding about growing Paphs...they are not cool weather plants! The mottled ones grow warm and the regular leaf ones grow intermediate to warm. The problem with Paphs is they don't tolerate high light, getting dried out, being soggy and don't tolerate big temp swings. Mine have summered outside, in one hundred plus temps, for several years. They are fine in the shadiest spot. They need frequent re-potting in wet climates as they hate stale medium but once you re-pot care must be taken so that they don't get too dry in hot weather. That said, they don't like to be wet in cool weather. They behave more like regular houseplants, IMO so if you can give them houseplant conditions outside they'll be fine.

Well, I guess you just explained why mine are doing nothing. We've had nothing but temp. swings this year!

I don't know how to create house plant conditions outside during summer monsoons nor winter cold snaps. That is why the growers that do well with them here tend to grow them inside.

At our orchid club meeting yeterday, Fred Clarke of Sunset Valley Orchids spoke for over an hour on Cycnoches, Mormodes and Catasetums. What wonderful blooms on those orchids. I came home with three little hybrid bulbs and will see if I can get them to grow. They all do well in Florida so with a little luck, I may just do it. He recommends an inch or two of moss on top of bark for a medium.

Jim

Wow, so many beautiful orchids since I was last able to stop by.

Maypop, I absolutely love Encyclia polybulbon. That's one that caught my eye years ago in the Golden Nature guide to orchids, but I've never seen a photo of it; just the illustration in that book. How cool. I think your photo is great. And that's another orchid for my wish list. Love the ongoing saga of Medusa as well . . . love the ascocentrum, the asconcendas too. They just require to much light for me to grow 'em . . .

Jim, thanks for posting that photo of your hanging stanhopeas. Always nice to see how other people house/grow their orchids. I've gotta get a photo of the orchid-studded windows in my apartment to post soon.

Maypop, I'm so excited to hear about the Cycnoches fragrance. I have what looks to be 3 buds developing on the inflorescence of mine. I'm so nervous about them turning yellow and falling before blooming, as the plant is close to the window and our temperatures have gone from 60s to teens to 50s. So far, so good.

Breeindy, I always enjoy your photos. The chocolate drop clone and crosses have lately caught my eye. Yours are beautiful.