June Orchids in 2009

It's time for a new thread, please come all and post away!

I am starting off the month with a preview of my Lc Irene Finney 'Spring's Best' AM/AOS (I will change the name to C. if the name change still stands 1 year from now).
The first spike is fully open and the scent is really lovely this morning, a little reminiscent of Carnations. I am sure that will change somewhat when the sun warms the flowers. 4 more spikes to open.
Raymond, yours is still blooming?
How about at least a 100 on the Floof scale?

Pretty floofy indeed!

..... and "as promised" the scent is even nicer now in the afternoon. Yum!

Phragmipedium Jason Fischer...got this in bud last March from Chuck Ackers. The flower is a bit deformed and only one bud :(

The second of 4 Miltonia in spike. This is another new one called Martin Orenstein 'Shirley P'.

Look at this for deformed. The 1st flowers pouch is deformed to the left and the 2nd flowers pouch is deformed to the right. hehe! Love it though and on such a small plant.

Looks like it's smirking!

Todd, wonderful colors on the miltonia.

Jim

Ursula, mine is still fine. The 4th spike is getting ready to open.

Todd, nice stuff all. The Phrag JF doesn't look too bad... Any plant shots?

Bree, does your plant have a name?

Bree, does every flowering produce these deformed blooms?

Todd, at least your Phrag is blooming! That is always something to cheer about.

This is the first flowering of this plant for me, i haven't had it long. It's Paph Deperle! Im hopeing the next flowering doesn't have deformed flowers.

Bree, I find that many parvi paph hybrids have the potential to have deformed flowers...the problem often corrects itself as the plants get older.

I had ( notice the past tense!) a Maudiae-type Paph which flowered fine during the indoor season, it was most of the time missing flower parts or was deformed whenever it flowered outside during hot summer months.

Now if cultural conditions might be the reason to cause deformities on leaves or blooms, it would be nice to figure out what to change? As an example - I am growing 2 Phrag kovachii hybrids, the leaves showed a strange deformity, long deep ridges along the whole length. Looking at the habitat conditions,
http://www.phragmipediumkovachii.com/PKculture/PK-culture-habitat.htm
my medium (and water/fertilizer) didn't contain the amounts of Calcium these plants surely need. I ate some Oysters, cleaned and crushed the shells and mixed them into the medium. I find the difference in the new growth striking. Compare the 2 fans!
Nothing different was done to the plant besides the addition of Oyster shells (containing Calcium carbonate).




This message was edited Jun 2, 2009 10:04 AM

This is btw Phrag Allison Strohm ( kovachii 'Laura' x Living Fire 4N)

emphasis on ridges in this pic

and emphasis on good growth

Now if this thing flowers one of these days, I will be happy!

The survivor.

This baby spent 10 days in the pool during Hurricane Wilma. Just found it nestled in with bigger ones. Ya jis never know!!

Hap

Never seen ridges like that on a phrag...however, your plants are much healthier than mine....mine are quite pale green.

Hap, that cat doen't seem the worse for its chlorine dip!

Thanks.

Hap

Hap, I had a couple of orchids tumble into the pool for several hours one dark windy night. I found them in the morning, washed the roots and repotted them. Both are doing fine two years later.

Jim

We need a pool? ;-)

Hap, nice one!

ive never seen them ridges on a phrag. before either. I have seen it in miltonia's caused from not enough water. Not enough frequent watering. Don't know!
My paph flowered inside and it's cool here ..coming into winter. We have had humidity and floods though. I hope it's not deformed next flowering.
I neally killed alot of paphs with crushed shell grit so i don't use it now. I stupidly sat them in trays of shell grit (well couldn't think of anything else to keep slugs away) apart from not draining and drying out as quick they got a O.D of calcuim(anyone know what the symptoms of this to a plant would be)? because mine just looked limp and crap for a while but are fine now. Probly done them good in the long run? anyone know more about this?

Breeindy, you mention more variables than somebody like me can handle.....

Took some pictures today - my Dendrobium mohlianum x Dendrobium sulawesiense is flowering in the cage.

This is a pretty good size plant and it flowers on the bare, older canes.

Bulbophyllum patens.
I couldn't believe my luck last year, I picked it up at the Parkside Orchid Fest last July - it was the mother plant and I was allowed to buy it. It starts now the new growth of the season and I noticed the plant also budding and flowering.

coming closer -

And a look at the whole plant - btw these Bulbo flowers do not smell bad, have to do a little more sniffing....

Most of the Neos are budding in the cage - this is Neofinetia falcata Benisuzume.

Benisuzume means Red Sparrow.

I like the way these blooms stick "their noses" into the breeze.

I took some pictures of the Darwinara hybrid I had posted the other day, the spike is now fully open.

I did say pictures/plural!

Ursula, very nice Dendrobium & Bulbo. Lucky you, getting the mother plant!

Yes, very interesting to see the apparent effects of an increase of calcium for the Phrag. Cultural effect? Could be, could be. Ditto for Mexipedium (you have the crushed-shells addition for that one too, I believe) What I do in my case for similar plants (and for my Mexipedium) is to use Tap water and/or clean water mixed with tap water. [Tap water in Indy is VERY hard]

Hap, good save. Did you manage to save the name tag for that Catt?

Ursula,
...and I see a 3rd spike on the Nf var. Benisuzume :-) Nice.
I like the Darwinara. Very nice clear markings on the lip + that lovely blush on the sepals/petals. Where did you get this one?

Yes, I added plenty crushed shells to the Mexipedium bowl, and to some other Phrags as well. I really think it will flower this year. ( It better does, I am growing it since 2004!) Tap water alone doesn't seem sufficient around here.

we cross -posted...
Raymond, I looked through my notes. I got the Darwinara x from Silva Orchids a couple of years ago.

Thanks, Ursula. Wonder if Silva has any more of that one...

Thinking the same here. I don't do as well with neos as with neo x vanda.
I also don't think my hard water is enough here. Besides the salt is also high. BTW, I'm now using the RO water out the door of my office and on to the orchid wall! I can also run the upstairs hose to my hoyas which are on the "porch" of the barn (mostly for Ursula who has been here and can visualize this.)

Quite the show Ursula...my blooms will be scanty over the summer..maybe a new one every couple of weeks is the best I'll do.

Based on our weather, I've put my cymbidiums outside! Drops to the upper 40's at night but that should not bother cymbidiums. Upper sixties to low seventies in the day.

Happy Birthday Raymond and may your Orchids continue to bloom their heart out for you.

Todd, Cymbidiums and other cold growers should really do fine in your climate. There are so many cold/cool growing Orchids I simply can't grow in our hot NJ Summer outside.

Kathy, that should make your life a lot easier, I can visualize it.

huiray,

When Hurricane Wilma was coming, I was heading out for a ten day cruise and 'they' said it would be at most a catagory 1. RIGHT. When it hit here is was a cat. 3 and I had a tornado come through my yard, rip down the screening to the pool and in so, dump about 50 of my 70 orchids in the pool. They lived on racks attached to the screening. Of course my DH had just put in double chlorine because of the trip. Oy vey! The ones that did not get the bath were my phals which were at the closest to the house. Everything was a mess and tags were everywhere. A couple that did not go in still had tags, but they were few. What a mess.

Hap

OMG!! So were they all okay? (I don't want a pool!)