bulbophyllum fletcherianum update- slow but good
 

I thought i had a thread on these babies but i cant find it

i bought two seedlings last year and made a weird home for them- they were both just dime sized bulbs and one had a small leaf- the other was two bitty bulbs each with a fingernail of a leaf

i was NOT expecting any luck as i am bad at seedlings and but i REALLY like this species and i wanted a challenge

the first couple months seemed good, then a pbulb just retired - no change in temp or culture or anything. i was sure it was over, $50 experiment over...move on


BUT- i let it ride and so did the plants.
Fast forward 8-10 months and there are thriving. the leaves are still growing, they have both added a second leaf and there are new pbulbs forming behind them

i suspect that these leaves will top out at 8-10 inches and then one or two in the 2' range and then, god willing they are still healthy, then they can get 5-7' long!!!

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...52f3d5b8_c.jpgUntitled by J Solo, on Flickr

just a few short years(decade) away! lol

don't think many would have gotten this far from your description - they look really good.
They sound expensive though for that size

only a bit more to go (found on google) had to check how big it gets

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pr...2NlTDdkh6Iddcn

You do have some years to go, but they are looking great! The "aroma" is truly to be anticipated... one of the Bulbos that looks and smells like rotting meat.:biggrin:

they are not just expensive, they are basically unattainable in the retail trade

i have a few life time quest orchids, several of which i have obtained :) but with out a trip to thailand, i have no chance lol

this plant and bulb beccarii are so damn hard to source and the sellers know it and rake one over the coals.

i have yet to get a beccarii and i have only about 30-50% optimism for these guys too LOL

Your seedlings look excellent. I can't wait to see how they continue to progress for you in their journey to adulthood and (fingers crossed) a marvelous display for foul-scented blooms. These big bulbo species always look fascinating to me, even when they aren't in flower thanks to those massively long leaves. I would think that they would all do very well for you in your South Florida location. Keep up the good work, and please keep us posted with updates.

Steve