Wow..wish I had an Orchid friend around to share species Orchids with. I love the " Not off the shelf, and a bit strange" one's.....Laurel, I hope you give yourself enough time to rest. Next thing you know we'll be picking you up and hitting you with the humidifier....
Our March Orchid Madness
I think Zygos are notorious for ratty looking foliage. We're expecting 60 and wind again tomorrow, so my babies will suffer on the porch...again. Supposed to be back up in the 80s by Fri. I'm suprised any of my outside orchids are even alive. Just shows how really tough they can be.
OC, thanks for posting that Coelogyne cristata photo. It's just beautiful, and your photo shows the whole plant so nicely. Do they stay in bloom for very long?
I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one who ends up with ratty looking Zygo foliage . . .
Good luck with the bugs, Scott. Or rather, bad luck to the bugs, and good luck to you. My heart goes out to you, but with all the good advice from the experts here, I'm sure you'll lick 'em.
I have such wonderful orchid friends from all walks. One is my participation in a local orchid society. Friends, like Jim, who I've met here at DG have been great about gifting, sharing and swapping. I try to do the same. Growers have been so generous it amazes me. Believe me, I don't have deep orchid pockets. My collection is small, in size and number, compared to many.
Pinetop, The individual flowers last about 3 or 4 weeks, I think. It is temp. tolerant, favoring cool, likes bright light light, and good humidity.
Laurel, that pleurothallis is so pretty, yet another exquisite little sea creature growing on a plant?
Carol, the Coelogyne is just lovely, what a treat to see such a generously blooming plant. I have hopes some day that some of these little babies I am nurturing will grow up to be so beautiful. I have a whole passle of scraggly looking little starts right now, with the odd flower spike to tantalize me.
Good luck with the mealys, Scott.
Looking good, Carol. Amazing anything is still around after this winter.
Oncidium from the Farmer's market last weekened
Taking a break from show projects and reviewed some posts I had missed.
Jim, your new 'chids look great. I've been meaning to seek clarification on Den. smilliae. You see, I have two different forms of Den. capituliflorum. One is from Andy's with purple undersides on the leaves. The other, from Ching Hua Orchids, is labeled Den ophioglossum var. album (capituliflorum) x sib.. The confusion is that I thought Den. ophioglossum is supposed to be a synonym for Den. smilliae. If you can follow that, well then... lol Maybe Harry can clear things up this week at the show. The new Gongora is a beut.!
GEG, that is a beautiful Onc. alliance flower. No name? Lucky you to have such nice farmer's mkt. orchids.
Carol, thanks for the cultural note on the Coelogyne. I think the 'good humidity' requirement is what would nix it for me, unfortunately. I had a rough time with dryness due to heat in my apartment this winter. Had flowers on my evergreen dendrobium and even a catt brown on the edges fairly quickly because of it. I'll just have to admire yours.
Nice to see those oncidium flowers in various states of unfurling, GreenEyedGuru! Thanks for posting it!
Green Eyes, very nice oncidium. You did good!
I took a walk around the yard today and discovered Cymbidium Little Black Sambo is blooming. I think it came from Laurel.
Jim
Oo, Jim those are such pretty delicate flowers for a Cym! I got a Little Black Sambo on our Apopka Adventure. It's not going to bloom 'til next year though. So I'm really glad to get a look at what it will be like.
No name on the Oncidium. It's a huge spike, about 4ft tall! We are lucky to have 3-4 growers (or maybe resellers) in fierce competition at our farmer's market. I got this for only $14.
Here's another pic of the whole plant and a closeup of the bulbs. Is the dark coloration on the bulbs OK?
I believe that Cym came from Charlie Chapman but maybe it was Jim Krull. I spotted the tags, grabbed one and insisted you get one too. It's a primary cross between Cymbidium canaliculatum and Cymbidium madidum. You know me with the species and primary hybrids. Mine is in bloom too though I keep forgetting to take photos since it's in the solarium and not the greenhut.
GEG, it looks fine though it will need a repotting after it blooms.
That is a beautiful Onc, GeG! Great buy. It sure does look like a big lusty plant for that little pot.
Laurel, I think my Cym. Little Black Sambo came from Krull-Smith, too. Does anybody else remember the story of Little Black Sambo? Every time I see the name, I have an uneasy feeling that it's not exactly politically correct.
Lovely plant, though.
I'm surprised they haven't removed the name from the registery yet! The new dictonary will have a lot of "modern" words in it, but will be lacking a lot of words we all grew up with. BOOO!
Greeneyes that was a great score !! Very nice...
Jim I like the Cym too...I keep thinking about adding a few more of them in but...sigh.......LOL
Elaine the little freckled Brassavola cross I posted awhile back is fragrant at night...wonderfully so !
Carol, I sure agree. Looked up that story, and in the original Little Black Sambo was a boy from India! So it was not a racial slur in any way . . . but it seems the word Sambo was later mistaken as such. So silly! My daughter and I have an ongoing debate about the word "Cracker" too. Here in Florida, many people proudly say they are of Cracker heritage, we have Cracker architecture and Cracker cuisine. But my daughter (who lives in Utah) insists it is another racially tainted word because some comedian uses it as such in his skit.
Anyway, back to orchids - my sweet little Encyclia alata x Enc. Early Bird has flowers that open yellowish, with red-brown striping, but as they age they become all red. I put it under the lamp beside my desk so I could enjoy it up close.
Quick check in between a day at the show and an evening of show related partying. I've been going since Wednesday morning though the official opening was today. It looks like it will be a very successful show. Several vendors appear to be half sold out already. I brought home three from Andy's today and one from another vendor yesterday. Steve Arthur gave me a mini Catt. as a gift for making his show tags. I might need to poke him about that because his exhibit won best exhibit. I'm going to tell him it's because of my beautiful gold lettered tags. lol I got a Den. bracteosum from a vendor who never has species. That was the only one at the show and she said it came from her personal collection. Okay, time to get ready for the evening (truthfully I'm pooped already). Oh, one more thing, the weather was not supposed to be good this weekend but it's turning out to be a beautiful weekend. There should be tons of people at the botanical garden to visit the show.
Very nice Encyclia, Elaine. I'm glad you can keep it close at hand to enjoy.
I'm tired just reading about Laurel's agenda. I gave two MG presentations this week and I'm exhausted. I'm glad the weather is cooperating.
I have two that opened today. The first is Bollopetalum Midnight Blue 'Cardinal's Roost'.
Jim
The second is Dendrobium Farmeri.
Jim
This message was edited Mar 9, 2012 7:48 PM
Who needs daffodils in spring when you can have those lovely Dens?
I have that same Bollopetalum, Jim, although mine hasn't flowered. It's a great color! I adopted it as a scraggly orphan from the grower along the street. It's not looking well, though. Only had 3 leaves and two of them have gone yellow on me. Is there a trick to that one?
Speaking of tricks, this is another of my scraggly orphans, Lc. Trick or Treat. I'll get a better picture of it in a few days when the other bud opens. It sure is well named, I think.
dyzzy, I don't know what the "Bollo" is in that plant, but it the Zygo is obvious. When I read up on Zygos, it said they like constant moisture, but need to be repotted every year, as they don't like stale medium. Much like Phals. Mine have been outdoors year round ( nights in the 40s), and so far that is working for me.
Elaine, Bollopetalums are Bollea X Zygopetalum. Carol can probably grow them better than we can because they do not like our hot weather. I keep mine along with the Phals and out of the sun. It would be a good one to bring into the AC for the summer if you are into that. Mine just sits outside, loses leaves and I think I can hear it screaming along about August.
Jim
Thanks, Jim! Still it shouldn't be suffering any heat stress just yet. (well, we did hit 84 yesterday) Think I've got to yank its pot and take a look at its undercarriage, right?
I'll probably tuck it away close to one of the patio doors for the summer, along with my tiny little Paph. and the Cyms. Should stay a few deg. cooler from the radiant cool'th of the glass. I don't do well with houseplants!
Carol, from Jim's ref I looked up Bollea, and they like constant moisture, too. Not so fussy about repotting though.
Yet another shot of Apple Blossom which is looking more and more like its name. Scott, how are the Mealybug Wars progressing? Hope you are winning.
Mine is beginning to lose leaves as well. Apart from keeping it moist there is not much else to be done.
Jim
Well I did pull off the Bollo's pot, and the medium was something like coarse sand. A few grotty roots, lots of good roots and nothing too worrisome under there, so I gave it the cinnamon treatment, and re-potted it in a new clay pot with Aliflor and perlite mix. It does have a new little leaf coming, so that is encouraging.
Glad to hear yours loses leaves, too Jim. And still produces those gorgeous flowers!
I had 2 new additions follow mw home from the MD Orchid show today. I tried so hard to stick to "just 1".
The 1 smells like Coconut. And I'm bad with names and I'm upstairs and they are down. Both are loaded with bloom shoots so they should be pretty for awhile.
Now let's see here, Elaine is glad my Bollopetalum orchid is losing leaves. Thanks, I guess. :>)
I have three phaius orchids in bloom and I thought it would be nice to compare. The first is Phaius Dan Rosenberg "Tropical Ice"; the second is Phaius Microburst 'Wild Thing' and the third is the Nun's Cap.
Jim
My Coconut scented Orchid is Max Tenuifolia. Very grassy looking. Has a reddish purple bloom with a polka dotted lip. 1 bloom and a lot of buds.
My other is Milt Hajimi Ono "Maui Falls". Looking at the buds, I think it will bloom purple. Has 4 shoots all full of buds.
I was told both like to be well watered and sunlight. Hopefully they will like the bathroom.
Ok....so I've been lurking for the last week cause D's SO has been off this week. A blessing and a curse, cause his idea of fun thing to do around the farm aren't the same as mine.
Been cleaning out the spare bedroom, IE !!!! the room that shall not be mentioned and is a bit scary to enter.
I of course would rather be outside...Any where OUTSIDE !!
So I've got about a dozen Phal's blooming...some ordinary and some really cute, and very nice Dendorbium Nekrom Beauty, blooming and have I had a chance to grab my camera for even a second.
NO...But, he goes back to work Monday, and I can sneak off and play a bit...even tho I have an
INSIDE list of things to do...grrrr, anyway...I've enjoyed very much everyones's post's and Jim I think I'm going to have to find me one of those Dendrobium Farmeri's. Hoy Cow is that a sweetie.
Most of my Phal's spent the winter in the greenhouse, getting misted with a hand mister with ¼ strength bloom fertilizer “Better Grow's Urea free blend, and this is the most, nicest blooms I've ever had. They are much nicer than the ones that came into the house during cold spells...Proves my point, don't need a bigger house, need a bigger Greenhouse. LOL...So I hope I can get some pics up soon, and I've really enjoyed everyone's pics and updates so far.
MIA
mj
MJ, Den farmeri is popular and should be easy to find. Here is another pic.
I'm starting taxes and I know what you mean about rather being outside.
Jim
I just happened to notice Bletilia yokohama 'Kate' p.p.a.f. is blooming out under a live oak tree.
Jim
Misery loves company, Jim. If I lose my little Bollo, it helps to know even an expert had problems with it. Also that the trials of losing leaves might not necessarily mean it will die. Love that Bletilla! I have a yellow/red one on order called 'Rickey'.
My Phaius Microburst 'Wild Thing' refuses to burst! It's been sittin like this for days! Maybe tomorrow . . These little Spathoglottis continue to open and I'm excited about the color.
Jim you could post as many pics of that Den as you can take...I love it !!
Elaine/Jim are you getting all this rain ? Not complaining as we need it soooo badly, and it's been the nice gentle soaking kind...not something we usually get, as opposed to the Bang Bang, Pour like crazy rains which are the norm.
Mj, we had two raindrops this morning and another one or two this evening. One tiny storm cell went by about a mile north of us, but . . nuttin! All my cisterns and rain barrels are dry. What I'd give for even a quick shower to lay down some of this pollen and clear the air. Glad you're getting a good soak!
Nary a drop here.
Jim
Welcome to my world, where we measure our rain in hundredths of an inch! The official total for the season is 5. something". I've got 6.07" in my guage. They're predicting the (maybe) biggest storm of the season next weekend... the weekend of the biggest orchid show on the west coast. I will watch the reports, because I had finally decided to go. Are the orchids Gods trying to tell me something? You folks on the east coast would laugh hysterically if you saw our weather reports....
Beautiful Sunday! It seems I'm winning the battle against the bugs. Good product, and good advice. Thanks again!
Your Iwanagara is just beautiful, Elaine, and I appreciate you sharing the pictures...especially after I committed Scotticide on mine. :o)
Jim, I didn't realize there was that much variance in types of Phaius. Those first two are outstanding! You DO realize you're partially to blame for my orchid obsession, right? I try to keep in mind that your natural growing conditions in Florida - not just for you, but many on this thread - are different from my make-shift environment.
I'm weeks away from cleaning-up plants that have been stored in the basement over winter. Y'all would laugh at the stuff I salvage, in part because I feel like a criminal when I let something die...even an exceptional annual. Under duress, 2012 has to be the year I thin-out my collection to what works for me...AND what doesn't. Spring has sprung early here, and I'm swamped with yard-work already. "Where the heart is..."
Scott
Here's a NOID Phal in bloom
