Maria's Bored
 

Maria is bored.

I have orchid ennui.

My collection is VERY focused. On Laelias, a smattering of cattleyas, schomburgkias, encyclias and dendrobiums.

Some die (a very small number) but I get why they die and try again and grow the plant.

I have experimented with dividing, and now have multiples of some things. More multiples of some things than I necessarily want, but as an experiment, well, it worked out well.

So, what's the next big thing? *IS* there an next big thing? I've hit an orchid wall. I'm experimenting with strap-leafed vandas, but I know I just don't have the space right now to try and grow vandas and renantheras again.

How do you keep it fresh?

new stuff! lol try some different types

if Vandas are too big, try some smaller Vandas, or smaller Vanda relatives

there's a great deal of variety in the Den genus - all those different sections to try

terrestrials maybe ...

Well have you propagated yet? No pun intended. I hear it's challenging and fun from bloom to pod to flask and back to pot. Good luck, may we never truly hit the orchid wall.

What about Masdevallias or Draculas. Fun group if you're up for a challenge

Have you thought about angraecoids? This year, I've really got enthusiastic about Angraecum. I know what you mean though - I got very set in my ways before I joined OB last year and didn't have any source of inspiration. Since then, I've had a spurt of trying some new things, but now, I feel as if I've got all I want and I'm happy until I get what hasn't flowered to flower :)

is what you can do since you know you can grow these and do well, look to purchase some heavily awarded divisions of these types.Work on growing award winners in these categories. Someone told me and it stuck " It takes just as long to grow a great highly prized plant as it does one that no one is ever going to see".. grow them to show them now :) . I've basically decided I have now 200 plants of low end crap. No more working man orchids.. I want the KINGS and Queens.You can see Im headed for trouble already hey?. Its the trouble that I have that teaches me soooo much about them.
Your plants are happy and you feel like they dont' need you anymore. You need some basket cases to work on in the meantime ?...:blushing: uhhh I can send you a few!!!

I don't think that you have grown Broughtonias or Psychillis. These are along the same line as the Cattleyas and Encyclias. Or how about go with the Stanhopeas, Gongoras and Coryanthes. You can also try the Cycnoches, Mormodes, Catasetum, and relatives. I mean there is sooo much to grow. Lately I've been bug by the Dendrobium bug and the cattleya species.

I've been growing plants since my earliest memory and what keeps me interested in green things is that I love to keep learning, to keep experimenting. I do this with orchids, too. I recently bought two tiny, leafless, rootless backbulbs for less than their containers were worth that have a slight chance of survival. I also buy orchids I have no idea how to grow on occaision, or orchids that might be a challenge, though not impossible, with my conditions and I have the pleasure of figuring out how to make them happy. One of my most treasured orchids is a noid phal- type dendrobium that is in bloom ten months out of twelve. The flowers are large, pretty and smell like grape soda. It was a pathetic, out-of-bloom rescue plant many years ago and I find it very rewarding to see the difference. I love my plants because they are each different and chosen with love or brought back from the brink. This is what keeps me interested in my green leaf collection, this and the fact that we have winter here and it gets quite gloomy out there beyond the windows. :)
Leafmite