House orchids 2012

[JPB]

Hans, I definitely recommend a summer in the garden in semi shade. Keep them out as long as you dare. I took my x lemoniana indoors just before we were hit by the first frost and we had some cold nights. Now it's covered in flowers. I have that theory that the plant thinks it's going to die and therefore makes every effort to propagate itself through seed.   By the way, the difference is in the distinct deep yellow/orange band around the yellow fleck on the lip. A lovely plant but much sought after by scale and requires close supervision and drastic action all through the year.

If you want a piece, let me know. I had to re-pot it last year and I lost my grip (happens to the best) and dropped it on the floor where it split into five neat pieces. They are all growing like mad and I am taking my surplus to orchid society raffles.

The picture was taken in 2005, by last year it had trebled in size.

Yes, I keep them outside in summer under semi-shade and that works well. But the cold nights may have triggered flowering in my C. cristata too. I kept it at 5-10C in my greenhouse this winter instead of in my living room. Maybe I'll have flowers on C. ochracea too this year? Still I was never worried of keeping these cooler Coelogynes alive. That is quite easy too my surprise and they divide prolifically! Flowering is another thing, but I'm getting closer and closer

Great picture of your lemoniana! Stunning. And Yes I very much like to have a piece I'll send you a PM today.

The attached picture is my C. ochracea just after I aquired it, a few years ago. The difference with lemoniana is clearly visible

[Maren]

Hans, very nice plant with clear markings. Here is a shot of my plant one year on from the other picture, as it sits in my overcrowded greenhouse. Picture quality not good, I'm afraid, I blame it on the fan

[Tony Willis]

here is Holcoglossum flavescens in flower with me. I have it in a tiny pot of cat litter at the moment but I am going to mount it on a piece of bark when I can get one.

Picture quality not good I am afraid,I blame it on the camera

[Maren]

Hi Tony,
your camera takes much better pictures than my fan.

[daveyp1970]

here is Holcoglossum flavescens in flower with me. I have it in a tiny pot of cat litter at the moment but I am going to mount it on a piece of bark when I can get one.

Picture quality not good I am afraid,I blame it on the camera

Very very nice Tony,any perfume on your little star?

[Tony Willis]

David

I do not think so but I have almost no sense of smell so not a good indicator.

[Maren]

Dendrobium infundibulum has just opened up its first flower after a long wait of 4 weeks in bud. This is one of my great favourites. Its paperlike petals are of such brilliant whiteness and the flowers large in comparison to the plant. Having seen it dripping from frost encrusted trees in freezing fog in northern Thailand, I now grow it cool, with my Pleione praecox.

The in situ picture is not out of focus but taken in thick fog. Allow your eye to adjust and you will soon pick out the masses of white flowers.

[Maggi Young]

The habitat shot is great even with the fog, Maren.
Is this flower scented?



(just spotted that we needed a new 2012 thread... so here we are!)

[Maren]

No it isn't as far as my nose is concerned. It's just quietly beautiful.

[Tony Willis]

Maren that is a beautiful flower

[ronm]

Maren, i used to find that using a ultra sonic humidifier in my greenhouse created just the right environment for growing the 'tropical' cool growing species of plants. Is this something you use / or have tried and decided against?

[Maren]

Ron,

I too used a fogger, called a Hydrofogger, but only in my intermediate greenhouse (it's broken now and the greenhouse doesn't seem to miss it).

In the cool house (which is really my office and pleione store), I have a de-humidifier. This is switched on only in the winter because, at low temperatures, the air gets laden with humidity, which could cause fungal problems. I run fans everywhere all year round.

[ronm]

Thanks Maren, I was probably fooling myself that it helped. It did used to be so good though, seeing a cloud in the greenhouse on a hot summers day. Wandering in and immediately being chilled by the fog. Another 'boys toy'?

[Maren]

I don't do that - it would ruin my hair

[ronm]

It did for mine! u r so right Maren!