Building a collection beyond the basics?

I'm at that point in my orchid career where I have a small collection of beginner plants that are doing well. I'd like to expand (slowly) by adding 4-5 well-chosen orchids this year. My aim is to try something other than phals and I already have a number of paphs. Challenging is fine -- I've got great southern exposures (+ T5 if needed), pretty good instincts and the patience to tinker with humidity, etc. But I'd like to avoid any uphill battles that are doomed from the start.

These are the plants I'm interested in. I've researched the basics on each, but before I order them, I'd really appreciate hearing any thoughts/experience you might have.

       1.    Lc. Santa Barbara Sunset 'Showtime' HCC/AOS

       2.    Psygmorchis pusilla : I understand this is short-lived, but can be propagated. Is this easy enough to do?

       3.    Paph Dollgoldii : Can this be brought into bloom by mere mortals?

       4.    Psychopsis Mendenhall var. alba 'Yellow Butterfly': I understand this needs careful watering to avoid rot and doesn't enjoy being repotted. Otherwise?

       5.    Sophronitis cernua: I hear this is relatively easy, but will it bloom in Michigan with good light?



Thanks,

Jan

PS: These would be indoors in winter, outdoors in summer, in MIchigan.

The only one I have is Sophronitis cernua. I bought it in April 2010 and it has been exposed to all kinds of weather. It is just getting a new lead, but I can't tell if it's going to be a bud or a pb yet. Only the tough survive here. It now has a home ( for the last month) that doesn't get below 50 at night, so that is probably why it's finally doing something.

It sounds like a survivor -- a good thing! The fewer persnickety plants the better.. Doesn't sound like it's real favorite though -- or am I just reading that into your response?

I have a few paphs that have defied my best efforts for a couple years. They've started to lose their favored 'chid" status :)

Thanks!

Jan

This message was edited Feb 18, 2012 1:04 PM

Don't know if it's a favorite, or not until it blooms for me. LOL! Some that were favorites last year are pretty pathetic now, due to the unusual weather this year.

OK, if I had to only have 8 orchids to my name, these are my must haves:

Bc. Little Star
Blc. Chia Lin
Brassavola (Rhynchovola) David Sander
Brassavola (Rhyncholaelia) Digbyana
Cattleya maxima
Den. Anosmum or a Nobile hybrid
Encyclia Green Hornet
L. (Now Cattleya) purpurata

I'm leaving off some very fine orchids but this is my first team. This reminds me of sports commentators talking about the all time greats.

Jim

I can't speak for most orchids in the Catt group, like the Lc that intersets you, but that would probably be the easiest on your list (see Soph. cernua for more comments).

I have Psygmorchis pusilla, perhaps you have seen the photos. It is easy to bloom but is short lived. How would you propagate it? If mine keikis I'll let you know.

IME the sequential blooming Paphs are way more difficult to bloom than the singe bloomers. Maybe Bree can advise here.

Any Psychopsis Mendenhall hybrid will probably not do well in your 'hood and outside a controlled greenhouse environment.

Sophrinitis cernua is a great species. I have had a problem growing it because of our summer heat. I'd be willing to try again. It's such a popular orchid for hybridizing and its progeny make the most gorgeous orchid babies though. I'd look for a hybrid Soph. cernua that will enjoy your cool winters, not be so fussy and be amenable to windowsill light. There are loads of compacts that have cernua in their background. Call or email Mark Reinke at Marble Branch Farms orchids http://www.marblebranchfarms.com/ for cernua hybrid suggestions.

I don't think you've ever discussed your growing situation. If I understood that better maybe I could make suggestions. Are you interested in species? Do you want fragrance? Are you trying to keep plants small to maximize space?

Jim's list is a great one but the light requirements of most of those orchids would be challenging in your zone. Some orchids adapt to lights better than others.

Carol, your cernua would have to have a mature lead that would then sheath and subsequently bloom. If you've got a new lead it is a pb.

Oh well. Thanks, Laurel.

Wow, thanks for all the information and suggestions. This is incredibly helpful and just what I was hoping for. I think it's difficult the real scoop on varieties from a seller, and the info online can be a real mix.

Jim --

Thank you for the ideas! I'm looking them up right now. Some very interesting varieties. I’ve not seen a lot of the Blc or the Bc’s – some real beauties. I've got B. nodosa, -- in fact it’s blooming
now – nice scent. My understanding is that B. nodosa is pretty easy.

We seem to have some common tastes Two of the catt. hybrids I’ve been ogling are varieties of Lc. C.G. Roebling ( 'Sentinel' and ‘Beachview' var. coerulea). Unless I’m reading this wrong, they both have
some L. purpurata in them. Geesh, this nomenclature is ridiculous …

Laurel --

I really appreciate you taking the time to answer so carefully. I’m sure you’ve got a lot of other things keeping you occupied right now.

Psychomorgis pusilla caught my eye because, well, it’s cute and available on the web site I’ve been window shopping (Parkside Orchids) . But my knowledge beyond that is basically
gleaned from the web. A couple of people make reference to it being “easy to propagate” but don’t give specifics. Someone did say something about “dividing fans’, which didn’t sound
right. But you never know on the web.

I’ll check with Bree on the paphs.

Bummer about the psychopsis. I really like the “alien” look to it. But I’d rather not take on anything that’s a long shot. Not yet, anyhow!

Good to know about the sophronitis. This sounds like a real prospect. I’ll give Marble Farms a ring.

The orchids I listed are classics. They have reliable blooms, many are fragrant and several are used in hybrid programs. I think they would make excellent building blocks for a collection. If the question were just my favorites, I'd probably have to add a Schomburgkia, some Vandas, a couple of Bulbos and perhaps a Stanhopea. Those are things you can aspire to once you have the collection conerstones. The problem is there are endless varieties to choose from and the quest is never ending.

Jim

Jan, I am fairly new at this orchid game, too. Was determined not to get into growing orchids in fact, until my daughter said I was crazy and bought me two for a birthday a couple of years ago. From there it became "well, if I have to fuss over orchids, I may as well have a few more" and I was hooked!

I am growing my 'chids in the great outdoors, here in coastal mid-Florida. We do get some cold nights in winter where I have to protect them or bring them indoors, but mostly I am working towards having my orchids part of the landscape as much as possible the rest of the year. Thus, I am with you on looking for adaptable, non-fussy types. So far I have not had any orchid fatalities, although a couple of my Phals have given me trouble. (People say they're easy "beginner" orchids - I think they're pretty fussy and don't like to be moved around either).

I have four of Jim's All Stars, and his advice has been terrific. I must say I think any of the Brassavolas are lovely, and very easy care. They also have delicate, elegant flowers fairly often that are fragrant at night. I'd add Brassavola nodosa, the so-called 'Lady of the Night' orchid to Jim's list. The second picture is another Brassavola cross 'Yellow Bird' that began with this reddish color on the petals then matured to a yellow lip and orange petals.

The other type I am now collecting are mini-Oncidiums or Tolumnias. (first pic) They are winter-spring bloomers, quite small plants but they put up lovely flower scapes of many small flowers and are easy bloomers. I like their small size, for easy care while they're not blooming. Lately, Lowe's has had them available indoors in the tropical plants area for $7 each.

I've had similar advice as to getting Paphs to bloom. They need just the right temp and light conditions, it seems. A grower advised me that they also like generous water (i.e. not to dry out between waterings) and fertilizer! So now when I'm finished misting everybody, I stick the mister in that paph's tiny little pot and give it an extra good squirt. We shall see!

Laurel --

Regarding my conditions ; I’d characterize it as “windowsill +”, meaning I’ve got pretty good space and a variety of “microclimates” but no greenhouse. Specifically,

      Light : The south side of the house has large unshaded windows. I’ve been able to keep tropical hibiscus, a few citrus trees, a couple dendrobiums
      and catt hybrids happy and blooming there. The best spot is a breakfast nook/small solarium that gives me exposure on the east, south and west sides.
       I supplement natural light with T5 fixtures of varying intensities and generally mix 3000/6500 k bulbs there. I’ve had pretty good results with some of the
      lower light succulents with this setup.

      Temp & humidity: I use fans/space heaters to adjust, occasionally supplemented with heat mats. Humidity varies from on the windowsill to humidity tray to under glass/in a wardian case.

      Space :, I’ve got a lot of plants already, so small is better than “huge”, but I’m thinking of phasing out some varieties to make space for orchids. I guess I’d say if a
      plant is appealing enough “I’ll make space”. Sounds like a threat, huh? I hope my big blue agave is listening ….


Anyhow, I’d say my preferences lean more toward “pretty” than “horticulturally significant”. Bright colors are great, scent is a nice bonus but isn’t a must. Mostly I like to have plants that
produce blooms here and there and look decent enough the rest of the year. DH is incredibly tolerant and supportive of my plant habit, but the deal is nothing too ratty in the living room.
I try to hold up my end of the bargain.

I’m pretty sure I can keep just about anything alive, but I’d like to do a bit better than that. As you say some plants just don’t seem to take to artificial light.

Thanks for your help,

Jan


This message was edited Feb 19, 2012 8:24 PM

Elaine, I didn't list Brassavola nodosa because it is similar to Bc. Little Star except it takes up more space. I also opted to omit Schomburgkias and Vandas due to space and light issues and Bulbos can be a little tricky to grow for beginners.

Jim

So true, Jim. Although I could wish my B. nodosa was taking up a bit more space these days. It's not been happy about the cool nights and I'm hoping it will put on some new growth once things stay warm for a while.

There seem to be some wonderful little Encyclias that are pretty easy care and free-blooming. As per Jim's all-star list, I can attest that 'Green Hornet' is a champ. Mine was in bloom when I got it on Jan 8th and just today has dropped its first flower. It has another sheath getting ready to pop, too.

Jan, I've been reading a lot about orchids as my addiction takes hold, and have bought several books, but the one I've found most useful as an easy reference and guide is 'Orchids to Know and Grow' by Thomas Sheehan and Robert Black. I got it online from the University of Florida bookstore here:

http://ifasbooks.ifas.ufl.edu/p-301-orchids-to-know-and-grow.aspx

Jim --

Isn't that always the problem? But here at least the quest is also part of fun. I've promised myself to take this a bit at a time, learn what I need to about
each plant, and ideally get them to bloom before moving on. But it's difficult to not to go nuts seeing some of these beauties. My phals and I seem to
get along well, but I'm just starting to get the hang of the my paphs. It finally dawned on me that I needed to do my homework on every single one of them.
Fun, challenging stuff.

Jan

Elaine,

Thanks for writing -- it's really helpful to have everyone's ideas on this!

Yellow stars is neat. I didn't realize that the brassavolas ever had color. Everything I've seen has been white, and whenever I've seen something like this one,
it 's been a cattleya cross. They are attractive in any case. What sort of light does this one get? I read somewhere that the way to tell a happy nodosa is if it develops
reddish spots on the leaves. So it seems that they need a lot to thrive like yours.

Which Tolumnias do you have? I've been eye-balling them ever since I saw some of your pics this month, but the ones I've been looking at were somewhere
around $20. I have a feeling a trip to Lowes is in my future. Can't beat small, easy blooming AND cheap!

I wonder about paphs and water -- I'm sure your friend is right. And it certainly seems sensible that they wouldn't be too forgiving of a dry spell if they're thinking about blooming
But it just goes against my basic instincts to water anything not in full sun regularly. To be fair, I have to say that I'm pretty stingy in that regard. I once killed a cactus by
underwatering (if you can imagine).

Jan


This message was edited Feb 20, 2012 11:17 AM

Jan, I've got my brassavolas out there with the Catts, getting a little bit of early morning sun filtered through screening inside my pool cage. As the sun gets stronger, I'm moving them closer in to the house to make sure they don't get burned. They'll be spending the summer under the big oak tree where they will get peeks of sun in the morning and shade in the afternoons. Except of course when they bloom they will be invited in to sit on the patio tables.

Sunburn on an orchid is a sad looking thing! Big black blotches that atrophy and invite disease. Yes, my B. Nodosa does have some reddish spotting on the leaves now. (see pic)

That being said, we're talking Florida sun here. Very bright and intense. Most likely your best summer sun up there in Michigan is about equal to springtime sun down here. You get much longer days in summer, but the sun is not as high overhead. We also have the luxury of no air pollution whatsoever. Bless the prevailing winds off the Gulf!

Elaine --

Thanks for the book reference. We are readers here, so the next time we get a bundle from Amazon, I'll be sure to pick it up. IMO, good gardening books are worth their weight in gold. I was fortunate enough to inherit a library of gardening books from grandparents. There are some old classics in there, and I was hoping to find more on orchids since they were pretty serious about them for a few decades. So far, not a lot that's new, but it's been fascinating to see how things have changed over the years. I think we modern gardeners are pretty fortunate to have so many hybrids available. I also find it interesting that some of the species that are readily available today were exceedingly rare at the time.

How old is your brassavola? Up here, you can get the spotting with a little work, but somehow things are never quite the same. It was shocking to me to see the plants in Maui grown in their native habitat. Flowers were the same, leaves were the same, but wow, what a difference a little tropical air can make!

Jan

Jan, I got my Brassavola nodosa (the one in the pic above) last summer from Selby Gardens. It seems to have been on its small cork mount for quite a while, though. There are roots all over, around and through the cork!

I am a relative newbie to orchids, having only been collecting for a year or so. My two white Phals from the original birthday gift are my 'oldest' plants. Been gardening forever, though.

I think the constant humidity, and warm nights as well as great light (even in the shade) makes the more tropical orchid species grow and go nuts. Of course if you have a greenhouse, and lights you can control things to mimic tropical conditions. I don't have a greenhouse, so my 'chids do pout and struggle a bit through the winter months. We get days with low humidity, and some cold nights each winter, so they slow down.

I'm really looking forward to seeing what the Brassavolas do once the weather warms up again. I'm building a 'raft' out of bamboo, to attach five small plants of Bc. 'Little Lulu' onto a big old oak tree branch. If they like their tree home, I think they will be really beautiful there. I've spoken to several orchid nuts amongst my local Master Gardener group who say that they have Brassavolas out in their landscape that come through the winters with flying colors, once they are well established. Well, we shall see!

Elaine -- I garden "sans greenhouse" too, so I certainly understand about pouting plants. It doesn't help when I'm already in the North. But I'm lucky to work at home most of the time, so I can fuss over plants several hours a day while I'm thinking through a project or stuck on something. In some ways the extra attention compensates for the other factors in my environment.

Your brassavola "raft" sounds like a fun project and a great natural touch for a tropical garden like yours. I find myself noticing the b/bc/blcs ever since Jim suggested them. Please post pictures when you've got it done -- I'm curious to see how it turns out. This is exactly the sort of thing that makes it so fun to lurk on these forums -- people have such interesting plants and creative ideas for cultivating them.

Jan

I'm still pondering my next steps, but not in any hurry. I've pretty well settled on the Lc Santa Barbara Sunset, and despite your caution Laurel, I may just try the Paph. Dollgoldi. I've been researching paphs lately, and I think I stand as good a chance as the next gal at making it happy. I like the idea of using the ancestry of each grex along with info on the (ancestor's) natural environment to infer culture for a hybrid. But I'm starting to see just how much of an art this can be.

Jan

This message was edited Feb 24, 2012 1:56 AM

Do you have a local Orchid Club? I find the ones I buy from the local growers are the ones that I can "keep going" in MD. And even some of those take some extra attention.

Qwilter -- Thanks! We definitely do, but I've haven't gotten involved with them (yet) -- life has been pretty busy lately. But they do have an orchid sale I'm looking forward to at the end of April.

Jan

Jan, I just have one tiny little Paph at the moment, and am going to nurture it to see if I can get it to bloom. Even if it won't bloom, it does have really pretty leaves. I have a good spot in mind that will moderate the high summer temps for it a bit, and where it will get rain. If I can be successful with this one, I may get more. Don't you just love those flowers!

Meantime, I was almost ready to mount the Brassavolas on their raft in the live oak tree, and the tree began its yearly leaf drop. (yes, our live oaks have "fall" in spring) So the branch I have in mind is a bit more sunny than I'd like right now. Going to have to wait another few weeks.

Just an FYI for anyone following this thread. I got in touch with Mark Reinke at Marble Branch Farms and he had this to say about Sophronitis cernua:

      "I can't speak from experience when it comes to growing Cattleya (S.) cernua on a windowsill because we have only ever grown this species in a greenhouse and don't know anyone 

      who has tried to cultivate it on a windowsill and reported back to us their success or failure.  I can say that it is considered a high light orchid that thrives in 2000 to 3000 

      foot candles of light for at least 8 hours per day, but no direct midday sun which can damage it.  If you are already successfully growing other Cattleya type, Encyclia, 

      or Vandaceous species or hybrids in that spot then it should do fine.   C. cernua doesn't generally grow well in a pot, so we grow them mounted, which would mean the humidity 

      must be supplemented with an indoor situation like yours"

That sounds like my neighborhood.

Jim

Your welcome, Jan. Glad you found Mark helpful. He's had some nice compact Dendrobiums that are long blooming in recent years. Your plan to go slowly is a good one.