Terrestrial orchids 2011 to 2014

[johnralphcarpenter]

They do have labels, they're just pushed down below the rim!

[SteveC2]

Even now, without water, some of my Wintergreens, (not Ophrys) are starting to move.

I spoke too soon; several Ophrys had shoots up to an inch long, but once again it is the newly purchased ones, convincing me that the thermal shock of coming from a full blown Greek summer to an English one, albeit a hot (warm) one is what starts them into growth.
Of course that does not explain why two of the Barlias, sorry Himantoglossums, have shoots an inch out of the compost.
And all this with no water since April / May.

[Neil]

Steve


Nothing here sprouting.  But I do have Spiranthes Spirallis starting to put up there flower spikes a month earlier than normal.

[Peter Maguire]

Since we don't seem to have a Disa thread this year, apart from Fred's pictures of massed orchids with his carnivorous plants, I thought I'd put these pictures here.
I was concerned that I would miss the flowering of the Disas this year as I was away earlier in the month (ironically in South Africa.....) but they were still mostly looking good when I got back.

1-3. Disa Watsonii Sandra: D watsonii is a grex where D. Kewensis is crossed with D. uniflora. This is one of Dave Parkinson's hybrids (you can see his massed display at Hampton Court in Stan's report elsewhere on the forum) This plant has been in the same pot for three years, I really must get around to repotting it.

4&5. Disa Kewensis Alice: Another of Dave Parkinson's hybrids, it was going over and fading a bit, so I've included a picture from 2011 to give a better idea of the colour, although the black background I used has probably accentuated the depth of colour. D Kewensis is a cross between D uniflora and D tripetalloides.

[Peter Maguire]

6&7. Disa Watsonii Don: Shows how variable a single grex can be. This is another of Dave Parkinson's hybrids which this year opened flat and facing upwards for some reason, so again I've put in a picture from 2011 to show what it should look like.
8. Disa Kewensis: flowering for the first time with me, this un-named clone is quite dainty, flowering at under 10cms, whilst the previous plants flower at 20-25cms and have larger flowers. My favourite this year. 
9&10. Disa atricapilla: Obtained as a seedling from Andrew Bannister of Orchid Alchemy this spring, this unusual species has spectacularly coloured flowers of red, green and black! Lest anyone get too excited, I've enclosed a picture of the whole plant - the flower stem is too weak to hold up the inflorescence.  Whether this will change in subsequent years remains to be seen...

[Maggi Young]

Hardy Terrestrial Orchids from Seed

This is an article that is part of archive of late great Jim Archibald on the main SRGC Site
 ( http://www.srgc.net/site/index.php/features-mainmenu-47/articles/259-the-archibald-archive)

1961   ‘Hardy Terrestrial Orchids from Seed – Some Tentative Suggestions’, SRGC Journal 28/222

http://files.srgc.net/archibald/writings/HardyterrestrialOrchids.pdf

[Peter Maguire]

Growing orchids from seed under sterile conditions that Jim mentions is something I've planned on doing for some time - in fact there's some of last year's Cypripedium seed (deliberate crosses) in the fridge as I write. Now that I'm semi-retired, there is some hope that it may yet be sown!
In the meantime, I've obtained seed of several Disa species which are meant to be relatively easy to raise on sterile sphagnum moss, and as Jim says, they can flower in less than two years from sowing. I'll keep you posted..........

[hud357]

On the earlier subject of 'common' - just noticed this post over on cpukforum

Edit:
Just goes to show that there is often a huge difference between cultivation and natural environment. My Darlings became weeds here in W. Yorks grown as Sarracenias, a lot went into the compost bin earlier in the year. I would never have guessed that their natural habitat was as per the pictures in the post.
 

[Steve Garvie]

Jack and the Beanstalk!
This Himantoglossum caprinum has been in flower since early July and is still going strong though the flower spike is now almost a metre long and a wee tad shoogly.
Fearing that it was flowering itself to death and lacking all self control I tipped it out of its pot only to find a new healthy tuber -though not as big as last year (the effort of flowering really takes it out of these plants and it will be 2 years before this plant flowers again).

[Anthony Darby]

An amazing inflorescence Steve.

[mark smyth]

Great photos everyone

I couldnt see my Spiranthes flowers and couldn't remember where I had put the pot  After a few days searching I found the pot on its side and not much showing and the contents totally dry. They have somehow managed to keep healthy tubers. Just now they are in damp sand. What should I do with them now?

[Neil]

Mark as they are fine pot them up in the same mix as you are using for the Ophrys

[mark smyth]

OK, I'll do that tomorrow

[Steve Garvie]

A rather late flower on Habenaria radiata

[fermi de Sousa]

On the weekend we had our meeting at Olinda in the Dandenongs and as Will and I arrived one of the other members was examining a large clump of "Potato Orchids" or "Cinnamon Bells", Gastrodia sesamoides, at the base of a tree in the "car park". I hadn't seen this for years - impossible in cultivation as far as I know as it's saprophytic
cheers
fermi