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Post by canuk1w1 on Oct 26, 2013 0:36:51 GMT -5
So nice to have them come back! I recently acquired a Catt - red with gold center. The blooms are almost faded. Scented my bedroom like roses. Looks like you pot yours in a medium bark mix. What fertilizing regimen do you use?
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Post by dvg on Oct 26, 2013 12:52:33 GMT -5
Hi Canuk1w1, It sounds like you have a very nice Cattleya there. Yeah, the media mix is store bought and designed for Cattleya and other orchids. As far as fertilizing goes, these hardly get any ferts, although I did give all of my orchids some orchid food about a month ago. I still can learn a lot about fertilizers and fertilizing regimens - something I haven't had much need to do with CPs and cacti. dvg
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Post by H2O on Oct 26, 2013 17:48:07 GMT -5
Looking great as always Doug, got any other orchid treasures you're hiding on us?
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Post by hal on Oct 26, 2013 20:58:38 GMT -5
H20 sent me some compact cattleyas a while ago and I've acquired a few more. They're growing well but only one flower to date. They've all come to me potted in 2" square pots in LFS. Should I move them into a more free-draining mix with bark?
Next year I might try them outside for the summer.
And what do Blc and Bc mean?
Thanks,
Hal
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Post by H2O on Oct 26, 2013 21:47:05 GMT -5
Ya they should all be moved out of those pots come spring! You could probably do it now if you felt like it.
Blc and Bc are the short for for two made made genera, Brassolaeliocattleya and Brassocattleya (real original names eh?) when ever you cross a Brassovola, Laelia or Cattleya you get an intergeneric hybrid, so at some point in time those plants have one of those three genera in their background, the the case with the Bc. there was no Laelia involved.
That being said, taxonomists have totally ****ed up everything by using DNA to put plants in their "rightful genus" so what (for decades) people used to call Cattleya, Sophronitis, Brassovola ect. are now all mixed up to an extent that if would take you an entire day to figure out if that "Laelia" in your hydrid is now a Cattleya or something else. Thus removing the Laelia in that intergeneric hybrid and getting a Brassocattleya.... To make thing even more clear, they do this every couple month, so some species have moved from one genus to the next several time in the last couple years. Most people (myself included) just make fun of the taxonomists that having been doing this and just ignore their work and continue to call the plants what they used to. Clear as mud?
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Post by canuk1w1 on Oct 28, 2013 9:54:30 GMT -5
Hi Canuk1w1, It sounds like you have a very nice Cattleya there. Yeah, the media mix is store bought and designed for Cattleya and other orchids. As far as fertilizing goes, these hardly get any ferts, although I did give all of my orchids some orchid food about a month ago. I still can learn a lot about fertilizers and fertilizing regimens - something I haven't had much need to do with CPs and cacti. dvg Thanks! Yes, it is a lovely plant - actually orchids in general are lovely plants with just foliage. Their flowers make them amazing and the fragrances elevate some of them to truly stunning. FYI, here's a site I like about technical stuff for orchids: www.firstrays.com/Go to "Free Info" - I'm not even a third down that page! I use these calculators: www.firstrays.com/fert_mixing.htmwww.firstrays.com/fertcalc.htmHe's a proponent of S/H but is not exclusive to that technique - and it seems to be written by and for geeks so I find it has a high information density! I'll have to get around to uploading the pics I took while it was still in bloom. The flowers are faded but it still have a bit of rose scent in the morning. There's a NOID Oncidium in the store that will have a nice scent when it opens, I may go back and grab it this weekend if it is still there! They cost a bit more than cut flowers but last longer and re-bloom. Some other interesting stuff about orchids: 1. They are excellent clean air plants 2. They have an alternate metabolic pathway that allows them to generate oxygen at night (succulents have this too)
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Post by dvg on Oct 28, 2013 18:07:26 GMT -5
Looking great as always Doug, got any other orchid treasures you're hiding on us? I have a handful of orchids Justin, but probably nothing that compares to what you have cooking there. Canuck1w1, thanks for that link. I'll definitely have to read through this one. dvg
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Post by Apoplast on Oct 28, 2013 20:43:02 GMT -5
Hi DVG - I'm not too into orchids - or flowers in general. I like my plants to be killers, oddly shaped, or other varieties of unusual. But I must admit, the thought of one of my plants filling my house with nice aromas sounds pretty good. The closest my CP's get is a few of the perfumed flowers from the tuber and pygmy dews, but you have to stick your nose in there to get a good whiff.
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Post by H2O on Oct 28, 2013 23:54:39 GMT -5
Doug, I'm excited to see more I don't usually bother taking pictures of stuff that flowers but I have something really cool about to open, hoping it holds out until judging in a few weeks because I'm sure the judges won't have any idea what it is I'll post some pictures when its open. Apoplast, on the weird note, I've got some pretty weird orchids that I'm sure would be your kind of style.
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Post by Apoplast on Oct 29, 2013 17:01:49 GMT -5
Hi H2O - Well, you just volunteered to give me some advice about fragrant and odd orchids when I have my new grow space set up. I hope you don't mind too much.
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Post by dvg on Oct 29, 2013 17:13:04 GMT -5
I don't usually bother taking pictures of stuff that flowers but I have something really cool about to open, hoping it holds out until judging in a few weeks because I'm sure the judges won't have any idea what it is I'll post some pictures when its open. Looking forward to seeing what promises to be quite the oddity indeed. Hi H2O - Well, you just volunteered to give me some advice about fragrant and odd orchids when I have my new grow space set up. I hope you don't mind too much. Apo, Phalaenopsis bellina emits an aroma that smells like Fruit Loops breakfast cereal and the flowers are pretty too. dvg
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Post by canuk1w1 on Oct 30, 2013 8:40:43 GMT -5
I don't usually bother taking pictures of stuff that flowers but I have something really cool about to open, hoping it holds out until judging in a few weeks because I'm sure the judges won't have any idea what it is I'll post some pictures when its open. Looking forward to seeing what promises to be quite the oddity indeed. Hi H2O - Well, you just volunteered to give me some advice about fragrant and odd orchids when I have my new grow space set up. I hope you don't mind too much. Apo, Phalaenopsis bellina emits an aroma that smells like Fruit Loops breakfast cereal and the flowers are pretty too. dvg Continuing in the same vein, Oncidium Sharry Baby is very nice - smells like white chocolate. Mine's been flowering for over 3 weeks now and the blooms are still nicely scented. I've been tempted by a mini-oncidium that smells like bubblegum! Here's a great list of fragrant orchid species: www.orchidculture.com/COD/fragrance.htmlA Google search for "fragrant orchids" should turn up a page from the 'For Dummies' book that lists several common and easy-growing species (not hybrids...).
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Post by Apoplast on Oct 31, 2013 9:54:17 GMT -5
Hi DVG - Thanks for the tip! Phalaenopsis are typically pretty easy and low light requiring too, if I recall correctly.
Hi Canuk - Thanks for the link! I looked through it is bit. It's really almost too thorough for my needs, though I found some interesting plants, including one that is fragrant and ejects it's pollinium several feet reminding me of a more forceful Stylidium. I have to admit though, I think I'm likely to be super lazy with this an just ask people who know about such things rather than research it much myself. I feel as though I am more likely to end up with appropriate and attainable plants that way, rather than getting my hopes set on something that is unavailable, too expensive, or that I simply can't care for. Plus, there are just too many orchids out there!
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Post by canuk1w1 on Oct 31, 2013 10:06:51 GMT -5
Struth mate! The other thing with these fragrant lists is that people experience scents different. one orchid was described as sour-smelling by some and fetid by others! Mights as well grow Aroids... I'm finding that most of the orchid growers are slowing down now it's getting colder so availability is extremely limited. My ultimate goal is to always have something fragrant blooming. Catts are better suited to this from what I was told as they bloom like clockwork. They aren't quite as esoteric as carnis but lots of fun nonetheless. I may need to get another Oncidium this weekend. After three weeks, the Sharry baby's blooms are starting to look mature and I like waking up to the smell of vanilla chocolate!
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Post by Apoplast on Nov 1, 2013 15:44:48 GMT -5
Hi Canuk - Thanks for the tips! I'm not too worried about the winter slowing me down given that I live so far south (this is a Canadian forum after all). Plus, there is an orchid shop in town called Orchids Limited that seems to have a decent selection. I figure anything I get can make it from the car to a building in a cooler. I can't believe I am going to look at orchids. What has become of me?!
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