Orchid Board - Most Complete Orchid Forum on the web ! - Advanced Discussion

HELP

Judi85 — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 04:58:32 GMT

my orchid is growing mold! help i dont know what to do the mold had collected mold around the mesh basket, its a dracula vlad tepes and i cant find alot of information about it... please help me

Any experience with the Mealybug Destroyer or Cryptolaemus montrouzieri?

nhman — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 23:27:21 GMT

Just wondering if anyone has had any experience with this lady bug? Supposedly, this lady bug will eat mealy bugs, mites and scale. Sounds like an ideal companion, yet I haven't heard anything about it. Any real life experience out there to go on?? Thanks!

"Good Quality" water?

Undergrounder — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:44:33 GMT

What makes good quality water to use on orchids? I know the total dissolved solids of my drinking water is pretty low (around about 100ppm) and the pH is 7.5 - 8.

But what micronutrients are required in tap water if i just want to use a 'regular' fertiliser?

I've attached a printout of our local water quality. Mine is under the 'Prospect' source. Can someone have a look and tell me if anything stands out about it as something to be corrected?

Mostly my plants grow very well, although a few of my more tricky Phal. violacea species have developed yellow colour on the leaf tips (not die-back, just plain yellow colouring) and i was wondering whether it was some kind of nutrient deficiency.

thanks!

Attached Files

TypicalWaterAnalysis.pdf (125.1 KB)

michigan state university fertilizer

ericst11 — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 14:33:51 GMT

I went to a speaking with the lady that was the person that put michigan state university fertilizer on the market and she said that you should use michigan state university fertilizer every watering unless in a winter period of rest. I was just woundering if you could use the michigan state university fertilizer as a foliar feed if used at half the ratio?

New Potting Technique, Root Health

Douglas Scanlan — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 23:29:07 GMT

I have been experimenting with a potting technique I thought of, using transparent glass floral stones in a wire basket. My intention is to create an environment for the roots more like their natural habitat- light exposure for the roots, open air flow, and the ability air dry after watering within one or two days- just like in the wild if the roots were rained on. The first pic I have attached here is of the potted plant so you can see what I am describing. I have to water much more frequently this way since the glass retains no moisture, but also my apartment is at 70% humidity. I water at least every other day.
Here is the problem: My roots are not doing well. One of my Phals potted this way finally lost its blossoms (after 6 months!) so today I cut the spike and pulled the roots out of the glass to inspect them. The last three pics I attached here are of the roots before clean up, and after clean up, as well as a close up fo the dead clippings. I am baffled because I don't understand how the roots could have rotted in this potting system and I'm not even certain that rotting is the problem. The problem roots look more like they are dry and withered rather than rotten, but they were cerainly exposed to plenty of moisture. Can anyone tell from these photos what the problem really is?

Attached Thumbnails

Niagara Region Orchid Scosiety show haul.

isdaojon — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 21:30:03 GMT

This morning we visited this show and got the fallowing orchids:

1: I can't believe I got a Euanthe (Vanda) sanderiana! I would have never imagined even thinking about getting a vanda species but i took the chance. 12 buds on the spike! Will postAttachment 38601

Attachment 38602

Attachment 38603

Attachment 38604 a better picture of all the open blooms later.

2: Coelogyne elata in spike. Dont know how it will look like but the flowers are supposed to be fantastic!

3: Rhynchovola David Sander flowering. Very nice primary hybrid! Could someone give me advice on how to grow it?

4: Oncidium Twinkle 'Frangrance Fantacy'. Got it free for being early to the show.

Here are the pictures:
Attachment 38601

Attachment 38602

Attachment 38603

Attachment 38604

Attached Thumbnails

Bloomer Book?

DebsC — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 19:35:00 GMT

My greenhouse is stuffed! There are several first bloom or first bloom for me, plants. Mostly cattleya. I'm excited to see each of these unknowns bloom. :biggrin:

But next year some of them will have to go. There's just not enough room for them all to grow.

I always keep an inventory book however it's not always up to date. :roll: So, due to the number of "new" bloomers this season, I decided to keep a Bloomer Book.

I plan to enter details about the flower. What I like about it, what I don't like etc. Maybe give them a rating on a scale from 1 to 10. I'm hoping this will help me decide which catts stay and which go this spring when they aren't in bloom.

Does anyone else do this? What qualities do you list? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Anybody going to the Tokyo Dome show?

Bayard — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:30:46 GMT

I'll be attending the first couple of days. I'm interested in getting tickets to the preview - any suggestions?

Jumelleas...how does one grow

peeweelovesbooks — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:34:29 GMT

I've been looking at these, I know they like intermediate temperatures.......

What else do I need to know? Potting medium? watering?

Thanks!!! :)

For those of us who hate watering

calvin_orchidL — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:05:44 GMT

Hi everyone,

I'm on a quest to find a better potting medium. I've grown orchids for about 6-7 years now, and for me, the trickiest thing to manage is the choice of potting medium. I don't believe in universal rules for potting; while I understand the need for guidelines in novices and beginner growers, I've come to appreciate that success comes from finding the perfect match between medium and growing conditions. For instance, I have never had a single plant grow well in bark. Conversely, I've tried dendrobiums and phals in straight sphag with decent results. As a chronic underwaterer, sphag seems to work the best, although I do have problems with it compacting and getting gross and soggy after a while. Coconut works amazingly in small pots, but in larger pots, I run into the problem of poor moisture distribution, with the top coconut bone dry and the inner core wet and soggy.

Recently, I went to an excellent talk by lycaste expert Henry Oakeley. While discussing mediums, he touched on how bark has never worked for him - how the top of the bark is dry but the bottom is wet, and so you end up with a ring of roots circling the top of the pot and a ring of roots circling the bottom of the pot, trying to escape. He uses a sphagnum-perlite mix that can stay pretty much uniformly moist/dry so there is no guess work involved with watering. I know that S/H generates a NON-uniform moisture gradient, so that is certainly a different take on things. Someone recently mentioned a grower who plants cattleyas in a coco-peat/perlite mix. Definitely far more dense than your conventional well draining bark mix.

My question is, if you are also a chronic underwaterer, what potting strategies have you adopted? If you live in a dry environment but can't afford the time to dunk everything every other day, what do you do? And how important exactly is moisture uniformity in a potting mix?

(obviously it's impossible to separate potting mix from plant specific needs either, but lets take that out of the equation for now)

An Offer of Free Orchids

peeweelovesbooks — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:31:50 GMT

Hi everyone!!

I'm slightly embarrassed to be posting this, but here it goes.

I recently got it into my head that I could grow Stanhopeas outside here in my limited yard space in Miami. To that end, I ended up purchasing 5 Stanhopea seedlings and 1 large division from the Evil Troy Meyers.

However, I have come to realize that I really cannot offer them the proper cultural conditions, and would like to give the plants a good home.

Therefore, I am offering the plants to anyone here who can take care of them properly and is interested in taking them. I'm not interested in money---call it a gesture of friendship on my part--and a desire to give the plants a good home.

The only catch is that you have to be a REGISTERED member of the OB!!!

The offer is open to anyone until 1pm today EST. Sorry, for U.S. residents only please. :)

The seedlings are in 2x2 Aircone pots:

1) Stanhopea ecornuta
2) Stanhopea inodora
3) Stanhopea grandiflora
4) Stanhopea tigrina var. nigroviolacea
5) Stanhopea tigrina var. nigroviolacea (a different variety)

The large division is in a 5x5 air cone pot:

1) Stanhopea radiosa.

Just let me know on the OB which one you want and PM me with your mailing address. :)

Have a great day everyone!

******UPDATE******

Hi everyone.

Just to let you know that your orchids are somewhere in the bowels of the Post Office. They should arrive in 3-4 days.

Please send me a PM when you receive it. :)

Help, Leptotes bicolor is blasting all its spikes!

camille1585 — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:20:44 GMT

I need some help with my Leptotes bicolor. I got it about a year ago as a NBS plant. In October I was really pleased to see that the 4 newest and largest growths were starting spike nubbins. But they seem to grow a little bit, then they just dry up and die. 3 have blasted so far, and I'd really really like to save the last one which is stll green. I'm growing it mounted on cork, with no sphag. It gets heavily misted twice a day and dunked every 2-4 days. Right now it's hanging a few inches under my 55W powercompact light. Temperature is about 20�C, and the humidity is in the 55-75% range. :help

To all UK growers and worldwide growers, what should i get from Burnham Nurseries?

elamental — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:30:07 GMT

To all UK growers and worldwide growers, what should i get from Burnham Nurseries?
Hello i might be going to Burnham Nurseries in the next month or so (depending what happens on the farm) and i was wondering if any of the UK growers or anyone that has been there (i have been there but i only go about 2 times a year..........................wish i live a little closer!!!!) and what orchids you have bought from them and what you would recommend that i should get when i go, i manly like species but i do like a nice NAMED hybrid (i have spent hours and hours looking for the names of some my hybrids and i have only found one..........................meh), i have a very varied collection (a miss-match of what i like and the random plants i can grow well be them hardy or not) and i like any orchid and if it grows i happy and if it starts to look unhappy i lave having a challenge!! And putting my own twist on growing them (i will put a list up of what i have at the moment ..................that have names i can find and the labels)

If you have not been to Burnham Nurseries YOU MUST GO one day it is amazing and the staff are just the nicest people in the world!! And very helpful (i think i am just a little bit bias but i love it there!!!) and they have LOTS of orchids and types of orchids (DER) but the lay out and rest is just brill!!

Ok sorry for me going on a BIT! But thank you for looking any way and my list should be below �

PS This is my first time starting a thread!.........................................i think but still hope this works!!!!!!!

Aerides Korat koki
Ascocantrun Minialum
Beallra Erostar
Betilla Striata (pink)
Betilla Striata Alba
Bifrenaria Aureofulva
Brassavola little star
Brassavola Perrinii
Broughtonia Sanguinea Red
Bulbophyllum Careyanam
Bulbophyllum Corolliferum
Bulbophyllum Eberhardtii
Bulbophyllum Moniliforme
Calanthe Parelet
Cattleya Blc.Arom Gold
Cattleya Blc.King of Taiwan
Cattleya Guttata lucky star X C.landate
Cattleya Varut palin "spotty"
Chysis Bractescens
Chysis leavis
Cirrhopetalum Elizabeth Ann
Cleisostoma Elegans
Coelogyne Cristata var Alba
Coelogyne Cristata
Coelogyne Fimbrata
Coelogyne Ochracea
Coelogyne Usitana
Cymbidium Devonianum
Cymbidium Ebureum
Cypripedium Calceolus
Cypripedium Dietrich
Cypripedium Reginae
Dendrobium Capillipes
Dendrobium Cretaceum
Dendrobium Delacouri
Dendrobium Kingianum
Dendrobium Lamellatum
Dendrobium Pachyphyllum
Dendrobium Parishii
Dendrobium Pendulum
Dendrobium Pulchellum
Dendrobium Ruppianum
Dendrobium Senile
Dendrobium Speciosum
Dichaea Pendula
Disa Kewensis
Disa Watsonii
Doritaenopsis Sweet Strawberry Sogo
Doritis pulcherrima
Encyclia tampensis var red lip
Epidendrum Peperomia
Epidendrum Stamford
Epipactis Gigantea
Gastrochillus Japonicus
Grammatophyllum Yunnan Tiger
Leptotes Unicolor
Ludisia Discolor
Ludisia Discolor Nigrescens
Malaxis lalifola "frisky"
Masdevallia Rosea
Masdevallia Asterotriciha
Masdevallia Coccinea
Masdevallia Davisii
Masdevallia Floribunda
Masdevallia Hampshire Prolific
Masdevallia Ignea
Maxillaria Ochroleuca
Maxillaria Tenuifolia 'Red'
Miltonia Red Night King
Neofinetia falcata blue star
Neolauchea Pulchella
Odontoglossum Anna-Clair
Paphiopedilum Barbatum
Paphiopedilum Delenatii
Papitiowanthe Teres
Phalaenopsis Amabilis
Phalaenopsis Bellina
Phalaenopsis Mini Mark
Phalaenopsis Praishii B/S
Phragmipedium Pulchellum
Phragmipedium Umbrid
Pleione Hybrid (double spike)
Pleione Muculata
Pleione Praecox
Pterastylis Curta
Restrepies Brachypus
Rhynchostylis Gigantea var alba
Rodriguezia Lanceolata
Sarcochilius Ceciliae Alba
Sarcochilus Ceciilae
Sarcochilus falcus
Schoenorchid Fragrans
Schoenorchid manipurehisis
Scutacaria Hadwenii
Seidenfadenia Mitrata
Stanhopea Plemont X Moduroi
Stanhopea Tigrina
Vanilla Planifolia
Vanda Coerulea
Vanda Robert Delight
Vanda Siam Ink

Chilochista's in the Winter

martinvermillion — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:01:32 GMT

How much water do they need and how long is winter time where they grow in the wild?

southern burner heaters

awalker1106 — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 15:43:48 GMT

Hi --- I have just completed a new greenhouse and would like to get opinions / reviews from people who have installed a Southern Burner C-1 non-vented heater. Do you have problems with natural gas related products and the quality or longevity of orchid flowers without the vent? It seems like a very efficient heater.

Thanks.

Universal Fertilizer?

Jeff9 — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 14:05:24 GMT

I used to use Peter's Allrounder for fertilizing but i've ran out and the best local thing i could find is a fertilizer for all indoor plants.

The back of the bottle says 7+3+7 with micronutrients

Anyone have any advice wheter a diluted dosis of this would be a good choice to use?

southern burner heaters

awalker1106 — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 05:23:18 GMT

Hi --- I am getting ready to purchase a heating system for a new greenhouse after being out of orchids for 25 yrs. I am thinking about purchasing a Southern Burner C-1 non-vented heater ... Does anyone have experience with this model? Are there problems with flower development and gas combustion products as a result of non-venting?

Thanks

Plant Shopping

Leisurely — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 01:00:00 GMT

I have been looking for quite a while now for Sophronitis brevipedunculata and Sophronitis wittigiana without any success. I am hoping that someone might know of a source that I might check out. Please let me know if you do. Thanks!

Broken root

MT-Phal — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 23:39:49 GMT

If a root breaks, does it mean it is absolutely going to die? or will it continue to grow and function the same?

question re Dendrobium aggregatum or lindleyii

Katznk9s — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 23:32:24 GMT

I have killed 3 of these, and the 4th looks like it's ready to croak as well. What's the secret of growing these? All 4 have been planted on various media.. the current one is on cork oak. It HAD 10 bulbs and leaves on it, now down to 4 very shrivelled ones... is there anythiing I can do to revive it?

Nanodes (Epi.) porpax in Hot Climate? (South Florida)

Robidendrum — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:57:19 GMT

Nanodes porpax (or Epi. porpax, or even Neolehmannia porpax) is one of my favorite orchids, but I have lots of trouble with it. I live in South Florida and have my plants outside, and everything low elevation, warm growing does fine. But porpax seems to at least be Intermediate, if not cool growing, and my plants of porpax just seem to languish.

Anyone have any luck with porpax in hot climates, low elevation outdoors? I was thinking of bringing mine in at night into the 75F (24C) heavily air conditioned house on warm nights - they are small, but I'm afraid the low humidity would be worse for them than the heat.

I will break down and set up a terrarium if I have to, I just wondered if anyone has any tips for cooler growing orchids outdoors in hot climates.

Do you grow Hofmeisterella?

PontusGBG — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 13:05:51 GMT

Hi!

I wonder if anyone here at the forum grow the beautiful Hofmeisterella eumicroscopica?
If so, how do you grow them?

Not much are found on the net about this intresting species. Have some on their way home to me:)

Thank you

Pontus
Sweden

How do you grow Telipogon?

PontusGBG — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:47:06 GMT

Hi there!

I wonder how you that have Telipogon at home grow them?
Would be intresting to see diffrent types of growing media, if they are mounted, potted etc..

Have some that are on their way to me from O&M in Europe.

Seen some pictures were they grow in pots. But then some say their roots should not be covered my moss etc.

Thank you

Pontus

Christmas/Birthday Wishlist

peeweelovesbooks — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 23:52:40 GMT

Hi guys!!!

Maria's sister Angie instructed her to compile a list of orchid supplies that she may need/want/covet for her upcoming Birthday and Christmas.

Maria was instructed NOT to list plants, however.

Maria informed me that she needs cutters, watering tools and a light meter. She thinks that the Dramm watering supplies and Felco tools are good. Maria, however, cannot at this moment think of anything else to add to her list.

So, please help Maria (I swear she is useless sometimes) determine what is a good brand of light meters, watering supplies and cutters. She thinks she will ask for more Air Cone pots this time around, but she's not sure.

If you were to compile a wishlist of supplies (NOT PLANTS) what would you include? Maria wants me to note that she grows her stuff in hydroton and she just bought another huge bag. She also likes to pot her vandas, and likes to mount stuff. Your help is much appreciated.

Basel Keikis Good or Bad?

Ranchnanny — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 22:23:19 GMT

Late summer I noticed several of my Phals starting to grow Basel Keikis. These were also showing spikes and new leaf growth all at the same time. Since I have brought them out of the GH into the house and all are doing fine. Keikis continue to grow my question is are the mother plants dying? They don't look like they are stressed or declining. Maybe they got to much of a good thing in the GH all summer.

Any comments or info would be appreciated.

Thanks Sheridan :coverlaugh:
:jack-o-lantern::jack-o-lantern::jack-o-lantern::jack-o-lantern:

Insane root growth no fertilizers or nutrients!

Jeff9 — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 15:45:19 GMT

I was pretty shocked when i was inspecting today and i noticed the majority of my plants were putting out new roots and almost all of the roots on my bulbos have started new green tips on their old roots.
Especially since i grow with barely using any fert and using no root stimulants or anything like that.

I also spotted several new growths on some bulbos which i found rather awkward.
Shouldnt my plants be going dormant for the winter period? The sunlight in my country is greatly reduced now thats its turning winter and they dont get too much water either.

Seems like they went haywire

Another thing is that i spotted what appears to be fungus or something alike on some of my plants growing in sphag that are usually wet or moist.
It appears to be some kind of white spots on the roots and sphag but it rubs off a bit if you touch it.

Any ideas?

Curious Situation

BikerDoc5968 — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 23:50:30 GMT

This began growing about a week to 10 days ago...at least that is when I noticed it and originally thought it was going to be a flower spike. As it has elongated and increased in size, it now appears to be a pseudobulb growing from the top of an older pseudobulb... roots and all! Maybe this is something that can happen with cattleya and I'm just inexperienced so don't know these things.... any ideas... is this like a "terminal spike on a Phalaenopsis?????

Keeping humidity level up

Ren�eS — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:15:30 GMT

Hello everyone :waving

I'm wondering what others do about trying to keep humidity level high.

I am growing in the livingroom and a coldroom in my house, where it can get pretty dry in the winter (average of 40-50 % but can sometimes drop to 30 :( ). I try to create a micro climate around the plants by placing them in humidity trays, misting them twice a day and placing green plants like ferns around them. Not sure if this helps much though. My humidity meter doesn't seem to be very accurate.

What do you do to keep humidity on a decent level? Are there any other things I can try out? Looking forward to reading other experiences! :)

Dendrochilum glumaceum. Is this a healthy rootssystem?

Ren�eS — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:58:44 GMT

Hi everyone,
A few weeks ago I bought this Dendrochilum glumaceum at an orchidshow. Just today I found time to repot it and I notice it had been potted in a mix of bark, normal potting material (earth) spagnum and cut up spunge!!! Loads of pieces of spunge had been suffocating the roots by the looks of it.

The plant itself looks fairly healthy, it hasn't done anything since I gotit, which made me think it's in his resting-time. It had 2 new good looking bulbs.

I'm not familiar with this specie and would like some views on how you think the roots look. Do they look healthy to you, or not? Because I'm not all that sure :(

I'm planning on potting it in bark & sphagnum mix now.

Thanks!

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Help!! What do you plant Masd,s in?

Grandma M — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 13:01:15 GMT

I have purchased several new Masda,s and I need help. They all seem to be potted differently. I would like to repot them, all is the same media, and all in the same type of pot, different sizes of course. I feel it would be better to have them all alike so they can all be treated alike.

What media do you suggest? I never do well with pure spag. A spag mix would possibly do for me. What type?

What type of pot do you suggest? Should I use clay pots, plastic pots, or mesh baskets? I have some of all three now.

I tried growing them about 3 years ago, knowing nothing about their needs. I lost them within the first year, possibly because I was growing them too warm.

PLEASE, I need help to know how to treat these correctly. Hopefully I can keep these alive, my track record is not the best.

Marilyn

foliar feeding

ericst11 — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 04:27:05 GMT

I water twice a week indoors and all the rest of the days i mist down like it had just rained i was woundering if theres any inprovement in foliar feeding. If so i was woundering if useing a 111 ratio organic fertilzer would help in growth production.

Is Caulavola an intergeneric and if so which genuses are the parents?

RosieC — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 19:29:00 GMT

Unfortunately the page on the RHS website that I used to get this info from has been removed since they restructured the site. I also can't find the answer by googling.

So... is Caulavola an intergeneric and if so which genuses are the parents?

If it's not an intergeneric, then which genuses is it related to?

I'm trying to get my head arround the relationship of various genuses and I've not been able to place this one.:scratchhead:

Cleisocentrum merillianum

ardera — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 00:10:53 GMT

Anyone know anything about this little guy? I saw him at the DOS show, and fell in love! This guy is going on my wishlist, but I was hoping to find out more info on him (like how to care for him)

Can orchid's catch a cold?

flhiker — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 23:57:50 GMT

Hi everyone Just when you thought you have been asked everything. I've been a little under the weather lately (just a little head cold). And as I was caring for my plants I started to wonder if I could if I could pass any problems to my plants?

Essential Plus Natural Plant & Root Stimulant

BikerDoc5968 — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 23:05:39 GMT

Hope this thread isn't offensive to anyone... I'm just trying to draw attention to something I want to share with everyone. For those of you who like using organic material on your orchids, I have found this item and have been using it with very good success. "Essential Plus provides a safe alternative to the use of chemical hormones like IBA and NAA for the propagation of cuttings and production of faster rooting and greater root mass." My phalaenopsis seem to be growing much better roots and some that I thought were on their way out have "perked up". I purchased a case of 12 32 oz. bottles; this is the smallest quantity they would allow me to buy. I have placed on sale, at my cost plus shipping, some of the extra product... I'm not here to make any profit... So you'll find the item listed in the Classified Section under "Supplies".

Thanks :D

foliar feeding

LinhT — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 06:11:29 GMT

I know some people don't believe this works but for those of you who do this religiously.....have you seen a difference in your leaves? Are there any particular types of orchids that benefit from foliar feeding. I also read about spraying the undersides of the leaves to get it best absorbed?

Also is it a different concentration of fertilzer solution used for foliar feeding or same as what you would use to water the medium of the plant?

Alamania punicea....do you grow it?

peeweelovesbooks — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 17:20:02 GMT

Hi there......

So Maria has decided to start a somewhat serious collection of Mexican Orchids.....and in her effort, she has purchased an Alamania punicea. Maria tells me she fell in love with the bright red blooms of the plant and the unusual growth habit.

Here's a picture of it:

IOSPE PHOTOS

Maria thinks it's gorgeous, and frankly, so do I. So I found one and bought it.

Ummmmm does anyone here grow it and if so, would be so generous as to share some cultural tips?????

:bowing:bowing:bowing:bowing:bowing:bowing:bowing

Need help on Grammatophyllum

mollycart1 — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 19:22:34 GMT

My friend just gave it to me. I have been wanting this plant for a while, but now I am not sure what to do with it. It is just HUGE! Maybe I let it sit right next to my Neos. :rofl:

I think it needs to be repotted ( may not be the right time ) and not sure what's wrong with those black spots on leaves.

Thank you. :bowing

Attached Thumbnails

New Cattleya Leaves Distorted

Leisurely — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 21:47:34 GMT

I am hoping that one of the Cattleya experts can diagnose my problem.

Accordian leaves on Oncidium types are indicitive of too little water. I am having something happen with my Cattleya leaves that I cannot diagnose. When the new growth starts, the sheathing material appears to be too snug for the leaf, resulting in the leaf having a vertical fold. The sheath has an opening, as you can see in the pictures, that allows water to enter and it sits there and causes a fungus problem resulting in black rot.

I have never had this problem before and I have not changed my watering practices. I water about once per week and the pseudobulbs are nice and plump. It seems that the leaf grows faster than the sheathing which causes it to wrinkle. I am hoping someone can give me some advice.

Thanks!

Attached Thumbnails

ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY

Leisurely — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 23:40:26 GMT

CHECK OUT THE WEBSITE. IT HAS BEEN RE-DESIGNED.

New Orchids

ShannonH1984 — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 04:21:02 GMT

I bought a few new orchids at the orchid festival. :biggrin:

ALBUM

flasked plants

nani — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 23:44:22 GMT

Since i cannot import any orchid plants, I am thinking about importing some flasks of plants, which is allowed. Have any of you raised plants from flasks? Problems? Any place you have ordered them from that is good? I can only grow warm weather orchids, so it would be limited to those. Information from anyone in the know?
Thanks

Bad idea? Experimental.

Cattleya17 — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 20:18:10 GMT

Hey all how are you guys doing? i have an idea and i dont know if its a good one. I just bought Keikipro, and i have a Laelia Purpurata Var. Carnea its lead is producing a new growth and keiki pro is to be used when the plant's lead is in active growth. There are four Exposed dormant eyes.

Now my idea is to put it on them and cause 5 new growths when all is said and done. i chose now because Laelia Purpurata var carnea set sheaths in fall or winter. so if i set the 4 eyes in motion with the keiki pro i could get 5 blooming leads potentially. and thus an amazing plant and flower display! is it a bad idea to activate the amount of eyes i mentioned? Please help me and give me your thoughts!:biggrin:

~Sam

Gublers Orchid Festival

ShannonH1984 — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 19:44:04 GMT

Today and tomorrow is the annual orchid festival in Landers, CA. I'm going tomorrow, I can't wait. I hope its as much fun as last year.:biggrin:

Large quantities of sphagnum

flytrapcare.com — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 01:08:59 GMT

Hello,

I'm looking to purchase a large bale of sphagnum moss. I've found one site that sells 5kg bales, but I can't seem to find anywhere else on the web that does.

Would anyone that purchases sphagnum in bulk be kind enough to share their sphagnum sources with me?

Thanks!
Matt

Live moss pole

TylerK — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 13:22:23 GMT

I'm looking to put together a living moss pole for my Vanilla orchid to grow on. Problem is, it will be in an indoor environment...I get great light, but humidity can be a problem (especially in winter). Does anyone have any ideas on construction materials/methods that might help maximize my chances of success?

Ideally, I would like it to look like a natural branch, but I would prefer the main structure to be made of something that won't rot...at least for a very long time.

As a side question, will a Vanilla vine eventually branch, or will it just keep getting longer on one main lead?

Thanks,

Tyler

KLN root grow

MT-Phal — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 05:26:23 GMT

will this help new roots to sprout from a phal? my phal has spent the last couple months growing roots, and there's one new root coming now, but i'm hoping that i'm not in the waning stages of natural growth as i'm about to go S/H.

CCM Awards

2ljd — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 23:09:31 GMT

Hi all,

Not sure if this is the right place to ask the question, but if a plant receives a CCM award and is then subsequently divided, does the CCM award necessarily follow the division? I've been given different answers in the past...

dolomite fertilizer

jessetukkers — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 19:29:50 GMT

hello, is here someone who has expierience with dolomite fertilizer especcialy on stanhopea?? i read about it in the following site,

this is the link to it:

Stanhopea

thanx and greets from holland, jesse tukkers

Cattleya warscewiczii

exasperatus2002 — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 13:33:06 GMT

Does anyone have any tips for growing these indoors? My orchid room is the south east corner of my home with 2 large south facing windows & 4 east facing windows. I have a variety of Cattleya hybrids, 2 Dendrobiums and some Phals now. Im picking up an established seedling with 5 PB's. I was wondering if theres anything I should or shouldnt do with Cattleya warscewiczii ?

Paphiopedilum in alternative medium

musicloveranthony — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 02:03:02 GMT

My favorite plant is my first (well, my first non Home Depot plant). It's a Paphiopedilum primulinum v. purpurascens. I purchased it with one flowering growth and two nearly mature growths. It's not a very large plant, but had been potted in a 5" round, plastic pot w/ medium bark, perlite and charcoal. I seem to have trouble with this medium, though. It dries on top, but stays completely soaked, further down. It's my nature to be extremely curious and impulsive :evil: The poor plant has been repotted 4 times before I settled on its current medium.

At the suggestion of another user (King of orchid growing :bowing), I decided to do some reading on the plant's natural habits and culture. In nature, the plant grows on Sumatra, Indonesia, in limestone-hill forests, and on seaside, limestone cliffs. This taught me a bit about what I could do with the plant to make it more at home.

The plant's current, and likely permanent, home is in a 5" clear pot with marble chips with a (very) little bit of sphagnum and charcoal mixed in. The marble because I don't have much money (I'm a student) and marble chips were the cheapest version of limestone (it's just metamorphic limestone) I could find, at $3 for a 5 pound bag. The sphagnum, because seaside cliffs would, logically, be covered in moss and lichen (if only i could culture lichen). The charcoal, because I said so! Also, the fact that the plant can grow in either location makes me worry quite a bit less about giving it too much light.

So, anyways, it's been in it's new home about a month, now and has started a new growth that seems to be growing pretty quickly. It was a tiny white dot the size of a grain of sand about 4 days ago, and is now the size of a small sunflower seed. Also, the plant has dropped one flower, and opened another since the switch. The new flower seems more firm and a little bit larger than the previous 2 were. I water the plant about every 2 to 4 days. With the marble, there's very little risk of overwatering, and you'd be :shock: surprised how long the stone stays moist (granted, i've been keeping the orchid room at about 80%+ humidity).

Anyways, I just thought it was kinda neat to try something different and see my plant reacting happily.

Attached Thumbnails

Has anyone ever succesfully mounted on stone?

Jeff9 — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 17:29:22 GMT

I was wondering if anyone has ever mounted on a rock/stone, if so i'd like to see some photographs as i was going to try it out on a small division.

trying to figure out the best type of rock to use

Ray...are you aware of this?

Doc G — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 04:57:40 GMT

Ray,

A couple nights ago I was searching for pix of Epi. "Joseph Lii". Your site was my first stop.

Second stop was agristarts4.com. They were using your photo, with copyright info intact.

Third stop was clanorchids.com. I'm almost certain that they took your photo, flipped it, removed copyright info, and said use courtesy of agristarts.

Just thought you might want to look into it.

Phalaenopsis help: seems like 2 keikis and a spike, plus new leaves

peeweelovesbooks — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 17:55:37 GMT

Hi everyone!!

I think my large phalaenopsis is producing 2 keikis at the base of the plant, plus, it's growing out a spike. It's also not finished growing out 2 new leaves.....

Should I worry that the plant is trying to do too much at the same time????? I don't want the plant over-stressed.

Your suggestions are welcome.

Urgent advice with problematic Lycaste Aromatica

Jeff9 — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 11:42:21 GMT

Greetings,

I've been growing for a few years now but i'm not very experienced with Lycaste.
The plant in question is Lycaste Aromatica, i received the 2 back bulbs a long time ago and it has never performed really well.

Basically, the two back bulbs are very dark (almost black) and the three front ones are very small, the middle one being damaged severely and slightly rotting and degrading.

The root system is pathetic, from what i can tell most roots are dead or dying so i removed it from its pot to see what's going on.

A while ago it had a new growth on the damaged bulb, but it got infected with little black insects and died off before i found out.

Now taking it out of its pot i've noticed what seems to be either spikes or new growths, i assume the latter.
Both growths are growing from the middle bulb which is also the most healthiest.

My question is if anyone with more lycaste experience than me could give me some advice in what actions to take next.

1. How can i prevent the new growths from getting infected with the black insects again (lice?), and will it happen again?

2. Should i leave the remaining roots even tough i assume they're dead?

3. Should i keep the plant intact or slice it up in divisions/backbulbs (both growths are coming out of 1 bulb and i fear the 2 back and front one will die off)

I have been thinking about moving this plant to s/h would it be a wise decision judging by its condition and if so, i assume it will be best to wait untill roots start growing from the growths?

My plan was to put it on a small saucer with some leca and sphag to keep it moist and allow the growths to develop and then move it to S/H

Please give me some advice as i'm unsure how to handle this lycaste.

The growths are marked with red circles on the photographs

Thanks.

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Potting media discussion/poll

Psyguy10 — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 21:58:25 GMT

Hey everybody.
Well, I have been thinking and I thought it would be interesting to do a potting media poll/discussion about the pros vs. cons of several choices. In my opinion it would be fun to have it in a poll (Of course, I think it's obvious which mixture will win!).

The points of this thread are:

Which potting mixtures/methods work well for you.
Which media are you the happiest with.
what are your favorite ratios of ingredients.

Also, it is recommended you give a brief overview of your growing enclosure/area/whatever-the-heck-you-wanna-call-it.

Let the voting begin.

Fusarium attack?

Cookiemonster — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 18:00:30 GMT

Hi all,
I think one of my plants is being attacked from Fusarium- again. :((

I was wondering if anyone has used this or know if this product has any merit
Thanks

Natural Fertilizers - Rootshield

Orchiata

BikerDoc5968 — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 01:00:42 GMT

Has anyone heard of this product (Orchiata Pacific Wide - Orchiata) or used it? I was sent some information but don't know if it is worth the investment. I guess the bottom line is there are all kinds of "stuff" in which one could grow orchids. And if it is something that works for you, great... there is no replacement for good growing habits... not even some "flash in the pants" medium. Just wanted to find out other people's experience.

SOOS

TylerK — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 12:19:56 GMT

Does anyone here belong to the Southern Ontario Orchid Society?

What's it like? What all does it involve?

So far, my only interaction with other people who grow orchids is online. Thinking about taking it into the real world too, and just curious as to what goes on?

Tyler

What is it....Cat or Den?

Donald — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 14:30:00 GMT

:) I'm looking for an ID on an orchid that I "googled" and found possibilities that it could be either a "catt" or a "den" and I'm still confused. As it is not my orchid but a niece in Kansas City I do not have a picture only a rather vague description. She states the tag on it as saying: Bourana Beauty Mutation. I'm lost.

Thaks for everyones help.

Variation on Sphag & Bag-- attempt to save a phal

Pilot — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 01:44:31 GMT

Hi all--

I have a phal "Ember"-- smells like heaven, but has no (well, very few) roots.

I got the plant about two months ago and for whatever reason the roots did not like the treatment they received. So only a few non-rotted roots remain.

So I google sphag and bag and found various instructions on the net but ended up following Ray's advice on how to attempt to save this phal.

I wish I had photos but at the moment I do not. However, because the plant is so large-- I have no bag large enough to fit it without the leaves touching the plastic, which I figure would not be healthy for the leave's tissue. So I set out in an attempt to figure out how to keep the humidity high, the plant warm and in a container that wouldn't hurt the plant with standing water or plastic damage.

Alas, enters a clear storage tub. I have no idea if it'll work but it is the only thing I have available that I feel would help this plant.

So I cut off all the damaged roots and the spike, soaked the remaining stubs and the base of the plant in a Superthrive mix for an hour, then sprayed down with physan 20 to kill off any bad things. I then placed it and secured it on top of an s/h pot with hydroton.

I then put a germination mat on the up-turned tub's lid, placed the plant on top of the mat along with a container full of water and sphag (my aim was to increase surface area, thereby increasing humidity). then I put the clear tub over top the entire assembly. Plugged in the mat and walked away.

Later I came back and put a high low therm inside and found that the box gets up to about 92�F in the day and about 85�F at night and the sides of the tub are dripping wet all the time-- yet the plant itself -- specifically the crown -- remain dry.

So that is my variation on sphag and bag and I would like some input/feedback on whether the conditions have been satisfied to attempt to get this phal to grow new roots?

I should also mention that this set up is on a grow shelf with 6 T12 bulbs on for roughly 12 hours a day.

Do you think it is too humid, considering it "rains" inside the tub? What about heat? Is 92 too hot or is it ok for this type of phal, which if I'm not mistaken, enjoys hotter weather.

Looking forward to your thoughts.

vanda root problem

flytrap7108 — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 22:27:41 GMT

hi i have a vanda and it has been doing very well for 2 months infact it is now in spike. But the problem is no matter how many times i water it the roots seem to stop growing and the green tips are shrinking. i have it in an inclosed system with about 70% humidity and above and the temp is very hot. it is about 90 degrees so i think im doing everything right. i water it once or twice a day and i dunk the whole plant in a bucket of water for about 30 min or so and take out. The plant is in a plastic basket with the roots hanging down so i just cant find the problem. the roots are looseing there green tips :(( this is bad. I was just wondering if anyone has had this problem before or nos whats wrong.

new growths in september!?

myshka — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 13:26:26 GMT

i have a handfull of different oncidium types that have completed some new bulbs this year. but now that they're complete, or nearing completion (and some of them are flowering! yay!) i'm starting to see NEW shoots appear! and it's september!

i thought that they would start new growths in spring and slow down or stop new growths this late in the year. have i confused my plants?

also, i have a paph lowii who hasn't budged all year but it just now putting out two new growths.

and my dendrobium (not the kind that needs a winter rest) is starting a whole new cane!

also, if a plant is beginning a new shoot and the plant gets stressed and stops growing- will it abandon the new growth, temporarily stop and then continue later, or what?

one of my oncidiums got a wee bit sunburnt while it was growing new shoots and the new shoots haven't moved an inch in a month or two.

thank guys

Humidity Solution

Bolero — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 07:09:37 GMT

Ha! I found the answer to low humidity, I got home from an orchid show today and noticed that the humidity reading is to low to measure.

So I misted the digital hygrometer and suddenly I had 89% humidity. I knew there was an easy fix.....:rofl:

Growth Cycles, Discussion/Comments

zxyqu — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 17:22:10 GMT

Hey OB, so Johnblagg brought this up in the Catt Alliance section, and I'm attempting to repost it here, so it gets more traffic. He was wondering, as was I,:hmm if we could start a thread/section on the growth cycles of various orchids, from alliances to cultivars. Now granted a low of this will vary from lighting, location, temp, humidity, and I could go on, but I was hoping for some thoguhts on the subject, even if we have to break it down a little by some of the factors above. I for one, who am relatively new, and wondering what I should look for, and when, and to see if that fits with what I've been seeing. Hopefully this makes some sense, but would love some thoughts on it from the experts out there.:bowing

Is this crown rot on a phal? & is it salvageable?

OzPhal — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 07:16:12 GMT

Hey Everybody,

I recently purchased some Phals from eBay - beautiful plants - each main plant had a side growth of much the same size as the main. Awesome root system on arrival - and evidence of proliferous flowering in the past (even this season). A few days after I received the plant I noticed the top leaf on the main plant of one of them start to yellow and then I noticed a black patch starting to appear... I applied some fungicide but no success - it has spread.

My question:

1) Is this crown rot?
2) Is the main plant salvageable?
3) As there is what appears to have been a basal keiki grown (which is much the same size as the main plant) is there anything i should do to prevent the rot from impacting on the second plant?

Any advice is appreciated

Lighting

mossy oak — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 04:32:04 GMT

I am building a 24" deep x 30"wide x 42" tall vivarium, how many t5 lamps should I use. My current choice is 4 24w 6500K bulbs but have been thinking maybe 6 would be better. any help would be appreciated, i have never used t5s and i am looking for the best setup for orchid growth. thanks

crazy orchid growth

flhiker — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 00:13:39 GMT

:waving I saw a google ad here for Crazy orchid growth. It claims to make your orchids grow incredible fast with home made fertilizers and insecticides. Has anyone purchased this info and what do you think of it?

Aussie Orchids lovers and orchid enthusiast from around the world

Silla--glamour — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 12:07:22 GMT

Hi, my name is silla here, would like to seek acquaintance with Aussie orchid lover and orchid enthusiast from around the world. There are alot of new varieties of Asia cattleya and vanda at present. We have a beautiful showcase of them some are hybrid and some are species we hope to meet new orchid lover for discussion and exchange of views for them : ) join our group today!:bowing

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Very long&strong f/spikes, little or no blooms

Vina — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 10:07:30 GMT

Has anyone experiece similar problem with phals?
Phal has two very long, vigorous fast growing spikes, and another new one, the third, also fast growing and strong. But... the biggest one has only 4 buds, another has no buds at all and I'm not sure abot the third spike.
Shortly speaking - there are spikes, but there aren't any flowers.

any ideas? overfeeding? Some hormonal disorder? anything else?

Thank you!

New growth of leaves beside main Phalaenopsis

annie1931 — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 21:01:29 GMT

Somewhere way way back this was mentioned, but I can't find it. I have two leaves growing nicely about 2" from the main plant - from a root I suppose. Now they are kind of fun to see, however I don't want them to turn into something that might drain the energy from my main plant. My main plant is growing a new spike, strong and thick...

1. should I snip the new baby down to discourage growth?

2. Should I leave it alone?

3. Will leaving it alone siphon off energy from the main plant?

4. Will snipping leaves to base really make a difference (because I think more will just grow up anyway)?

Target N for Masdevallia @Slipper orchids ?

keith — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 22:01:27 GMT

Hi ,
I am going to use a MSU based feed and want to know what target N for Massies and slipper orchids .
I am going for the 125 N target but my main collection is Masdevallia ,Paphs and some Phrags so am aware that these may require less feed ,if so i will feed all my plants the lower target N but what should i settle with .

Is there anyone out there feeding these species without problems to a target N of 125 ?

Regards Keith

Helcia sanguinolenta problems

kinknstein — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 17:08:17 GMT

Hi Everyone:waving
I was just wondering if any one else out there is growing Helcia sanguinolenta? I have had one for about 8 or 9 months now, it was in bloom when I bought it. The blooms died off back in mid march or so and she has been trying to put some new pseudobulbs but they have not been successful. She has attempted to put out about 5 - 6 pbulbs, but all but one seem to have slowly turned brown and then stopped growing. I will try and post some pics later, but am at work right now. The older pbulbs still have a very nice light green apple colour. Is this species deciduous? I have read that they need a dry period after blooming which I do not think I observed properly. I grow it under T5 HO lights at about 800 - 1000fc, my humidity ranges from 40% up to 70%, 40% is in the winter, and I have Intermediate temps, although the last month or so the temp has climbed as high as 85 degrees, could the heat be the issue? It is potted in med grade bark in a 3" pot.
What types of light do you grow yours in? How often do you water it in the summer time? Any other tips?

:bowingThanks in advance everyone!!:bowing

MSU feed - Akerne Rain mix

keith — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 22:44:31 GMT

I have some Akerne rain mix 13-3-15 + 11Ca +3Mgo feed which is the MSU feed.

The recommended dosage is 1/2 gram per litre .
Which gave me 320ppm - 510m/sm @ 5 gram in 10 ltrs

I want to know what is the Nitrogen PPM @ this dosage
As i am in the UK these are obviously UK measurements.

I am hoping someone has already done this in the UK with this feed and knows :bowing
Regards Keith

Can you save this rescue orchid?

flowerpower — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 21:24:32 GMT

Hi everyone. I'm not very experienced at caring for orchids...

I have been away for the weekend and when I came back I found this in the living room. My partner found this abandoned orchid in a waste bin at work! Sorry for the poor quality photo I had to take it on my phone.

Anyway, the orchid is sitting in a random square container, with various potting materials, mainly stones/wirey stuff. There are NO drainage holes. It has many aerial roots, some of them clearly rotting. No evidence of flower spikes.

I have a few questions?

- do you think it's a phalaenopsis?
- what do you recommend I do to save it?

I think I should get it into a new pot quickly. It's not even in a pot just a square office container. What should I do about these rotting roots?

Eek. I need an expert orchid grower to give some tips!

Bringing in the "Chids" from outside

kiki-do — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 14:01:15 GMT

Last year I kept several phals on my porch for the summer. Then when it's time to come in for the winter, I keep these guys well away from my other orchids that don't summer outdoors. I spent endless hours (months) trying to debug these guys. I swore I wouldn't put them outdoors ever again, but I did! :roll: I enjoy sitting on my porch and having them around me. Well, now that I have them back indoors, they are buggy again. What do you all do about getting them clean without causing harm to the plant? There has to be an easier way! It's so frustrating!

New Orchid Buying Protocol

kiki-do — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 13:49:10 GMT

Hi All! :waving
I'm just curious as to what you all do when you buy new orchids. Do you isolate them for a while before adding them to the others you have? Do you repot them immediately even if in bloom? Do you spray them as an added safety measure? I would love to hear what everyone's routine is in regards to bringing in newbie plants, especially those with large quantities, greenhouses, etc.
I isolate mine for a few weeks, but I have to admit that lately, if they look really good, I don't really have my guard up about it, and I think that could spell disaster down the road. What's your routine and what pointers do you have for the rest of us?

Many have read, none have responded

nancy — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 21:55:00 GMT

Hello -
I had originally posted this in the Dendrobium forum, but have received no replies. Thinking it is a common problem for growers with species that require somewhat specific culture, I link to it here http://www.orchidboard.com/community...light-etc.html
in hopes that somebody has figured out some simple coding system for this. I can make a permanent label, but attaching a 3x14 tag to, f'rinstance, a Den. oligophyllum is just silly, thus the need for a code of some kind.
Obsession can result in a very embarrassing list - and I now have one.
Regards - Nancy

Basket of Joy

BikerDoc5968 — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 17:08:59 GMT

I've never grown chids in baskets because I can't get the humidity that I thought this type of culture required. I wanted a Lc Love Knot 'Carmela Blue' and the vendor only had it in a basket and sold it to me for less... don't ask why :scratchhead: My brain-dead question is, since there is no bark or anything but lots of roots in the basket, am I correct in assuming I will have to mist/water this guy daily or just how do those of you who grow catts in baskets deal with their culture? Remember, just because I grow in a GH, I live in Michigan not Florida or Hawaii where humidity is only a problem for us humans!

new growth on paph lowii?

myshka — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 21:12:48 GMT

i was watering my paph lowii today and i noticed what seems to be a new growth! but... i thought new growths occur at the base of the plant- not from between the leaves? i know it's not a flower spike because they only bloom from the crown. it's super small and hard to see, and these pictures were taken with my cell phone so it's poor quality.

could someone confirm that this is a new growth? or something of which i'm not aware?

thanks guys!

ps: pardon my dinky growing space- this is the best i can do for now!

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Brassia flowers curled

bast — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 23:19:21 GMT

I would like to know why the flower of my brassia is curled and not strait as brassia flower are!!??

I will try to post a pic soon as possible to show why exactly I talking about!!

Trip to Veracruz, Mexico

isdaojon — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 23:00:10 GMT

I got back from My grandmas house just a few days agoa dn had a great time. I was amazed at how many orchids they have there! They come from all over the world as my grandpa collected them. Renantheras, Vandas, Cattleyas, Laelias, Epidendrums, Phalaenopsis, Paphiopedilums, Stanhopeas, Gongoras, Lycastes, Maxillarias, Oncidiums, Miltonias, Catasetums, amd many many others that i cant name for shure. It was fantastic.And not only there at my grandmothers house, they sell stanhopeas a nd ancietas in the local flower market. Theres Oncidium sphacelatums growing everyhwre from the trees of the park to the ground! Theres a huge renanthera growing around a concrete pllar. It got accustummed to the weather there in Fortin de las flores. And i saw my first stanhopea flowering. It was amazing. AND THE scent was wonderfull. Its seriously like a orchid lovers paradise. Just go to El corazon and youll see wild orchids growing next to bromeliads. I saw a tree side with about a 100 or more Laelia seedlings. It trully is a beautifull place.

But theres a dowside to this story. Unfortunatly theres really isnt any body to take care of all the orchids in my gRandmothers house, so alot of them get fallen over by the wind and just lie there until they die. I saved Vanda and Renanthera SPECIES that where liing on the ground! I would be happy the collection since they some get robbed every once in a while Bu unfortunatly i cant.

Anyways, here are the pictures that i took. If you would like more, just ask!

Tiny orchid growing below a coffe tree from the Genus Ornithocephalus

NOID but stll very nice.
Fantastic large fragrant miltonia.

Nice small yellow maxillaria.

Catasetum being visited by its pollinator, A Bumble bee. It woulndt leave even thought i was right it front of it. It was too concentrated on the fragrance.

Stanhopea occulata

Brassavola hybrid

Sobralia macrantha

Catasetum

Renanthera in America!

The peack of Orizaba. Not an orchid but still fantastic.

Epidendrum nocturnum.

Alot of these orchids are native to this area of mexico such as this epidendrum. So they are practucally in situ.

Thank you for seeing these.

export orchid from USA

rastafouni — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 13:07:42 GMT

Import an orchid in Thailand from USA, I know that it might sound very strange but I tell quickly the story.
As I collect Vanda in Thailand, I found a Vanda specie who's growing, in the wild in Northern Australia and Papua New Guinea. I have never seen this specie to sell over here. So I bough it ,despite the fact that the orchid nursery doesn't ship oversea, because my brother lives in Seattle. I was thinking that he will send me it by post. So now , the orchid is in Seattle but my brother (after getting more infos) told me that it's much more difficult than we were previously thinking . A CITES is needed but I wat thinking of that. It's not a problem about that. The problem is from another document from Department of Agriculture. This doc seems to be very hard to make , long to get and expensive.
Does anyone have info, recommenation , ideas to make it and espcially make it easier ?
My brother can also bring to the plant to me as he will come to Thailand soon if it's a better way.
Sorry if it is not the good place for this subject, don't know where to write it.
Thanks by advance

problem finding specific plants to buy

myshka — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 06:05:56 GMT

my birthday is coming up in a few weeks and i would like to indulge my addiction and get one of my wishlist orchids. however, being a poor college student i'm left with limited options. :(

i've been googling my butt off for a while looking for these. but i haven't found much luck- either the plants are not blooming size or seedlings, or out of the country. i hate to be picky about the size, but i am very very poor! this is a big splurge for me and i'd like to get exactly what i'm looking for. paying for college is rough!

i'm diligently looking for a blooming size (the bigger, the better!) of either of these two orchids:

1) Angraecum Magdalenae

2) Vuylstekeara Camouflage �Everglades Passion�

i most likely can not order from a company outside of the united states because they tend to have minimum order amounts that are over my budget.

my budget is around $50-60 for one of either of the above.

i've been googling my butt off for a while looking for these. but i haven't found much luck- either the plants are not blooming size or seedlings, or out of the country.

if anyone can point me in the right direction, i would be very appreciative!

What to do with Doritaenopsis with terminal spike

Anthony — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 13:26:16 GMT

This is the first orchid I've bought online, a Doritaenopsis Everyspring Prince Harlequin. It came with a terminal spike.

I did sent an complaint to the shop but it appears they "ignored" the real issue with this reply.

Quote:

Dear Anthony,

Thankyou for your feedback. We have found that Phal plants with terminal spikes do indeed continue to flower.

regards,

(I didn't ask if it continues to flower, I said it won't grow any leaves ...)

What should I do with it, should I treat it with KeikiBoost to force keiki's? Should I then only treat the lower nodes or all of them?

Aeranthes henricii

Malagasy — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 13:47:19 GMT

Does anyone else grow these? I have a near blooming size Aeranthes henrici--I'm hoping it will bloom this year. As this species is particularly finicky, I'd love to compare notes, growing conditions, tricks etc with anyone else who grows these. Anyone? :)

The Search for the perfect plant tag continues: Slate tags??

peeweelovesbooks — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 22:11:09 GMT

Hi guys.

For some reason, the tags that I buy (which are 6 x 1) and are printed on both sides) become brittle quite fast. I've been looking for some tags that are 1) durable, 2) attractive and 3) not too costly.

So, in going through the listing on Etsy.com, I came across this listing for tags made out of old slate roofs:

slate garden or plant marker, set of 3 by jburlette on Etsy

What do you all think? Is slate inert enough not to damage my plants? I plan to print a transparent label with black lettering so that it will blend better.

Your comments/opinion is welcome. :)

This outdoor growing season

ericst11 — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 23:05:41 GMT

I was woundering if this summer was a strange growing season for most it seem like I missed the growth cycle and have a lot of stuff that blooms later in the year are blooming now or earlyer . :shock::shock::shock:

I am absolutely filled with joy.

ryfrazier — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 06:44:29 GMT

So I ended up spending my whole paycheck, but I have the following coming my way this week:

Diplocaulobium stelliferum mount
Brassavola cucullata mount
Bulbophyllum lobbii mount
Epidendrum porpax mount

And I've already received a Z. mackayi 'Southern Belle' and two Neo. falcata 'Pine' earlier this week.

I'll probably regret this decision next week.

LOOK AT ALL THOSE NEW MOUNTS, MY DEAR FRIENDS.

Sulking Schomburgkia superbiens

ericst11 — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 03:37:47 GMT

I have a Schomburgkia superbiens that has been sulking for about 5 to 6 months that was from overseas . Can someone tell me if they know of a way to bring it out of this stand still .Its still green and no dead growth but just wont grow.

Flickr Photo Posting Made Easier!

epiphyte78 — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 20:06:19 GMT

Hi Folks,

Last time I tried to explain how to post image hyperlinks it turned out that the few who understood the instructions felt it wasn't worth the bother. Admittedly, it is a bit tedious.

So with that in mind I created a page to construct the image hyperlinks for you. All that is required is the URL/address of the flickr photo page of the photo you would like to share.

What I do in Google Chrome is right click on the flickr thumbnail and select "Copy link address". I then paste that link address into the flickr to forum page and click "+Get Code". The code is automatically selected so you can just hit Ctrl + C to copy it.

With the flickr to forum page it only took a few seconds to create the code for all the photos and descriptions in the Encyclias for peeweelovesbooks thread.

The benefits of posting an image hyperlink are that it's easier for other flickr folk to favorite your photo and people are more likely to click on an image hyperlink versus a text hyperlink. Additionally, with the flickr to forum page you can include the description so you don't have to copy and paste it or type it twice.

***A few notes***

Haven't tested out the page much. I really have no idea what it looks like or whether it works in other browsers besides Google Chrome.

The large and original sizes are not always available and only image and hyperlink html will be converted to forum code. Previewing your posts before posting is always highly recommended.

All feedback or constructive criticism is welcome.

repotting??!?!?!?!?

shahrezsyed — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 16:26:45 GMT

i bought a white phalaenopsis here and it was so root bound that the pot was about to burst.
last time i bought one it was just the same so i tred to repot it and it was so root bound even from the bottom of the root ball and inside the root ball(after soaking the roots to make them more pliable)that just as i tried to loosen the rootball even slighty the roots would start to break and they just all broke up so it died then i have bought another one and seek advice on how to repot it because it REALLY needs to be repotted other wise the root system is really healthy but half of its leaves are drooping!!! i was thinking due to extremely hot temperatures in pakistan can i grow my orchids indoors under gro-lights by putting them on humidity trays?and can i cut scorched leaves and will the drooped leaves become stiff again after introducing to cooler temperatures and watering it lesser(it was being overwatered before!!)and no no orchids of better quality:blushing: can be purchased in pakistan...
shahrez

Entertaining to Read

Leisurely — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 00:08:40 GMT

I stumbled upon this and thought it might be interesting reading.

It seems all so familiar for some reason.

Obsession

Coelogyne pandurata - how difficult?

Chihiro — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 18:33:36 GMT

Hi,

I think I am just sort of advanced: In the last 2 years I managed to grow Oncidiums, Encyclia radiata and Maxillaria tenuifolia without any complaints ;) and quite a few blooms. (I also own a baby Stanhopea, but only for a few weeks). Now a friend of mine is offering a mature Coloegyne pandurata... but I'm not sure, if I dare to have her. So far, I've only dealt with "beginners orchids". And she keeps the parent in a greenhouse, while I can only offer the conditions which the ones listed above seem to enjoy: I live in a 4th floor maisonette with roof windows (not sure, if that's the correct English word - I mean the slanted ones, that open "skywards"). The upstairs faces east and west. On the first floor, we have a south-west facing mostly open balcony, which is enclosed by a wall. It get's really really warm in summer - about 10 degrees Celsius above street level (the highest summer temperatures are around 30 Celsius/86 Fahrenheit, but up here we get usually "Fahrenheit 100s"). The orchids do not get exposed to that, though - throughout the day they hang comfortably in a "blind angle" with no sun, attached to a large Cobaea Scandens, which lives together with some kind of Lysimachia - together they take care of the humidity level, I keep them well watered and spray the leaves regularly. The sun hits the spot around six p.m. which so far seemed fine for everybody hanging out there. So what do you think? Would a potentially hot summer with a lot of help in the humidity department and a southfacing winter in a moderately heated room do for them? Or are they really only for greenhouses/artificial lighting in winter? I'd love to hear some experiences!

Cool Dividing Tip Leaves me With a Question

Cattleya17 — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 11:56:48 GMT

i found this awesome dividing tip right here on the OB
Link:The Cattleya "Cut-Divide-and-Conquer" Multiplier Method - Orchid Board

It really is a Genius idea! It saves you that whole "will this division survive or do well" panic when you have to divide a really nice Cattleya. but it leaves me with a question?? can you do this dividing technique with your other catts that dont need repotting but are growing in a straight line and only putting out only one lead? can you do it to wake up the dormant eyes and help your plant realize it real potential?

Read the article its awesome! and it will help you answer my question. LoL

Propagation and Species in different Media!

ghosoff — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 06:55:43 GMT

:banana:Ok !! In this thread I wanted to start something new towards which orchids work best in which media!!? Also if you are making homemade media what has all been tested out and can we make a list and people can try them out if you want and fill us in!!

This thread can consist of anything from seed sowing to stem culture!!

Hope ya'll like it let me know!! I will get into some more tomorrow and I hope everyone does too!! Thanks a lot!!:gh
:haveagreatday:

Hormones and their benifits in orchids!!

ghosoff — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 06:44:29 GMT

:hello:bowing Hi everyone I was start this thread trying to find out and help others know which hormones do what but if anyone has any insight fell free to join in!!!

Now for my 1st question to anyone that knows which hormone can be used to make them flower or which conjunction?

I will fill in which hormones I know about when I wake up!! Thanks and hope this helps to others!! too!:waving

Phal Spikes: To Cut of Not...

zxyqu — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 03:42:28 GMT

Ok, before you all harass me about posting this question... I'm a scientist, and this is how I think, sorry. But does anyone know of any studies that have been done on Phals that compare the benefits/problems with cutting the spike versus leaving it on for more blooms. I can see the benefits of both, hoping for a few extra buds from a beautiful phal, or boosting the plant a little for the next spike, maybe 2 this time.
Anyone have a percentage of success on getting a secondary spike when you dont cut, or having compared cutting of one to not cutting another similar one?
If noone has compared them, I was hoping to propose a project, or more of an experiment, comparing a couple identical, or as close as possible, phals, cutting some and not cutting others and comparing the next round of blooms. The results would obviously be affected by growing medium/watering/fertilizer/weather/on/on/on, but I think it would shed some needed light on this oft asked question:twocents:. What say you OB, worth it or not?

What levels of Sodium and Chloride are "safe" for orchids??

nhman — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 22:29:30 GMT

Hi all!
I recently had my water tested by a lab and found that the Chloride concentration was 146 (mg/L) with the Sodium at 184 (mg/L). Hardness was <10 with a pH of 7.3. There were really no other minerals of note.
Now, while these values for the Sodium and Chloride ARE under EPA maximum recommended concentrations for DRINKING water, will they have any adverse effects upon my orchids - mainly Catts, encylias and Zygos??
Thanks for any info or direction!

Registration of Hybrids....who is right in this conversation and what would you do?

peeweelovesbooks — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 19:13:43 GMT

So,

My brilliant fellow orchid growers. I recently had this exchange with a vendor. Please tell me who is right, and who is wrong, and what would you do in this situation. Would you buy the plant?

Here is the conversation I had, via e-mail, verbatim:

QUESTION:

Dear ______,

Hi, do you have a picture of the actual division you are selling? Also, is this cross registered? What is the full parentage of the plant? thanks.

VENDOR'S ANSWER:

It's not a registered cross as registration is reserved for cultivars. The parents are _________ and __________. I only have a division photo if I've already got one. In this case, the division will be taken at the end of the auction if there is a winning bid. Thanks for asking.

QUESTION #2:

Hi,

I admit I'm a little bit confused by your response. What do you mean when you say that registrations are reserved for cultivars only? My understanding was that if you created a cross, one could register it with the RHS. Also, it was my impression that plants could not be shown unless they were registered.

It's a gorgeous plant, and it looks super healthy, and I'm highly tempted to press the button, so to speak, but I hesitate to purchase because I as a rule only purchase named plants that can be shown at some point.

I appreciate your prompt response.

Thank you and look forward to hearing from you.

So that was the exchange. It's a beautiful plant. Am I totally off base here? If so, I would really appreciate anyone telling me why I am wrong. What would you do?

Are Phals really Monopodial

RosieC — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 16:48:09 GMT

Ok, bear with me, my thoughts have wandered on this subject over several months. I have very little biology knowledge so I'm very likely missing a key thing here :blushing:

Everything I have read says that Phals are Monopodial while orchids like Phaps are Sympodial.

Now as far as I can tell from the internet...

1. Monopodial means they grow from a single growth point.

2. Sympodial means they have multiple growth points and in botanical terms it also means that the "apical meristem is terminated" which as far as I can tell means the growth of each of the growth points will come to an end, often in a flower spike or will just abort.

OK so on the surface this matches BUT...

1. Phals grow basil Keikis. Are these REALLY keikis or are they just a new sympodial growth. Because we are conditioned to believe that Phals are Monopodial we seperate them and assume they are keikis. Maybe orchids like Phals are just less prone to new sympodial growths than ones like Paphs. :scratchhead:

2. Phals can grow 'terminal spikes' which bring the growth point to an end. I have read that some people believe that a basil Keiki is more likely when this happens. So again, is it just that Phals grow a lot lot longer before terminating, or are more likely to grow for a long time before terminating, than something like a Paph. Sympodial orchids like Dendrobium can flower out the side as well as out the top, just like Phals do :hmm

This is the sort of thing I wonder about when I can't sleep.:rofl:

Polinating, own or others?

shadec — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 03:24:31 GMT

I was just pollinating this amazing yellow and red hybrid cym i have, and i just remembered some people swear by using the flower's own pollinia to make seeds, but others are adamant that you should swap pollen between flowers (on the same plant).
[i think that made sense...]

what do you guys do?
i did a mixture with this cym, to see the differences.
i had always swapped, but i never really gave it a thought before now!

pseudobulb that rotted

sunny — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 17:33:09 GMT

i had a chia lin that rotted where the bulb meets the roots. it turned black and leaf and all fell off. when i checked the roots, they were rotten. this happened very quickly.

i treated it with physan 20 twice when i first saw it and it didn't even slow it down. i had isolated it, too. how much trouble is my greenhouse in. i have had trouble with all the chia lins i have tried to grow.

carol:shock:

Weekend nursery Orchid Haul + Newly repotted Stanhopea wardii

isdaojon — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 17:25:44 GMT

This saturday I went to Clouds Orchids..................I didnt tthink i would buy anything but............They had Catasetums! I think i got carried away but after all i got these three:

The first two are My first Catasitinae!Cycnoches barthiorum and Catasetum fimbriatum x Joe O'regan. After that is the Neofinetia falcata. Smells heavenly!:biggrin: Then is my newly repotted Stanhopea wardii. That basket had no hole in it so i had to make them my self:( I cut my self and destroyed a knife but its all for the orchids!

Attachment 33990

Attachment 33991

Attachment 33992

Attachment 33993

Attached Thumbnails

Humidity and Light Meters

peeweelovesbooks — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 23:26:34 GMT

Hello.

I need/want to purchase the above items. However, I'm clueless as to what brand and model I should get? If you own either/or both, can you recommend a brand and model? Where'd you buy it?

Thanks.

Bat Guano.....a/k/a The Search for Organic Fertilizers

peeweelovesbooks — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 15:53:18 GMT

Hello all.

I've wanted to experiment with organic fertilizers for a while now.

I purchased some worm tea fertilizer with natural rooting hormone and anti--fungal additives. While I have researched the worm tea and I think it would be something beneficial, I can't stomach the smell of the additives. To me, the smell is just foul.

So, I was doing more research online and there's this thing called bat guano. Yes, bat poop. I was fascinated to learn, as I shared with my fellow chat members, that bat guano from different parts of the world have different NPK ratios.

So, I looked around the site, and I purchased a small bag of Mexican Bat Guano. Besides now having to speak spanish to my orchids while fertilizing them, is there anything else I should know about this product?

What organic fertilizers have you used in the past? Do you still use them, if so why? if not, why not?

Do you think organic fertilizers are better or equal to other types?

I will post the results of my little experiment as soon as it is possible. Wish me luck!!

Troy Meyers' site won't lemme log in!

ryfrazier — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 07:03:08 GMT

At first I was confused, but then I realizes it's because Troy's simultaneously processing all of Matty (PsyGuy)'s orders at once. Enjoy the forty-five green smilies all at once, my friend!!!!

TROY SHIPS ALL 45 TOMORROW. TROY TAKES NO PRISONERS.

-Ry.

Pro-tekt & Dyna-gro

Psyguy10 — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 03:05:20 GMT

'ello everybody :waving
I just wanted to ask if anyone has ever tried a product called Pro-tekt, and if so would you say it's worth the benjamins or that you wouldn't take it even if they were handing it out for free? :hmm And i was also wonderin' if anyone has tried the fertilizer Dyna-gro (i'm killing two birds with one stone!... or rather one post :rofl: )and if that stuff is any good :whistling thanks a ton :biggrin:

Compairing shadecloth colours?

breeindy — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 21:02:23 GMT

Iv'e heard alot of peoples opinions on the best colour shadecloth to use over orchids. Greens the most seen so i'd have thought it would be the best? Alot of growers swear by black saying its there plants grow better than under green? Anyone have a opinion? What colour do you use?

New babies in the house

metalop1g — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 05:42:55 GMT

Yesterday, I went to Ya Li' orchids greenhouse. I spent nearly 2 hours with my girlfriend, talking with Roch about orchids. After quite a bit of deliberation between me and my girlfriend, we finally made our choices.

We chose 7 orchids, and he gave us 3 mini's. I think we made good beginner choices, but correct me if I'm wrong.

(Please note that additional informations about my specimens will be posted in their respective genera thread.)

Bulbophyllum Mandibulare
Cattleya Aurantiaca
Cattleya Am�thystoglossa
Dendrobium Nobile (GIFT)
Epidendrum Radicans (GIFT)
Mini plug sized NOID (GIFT)
Oncidium Sharry Baby (in spike)
Paphiopedilum Key Lime C XL x Luna Moth C Exquisite AM
Phalaenopsis Hyeroglyphica
Phragmipedium Payten Lang.

Aliens in the GH

BikerDoc5968 — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:06:14 GMT

Much to my surprise this morning, I found this alien among the chids. :yikes: Fortunately, it did no harm to any of them and, in fact, was just dancing around with all the breeze in the GH.

:oops_sign OOPS!!!!!! I lied.... and my nose is getting bigger... it isn't an alien at all... it's, it's, it's.... well you all know its name, right :rofl::rofl::rofl:

Shriveled Cattleya Bulbs

TopOrchid — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 18:50:16 GMT

We have had record-breaking hot and dry weather this year in Houston. I have noticed that my cattleya bulbs have been shrinking at an unusual rate, ever the most recent growth. I have grown for over twenty years and have never experienced this. I have checked my root systems and they are healthy, I water as needed, some plants dry out every day. I use clear pots so I can tell when they are dry, but they still continue to shrivel.
My question is will the bulbs regain their moisture when the weather improves? As I mentioned before I still have good root systems.

Eria aporodes

susiep — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 17:02:17 GMT

:hello I bought an Eria aporodes from Mac at Mac's Orchids at the Redlands show. It is a cute little thing and I need to know more about it. Does anyone happen to have a culture sheet? I can't find anything on the internet to help me out.

Any suggestions as to how it should be potted or mounted? I got it bare root and have neglected this baby too long. :blushing: Luckily it doesn't seem to be showing any signs of distress yet.

Is Eria aporodes the same thing as Aporodes fragrans or Dendrobium aporoides? I am confused. :(

Repotting upward growing plants

cloudswinger — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 13:17:11 GMT

How do I repot some of the orchids where the next bulb is a little higher? Are these better mounted?

Where to buy Ghost Orchids?

Kai — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 14:13:32 GMT

So I'm the kind of person who jumps in the lake to find out if I can swim. For my Birthday, I've convinced my husband that I NEED ghost orchids. I am going to put together a 10-15 gal. terrarium/aquarium, and have it all ready before I even order the plants. My question is, where is a good place to buy them? The only place I've found is Oak Hill Gardens, but I was wondering if there was any place else, so I could compare plant size. I understand that older plants are better to start with.

OrchidWiz

Ray — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 11:49:40 GMT

I just received my copy of OW 6.0, and Alex has really outdone himself this time, adding a journal, so not only can you look them up, you can keep track of your own plants, too.

Repotting a laelia...looking for advice

Louise — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 18:45:21 GMT

I have recently received a Laelia Tenebrosa Valpota's night in bloom. Now the bloom is over and this plant needs badly a repoting because the medium (bark)is old, compact and all covered with seaweed. the plant also need repotting as the last grow is too close to the border to let new roots growing inside the pot.
Usually I only repot cattleyas and laelias when new roots are growing but this time I wonder what will be best for this laelia : repotting now because of the very very poor medium or waiting for new roots.
What do you suggest?

Newly updated orchid growing list!! share yours!!

peeweelovesbooks — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:28:05 GMT

Sigh, Maria tells me that she spent hours and hours compiling this list, and assured me, after much going back and forth over this point, she *WOULD NOT* be braggart for posting this on the OB. Since she is very curious by nature, she asks that you kindly share yours...........

She also wanted you to know that she needs to find more rupicolous laelias and renantheras, and of course, vandas and catts and well, lots of other goodies. :)

Happy growing peeps!!!

CATTLEYAS & HYBRIDS

� Blc. Arabesque �Golden Zebra� AM/AOS
� Blc. (boong klong x ewart mcgregor) x stephen oliver �Fouraker�
� Blc. Myrtle Irene Lowe �Thulian Pink Twins� (L. anceps x Bc. Daffodil) (Original Stud division)(1986)
� Blc./Rsc. Pink Diamond �Darya-ye Noor� (Blc./Rsc. Ewart McDonald x C. Queen Sirikhit) (Original Stud Division)
� Broughtonia Sanguinea (Star Splash x Sib)
� Cattleya alcandiae nigrescens
� Cattleya Caribbean �Orange Bowl� (C. Margaret Stewart x C. aurantiaca) (1968) (Original Stud Division)
� Cattleya Chocolate Drop �Kodama� AM/AOS (C. guttata x C. aurantiaca)
� Cattleya Crystal Clear �Xes Olympiques Grenoble� (C. Myron A. Hofer x C. Bob Betts) (Original Stud Division (1968)
� Cattleya Fulvescens �Peaches Immortality� (C. dowiana x C. forbesii) (1901) (Original Stud Division)
� Cattleya luedemanniana var. alba �Crownfox Snow� HCC x Cattleya Snow Blind �Mike�s Snow�
� Cattleya speciosissima alba �Snow Queen� FCC/AOS
� Cattleya schilleriana var. sanderiana
� Iwanagara Apple Blossom �Hihimanu� AM/AOS CCM/AOS
� Iwanagara Apple Blossom
� LC. Diana Rehfield (C. Summer Snow x Facelis)
� Potinara Flameout �Torchy� (Blc. Gift x Slc. Jewel Box) (Original Stud Division)
� Potinara Miya�s Radiance �Red Beauty�
� Potinara Susan Fender �Cinnamon Stick� AM/AOS

LAELIAS

BRAZILIAN

� Laelia purpurata var. carnea �Homestead� x Laelia purpurata var. carnea �Bion� HCC/AOS
� Laelia alaorii x sib select

MEXICAN

� Laelia anceps Wallbrunn x Figment sib (seedling)
� Laelia anceps var. vestalis �Figment� AM/AOS (Original Stud Division)

RUPICOLOUS

� Laelia angereri
� Laelia bahiensis
� Laelia bahiensis
� Laelia briegeri (select x select)
� Laelia caulescens var. alba (also known as Laelia crispilabia)
� Laelia caulescens (also known as Laelia crispilabia
� Laelia cinnabarina var. cowanii
� Laelia colnagoi
� Laelia endsfeldzii
� Laelia flava
� Laelia fournieri
� Laelia ghillanyi
� Laelia ghillanyi
� Laelia gloedeniana
� Laelia harpophylla
� Laelia kautsyana (formerly known as laelia cowanii)
� Laelia kettieana
� Laelia kleberi
� Laelia lilliputana
� Laelia lundii (selecta x selecta)
� Laelia milleri
� Laelia mixta
� Laelia pfisteri
� Laelia reginae
� Laelia rupestris
� Laelia sanguiloba
� Laelia hispidula (rupestris x angereri)
� Laelia (kautskyana x rupestris)
� Laelia (mirandae x rupestris)
� Laelia Seagulls Tangerine �SVO� (Laelia harpophylla x Laelia kautskyi) HCC/AOS x Laelia briegeri �Star of Brazil� HCC/AOS

MINIATURES

� Ascocentrum (Dyakia) hendersonianium
� Cadetia taylori
� Leptotes bicolor x sibling
� Podagnys dactyloceras
� Schoenorchis fragrans
� Sedirea japonica

OTHER SPECIES

� Angraecum sesquipedale
� Coelogyne cristata
� Grammatophyllum speciosum
� Peristeria elata

PHALAENOPSIS & HYBRIDS

� Phal. Mini Mark �Holm� (Micro Nova x Philippinensis)
� Phal. Nobby�s Amy (Wildda�a Pink Butterflies) AM/AOS
� Phal. Baldan�s Kaleidoscope x P. Golden Buddha �Happy Stripes�
� Phal. Gran Canaria
� Phal. Royal Kathleen x P. World Class x P. Golden Bells
� Phal. Gigantea (�Titan� x �Hercules�)
� Phal. Barbara Baldan�s Mandarin Fancy

PARAPHALAENOPSIS & HYBRIDS

� Paraphalaenopsis kolopaking (Paraphalaenopsis laycockii x Paraphalaenopsis serpentilingua)
� Paraphalaenopsis kolopanking x Ascocenda Madame Kenny
� Paraphalaenopsis serpentilingua
� Prf. Crownfox Twinkle (Paraphalaenopsis serpentilingua x Neofinetia falcata)

RENANTHERAS & HYBRIDS

� Aranthera �Anne Black�
� Renanthera �Bartholomew Motes�
� Renanthera imshootiana
� Renanthera matutina
� Renanthera �Miami Beach� AM/AOS x Mauricette Brin
� Renanthera monachica
� Renanthera monachica
� Renanthera Nancy Chandler
� Renanthera Summit Red Devil �Woodlands� x Brookie Chandler �Maggie� AM/AOS

VANDAS & HYBRIDS

� Ascda. Banjong Fantasy
� Ascocentrum garayi (�Robert� AM/AOS x self)
� Neostylis Lou Sneary �Blue Bird�
� Rhynchostylis gigantea Peach
� Vanda Amy Glynn Creekmur x Vanda Arjuna �Illumined� x Vanda Tricolor
� Vanda denisoniana x self
� Vanda Vivian x Vanda Red Ball

A "little" suggestion...

JonnyBravo — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:46:19 GMT

Haha, "little" suggestion, because I'm asking for advice on miniatures... Get it? Not funny? That's ok. I amuse myself at least.

I want an orchid for INSIDE my house to sit on a north-facing yet still-sunny kitchen windowsill. I currently have a baby fig tree and philodendron doing very well there. It will have to be very small, as the ledge is maybe 4" wide. I am comissioning my very talented sister, who is a clay artisan, to make me a tiny 2-2 1/2" pot. (can go a little larger if needed.) I am more concerned about the plant fitting the pot and living on the sill than adjusting the environment/ potting style to suit the plant.

Any suggestions for species? No hybrids, please. I was thinking Schoenorchis fragrans, but know almost nothing about its needs. Also, most of the ones I've seen are mounted, not potted. Thanks in advance for your help!

(btw- I have double posted this message for the purpose of maximum exposure in the Advanced forum as well as Miniatures Show-and-Tell. If this is a no-no, I won't be offended if one of the posts is deleted.)

I've gone and done it.

ryfrazier — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 05:04:52 GMT

Decided to stay up late & look around on the internet. As invariably happens, I wound up @ Troy Meyers' site. In the past I've had the personal willpower not to reserve anything. All that fell through tonight.

(Hopefully) I'll be the proud father of about 50 seedlings.

Paphiopedilum callosum
'MC4185' � sib 'MC4116'

Zygopetalum intermedium
'MC4436' � 'MC4437'

Why not, right????? It's not like I have rent or bills or groceries to buy. :lol:

-Ry.

Miniature Orchids for Sale

Leisurely — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 18:49:35 GMT

I stumbled upon this e-bay site that belongs to someone who is selling their miniature collection of species. I looks like a great opportunity for miniature collectors to obtain some interesting miniatures.

eBay Seller: vplcud: Home Garden items on eBay.com

YOU picked 'em, I bought 'em!

JonnyBravo — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 18:03:16 GMT

MANY many many thanks to those who lent their expertise and suggestions to my "Pick my next orchid!" post! There were so many incredible choices, I could never have gotten them all (but will definitely try over time!). I am enchanted by the Grammatophyllum and Paraphalaenopsis that were mentioned, but have found almost none available for purchase. These will have to be something I keep my eye out for at future shows... or anywhere they happen to show up. The nursery I went to had some seedling Grammatophyllum, but I was unfamiliar with the species and so turned my sights elsewhere.

Here's what I got: Stanhopea wardii, smallish but blooming size with a spike. Will let it bloom out and repot, since it is almost overgrowing its basket. I think I have found a new love with this freaky genus. Psychopsis Mendenhall 'Lace' X Mem. Bill Carter 'Mendenhall', 2 spike plant, looks pretty hardy. I'd have preferred a "pure" species plant, but this thing is just plain sexy. Psychopsis has become another possible avenue for addiction. Epidendrum diffusum, ok nobody suggested this one, but I'm an Epi fan. The foliage and individual flowers may be modest, but that spray of flowers is just ridiculous. Can't wait for the 3 spikes to bloom! Aerides houlettiana, my Aerides odorata is doing very well, which is how I justified going over-budget as this one caught my eye on my way out the door. The flowers are gorgeous on 2 different spikes, and smell like a spicy citrus-peach blend. It's almost bloomed out and therefore not as pretty as she could be, but I'll post pics next time she pops. Promise.

And lastly, here's a plug for the place where I got my new 'chids- I had never been to Tropiflora in Sarasota, FL, but have seen their website and been referred there by one or two people. Their on-site orchid houses are actually owned by a separate company, and Tropiflora tends to specialize more in other epiphytes and different tropical plants. Still, I was impressed by the size of the place, health of all the plants, and friendliness and knowledge of the staff. I got to tour the orchid greenhouses with Ty, who was extremely enthusiastic, honest, and really knew his stuff. The only drawback to the experience was the pricing-- some of the plants could have been a good bit cheaper (while others were perfectly reasonable), but I don't mind that so much when I'm not paying shipping and get to hand-pick my plants. Also, veeeery few of the orchids are available for online purchasing at the Tropiflora website for those who don't live within driving distance. All in all though, I had a great time and am extremely satisfied with my purchases.

Thanks again to those who helped get me into Stanhopeas, Psychopsis, and the other freaky genera I'll be hunting down! You guys rock! :bowing

How many orchids in a collection is normal?

SheilaJ — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 03:09:21 GMT

So today was my long overdue annual Spring Repotting of the Orchids. I usually try to do this on a day when I am home alone, as I make a huge mess of the kitchen and other family members tend to want to do silly things like eat and drink in there.

Anyway, I mentioned to my husband that it's a big job, as I now have 40 orchids. He asked me, "Is that normal? To have 40 orchids?"

Now, how in the heck do you answer that question??!! I think I said something like, "Well, some people have only one or two, some have a dozen, or forty, or a hundred or two hundred, then some of them eventually end up building a greenhouse" (I figured it wouldn't hurt to warn him what may lie ahead...)

In hindsight, I should have asked if it was normal for a grown man to collect model trains and sports figures, but my brain didn't work that fast...

So how do you define NORMAL for an orchid hobbyist? And how would YOU have answered his question? How many orchids are in YOUR collection? (In case anyone wants to know, I have 22 phals, 10 minicatts, 6 phaius, 1 spathoglottis, and 1 mini dendrobium. The phals and the phaius tankervillae are doing the best.)

AOS Judging

RoyalOrchids — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 21:26:43 GMT

I have a specific question, but I'd also like to open this thread up to any comments from those with judging experience (judge or grower). Here's my specific question: What is the goal of showing a previously awarded plant? Would one hope to get a higher score or would the grower just be looking for a cultural award?

And in general, any tips or tricks for readying a plant to be judged? Thanks in advance.

Pick my next orchid!

JonnyBravo — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 20:31:06 GMT

Yippee! The wife has decided that it is within our budget for me to get another new baby or three (depending on price, obviously) and I have "scooched" a few plants closer together in the shade hut to make some room. I've been poking around online and looking at a few little hotties, but I would love some input from fellow orchid enthusiasts on what my next plant should be. Please do not be offended if I don't go run right out and buy the plant you suggest, or even any of the plants that are suggested in this post, but I will definitely be doing some research and keeping in mind any and all suggestions for the future. Below are my criteria, and an abbreviated list of plants that have/ have not done well for me.

I would rate my skill level of care at "intermediate to advanced": I have the know-how and time on my hands to keep some slightly tricky 'chids, but I will not be measuring out nitrogen and trace minerals into reverse-osmosis water at the correct level of ppm under an exact range of foot-candles. i live in FL and grow outdoors under shadecloth or hanging in trees. therefore, cool growers and humidity-dependent plants will suffer when it gets baking hot and all drought-y.

i tend to like some of the "weirder" plants rather than showy/poofy/extravagant. no flashy phal, fluffy cattleya, or home depot dendrobium has ever so much as turned my head. scruffy is good, opulent not so much. also, i MUCH prefer species as Nature created them over hybrids that man has muddled together. but i will admit, our meddling and muddling has created some incredible plants, and i will not rule them out entirely.

my current favs/ best performers have been "true" encyclias, prosthechea, tolumnia, brassavola, and a few modest catts and variations on phal violacea. my vandaceous babies definitely perform on schedule, but i can tell that they need more water than i have time to give. the exception to this would be my neofinetia, which is doing awesome. i have heard of a blue form- if anyone knows where to get this, i would love to get one as long as it is kept the same as my white one.

things i have loved to look at and failed to grow well include mini phals, an aerangis, and a few bulbophyllums. they are all still alive, but flower sporadically if at all, and all obviously suffer from a lack of ambient humidity. i can water daily, but all my plants are bone-dry within hours.

a few types i have been eyeballing whilst wiping away a spot of drool include various coelogyne, psychopsis/"butterfly oncidiums", epidendrum type dendros (that's what i call them, at least- i'm thinking of my pierardii and its long, pendant cousins), etc.

SO!!! If I haven't scared you away with my exacting criteria for selection, I would love to hear your suggestions! I truly wish that I could just walk into a greenhouse, sweep my arm toward every plant, and boldly shout, "I'll take them all!" But this is not realistic under my financial and space restrictions, so I have to be one choosy son of a gun. Please help. Or don't, and I'll just keep doing my research and hope that I find something I can keep well and enjoy. Either way, I GET NEW ORCHIDS SOON!!!:biggrin:

Spathoglottis affinis how to pot

Sarsonuk — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 20:07:40 GMT

I have just purchased a Spathoglottis affinis from Thaliand and now need to know what the hell to do with it. I believe from what I have read that it is fine to pot this up in bark, is this true?
Any help appreciated,
Thanks
sarsonuk

how or what is the best way to mount a dendrobium

beelady — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 11:56:08 GMT

well we had a heck of a storm last night.. i had to rush and bring in all the orchids from out side in the dark rain and thunder and lightning.. no fun.. 2 of my dendrobiums got knocked over lost all of the material they were in
and decided.. i had great luck mounting a phal. and its a beaut.. i want to mount dendrobiums.. but i would like to find out how either in nature they grow/or mounted the natural way.. and then do that.. i think it would be interesting to say the least and another learning curve for me.
the phal i mounted was sooo happy.. it now has a flower spike and lots of new roots and growth.. which makes me verry happy too.. heh..

Help, Neofinetia Falcata is sick.....

Danie — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 12:20:59 GMT

:(
This past Friday I received my long awaited Neofinetia Falcata and I was soooooo excited.
When I looked at it closer I noticed white spots all over the aerial roots which made me suspicious.
I took it out of the pot this morning and this is what I found. I am so sad...... Can I save it?
I am very afraid that I may kill it since I am a bit new at this.
Any advice would be appreciate.
Thank you.

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purple and green speckled leaves

eco.kat — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 04:43:22 GMT

I inherited this plant. Its in soil but was identified as an orchid. I am the newest of the newbies but when in doubt, go to those who will know. Please someone tell me what this is and how to care for it.

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cymbidium orchid

bootznbuklz — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 00:26:01 GMT

I am new to orchid growing....my husband bought me a beautiful cymbidium and now my flowers are turning brown/black ..... i ahve watered moderately like it said. what am i doing wrong? do i cut the blooms? Please help!!!:):)

Shriveled p-bulbs.

mollycart1 — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 16:54:10 GMT

Since the pot was so crowded for my D. speciosum hybrid, I repotted to a bit larger pot. Two of the largest p-bulbs are showing nice roots, but the p-bulbs are now shriveled.

Are they going to get plumped once they used to the new "house"? It has been two weeks since I repotted and I started watering them.

Believe or not, this is one of the very few orchids with p-bulbs I have. Paphs, Phrags, Angcm, Vandas, and Neos don't have them.:biggrin:

Thank you for your help.:bowing

Prosthechea cochleata - Light Levels?

kinknstein — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 21:41:35 GMT

Hi Everyone
Hope all your chids are good!
Just hoping an Orchidwiz user could let me know the light requirements for a Prosthechea (Anacheilium now) cochleata in footcandles if possible. Thanks in advance everyone!

Snow Mold

Leisurely — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 01:30:19 GMT

I grow in a greenhouse but with the three weeks of heavy rain we have had, the air has been totally saturated with humidity. As a result, I am getting some snow mold in some of my pots. Short of re-potting, does anyone have a better cure. I have used RD-20 with poor results. Any advice would be appreciated.

Oncidium help-- Sherry baby sick?

HItransplant — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 05:25:16 GMT

Can anyone help me determine what is going on with my Sherry baby. I have 2 new bulbs popping out but they dont look very healthy to me. The leaves are dry or burnt @ the tips and look "mottled" everywhere else. I fertilze with 1/4 strength 20-20-20 every time I water and that happens about every 10 days. I live in oregon. Any suggestions would be great... dunno, maybe this is normal. thanks.

The second picture is a close up between the old bulbs... it looks like rot but I cant be watering this guy enough for it to be rotting... at least I dont think so. Any thoughts on this would be helpful also... Im wondering if the two photos are symptoms of the same problem.

Any help would be great

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Anyone ever seen siamese p-bulbs?

gixrj18 — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 19:18:13 GMT

I've had this Blc. Walanie Leopard 'Ching Hua' for about two years. Last year, it's light conditions were too low to bloom, so it didn't bloom at all last year. Now that it has started active growth season, it seems to be pushing out siamese p-bulbs. They start out looking like regular keikis....then, like butterflies emerging from a cocoon, they morph out of the previous keiki skin as two p-bulbs. Has anyone ever seen this, or know what may cause it?
Attachment 32199 Attachment 32200

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The pros and cons of metal plant tags

peeweelovesbooks — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 17:20:31 GMT

Hello all.

Here's Maria's dilemma. I hate plastic tags. Hate them with a passion. Don't like the look of them.

I just bought a labelmaker and replaced all my plastic tags with new ones in February of this year. They are already brittle and misshapened.

So, I've been looking online and found this link:

Alitags | Horticultural Aluminium Labels - Metal Plant Labels, Aluminium Tags & Garden Markers

for their aluminum tags. Or, this one for their copper tags:

Alitags | Horticultural Copper Labels - Metal Plant Labels, Copper Tags & Garden Copper Markers

Now, the cost is not abhorrent to me, so I'm looking for comments besides, "OH my God, I can buy ____ amount of orchids for that kind of money."

I want the professional series, because the whole point for me is for the tags to look professional and well, polished.

In any event, what are the pros and cons (besides the cost) that you would see in purchasing these? I don't know enough about metals in relation to orchid culture/growing to make an informed decision, which is why I've come to you brilliant people for your comments.

thanks!!

Thank you gixrj18 for the orchids!

beelady — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 01:54:46 GMT

I just recieved my first mail order orchid plants:biggrin:.. a small compot of gixrj18,s own cross.they are healthy and were well packed.. altho lol i have nothing good to say about the mail systems treatment of the package.. sigh... ..ok back to the plants. lol for the life of me i cant remember the parents names and he doesnot have the ad up anymore.. but.... maybe he can put some photos up?pretty please? lol as soon as i got them.. i planted them in a orchid mix.. and in a big pot. when they get bigger ill move them to seperate pots.. it will be interesting since these are seedlings. who knows what shape/color combo from the parents ill get. lol. its like waiting for christmas.. .:D

Dendrobium unicum and Dendrobium dickasonii, problem

A G — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 10:29:07 GMT

Hello! I would really like to know the differences between these two species?
Recently I have seen alot of pictures on swedish orchid forums which are labeled as D.dickasonii but looks alot like D.unicum. Same thing happens when you do a google search of D.dickasonii.

Can anyone please help me?

SAVE THE ORCHIDS!!

siannevo — Fri, 29 May 2009 05:31:16 GMT

Hello advanced Orchid growers....I am a newbie, but I wanted to post this in both areas.

If you are in the United States, I am asking all orchid growers to contact their local Trader Joes (if you have this in your state) to try and stop the destruction of orchids.

This may sound silly but two thing are happening that can be stopped.

For one, all the orchids arrive in plastic sleeves and are left like that for weeks which causes cellular damage to the leaves and the stalks as water is often trapped ...this is what happened to one of my orchids that was bought from there as a gift...the poor thing had to be completely cut back...

Secondly...when the HUNDREDS of orchids are not bought after a couple of weeks they are thrown out...just thrown out...the manager of my local Trader Joes said that he had petitioned to have the stores sell the orchids at a discounted price or to allow them to be given away, but so far this petition has been ignored. He said I couldn't even imagine how many flowers and orchids he throws out on a weekly basis. I am asking that everyone please complain to their local trader joes...

It bums me out. I hope everyone can help! And if you are a grower selling your orchids to this chain...you should have more respect for your orchids and know that they are just being brought to their untimely death at these places!!!

Thank you for reading!!

Am I in trouble?

Cookiemonster — Tue, 26 May 2009 01:36:59 GMT

Hi All :)

Update, I got some plants from the Redland show, all are doing great with exception of one - that is acting up.... I wanted to get some consensus on whats going on.
I have placed it in a shaded west window with all my other plants, everyone is doing great except this C. Schroederae with weird black lines- its not on all the leaves the two oldest and newest. I will post pics, please let me know if you think this is burn or something more serious as I am already feeling might be the case.

Thanks
Suzie.

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ORCHID FEEDING CONTROVERSY! Oh my!!

JonnyBravo — Tue, 26 May 2009 01:22:35 GMT

How did you like that title, huh? Catchy? You're reading this now, at least... So maybe I'm not the first orchid fancier to stumble across this bit of conundrum, but I'd LOVE to spark an internal debate within this UTTERLY FANTASTIC online forum.

So here's my deal: I started with orchids a few years ago, give or take a few months either way. At the time, I wasn't keeping much track of time-- my watch had a year hand on it, and that was good enough for me. Now I don't wear a watch at all, and don't hardly keep track of anything other than when it last rained and when my plants last bloomed. I know that I married my wife two Encyclia blooms ago, and she is thrilled that I remember that much. I am richly blessed in this way.

Anyway, I started out with 3 plants, of which 2 have survived and thrived. My initial feeding schedule involved... nothing at all. I watered my Vanda viboon X coerulea, now-dead Bealleara, and Brassavola Little Stars when I remembered to and felt like it. Then I got a book, and learned the standard practice of "WEEKLY, WEAKLY!". I applied this idea to the MiracleGro I was using at the time, because it had done wonders for some chili pepper plants I had kept in the past. However, I got lots and lots of vegetative growth from my orchids, and almost no blooms. The 'chids that did bloom in my ever-growing collection seemed short on flowers. So I switched to Schultz Orchid fertilizer at the suggestion of a friend, and got the blooms I was looking for, but the vegetative growth fell off by an estimated half. At the same time, my roommate began growing a lot of new non-orchid plants, and seemed to be having good luck using Super-Thrive as an additive to feeding.

With the lack of veg. growth from Schultz and the lack of bloom power from MiracleGro, I decided to combine the two, and added a bit of Super-Thrive for good measure. I did the math, and stuck to my prescription of "WEEKLY, WEAKLY!" But I am a bit of a boundary-pusher, and increased my fertilizer strength a bit at a time. And here's the controversy:

I feed the EVER-LIVING DAYLIGHTS out of my orchids. Every week that it is warm, they get the following: 3/4 strength MiracleGro, 3/4 strength Schultz Orchid Fertilizer, and full-strength Super-Thrive... all in the same gallon of rainwater. That's right, baby. 1 gallon of water, almost 3 times the recommended dose of food. OOHHH, I'm dirty. And they loooooove it. My vegetative growth is better than I should hope for, and every plant blooms when it is supposed to and sometimes more. Nothing has burned yet, everyone is soooo happy. The worst-off plants are doing well, but I have an Ascocenda and a Blc. X Bc. that each bloom 3-5 times a year. Massive blooms. Colorful. Hot dang.

These are the only things I can think of that make my gluttonous feeding schedule OK: most of my plants are mounted, and those that are not have fast-draining, non-retentive media. Very soon after (within 24 hours of) a feeding, I water the heck out of my plants with rainwater and wash away residual salts. I also give a very strenuous winter "rest" period to all my plants, which could be considered almost more of a "stress" period. As soon as it gets to long sleeves weather here in Florida, I water 2X a week max, and none if it rains that week. I feed once a month... maybe... if my poor internal clock remembers. But once temps reach a solid 70F for at least a week straight... IT'S ON, BABY! Bring on those mineral salts!

So please, tell me I'm bad. Tell me I'm dirty, and amateurish, and that my plants will die very soon. They would beg to differ, but they're way too busy spitting out splendoriforous flowers right now.

(Honestly though, what the heck is going on? I thought too much fertilizer was bad?! Why is it working so well? Also- if it seems like I'm bragging, it's only because I have a warped sense of humor, and find it funny that I'm breaking the rules of hundreds of years of scientific data-gathering to the tune of excellent results. Help! This can't be good! Seriously! And you in the back- stop frowning and grumbling. Orchids can be funny, dangit!):evil:

The weekends haul

axle — Tue, 26 May 2009 00:10:36 GMT

Hi everyone.
I've got 13 new ones. Yes thirteen!
I made some time yesterday to drive to Cloud's Orchids, I obviously spent too much money but I'm young, single, and employed, so I'll take advantage while I can.
Anyway, here's the list and a few pics.

Paph. chamberlainiaum
Paph. gratixianum
Bulb. ambrosia
Bulb. retusiusculum
Bulb. falcatum
C. walkeriana
Kefersteinia tolimensis
Paraphalaenopsis serpentilingua
Angcm. calceolus
Aerangis cryptodon
Den. wassellii
Den. anceps
Onc. variegatum

C. walkeriana
This one's potted in a small clay pot with a few large stones as the medium, it's getting good humidity (70% - 80%), but these stones are a little new to me so I'll have to toy with different watering schedules for it, see what fits. How do others pot their walkeriana's?

Paph. chamberlainiaum & Paph gratixianum

Paraphalaenopsis serpentilingua

Den. anceps

Onc. variegatum

Bulb. falcatum - this one is in bloom and has two spikes.

Den. wassellii

well that's it for now, thanks for looking.

Alex

My new Orchids

isdaojon — Sun, 24 May 2009 21:22:06 GMT

I went to Clouds Orchids-great nurserie- yesturday and bought so much orchids! Here are pictures of the 'important ones':

Finally i got my Stanhopea! Its a stanhopea wardii(i wanted a tigrina) but ill get the other one later.

Cattleya intermedia var. alba

Bulbophyllum essolanatum

My first bulb. Does anyone know if those shoots seen in the picture are flower spikes or new growths?

Need Help From Orchid Wives

Bob2741 — Thu, 21 May 2009 22:23:38 GMT

Well Baseball & Softball are Over We attended 62 Baseball Double headers and 49 Softball Games, My orchid house is a mess Blooms all over the place Ill Post Pic Later but I have an important Question. I think its might be a signal form my wife.

The Statement made after we were done with ncaa playoff games, when a parent asked well what will Bob do now with his spare time? The wifes answer "Probably buy more orchids"

My question do you think thats a green light statement or a trick question

Keiki Paste as Promised!

BikerDoc5968 — Thu, 21 May 2009 16:43:26 GMT

Some time ago, I posted pics http://www.orchidboard.com/community...-peoker-2.html of my Phal Salu Peoker keiki in flower and was asked some questions about "How I did it!" So here it is....

Try to select a phalaenopsis that is past flowering at least a week or two... and even this doesn't guarantee what result you will get!

You will need a scalpel, x-acto knife with a #11 blade or similar sharp cutting tool, toothpick, tweezers and of course the keiki paste. The product I am using came from Canada and is a lanolin based material. Some growth hormone products are liquid-based.

Select your plant. The information that accompanies the product states not to apply to more than three nodes on any one plant.

Make a VERY superficial slit off center! This is VERY important.... DO NOT make your slit in the center!

Using the tip of your cutting tool or the tweezers, very carefully lift the edge of the node cover revealing the node and peel it back; remove it completely.

When I looked at the close-up of this, it appears I may have accidently removed some of the node....not promising!

Take some of the paste with the tooth pick and apply to the node, rubbing it very carefully on the node.

Now the wait begins. In about one to two weeks you should see noticable swelling of the node. At this stage you won't know if you will get another spike or a keiki...

In this case a spike... these are about two months or more old.

If things go the way you want, this will begin to grow and you will see leaves. Unfortunately, I knocked this little guy and the leave fell off but it is growing another and the roots are growing nicely...

This is from the same plant above and it looks like it will be a keiki

After about a year, if you were successful, this is what you should have!

Repotting- Soak plants together?

Cookiemonster — Wed, 20 May 2009 23:50:16 GMT

:waving:waving
quick q --- if i have a few bare root plants, and want to repot them, must I soak them individually or is it a problem if I want to do a communal soak- my main concern is virus. Can virus be transmitted with water soak- after the soak I will be cutting and playing with the roots....
Thanks
Suzie

edit:: after asking a few reliable sources, jerry, gin, harry, maria- i think its safest to do them one by one!
Thanks guys :)

Worm Tea fertilizer

peeweelovesbooks — Wed, 20 May 2009 17:14:17 GMT

So, fellow brilliant board members....

I just unflasked some eulophiella elizabethae seedlings, and I was instructed to feed them worm tea fertilizer, as opposed to other types of fert.

If you use this, where do you get it? Do you get it in powder form or liquid? I've identified two companies that sell it in both forms. ...so I wanted your opinions.

Does it smell as bad as it looks? :biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:

Thanks and peace out. LOLOLOLOL

Moving my Vandas outside. Good or Bad?

mollycart1 — Sat, 16 May 2009 20:23:11 GMT

:hello

We are finally getting very nice "warm" day in Portland, OR. The high temparature during the day will be between 80 - 85 with humidity between 40 - 50%. I am thinking about hanging my Vandas around the tree which gets morning sun. Would watering once in the morning be enough? Or, would this not be a good idea after all due to the low humidity?

Oh, one more thing... The low temp at night would be around 45 degree.

Currently all of my Vandas grow under the lights with high temp, 75 and the humidity of between 55 - 75%. See the picture.

Thank you.

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Help me bloom my Paphs.

Singingirl96 — Sat, 16 May 2009 03:02:15 GMT

Hello All.

I purchased two Paphs last year in March. Both were blooming when I brought them home, and the plants were very healthy.
14 months later, the plants are still very healthy. There are new growths in both but they refuse to bloom.

I have them indoors by a east facing window. It gets a lot of morning sun. The medium is a fine fir-bark mix specially made for paphs, the temperature is 60 - 70, and the humidity has been low in the winter, but now is about 50%. I water it about twice a week when the medium is almost dry.

The new growths in one of the plants is growing one more leaf.

Do any of you have any suggestion of what else I could do to make them bloom? I should mention that I have several catts that bloomed and all of my phals bloomed, and they are all by the same window.

Here are some pictures of the plants today, but I'm also including images from when they were in bloom for reference.

They are Paph (Tree of Amanda x cochise) 'Hsiao' x Paph Hama Chilwin 'In-Charm' BM / TPS

and

Paph Lippehill 'In-Charm' x Paph. Valwin 'X'mas Robe' AM/TPS

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Fertilizer Question

isurus79 — Wed, 13 May 2009 21:39:00 GMT

So how long does fert last if its dissolved in water? I think my spray system would be more effective if I filled it up, but that will last me a looooong time if I do.