Why not grow orchids?

[Silas_Sancona]

19 minutes ago, piping plovers said:

My Blc Blanche Aisaka 'Yuki' just bloomed. I familiarized myself with the FCC/AOS abbreviations and now I have a new found respect for its lineage!

Fingers crossed it will remain in bloom for 3 more weeks so I can show it at my local orchid society meeting in January and hopefully enter it into judging at the cape cod, MA orchid show; it would be my first entry for any orchid judging. With my luck the blooms  will fade days before the events😆

The blooms are 6 1/2 inches across. Optical illusion on the first photo as it appears much larger across. The 2nd to last photo below reminds me of purple stitching along the underside of the lip. Pleasant fragrance.

 

 

  Verry nice.. 🤞 it holds out long enough for your meeting next month. 

On an ( important, lol ) side note,  You know you're required to share some pictures from the above - mentioned, up coming meeting / show ..right? 😁 lol

[piping plovers]

6 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

On an ( important, lol ) side note,  You know you're required to share some pictures from the above - mentioned, up coming meeting / show ..right? 😁 lol

Ha!  Absolutely.  Hope the winter weather cooperates and participants are not scared off from bringing their show-worthy tropical orchids .

[John hovancsek]

Can anyone help me Id this orchid? I got it with a blank tag

[Silas_Sancona]

2 hours ago, John hovancsek said:

Can anyone help me Id this orchid? I got it with a blank tag

Possibly Cattleya cernua ..or a cross involving it?  Neat plant regardless.

Appears it may be listed under Sophronitis  by some sources ( AOS culture guides / Orchid Web )  ..AOS lists it as a warm grower, while Orchid Web's culture info. says " cool to intermediate "

[Tracy]

On the verge of the Winter Solstice, so it's time for my Laelia anceps var veitchiana to be blooming.  Still some flowers to open before Christmas day, but it is already providing a spectacular display!

[Silas_Sancona]

....And so it begins... 

A surprise holiday gift from our neighbor's as a show of appreciation for helping them out over the past few months..


Phalaenopsis X " Fuller's Sunset " ( Taisuco Date X Chain Xen Queen )  Simple but very elegant coloration. Love the " Snake Tongue " on the lip.

[piping plovers]

8 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Phalaenopsis X " Fuller's Sunset " ( Taisuco Date X Chain Xen Queen )  Simple but very elegant coloration. Love the " Snake Tongue " on the lip.

Ah what a beautiful phal.  Seems so unusual to see them in yellow and red.  They must really appreciate you 👍!

[Silas_Sancona]

13 minutes ago, piping plovers said:

Ah what a beautiful phal.  Seems so unusual to see them in yellow and red.  They must really appreciate you 👍!

Agree, ..not a color you see a lot of ..compared to a majority of hybrid Phals offered anyway.  

Neighbors are some of the nicest people we've come to know since moving here.. Very down to earth.

[piping plovers]

An oncidium type. I wish I could find the name for this.  Given to me by my neighbor when I lived in the. DC area; she was collecting orchids for over 50 years and just didn’t care about the ID s and favored the species over hybrids.

Are oncidiums as rampant in no name hybrids as the phals?  If it was a noid phal I would just give up as that’d be hopeless 😞 

Has an amazing spice citrus vanilla fragrance.

 

 

 

[Silas_Sancona]

1 minute ago, piping plovers said:

An oncidium type. I wish I could find the name for this.  Given to me by my neighbor when I lived in the. DC area; she was collecting orchids for over 50 years and just didn’t care about the ID s and favored the species over hybrids.

Are oncidiums as rampant in no name hybrids as the phals?  If it was a noid phal I would just give up as that’d be hopeless 😞 

Has an amazing spice citrus vanilla fragrance.

 

 

 

Yes, lol.. there are apparently a ton of Oncidium crosses / hybrids.. Sometimes the name will be included, but have seen plenty where it just says " Oncidium " on the tag, lol.  Numerous species as well that grow from pretty much sea level to high up in the Andes.

Wonder if anyone on the Orchid Board would be eagle eyed enough to help you narrow down a list of possibilities..   Could ask at your upcoming meeting as well.

Scent sounds nice.. " Sharry Baby," a really popular Oncidium cultivar ( or group of cultivars, apparently.. ) smells like a combo of warm Cloves and Chocolate or Vanilla. Coloration of the flowers may be different, but not totally out of the question the one you have might share a similar lineage as that cultivar.

[piping plovers]

20 minutes ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Wonder if anyone on the Orchid Board would be eagle eyed enough to help you narrow down a list of possibilities..   Could ask at your upcoming meeting as well.

Ah yes, thank you for the ideas. 🙏.  I planned to post on OB and I now have those local resources at the OS meetings 👍

I heard of the ‘Sharry Baby’ cultivar and someone showed theirs at our last meeting . …now I can’t get that song out of my head .

 

[Silas_Sancona]

2 minutes ago, piping plovers said:

Ah yes, thank you for the ideas. 🙏.  I planned to post on OB and I now have those local resources at the OS meetings 👍

I heard of the ‘Sharry Baby’ cultivar and someone showed theirs at our last meeting . …now I can’t get that song out of my head .

 

Lol,  The song was the first thing that came to mind the first time i'd seen a display of them at an orchid sale / show.  Surprised the grower displaying the plants didn't have the song on repeat in the background, to really hook people admiring them. Not that you would after catching a whiff of it's scent.  Very similar to ( and about as unforgettable ) as Maxillaria tenuifolia, the famous " Coconut Orchid ".

[Tomas]

I am no expert, but the form and the colors of the flowers make me thinking that it could be an intergeneric hybrid, these are sold with the generic name Cambria. So the ID would be even more difficult 

[piping plovers]

10 hours ago, Tomas said:

it could be an intergeneric hybrid, these are sold with the generic name Cambria. So the ID would be even more difficult 

Thank you Tomas.

[piping plovers]

First time Aliceara in my collection; a recent holiday gift to me from my local orchid society.  It is Hawaii grown and the bulbs are huge. I will never be able to attain that bulb size here but at least I know what to aim for to get blooms like this next year.

 

Also, anticipation is building for the buds to open on my Stanhopea Occulata. The fragrance was unforgettable last year.

 

[Silas_Sancona]

1 minute ago, piping plovers said:

First time Aliceara in my collection; a recent holiday gift to me from my local orchid society.  It is Hawaii grown and the bulbs are huge. I will never be able to attain that bulb size here but at least I know what to aim for to get blooms like this next year.

 

 

Also, anticipation is building for the buds to open on my Stanhopea Occulata. The fragrance was unforgettable last year.

Aliceara looks nice.. Might have to look again but i thought they were a reasonably easy grow..




The Stanhopea though ......   😁

[piping plovers]

2 minutes ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Aliceara looks nice.. Might have to look again but i thought they were a reasonably easy grow..




The Stanhopea though .....

lol, I’ll keep you posted on the Stanhopea.  Hopefully at least one of the 2 spikes will be in bloom for my next orchid society mtg.  It aborted a 3rd spike recently; sufficient light is a challenge for me this time of year at my latitude.

[Silas_Sancona]

5 minutes ago, piping plovers said:

lol, I’ll keep you posted on the Stanhopea.  Hopefully at least one of the 2 spikes will be in bloom for my next orchid society mtg.  It aborted a 3rd spike recently; sufficient light is a challenge for me this time of year at my latitude.

I'd be proud of even 2 spikes on one of these, let alone 3 .. 

You using any lights for making up what you don't get naturally this time of year?   Nice thing ..or so it seems from all i've read at least, is that they seem to enjoy more moderate, but not deep  shade conditions,  instead of needing a lot of light like some other Orchid genera ...Sort of like what the tougher Chamaedorea  might accept indoors.

[piping plovers]

3 minutes ago, Silas_Sancona said:

I'd be proud of even 2 spikes on one of these, let alone 3 .. 

You using any lights for making up what you don't get naturally this time of year?   Nice thing ..or so it seems from all i've read at least, is that they seem to enjoy more moderate, but not deep  shade conditions,  instead of needing a lot of light like some other Orchid genera ...Sort of like what the tougher Chamaedorea  might accept indoors

Thank you for the kind words 🙏

Yes, a real game changer for me has been using more serious lighting the past few years.  Helps tremendously to transition from the ideal outdoor growing conditions we have here in September to the lousy indoor windowsill conditions come each November.  Most don’t even skip a beat with the improved lighting setup. The SpiderFarmer plant lights have been excellent.  
 

And Yes, sound cultural advice on the Stanhopea as I have always believed that they did not need the cattleya / vanda light levels.

[Silas_Sancona]

I'll have to take a look at those lights.


Somewhat on the side, topic- wise,  Was looking around again, just to see if anyone might be offering the " Sonoran " Stanhopea  species ( S. maculosa ) and stumbled upon this interesting research article discussing the potential distribution of the 6 Stanhopea  sps  native to Mexico from last December,  based upon modeling ideal conditions for establishment / potential presence.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/366202395_Potential_distribution_of_six_endemic_species_of_Stanhopea_Orchidaceae_genus_in_Mexico

As far as i'm aware, S. maculosa  is the only species that has been physically recorded / documented north of Sinaloa at this point,  but,  as mentioned in the article, actual documentation of the genus in Mexico is scattered and / or limited  ...and there is a lot of expansive, barely explored areas in the mountains just to our south that could contain all sorts of yet to be documented surprises.  Already been several,  just nothing Orchid-wise, that i've heard about  yet.

While the " thoughts " of a model doesn't  guarantee   any of the six species depicted on the modeled distribution maps on pages 84-87 could be encountered growing outside of where they are currently known from, it is interesting to see that ..if conditions are favorable now,  ..or may become ideal in coming decades,  -at least- a couple species could be found growing in the mountains just south of..  ...or found growing in some perfectly ideal spot(s), in any of the mountain islands just north of the AZ / Mexico border,  roughly between about Nogales, and Sierra Vista / Miracle Valley, Arizona. 

How wild would that be... Admiring a stand of majestic, old Saguaro on " A " Mountain / Tumamoc Hill,  just west of Downtown Tucson,  while watching big storms building over mountains to the south ..where one ..or two Stanhopea species  might   be growing.

Edited December 29, 2023 by Silas_Sancona
edit

[piping plovers]

19 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

How wild would that be... Admiring a stand of majestic, old Saguaro on " A " Mountain / Tumamoc Hill,  just west of Downtown Tucson,  while watching big storms building over mountains to the south ..where one ..or two Stanhopea species  might   be growing.

What a mind twister that is to imagine the Stanhopea and saguaro in the same region. Intriguing area of the Americas. Interesting looking at those maps.

I looked on the  two ecuagenera sites and didn’t find any S. maculosa.  Also checked Etsy and eBay, as you never know.  Hopefully you can find one through your sources!

 

[Silas_Sancona]

54 minutes ago, piping plovers said:

What a mind twister that is to imagine the Stanhopea and saguaro in the same region. Intriguing area of the Americas. Interesting looking at those maps.

I looked on the  two ecuagenera sites and didn’t find any S. maculosa.  Also checked Etsy and eBay, as you never know.  Hopefully you can find one through your sources!

 

The thought of that being ..even a slim possibility,  esp. in the future,  is definitely mind blowing.  Several other " tropical " looking Orchids that have been recorded in both S. Sonora and N. Sinaloa that i could see someone stumbling upon growing not too far south of the border ..or just north of it  as well.

 I too looked over Ecuagenera again since they've listed selling maculosa in the past..  Tempting, but not planning on buying one, or any Stan. sp. atm,  just like checking every so often, just to see if someone is offering it, just in case, lol. 

While i can't see any of them surviving a summer here, Interesting that all the listed sps would tolerate most of our winters outdoors though ( listed as cool - intermediate, tolerating winter lows in the 40-45F range, & likely shrugging off the occasional dip into the mid 30s,  as long as they are placed where frost won't form on the foliage )



 

[piping plovers]

The Stanhopea chandelier.  

S. oculata.  The bloom structure and foliage is so exotic but the fragrance is the real show stopper.  Mint chocolate chip ice cream. Fragrance is over-powering even my cattleyas.

 

 

[John hovancsek]

47 minutes ago, piping plovers said:

The Stanhopea chandelier.  

S. oculata.  The bloom structure and foliage is so exotic but the fragrance is the real show stopper.  Mint chocolate chip ice cream. Fragrance is over-powering even my cattleyas.

 

 

Really really beautiful. Stanhopea is one of my favorites. Check out Showgun Hawaii, he has some cool stuff 

[piping plovers]

1 hour ago, John hovancsek said:

Check out Showgun Hawaii, he has some cool stuff 

Thanks John.  And also thank you for suggesting this website; wonderful selection he has.  Am looking at the Stanhopea embreei ‘Shogun’s Giant aliens’ variety right now. The Catts look amazing too.

[miamicuse]

[piping plovers]

Been wanting one of these exotics ever since first seeing one at Marie Selby Gardens in Sarasota, FL several years ago.  This Bulbophyllum phalaenopsis ‘Kapoho Fire’ just arrived today from CA and safely ahead of the cold front expected tomorrow in RI.

It’s a little guy and I look forward to seeing it grow those amazing leaves.  I know we had some conversations on the putrid blooms on these.  I like them for the foliage.  If it ever blooms for me I can always snip the flowers if too annoying.

It also happens to be My first Bulbophyllum and I’m thinking of next adding the Bulbophyllum medusae to my collection.

 

And Here’s the specimen I saw in Sarasota several years ago:

 

[Silas_Sancona]

10 minutes ago, piping plovers said:

Been wanting one of these exotics ever since first seeing one at Marie Selby Gardens in Sarasota, FL several years ago.  This Bulbophyllum phalaenopsis ‘Kapoho Fire’ just arrived today from CA and safely ahead of the cold front expected tomorrow in RI.

It’s a little guy and I look forward to seeing it grow those amazing leaves.  I know we had some conversations on the putrid blooms on these.  I like them for the foliage.  If it ever blooms for me I can always snip the flowers if too annoying.

It also happens to be My first Bulbophyllum and I’m thinking of next adding the Bulbophyllum medusae to my collection.

 

And Here’s the specimen I saw in Sarasota several years ago:

 

I remember this specimen, though don't recall if i'd seen it while flowering.. An Orchid grower had a flowering specimen on display at one of the plant sales i'd attended at USF in Tampa. Despite the big sign the grower had posted below it to draw the curious in to take a closer look, flowers were weird looking for sure, but don't recall them being all that stinky ..unless you stuck your face in one, lol.

Could have been that the scent was less noticeable because we were outside though. Indoors  ...might... be a different story??..  Yours is off to a good start

I see there's a blooming Brassavola nodosa hiding in the background behind it.

[piping plovers]

46 minutes ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Orchid grower had a flowering specimen on display at one of the plant sales i'd attended at USF in Tampa. Despite the big sign the grower had posted below it to draw the curious in to take a closer look, flowers were weird looking for sure, but don't recall them being all that stinky ..unless you stuck your face in one, lol.

Interesting opportunity you had to see one in bloom.  Yes, I can’t remember if that Sarasota one was in bloom.  It was my first time seeing one and since I knew nothing about it I would not even know where to look. I actually thought it was a huge phaleonopsis species. lol.

and yes, the brassalova just came into bloom the past few days!

 

[Silas_Sancona]

9 minutes ago, piping plovers said:

Interesting opportunity you had to see one in bloom.  Yes, I can’t remember if that Sarasota one was in bloom.  It was my first time seeing one and since I knew nothing about it I would not even know where to look. I actually thought it was a huge phaleonopsis species. lol.

and yes, the brassalova just came into bloom the past few days!

 

If it isn't on a HD i can't access,  i'll have to see if i can find the pictures i'd taken of the one in bloom.. Pretty sure i snapped at least a couple pictures of the flowers. 

I too had the same thought when i saw it. ( That it looked more like a Phal ..or something Cattleya- esque, rather than a Bulbo. )  B. medusae would be a great addition btw.  You probably won't stop examining the flowers when it blooms.

A Brassavola ..nodosa, or cultivar of it,  ..or one of the other sps / a named Brassvo.- centric cultivar  is one of the Orchids near the top of my list of those i'm considering trying here.. Miss both the look / scent of the flowers a lot.  One i had mounted on Cork was just starting to really fill out when we moved here.  same w/ a " Yellow Bird " specimen i had.

[piping plovers]

10 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

A Brassavola ..nodosa, or cultivar of it,  ..or one of the other sps / a named Brassvo.- centric cultivar  is one of the Orchids near the top of my list of those i'm considering trying here.. Miss both the look / scent of the flowers a lot.  One i had mounted on Cork was just starting to really fill out when we moved here.  same w/ a " Yellow Bird " specimen i had.

I hear you.  They are amazing.  So simple looking and such extraordinary scents.  Is the humidity the limiting factor for you growing these outdoors?

As it gets dark outside here by 5 pm in December/January, I usually keep it by the kitchen sink.  I get the benefit of brassalova aromatherapy while doing the dishes after work 😁

This brassalova nodosa is actually the last orchid I bring indoors in late October when we drop to the low 40s F.  Like to give it the full benefit of outdoors light as long as I can and I have read that they can withstand cooler temperatures.

It’s been happy in the sunroom so have been avoiding moving it.

 

 

[Tomas]

Epidendrum secundum crossed with ???. I like the reed stem epidendrums, thay may flower the whole year round, but unfortunately they are not hardy here. This one is, so far

[Silas_Sancona]

50 minutes ago, piping plovers said:

I hear you.  They are amazing.  So simple looking and such extraordinary scents.  Is the humidity the limiting factor for you growing these outdoors?

As it gets dark outside here by 5 pm in December/January, I usually keep it by the kitchen sink.  I get the benefit of brassalova aromatherapy while doing the dishes after work 😁

This brassalova nodosa is actually the last orchid I bring indoors in late October when we drop to the low 40s F.  Like to give it the full benefit of outdoors light as long as I can and I have read that they can withstand cooler temperatures.

It’s been happy in the sunroom so have been avoiding moving it.

 

 

Lack of humidity, outside Monsoon season, and this time of year  is the bigger challenge outdoors for sure. That and our non stop 105-110+ heat, May - October. That said, pretty sure both potentially negative factors can be lessened with proper placement, and a little extra water / air movement. 

If i add one ( ...or a couple, ha ha  ) i'll likely mount them on lava rock chunks like these that have large enough pockets that can hold onto a little moisture longer, and place over a gravel filled saucer that will extra humidity around the plants when placed outside. A thought anyway..







B. nodosa is apparently being grown outdoors w/ out too much hassle in some favorable parts of S. Cal,  so it seems to have some flexibility.  Brassavola X " Yellow Bird " seemed to be even more adaptable. Specimen i'd had for several years even flowered outdoors in San Jose, even after hanging outdoors during a typically cool winter there.

Brassavola cucullata has been recorded as far north as a couple spots in far S. Sonora and may handle longer dry periods / lower humidity at times a bit better than nodosa, so, is on the list of considerations as well.. Appears there may be some interesting crosses involving it which may be pretty adaptable too.  We'll see of course, " flexible / adaptable "  might not include tolerating life in the desert, even if placed outdoors for only part of the year.

When i first lived in FL, i'd placed the mount i had the nodosa (  X " Little Stars " i think.  Had a few other named clones / crosses ) attached to near the front door of my apartment ( Faced east ..so only a few hours of shifting, morning sun ). Seemed to really like the exposure and yes, lol.. coming home from work, or after a night out, the scent greeting me as i walked up to my door was a fond memory..  Slab - mounted Tillandsia  i had nearby did well there as well.

[Silas_Sancona]

1 hour ago, Tomas said:

Epidendrum secundum crossed with ???. I like the reed stem epidendrums, thay may flower the whole year round, but unfortunately they are not hardy here. This one is, so far

If my memory is correct, recall  E. cinnabarinum  being considered the most cold sensitive of the more commonly seen Reed Stems,  w/ E. secundum /  possibly E. radicans  being the most adaptable.

An older cross involving E. radicans, .. itself is an easy grow in many warmer areas of CA, and i remember seeing a good-sized potted specimen in a shade area at a nursery here when i first moved to the area. They'll even produce pods / seed here, despite the ( apparent?? ) absence of Orchid Bees (  Tribe Euglossini ) ..I say " Apparent " because at least two sps in that group of bees occur just south of the AZ / Mex. border.  so, it's not completely out of the realm of possibility individuals might wander north of there during the summer, but go un-noticed.

Appears Hummingbirds might pollinate some of them as well..

[SubTropicRay]

On 1/4/2024 at 10:02 PM, piping plovers said:

It also happens to be My first Bulbophyllum and I’m thinking of next adding the Bulbophyllum medusae to my collection.

 

 

 

 

 

[piping plovers]

1 hour ago, SubTropicRay said:

 

Well grown and a fantastic looking specimen! So cool looking—-Now I really want one 😁

 

 

[miamicuse]

Pictures of some of the orchids at the Tamiami International Orchid Festival today.

[Cindy Adair]

Thanks so much for the Tamiami photos Miamicuse! 
 

I usually fly in from PR but not this year and a fair number of my orchids came from this show or the Redlands show in May. 
 

I don’t recall where I got this Cyrtorchis chailluana but will make a proper label now before the old one becomes illegible. 

Easy grower on a tree fern for me.

 

[Calosphace]

Does anyone know if I should remove my Dendrobium moniliforme 'Kouga' from the moss I got it growing within? I know this is a hardy variety because another on the forum grew it outdoors in NC and the upcoming low next Sunday is 34 so not drastic but I was worried that the moss might mean it is too wet cold

I also was curious if anyone knew what temps Laelia anceps and Cattleya cernua can handle before bloom spikes get damaged. Both are in spike rn. the L anceps are at work and are south-facing + under oak and concrete but it is more inland (sunday low might be 29F).  IME same conditions did not damage Billbergia nutans flowers or Justicia flavicornus (spelling)

[Silas_Sancona]

13 minutes ago, Calosphace said:

Does anyone know if I should remove my Dendrobium moniliforme 'Kouga' from the moss I got it growing within? I know this is a hardy variety because another on the forum grew it outdoors in NC and the upcoming low next Sunday is 34 so not drastic but I was worried that the moss might mean it is too wet cold

I also was curious if anyone knew what temps Laelia anceps and Cattleya cernua can handle before bloom spikes get damaged. Both are in spike rn. the L anceps are at work and are south-facing + under oak and concrete but it is more inland (sunday low might be 29F).  IME same conditions did not damage Billbergia nutans flowers or Justicia flavicornus (spelling)

Here's a reference for the Dendrobium..  Might look through AOS guides / related guides just for some additional opinions.  I myself would probably mount it. Hate growing Orchids in Sphagnum Moss, lol

https://newworldorchids.com/neofinetia-care-sheet/dendrobium-moniliforme-culture-sheet/

Cattleya / Sophrontis cenura.   I myself would probably bring it in.. Most info iv'e looked over regarding it's temperature tolerance suggests intermediate to warm, so it might frown on being exposed to anything below 50F or so.

While the plant itself can handle a few nights of upper 20s exposure, ...As long as it stays dry / frost / ice doesn't form on it,  imagine flowers / buds would be nipped if exposed to temps in the lower 30s..   Might consider moving it somewhere sheltered for the coldest night(s)..  Then again, being where you have it, that spot might not drop below 33, even if other, more open to the sky areas drop to the suggested low of 29-30F.