Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
Specific Families and Genera => Pleione and Orchidaceae => Topic started by: Bart on March 08, 2014, 08:23:07 PM
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For a while now I have been surfing the web for information about an Oncidium I bought over the internet 2 years ago. To me it is an absolute stunner and I would love to grow it well, but so far I have little luck in finding out information and also in successfully growing it. The plant in question is Oncidium varicosum 'Bailarina Mulata' :
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As far as I can tell this plant seems identical to Oncidium varicosum var. Baldin, and appears in many Brazilian web sites. It is not in the RHS orchid register, and I can not find out what parentage this plant has.
I am afraid my little plant is not happy. It came to me in an unhappy state, but last year I got it to flower. It produced a small new pseudobulb but just this last week it has shed its 2 leaves. I don't know if this is typical for this plant. Over winter it has been sitting in a bedroom window sill with some other intermediate growing orchids. I am now wondering if it would prefer a colder winter: For about 10 years I have grown an unknown oncidium in a cold conservatory where it gets down to about 4 C at night in winter. Coelogyne, Pleione and Cymbidium thrive here, as does this Oncidium hybrid:
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The question is: Does anyone grow 'Bailerina Mulata' or knows about it? I would really appreciate any help to get this beauty going again, or even buy a new, healthy plant locally- but I do not think any nursery in the UK or the Netherlands stocks it!
Hope you can help.
In the mean time there are of course Pleione, Coelogyne, crocus, cyclamen corydalis, tulipa, ..., ..., to enjoy! It's SPRINGTIME!!!
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I don't grow Oncidiums, but here's a guide to growing your type of plant: http://members.optusnet.com.au/bdobson/Oncidium%20varicosum%20Culture.html (http://members.optusnet.com.au/bdobson/Oncidium%20varicosum%20Culture.html)
You might also like Tolumnias, which I found relatively easy to grow on a bright windowsill.
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Here are various Orchids in flower in my house at the moment. The first is a cattaleya, first time I have got this to flower so really pleased. Second is a slipper orchid Paphiopedilum, I have had this plant for years and it flowers each year without fail. Third is Dendrobium a plant I got last year in flower and have managed to get to reflower, with two new stems growing which will flower next year. Fourth & Fifth are two moth orchids Phalaenopsis, these have been in flower for ages & both have new flower stems growing.
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Thanks Danshi for your suggestions. I think my plant is thinking about making a new growth, just on par with the usual O. varicosum. It appears though that no one grows this one!
In the mean time Brassia 'Eternal Wind' is mixing its scents with cyclamen pelopponesiacum, c. balearicum and Brugmansia hyb. and Coelogyne crista and C. flaccida, which is particularly strong. A mad mix!
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Discovered this much re-tweeted photo by https://twitter.com/Perspective_pic
Must be the darkest cymbidium I've ever seen - I love it!
[attachimg=1]
" rare black Orchid" - Cymbidium Kiwi Midnight
Edit - found it for sale Cymbidium Kiwi Midnight 'Geyserland' 79.95 euros :o
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Wonder why it's called "Kiwi Midnight". I know it's all black, but is there a New Zealand connection?
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All Blacks-Rugby?
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Yes, but what's the connection? "The Kiwis" are a Rugby League team, whereas the ABs are Rugby Union, a different game code. The connection between Kiwi and All Black doesn't really exist, except that New Zealanders are now called Kiwis.
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Anthony, that's beyond my scope of knowledge of Rugby Union and Rugby League.
Just thought the Back could have referred to the New Zealand team.
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There seems to be another sort of orchid called "Australian Midnight"s oI suppose it may simply be to differentiate it - found this info :
Cymbidium Kiwi Midnight 'Geyserland’ FCC/AOC BM/CSA
A mericlone of the FCC awarded 'Geyserland'
(Janet Holland x Khairpour) - so I suppose it may be posible to track down the full details of the naming, country of origin of the hybrid and so on.
FCC/AOC presumable means it has been awarded a First Class Certificate by the Australian Orchid Scoiety.... don't know what BM/CSA means but these should be traceable too.
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Her are a coulpe of plants which I have flowering at the moment in my flat.
The Lycaste aromatica fragrance is very heavy and something akin to cinnamon! This year it has graced me with 7 flowers which are about an inch across and glow bright yellow in the sunshine.
The Odontoglossum x andersonianum is a natural hybrid of Odont.crispum and O.gloriosum and has a graceful arched spike of slightly fragrant flowers.
Best, Kevin
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That Lycaste looks great, Kevin! How do you grow it?
this morning a Paphiopedilum villosum stood out, back- lit by the rising sun: The last picture is from a week ago and shows the colour on the lip better.
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There seems to be another sort of orchid called "Australian Midnight"s oI suppose it may simply be to differentiate it - found this info :
Cymbidium Kiwi Midnight 'Geyserland’ FCC/AOC BM/CSA
A mericlone of the FCC awarded 'Geyserland'
(Janet Holland x Khairpour) - so I suppose it may be posible to track down the full details of the naming, country of origin of the hybrid and so on.
FCC/AOC presumable means it has been awarded a First Class Certificate by the Australian Orchid Scoiety.... don't know what BM/CSA means but these should be traceable too.
Not being able to grow it in New Zealand due to import restrictions would be pretty ironic.
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Hi Bart,
I grow it under lights indoors and found that it needs repotting pretty much every year otherwise it sulks. I find that it prefers strong air movement and it sits about four feet from a big fan, but I guess all the orchids like it to some degree.
I feed it a lot during growth and then stop watering it in November or sooner if the temp drops a lot in my draughty old house. I only give the plant very very little water during the winter otherwise it doesn't flower. In fact I only really start watering it when the flower buds are very well developed and spikes are starting to extend otherwise they drop.
Come to think about it.... Almost like a pleione... Except I don't put this one In the fridge.
Hope this helps,
Kevin
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a miniture plant growing in a three inch pot. The bud has taken five months from first showing to opening.
Paphiopedilum bellatulum
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That's a nice one Tony, well worth the wait!
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Almost as nice as a Pleione - Thunia bensoniae flowering for me for the first time.
I got it for £1 in an auction several years ago.
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A collection of Phalaenopsis Moth Orchid plants in flower.
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A few flowering over the summer inside.
First up is coelogyne mooreana 'Brockhurst'. Easy grower with a nice scent of freesias.
Next is a hybrid phragmipedium 'Suzanne Decker' flowering for the first time.
Next to it is Sarracennia 'Brookes hybrid' - useful for keeping the kitchen free from flies when the doors are open in the current heatwave.
Last is a primary hybrid cattleya - canhamina 'coerulea'. I think it is a hybrid between the species mossiae and purpurea.
'Blue' forms of both species were used.
All grow indoors in the winter and in the cold greenhouse in the summer.
David
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Ahh.. Picture 3 explains how you knew that Phrags would like the same water as carnivores (orchid forum topic a week or so ago).
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To give it its full name, Lc (Laeliocattleya) Canhamiana is a beautiful orchid. The cross was registered as far back as 1885 and is a primary cross (cross of two species) of Cattleya mossiae x Laelia purpurata. You have grown it to perfection, congratulations. :) :) :)
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A new Phalaenopsis Moth Orchid i was given at the weekend, really beautiful flowers.
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Maren,
Canhamiana is certainly is a nice hybrid cattleya. The flowers lasted the best part of a month. It may be a clone or a seedling - I'm not sure. It came from 'Blue cattleya' on ebay. He/she has some nice plants for sale. Thanks for the correction on the name. I'm not sure whether purpurata is still a Laelia - some botanists have moved it into cattleya along with sophronitis. I'm not sure what the current thinking is.There are currently 4 new growths and it may have three sets of flowers next year. Fingers crossed!
Regards,
David
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Hi,
you're right about Laelia having been moved to Cattleya. Pity. It makes it hard for oldtimers like me to adjust. ;)
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[attachimg=1]
Seriously wondering about starting campaign to retrain taxonomists for a more useful occupation - thought gardening might be a good choice.........
some possibilities for job enrichment.....
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I've had this orchid for a few years now and this is the best it has ever flowered. It was given to me a few years ago by forumist Emma T. I'm not 100% sure what it is, an Oncidium hybrid, it looks a lot like a plant called Comanara Wildcat 'Bob Cat'. Whatever it's name it's an easy grower and the show gets better every year. The amount of yellow is variable, some years all of the flowers have yellow tipped petals but this year most have only a little.
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My word, that IS very showy. Contrasts of dark satin and velvet looking areas on the flower are most attractive.
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Matt, for what it's worth; I think it's 'redcat', rather than 'bobcat'. (^_^) extremely similar though, I thought only galanthophiles cared to distinguish between plants with such minor differences..
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Hi reifuan, thanks for that. As much as I enjoy growing the plants for their own sake, it's always nice to be able to put a name to them. Cheers.
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..and the genus name is Colmanara. :) :) :)
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Hi a Paphioedilum in flower, a very reliable plant, flowers every year without fail. The flower usually lasts till Christmas.
(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5610/15547946786_0334a05b64_c.jpg) (https://www.flickr.com/photos/126223196@N05/15547946786/)
Paphioedilum in flower (https://www.flickr.com/photos/126223196@N05/15547946786/) by johnstephen29 (https://www.flickr.com/people/126223196@N05/), on Flickr
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These "house" orchids grow and flower outside here. Dendrobium kingianum and a Masdevalia sp.
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These "house" orchids grow and flower outside here. Dendrobium kingianum and a Masdevalia sp.
Flowering outside, jealous ;)
Angie :)
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Here is a Phalaenopsis Moth Orchid flowering it's head off in the conservatory.
(https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8404/15037715394_b4e416b55c_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/oUQdT5)Phalaenopsis Moth Orchid (https://flic.kr/p/oUQdT5) by johnstephen29 (https://www.flickr.com/people/126223196@N05/), on Flickr
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That's a beauty, John. Every time I am in Dobbies I look at them, then decide I do not need any more house orchids. They have some lovely Dendrobiums just now.
I see you have a Thelwell fan in your house ;D
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Hi Roma you have a keen eye, the wife's a keen collector of collectables. While I collect plants, the orchid was a present from the mother in law, it is doing really well. I have a Dendrobium with the buds starting to appear, so hopefully it will be in flower over Christmas. Did you see the slipper orchid in a earlier post? That is one of my favourite orchid plants in my collection, I've had it years.
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I see you have a Thelwell fan in your house ;D
You mean there are some folks who are NOT Thelwell fans? :o ::) :-\ Surely not? :)
JS29- that moth orchid is one of the fanciest ones I've seen - such glamour girl looks. Love it!
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Hi,
I've been growing this orchid for several years and it seems unexpectedly easy. The plant flowers quite every year at the end of summer.
I grow it in my kitchen close to the window. It is sprayed and watered twice a week.
This is HOLCOGLOSSUM KIMBALLIANUM.
JP
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JP,
very nice - looks like it wants plenty of sun!
Regards,
David
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Yeah Maggi sorry they are not my thing, the orchid is really doing well, not bad for £6.00 if my memory serves me right.
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Yeah Maggi sorry they are not my thing, the orchid is really doing well, not bad for £6.00 if my memory serves me right.
;D ;D ;D Maybe it helps to have been a little girl having fun on fat ponies! Pretty good price for that orchid - shows, as with your bargain African Violets, that you can get great plants without spending a fortune.
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Hi,
I've been growing this orchid for several years and it seems unexpectedly easy. The plant flowers quite every year at the end of summer.
I grow it in my kitchen close to the window. It is sprayed and watered twice a week.
This is HOLCOGLOSSUM KIMBALLIANUM.
JP
A giant flowering spider ! :o ;D Very nice.
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I have to admit Maggi when I go to any garden centre I always search out the sales tables to see what is available, they may be cheap but they can still make cracking plants with a little TLC. I'm also from Yorkshire and love a bargain :)
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Our Local Sainsbury's often sells orchids for £5 each. Usually single flower stem but sometimes with more if you sift through them. One I bought in mid February (forget what for ;-)) stopped flowering just a month ago, and now has 2 new shoots. A real bargain.
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Hi Brian do you have a moth orchid phalaenopsis? If so you wil find if you leave the flower stem on the plant it will grow new flowering stems, I've had some plants in flower for 3 months now.
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Hi John
Yes it was a phalaenopsis. I believe the recommendation is to cut the stem off just above the first or second bract below the current flowers. I have also seen that it should be cut before the last flower dies to keep the stem actively flowering. I am not that strict but almost always get more flowers from the shoots. I was just amazed how long the shop flowers kept going.
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The earlier you cut the stem the more likely it is to reflower. As long as it is green and healthy looking there is hope. If you leave too long it will be dry and lifeless at which point you may as well cut it right back.
I once had a Phal I did not really like, (my wife said it was pinky red, but it really looked brown and muddy to me, a colour blindness thing I expect) so I decided to test the theory. It flowered, I cut the stem at a node. It reflowered, I cut again at a lower node. It reflowered, so I cut again. It reflowered, but by now was so exhausted its leaves fell off. By not giving it a rest and allowing it to grow a new leaf I think I had literally flowered it to death over about two years. Binning it would have been a lot quicker.
Bought a yellow one to replace it!
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Hi steve you got your monies worth out of it then, by the way I recieved a orchid list of a guy in Austria, was it you who sent it to me?
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No John, it was not me!
To be honest I dislike phals, they flower for so long I get bored with them.
Trouble is my better half loves them. She buys them, I have to look after them. There are so many in the dining room that I can't see the telly! Which as she is a fan of "Strictly ..." may be a blessing on some nights.
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This cute little orchid is flowering for me at the moment: Corybas pictus. A species from Indonesia and Malaysia, that I keep moist all year round.
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Oh right IT came through my emails via the srgc, mystery. Did you know of anyone who might stock the orchids I am interested in steve?
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This cute little orchid is flowering for me at the moment: Corybas pictus. A species from Indonesia and Malaysia, that I keep moist all year round.
wonderful - like a little alien in velvet!
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Paphiopedilum 'Leeanum' flowering for the first time for me
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I'm quite good at getting Phals to repeat flower but when it comes to Phaphs I gave up years ago. Whats the secret in getting Phaphs to grow and bloom?
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Mark
Paphs are generally much more temperamental than phallies.
Some of the hybrids like King Arthur and the large flowered complex hybrids
are fairly easy but apart from insigne the species are difficult in a home.
One of the issues is the root zone.
They are very prone to root rots if the compost deteriorates any way.
So annual repotting is advised into a high quality specialist bark compost.
Not the stuff from the garden centres.
They generally like similar temperatures to phallies but much higher humidity.
David
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Mark
Paphs are generally much more temperamental than phallies.
Some of the hybrids like King Arthur and the large flowered complex hybrids
are fairly easy but apart from insigne the species are difficult in a home.
One of the issues is the root zone.
They are very prone to root rots if the compost deteriorates any way.
So annual repotting is advised into a high quality specialist bark compost.
Not the stuff from the garden centres.
They generally like similar temperatures to phallies but much higher humidity.
David
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Thanks.
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Mark,
if you like slipper orchids then phragmipediums are much easier indoors.
There are some lovely hybrids from the red species besseae and the new purple species kovachii.
If you sit their pots in pure rain water and tiny amounts of feed then they can grow like weeds and have tall impressive flower spikes.
They like higher light levels than phals - west or east facing windows are good,
David
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Phragmipedium schlimii has cute fuzzy cuddly flowers, they are around 5 cm wide and 4 cm high.
I'm new in growing this species, experimenting with Sphagnum and perlite 3:1 as potting mix.
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Khadija, that is a sweet flower. I don't know the plant so exciting to meet such a fuzzy little gem.
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I agree Maggi. Beautiful.
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It's Khadija's superb photography that shows up all the little hairs. :) :) :)
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Thank you Maggi, Anthony and Maren.
Another orchid I would like to show is Dendrobium harveyanum. Frankly I am not fond of yellow, but the flowers are simply gorgeous. Mine is just a young plant, imagine a bunch of those lightly honey scented golden flowers!
D. Harveyanum is not difficult to grow if you know the culture. It comes from a classic monsoon climate with heavy rainfall in spring and summer and no rainfall in autumn and winter.
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That is lovely Khadija! What sort of temperature range do you grow them at? Especially interested to know the winter minimum- and light levels.
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That is lovely Khadija! What sort of temperature range do you grow them at? Especially interested to know the winter minimum- and light levels.
Ik grow it at moderate temperature with bright light. The temperature goes down at night to 16 C, but they definitely can take lower temperatures. You can find an extensive growing tip here: http://marniturkel.com/Pages/orchids/o.articles/dendharveyanum.html (http://marniturkel.com/Pages/orchids/o.articles/dendharveyanum.html)
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At long last one of my plants has grown up. I bought a seedling of Paphiopedilum Louise Jernigan when I lived in Vancouver, and brought it east when we moved to Nova Scotia at the end of 2009. Earlier this year it decided to bloom for the first time, and this was the result. Needless to say- very happy here! The parentage of this one traces back to three species: Paph concolor x Paph godefroyae = Paph Wellesleyanum x Paph rothschildianum= Paph Louise Jernigan.
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Really good-looking plant , both flowers and foliage. No wonder you're delighted.
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Gordon
Very nice clone!
This form of crossing can produce some real dogs or distorted flowers
David
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Now this last paph has just reminded me of a question ...
Would godefroyae, bellatulum and similar be suitable for a 'terrarium'?
I'm thinking of 'installing' a helenae but have always liked the above too. Suggestions?
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I don't think many orchids will like a terrarium.
They all want some air movement.
They are quite likely to rot.
Ferms would be better!
David
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As Monocotman says, they all need a bit of air movement. Stagnant air will lead to rot, especially since you would want to maintain a certain level of humidity in the air. You could install a small fan in the top. I've seen that somewhere. And you could have small ferns as companion plants to keep up the humidity. :)
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I am sure that a London Orchid Show a few years back there was an entire display devoted to growing orchids in a terrarium, by Helen Milner I believe. The terraria were basically fish tanks equipped with a water reservoir, fitted lights, and as Maren suggests, a fan. They looked most impressive, but I seem to remember that setting one up and maintaining it was a bit complex, at least for my liking. The recommended plants were pleurothallids, small orchids which like it damp and humid. I doubt that paphs would be particularly happy in one.
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The terraria shown by the Milners cost about £350.00.
A friend of mine makes terraria that are a bit less expensive and contain all that's necessary for growing orchids including lights, heating and a fan. His name is Andy Phillips (andy@justinglass.co.uk or call 07910 245 690) and he is a terrific grower of Phragmipedia, a genus quite closely allied to Paphiopedilum.
Why not contact him and he will give you an honest assessment about whether the Paphs you have in mind would grow well in that environment.
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David and Maggi, thank you for the compliments... I am really happy with this one, though its growth pattern caused a bit of confusion. The original fan of leaves grew to a point, and then stopped, sending out a secondary fan. It was the secondary fan that bloomed earlier this year. It is now sending out a secondary fan of its own, while the original growth has re-started. With any luck, there may be more flowers in 2015.
Hud 357- I agree with Maren and David about Paphiopedilums in a terrarium. My fear would be condensation in the growth points... probably an open invitation for bacterial or fungal rots to set in. Moving the air about using some sort of fan might be helpful. I'd probably stick with pleurothallids and other orchids from cloud forest environments.
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This dwarf cattleya species has growths and leaves no more than 4-5 inches high but has large flat tomato red flowers that last several weeks.
Such was the interest in the species that a strain was developed in Japan with double the number of chromosomes which resulted in larger flowers and more vigorous vegetative growth.
It grows in pure sphagnum moss in a 3 inch clay pot and spends the summer outside and the winter in the kitchen.
It likes coolish temperatures ( nothing over 25c) so our Uk conditions suit it.
It also likes to be kept damp at all times and watered with rain water with a tiny bit of feed.
David
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Thanks for all the replies. It take it that everyone's doubts about Orchids are mainly because the roots would never dry out?
It is an old cracked fish tank, one I wouldn't want to trust with water. There is a fan in the hood which comes on with the lights so that it keeps the glass condensation free during the day.
It does have some ferns along with nepenthes, drosera, heliamphora, utrics, dionaea and a lone ping. I think there's a pattern developing here ::). Humidity is very high as the substrate shows standing water in the lower areas. Plenty of plush green sphag in there too. ...
(http://hud357.homenet.org/orch/tank.jpg)
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Hello Hud357,
That is a nice setup you have for the carnivores. My comments about rot ere more about condensation building up between the leaves of both new and older growths, providing a place for bacterial rot to set in. Your terrarium looks like it would be the perfect environment for some other orchids: the jewel orchids such as Macodes or Anoectochilus, and many pleurothallids- Lepanthes, Masdevallia, Pleurothallis, Restrepia. Many of the Lepanthes are tiny, but have fascinating leaves (Lepanthes calodictyon), flowers (Lepanthes felis, Lepanthes telipogoniflora), or both (Lepanthes saltatrix) http://www.orchidspecies.com/lepsalatrix.htm (http://www.orchidspecies.com/lepsalatrix.htm)
Masdevallias and perhaps some species of Sophronitis, like David's stunning tetraploid Sophronitis coccinea would probably thrive, as long as temperatures didn't get too high. If the terrarium remains reasonably cool (especially at night), another plant worth finding is Dendrobium cuthbertsonii. I don't dare try any of these, as my conditions are too warm and dry for them.
Cheers, and Happy Holidays
Gordon
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I looked at some of the families you mention but the thing is kept quite warm (~25C) year round (and 24/7) and I read that eg Masdevallias like it a lot cooler than that.
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I think this might give the game away temperature wise ::) ...
(http://hud357.homenet.org/orch/nep.jpg)
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Now I understand your temperature regime. I think the several genera of jewel orchids (Anoectochilus, Macodes etc) ought to do well in your conditions. Dendrobium laevifolium, Cattleya aclandiae, and perhaps Masdevallia floribunda might work, and if you are interested in something unusual, see if you can find one of the species of Chiloschista (lunifera, parishii, usneoides). Cattleya and Chiloschista would need to be mounted on bark or a similar surface.
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Well I've had a good look at candidates and there seems to be quite a few. Sophronitis, Aerangis ... What I will probably try is mounting them on branches above the wet substrate or what I have done with the heli above.
Lepanthes saltatrix - do they come any odder? :)
The humidity must be fairly high. This popped up overnight right in the middle of the Nep!
(http://hud357.homenet.org/orch/mush.jpg)
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I know that we're now into 2015, but these pictures were taken a week or so ago, just before Christmas.
The plant of Ludisia discolor was bought at a local garden centre - half price, as the flowers were fading :D - with four fading flower spikes and one spike in bud last year. It's still in the same pot and beginning to look a little unruly!
The flowers aren't anything special in close-up, although they do have a fabulous scent when they first open. The leaves are something special though, with small glittery spots in bright sunlight, something I've not yet managed to successfully capture a photo of; if the weather improves.....
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Here is a Dendrobium in flower, plus a close up of one of the loverly flowers.
(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7579/16045742659_6285af169c_c.jpg) (https://www.flickr.com/photos/126223196@N05/16045742659/)
Dendrobium (https://www.flickr.com/photos/126223196@N05/16045742659/) by johnstephen29 (https://www.flickr.com/people/126223196@N05/), on Flickr
(https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8616/16045740009_da1e33ca54_c.jpg) (https://www.flickr.com/photos/126223196@N05/16045740009/)
Close up of flower (https://www.flickr.com/photos/126223196@N05/16045740009/) by johnstephen29 (https://www.flickr.com/people/126223196@N05/), on Flickr
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Here are a couple of plants which I have flowering right now at home.
Dendrobium wardianum which I grow mounted and outside all summer. It really does need that dry winter rest in order for it to do it's thing. Flowers are of good substance and fragrant too!
The second Encyclia polybulbon grows like a weed and flowers twice a year for me. I've only had success growing this mounted and I've discovered it likes lots of humidity, and it's a small plant with a rambling habit. This one didn't like being outside over the summer!
Regards,
Kevin
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Lovely plants Kevin especially the Dendrobium, one of my favourite orchids.
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Thanks John,
I've attempted to self this Dendrobium as I have never seen it for sale anywhere and I think it would be a great addition to any collection.
Fingers crossed it takes.... only time will tell.
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Yeah hope so Kevin, where are you by the way. Somewhere warmer than here I suspect if you can grow Dendrobium outside all year round.
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I bought this six years ago and the plant is blooming for the first time. I probably came to how to grow it :)
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I bought this six years ago and the plant is blooming for the first time. I probably came to how to grow it :)
A long wait! Wonderful rich colour to the flowers.
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Hi Ferdinand,
what a beautiful Cymbidium. I love those colours. Well done. :) :) :)
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John,
I'm in London. I grow many of my plants outside during the spring/summer/autumn... but I have to bring them all in during the winter.
Regards,
Kevin
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I know that we're now into 2015, but these pictures were taken a week or so ago, just before Christmas.
The plant of Ludisia discolor was bought at a local garden centre - half price, as the flowers were fading :D - with four fading flower spikes and one spike in bud last year. It's still in the same pot and beginning to look a little unruly!
The flowers aren't anything special in close-up, although they do have a fabulous scent when they first open. The leaves are something special though, with small glittery spots in bright sunlight, something I've not yet managed to successfully capture a photo of; if the weather improves.....
Peter - I picked up one of these last year as well (a bargain in Lidl!). The leaves are lovely, with a velvety sheen to them as well as the markings. I've found cuttings root really easily just in tap water.
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Here's my Ludisia discolor. It set seed last year although I don't know if these terrestrial orchids have the same tricky germination requirements as other orchids. I did scatter the seed 'dust' around the compost of the parent plant but nothing came up.
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I've found cuttings root really easily just in tap water.
Thanks Steve, I'll be able to test that having just knocked off a couple of the trailing stems when watering! :-X
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Thought I'd post a picture of a new acquisition which is currently looking fabulous on my study window-sill: Dendrobium 'Berry' is covered in masses of flowers about 1cm across. I just hope I can get it to flower as exuberantly next year.
It's a hybrid of D. kingianum and D. 'Mini Pearl', which itself is a hybrid of D. canaliculatum and D. biggibum - such a great name! :o
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Never seen that one before, Peter - it certainly looks robust.
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It came from Cowells Garden Centre, site of the 2015 Newcastle show in October. Whoever is buying-in their orchids has a good eye - here's two Dendrobium Sa-Nook hybrids that were at their peak about a month ago with flowers that are larger, about 3cms across; I particularly liked the dark purple form.
I never have been very good at resisting temptation. ::)
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Hi,
a couple flowering at the moment.
First up is a no id cymbidium from the local homebase.
It has a nice peachy shade to it and is a nicely sized vigorous plant.
Next up is a primary hybrid odontoglossum ardentissimum.
I like the backlit shots of white flowers, there seems to be more detail and texture there,
regards,
David
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Hi,
this is cattleya mossiae alba just opening.
Not quite fully out but I thought the backlit flowers worth showing.
This is the classic spring flowering species with flowers
every bit as opulent as the modern hybrids but a good deal
more elegant.
A pretty easy grower indoors in winter and the cold greenhouse in summer.
David
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I just got an orchid I have wanted to grow for some time now - Psychopsis Mariposa 'Green Valley'. The remarkable flowers resemble a large insect giving the common name of Butterfly Orchid (a name also applied to various other orchids). I love the colours on this form. Next task is to see if I can actually grow it successfully!
Paul
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Crumbs. Paul, it that looked any more like a "bug" I can imagine someone trying to swat it! ::) :-X
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Paphiopedilum armeniacum
(https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8739/17148364462_2163555a0e_o.jpg)
A cool-growing sub-montane Chinese species that allegedly can cope with mild frost -I don't dare put this to the test!
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I hope my orchids qualify, not exactly house orchids, but 'office orchids'. I have been growing these for a couple of years now - they are a left-over from an event and apparently orchids are then supposed to be used just once :(. So I rescued them and twice a year now they brighten up my office.
Sorry for the bad color of the pics, they are supposed to be white flowers, but i couldn't get that really right.
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Well done, François, they look really nice and I'm sure they give you a lot of pleasure in your office. :)
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Iconic view you have from your office window François. 8)
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A plant I got as Cymbidium iridoides which it is not but still very nice to have.
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That's a lovely soft pink Cymbidium Tony, whatever it's name is.
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I have only a handful of "House Orchids" -the ubiquitous Phalaenopsis hybrid and some chinese Paph. species which were bought as cheap "rooted cuttings" on the internet.
Lacking any knowledge of how to grow them I thought I would try them in the same "compost" as the spotted -leaf Cyps. They are in small pots containing pumice and limestone rubble and dry out slightly between watering. They live on the west-facing windowsill of a cool (cold) bathroom.
Paphiopedilum wenshanense -originally thought to be a wild hybrid between concolor & bellatulum but now treated as a species in its own right.
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/355/18333990209_774dc714f8_o.jpg)
Paphiopedilum armeniacum-still in flower after 8 weeks.
(https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8831/17899824904_877e3cbb02_o.jpg)
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Steve,
Very nice species and not the easiest to grow.
Here are a couple of Phragmipedium hybrids.
These are easy house orchids provided that they sit in a very weak feed year round, rather like disas.
First is Suzanne Decker with large pink flowers nearly six inches across.
Next is a named division of Phragmipedium Don Wimber called 'remembrance' with really nice orange blooms.
David
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Well done, François, they look really nice and I'm sure they give you a lot of pleasure in your office. :)
I'm not doing anything 'special' in my care for these, but since I posted this pic they just keep on flowering. I did notice that the long days make them grow much faster than in winter. In winter it takes months for one inflorescence to start to flower, while the 16+ hours of daylight now do the same job in just a few weeks.
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Paphiopedilum godefroyae fma. leucochilum with a close up on it's private parts ;D
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https://youtu.be/x3K3mu46c2c
I just had to share this time lapse video of an orchid.
An artist at work.
Plus he lives on the island of Gigha,
David
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I just had to share this time lapse video of an orchid.
An artist at work.
Plus he lives on the island of Gigha,
David
Well, fancy that - and by the famous garden of Achamore, too! http://www.healingorchids.com/ (http://www.healingorchids.com/) http://www.achamorehouse.com/ (http://www.achamorehouse.com/)
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This orchid is in flower at present - there never seem to be more than three flowers open on a stem at once, and the oldest one is always just showing brown tips to the falls at that point. Here's my best effort - Encyclia cochleata.
Many thanks to Roma for the gift of the plant ;D
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Looking good, Peter. Mine has been having 5 or 6 blooms open at a time this summer. 3 or 4 is more usual with an occasional 5. It will slow down soon but keep opening 1 or 2 flowers at a time till quite late in the year when the flowering spike dies off and a new one can be seen appearing from the new pseudobulb
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Just noticed the 'bellatulum' type plants above.
Would they be suitable for a constant temperature(very bright) 'terrarium' currently cycling around 25C? Do they need shade?
Under what conditions have you persuaded them to flower?
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I managed to catch Encyclia cochleata with 6 flowers last month.
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Very nice Roma, and not a brown tip to a petal anywhere.
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Hi
Another water loving Phragmipedium hybrid flowering after being grown from a seedling in the kitchen.
This one is a cross with the huge purple species kovachii that has only been recently discovered and the popular hybrid Hanne Popow.
The grex name is memoria mariza Rolando and this seedling is probably one of the best yet flowered.
A lovely hot pink and very symmetrical,
David
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My word, a very rich, but not garish, pink. Very nice, David.
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David,
that kovachii hybrid is a beauty. Well done. How many years did it take you from flask to flower?
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Maren,
Sorry - I missed your post.
It took about 3 years from a seedling bought from Ratcliffes.
This is its third growth although it tried to flower on its second.
I bit the bullet and cut off the spike then as the plant was not very strong.
Glad I did!
The flower incidentally is way better than the two from the same cross shown by the EYOF and awarded AM's by the RHS!
David
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David,
of course it is! Who would doubt it. ;)
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Paphiopedilum cultivar in flower, usually last till Christmas.
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Can anyone suggest commercial sources of Thunia spp. (or hybrids) in Europe?
Alternatively, if you grow them and could spare a keiki or length of dormant cane then please PM me.
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I bought Thunia marshalliana and alba from Burnham's a few years back but they are not listing them now. Might be worth an email though. Wubben is listing alba and Gattonensis.
I thought that I would add some photos for those not familiar with Thunias but guess what I haven't taken many. Here's a few though, wonderful, if short-lived flowers.
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Thanks for those pointers Steve. I had checked Burnham but forgot Wubben.
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Hi,
This the current set of orchids flowering indoors.
They are mainly grown on windowsills with some spending the summer
Outdoors or with the tomatoes in the cold greenhouse.
It is surprising what can be grown with a bit of time and effort.
https://www.flickr.com/gp/39664958@N03/vp2W9c (https://www.flickr.com/gp/39664958@N03/vp2W9c)
The tall red ones in the middle back are slipper orchids of the genus Phragmipedium.
They have done especially well this year.
Regards,
David
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I bought a young plant of Chysis xSedenii almost 5 years ago, each year's pseudobulbs were larger than the former ones. This year there are 2 flowers - beautiful and quite worth the wait; I really like them. :D
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Spreading my wings a little from the hardy-ish pleiones I love, I've tried something rather smaller. In fact the blooms of Brasiliorchis schunkeanum are only about 8mm wide and are - to my mind - marvels in miniature. They appear black, but only when brightly lit do they show their true deep burgundy colour. Not eye-catchers on the show bench, but I like them!
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..... They appear black, but only when brightly lit do they show their true deep burgundy colour. Not eye-catchers on the show bench, but I like them!
They have a certain appeal, John!
People who like black flowers would love them,
cheers
fermi
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Spreading my wings a little from the hardy-ish pleiones I love, I've tried something rather smaller. In fact the blooms of Brasiliorchis schunkeanum are only about 8mm wide and are - to my mind - marvels in miniature. They appear black, but only when brightly lit do they show their true deep burgundy colour. Not eye-catchers on the show bench, but I like them!
Little crackers - and another plant I know nothing about, like Thomas B's Chysis xSedenii :)
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I bought a Cymbidium at a knock down price of £3.00 from Soleburn nursery last year. It was in flower and after flowering I kept it outdoors until November, then in a cold greenhouse and finally indoors in January. It looked healthy and I had just about given up on flowering when it suddenly started producing 4 flower spikes. The result can be seen from the pictures. I will have to split it up after flowering as it is becoming more suitable as a conservatory plant instead of sitting like a shrub on the sideboard. Cultivation seems to be no more that keeping it moist and an occasional feed followed by benign neglect. MY KIND OF PLANT !
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Encyclia cochleata is still flowering. Only three flowers just now. The maximum number open at one time has been six. It will stop flowering soon and a flowering stem will shoot up from the new pseudobulb which grew this year.
I bought this one in Homebase some time ago £7 reduced from £14. The care label in the pot says Odontoglossum -don't think so. The label stuck on the pot says 'Cambria mix in Ceramic'. It's always good when an impulse buy survives and even better when it reflowers. So bright and cheerful at this time of year.
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The red looks like Oncidopsis/Burrageara Nelly Isler. That colour certainly is lightening up a dull novembre morning.
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This Vanda coerulea cv I have had for at least 5 years and it flowers every year at Christmas. In summer it is in my unheated greenhouse and in October/November I bring it into the sitting room where the flowers develop. (Picture taken in the conservatory to get natural light)
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What a great colour, Trond! I have Vanda rothschildiana on my wishlist. I would have thought that growing Vandas in more northern latitudes would require supplemental light or heat.... you prove me wrong!