#orchids
11 messages in this thread
Hi! Any orchid lovers out their? I collect mainly cattleyas, Angraecums and
most recently Phragmapediums. I've enjoyed good success with the cattleya
tribe hybrids and species, am just beginning to get angraecums to bloom,
(they seem to have less tolerance for cool temps than my catts) I don't
know a whole lot about Phragmapediums other than they like cattleya light
and temp. but prefer to be kept moist. Any advice out there on these south
american slippers? Thanks!
Todd Ross 2/4/92 2:45 pm
Hi, Todd – fellow orchidist here. Do you belong to the American Orchid
Society? I write a monthly article for their magazine and wrote a 7-part
beginner's series for them last year. Phrags are terrestrial, unlike
cattleyas and angraceums, so they like to stay wetter; the mix should be a
finer one, with more shredded bark or sphagnum or some such (still, of
course, not soil). Some people even grow phrags sitting in trays of water;
they often grow in nature next to riverbanks that flood seasonally and the
roots are underwater for long periods of time. I got to see Phrag pearcei
and Phrag lindeni growing naturally in Ecuador last year; amazing sight,
thousands (literally) of pearcei in bloom at once. Phrags are quite
definitely some of my favorite choice orchids; they are endangered and
recently listed on CITES (Convention on International Trade of Endangered
Species) Appendix 1, so they can't be imported anymore, only propagated by
seed here in the U.S. (which, fortunately, is happening more and more).
Light conditions a bit less than cattleyas, temps about the same or
slightly warmer. They grow very like paphiopedilums. I find, however,
they are enormously sensitive to salts, especially in fertilizer and water.
Use rainwater if you can.
You're right to grow the angraceums warmer than cattleyas; they don't like
night temperatures much below 60 degrees F; catts can go to 50.
If you don't belong to the AOS, by all means, join. They put out a
beautiful full color 100 page monthly magazine, with lots of member
freebies – Handbook on Orchid Culture, book and video discounts, show
schedules, local society info, all the mail-order ads you could dream of,
etc. 6000 South Olive Avenue, West Palm Beach, Fla 33405. $30/year and
worth it.
Where are you growing, and how?
Thanks for the quick response! I live in Goshen N.H. Thats basically South
Central western N.H. Borderline Zone 4/5 depending on which climate map
your looking at. I am a windowsill grower. I built my own home last summer
with growing things (especially orchids) in mind. My exposure is SW,
slightly more to the west so I get lots of winter sun (when it shines). All
my orchids with the exception of my one Phalenopsis and Paph. get about 4-6
hours of direct sun and then bright light the rest of the day. I also grow
some large specimen plants such as Bananas, Ginger and Ficus. Within in the
next couple of weeks I will be rearranging everything so the orchids will
receive more indirect light. I wait until the Feb. sun is strong enough to
melt snow and ice even though the outside temp. may be below freezing. In
the summer all the catts go outside underneath trees. I fertilize about
once a month in the summer with 20-20-20, 1 tsp per gal. I read quite a
while about using high phophorous fertilzer to increase cold hardiness in
outdoor plants. I apply this to my Cattelyas. In mid august they get weak
alternating solutions of 10-30-20 and 5-50-17. Believe it or not they were
outside until october 6th this past fall and experienced temps. in the mid
30's. This has worked for me in the past and produces richly colored longer
lasting blooms that are admittedly slightly smaller. The trade off is worth
it though. I had BLC Oconee Mendenhall in bloom for almost 7 weeks! All of
my Catts are hybrids except Laelia Anceps (Which Ll [C
likes it cool anyway and R. Digbyana. Speaking of which any suggestions on
how to get that one to bloom? I have a very healthy plant that grows well
and has about 12 leaves and produces 3 new growths a year. But it has never
bloomed. By the way I am an AOS member. I always looking for "end u [Cuser"
experience.
Todd: Sounds like you've got excellent conditions for the light-lovers.
I'd hesitate about the 5-50-17; you're going to eventually lose leaf growth
because of flower production – blossom booster ratios should be more than
plenty. You also might wait til september to apply that. Research has
shown that you get more benefit from the fertilizer if applied more often
in weaker strength, like once weekly for three weeks, at a quarter or half
the strength you're currently using monthly, then watering with plain water
to flush salts out the fourth week.
Digbyana needs an incredible amount of light; you could probably double
what it's getting now to make it finally bloom. They do tend to be
reluctant; leaf color needs lots of red at the tips for flowers to
initiate. Some cultivars bloom easier than others; do you have a named
clone? Worth the trouble to bloom it; unbelievable scent and color. I
love digbyana. Do you also have R. glauca? White, but even more
unbelievable scent.
Seven weeks for Oconee 'Mendenhall'! Must be the cool conditions. Cold
always does make the color richer; nice to hear they'll bounce down to the
30's – actually, that's probably your secret to good bud initiation.
Do you belong to your local society? I lectured there once, I think; do
you know Paul and Elaine Sawyer at Sawyer's Exotic Greenhouse in NH? Some
of my favorite people.
I have been to Sawyer's Exotic Greenhouses a couple of times and I do
attend the N.H. Orchid Society's orchid auction every year but I am not
currently a member. I have met Paul and Elaine and you're right great
people. Then again I haven't met too many orchid lover's I didn't like. We
seem to be a passionate bunch. I remember reading an AOS bulletin shortly
before I got my first orchid (a big bold fragrant pink brasso) about how
people get addic ted to orchids, I laughed! But I soon found myself giving
away my non-orchid plants to make room for more orchids. Someday I'll have
a greenhouse. I enjoy collecting orchids that are intensely fragrant and I
have found Cattleyas and Angraecums to have some of the most fragrant
flowers. The phragmapediums I like because they are just about the most
exotic looking of all orchids. I have a division of Zygopetalum mackyi with
one healthy new growth and another on the way. I understand it is VERY
fragrant any tips on this one? Thanks!
Todd Ross 2/6/92 11:05am
Z. mackeyi is a great plant with super scent. Like most thin-leaved
orchids, it can "accordion" if your humidity is too low – sure sign that
you need to add more. It likes to be underpotted – tends to crawl over the
sides and wave roots around. Temps like the catts, light a bit less. Less
of a camel than the catts. Not terribly fussy.
I once wrote an orchid article that compared growing them to eating potato
chips – impossible to have just one. Incredibly seductive, ain't they?
Definitely, The label on my Digbyana simply reads B. Digbyana (Bot.). It
was purchased from Stewart Orchids so I'm pretty sure it's not a jungle
collected plant, probably one raised from jungle collected seed. I am
wintering it in a greenhouse at a friends place we'll see what happens.
This winter has been grayer than usual here in New England so I don't know
if even that will help. It's funny I have a yellow Catt that is very
vigorous and is of unknown parentage but the flowers very closely resemble
digbyana. It blooms once in the spring and again in the fall. It grow
almost continuously. By the way, what causes yellow catts to come out with
"crinkled" leaves. The plant I just mentioned does it, an E. tampense x
BLC.fortune, and a yellow potinara all exhibit this characteristic.
Sometimes but not always the flowers are also deformed. Is it hereditary or
or growing conditions or a combination? Maybe they're not as tolerant as my
other colors to my cool growing conditions?
I was just looking through the back of my most recent AOS bulletin and ran
across some Phrag.bessae hybrid seedlings, expensive but I'll have to get
at least one. I've been waiting a long time for these!
Todd Ross 2/7/92 9:40 am
Todd – The crinkling and flower distortion ("crippling") is probably
hereditary; may be some weird triploid stuff going on, although who knows?
I have a compot of Phrag. besseae (if you call six seedlings a compot, and
no, i wouldn't want to part with any) that i got from Pui Chin out in San
Francisco; he's a magnificent grower and breeder – has his own sowing lab
and his stuff's great. He's really well-known for Masdevallias and Disas
(can you imagine being good at both of THOSE!) which he grows OUTSIDE year
round. Before you buy one besseae, you might call Pui to see what a compot
or his seedlings would cost (if he's got any, that is; he's a small
operation). Address is 2936 Baker Str, SF, CA 94123. 415-567-4715. Besseae
is unbelievable, i agree wholeheartedly.
Thanks for the info! I really appreciate it! I will get a hefty tax return
this year because of all the deductions I can take from my house building
project. I've promised myself to indulge in at least one new orchid but a
few would better. I do envy the growing conditions coastal Californians
enjoy, but after talking to a friend of mine who just moved there about all
the water problems they're having I'd rather have the cold. I used to say
New England seemed to be about the safest place to live in the U.S. as far
as natural disasters are concerned. That is until NASA released it's recent
report concerning ozone depletion. But of of course this is an un natural
disaster in much the same way the irrigation of the deserts of Southern
California is un natural. But I'm off on a tangent I should be saving this
for the Earth Forum.
On a completely different subject one of my other interests is the
restoration of the American Chestnut (Castanea Dentata). I recently joined
the American Chestnut Foundation. I mention this because I have branches
from American Chestnuts that are quite old, the wood just doesn't rot. It
does however split, with many perfect cracks and crevices for epiphytic
roots. I have never mounted an orchid before becuase it's rather tough to
grow mounted orchids on a windowsill. It's something I've wondered about
though. What should I do in terms of treating the wood for mounting. It's
not rotted at all, just weathered.
You've got to have good humidity for mounted orchids, and a penchant for
watering a lot. Basically you don't have to do anything to the wood, but
the more furrowed the ridges, the better the bark is for orchids to cling
to and the better for water to be retained on the surface. How furrowed is
your chestnut? You can train the plants by tying them on with fishing
line; the roots will eventually cling all by themselves and you can remove
the line if you want. Take a look at the plant and figure out which way
it's likely to grow, and then leave lots of room in that direction on the
wood. Lots of people keep a bucket for dipping mounted orchids in the
water, but you've got to be cognizant of spreading virus that way. One
plant that does well mounted, surprisingly, is L. anceps, which i think you
mentioned you have.
How do you like having your own personal AOS Question Box here? (and so
fast and efficient!) You know orchid people – they love sharing knowledge.
Could be the Greatest People On Earth, much akin to New Jersey being the
Greatest Tomato State…
It's great, but I must confess I feel a bit guilty I don't have more to
share with you! I've been growing orchids for about 10 years now and have
about 60 different plants. My smallest is Angraecum Rutenberginium the
largest being a BLC Oconee "Mendenhall". I'm very excited because I've got
3 plants that are blooming for the first time. Angranthes Grandelena x
Angraecum vigueri, C. Peregrine "Corulea" x C. Trianae "Kay Mine" (my first
"blue") and L. rupestris x BLC. Oconee "Mendenhall". The plant form of the
last cross mentioned is like a large L.rupestris. It is perfect Windowsill
plant, only being about 10" high, it's in a 4" pot and has several leaves.
It is very compact. I've also got a cross of E. tampensis and BLC Fortune.
It is roughly the same size although the leaves are somewhat "wispy" after
the E. tampense parent. The tampensis used was the "alba" form so the hope
is for a nice mini concolor yellow. It does occasionally produce those
crinkled leaves. It should bloom on the next growth which so far looks
normal. I want to make a cross of these 2 plants with the hope of getting
something in the red to art shades, fragrance, and compactness. Also the
rupestris O. mendehall cross should lend vigor since it is a very robust
plant, the tampensis fortune cross is not as vigorous and tends to be
somewhat slower growing. What do you think? I'll try and get pictures and
a scan of the 3 new ones to upload after I photograph them. See ya!
Todd Ross 2/10/92 11:10 am