Encyclia Mary Motes - Full Bloom - Almost

I previously posted an up close photo of an individual bloom on this Encyclia Mary Motes.  The plant is nearly in full bloom now.  Out of 140 plus buds, around 120 are now open.  The blooms are on 4 long spikes coming out of a very small plant.  It is hard to get all of the blooms in the photo and to still see the blooms very well, but this photo gives one some idea of the size and expanse of the bloom.  This orchid has a very light, pleasant, honey fragrance -- especially early in the morning right after the sun comes up.

FRAGRANT - Maxillaria Tenuifolia - The Coconut Orchid (Pina Colada)

Do you like FRAGRANT orchids.  Then this orchid is for you!  My plant is still small and does not seem to be growing very fast.  But as last year, it has managed one small bloom again this year.  The nickname for this orchid is The Coconut Orchid because it smells like toasted coconut.  Personally, I call it the Pina Colada Orchid!

The growth habit of this orchid is not overly attractive.  The plant itself has this straggly, uncontrolled appearance.  I have it mounted on a tree-fern plaque, but I think it needs a little more moisture.  What has been your experience with this orchid is South Florida?

Lc. Hsin Buu Lady 'YT'

This orchid produces outstanding blooms.  This is the FIRST bloom from this plant.  It presents its flower on a very upright stem and has a very clear, saturated color.  This plant only has the one blossom with one bud, but as the plant matures, this plant has been known to have 3 to 5 blooms on each stem.  If you can get your hands on this plant, buy it.

So far it has been easy to grow.  I have had it about a year and it is mounted on a raft that is topped with a tree fern fiber plaque.

Encyclia Mary Motes (Encyclia alata x Encyclia plicata)

I purchased this plant two years ago.  It was in a clay pot with lava rock as its media.  I did not pay much for it because the plant was small and it looked sick.  I continued to try to grow the plant in the pot in which I bought it.  It kept looking worse and worse.  So I took it out of the pot, trimmed off all of the dead roots, soaked it in Physan and then mounted it on a piece of tree fern plaque inside of a wooden basket.  It was slow to get started, but new roots started to appear and during the first spring that I owned it, it had grown four new bulbs. 

This spring flower spikes grew from each of the four new bulbs.  The spikes are long (they vary between 2 1/2 feet to 4 1/2 feet long).  The spikes have only these two blooms open right now which opened within the last day or two, but the plant has 143 buds.

I have been very curious as to what the blooms look like.  I looked the plant up on Orchidwiz.  It has information about the plant, but NO picture.  I have also searched the web and have not been able to find a picture.  Now I was REALLY curious.  Most encyclias do not have spectacular blooms or colors.  As encyclias go, this is an attractive blossom.  My curiousity is finally satisfied.

The SIZE of Vandaceous Orchids

One of the downsides of caring for vandaceous orchids is that they can get quite large.  In the past, the photos that I have posted here have focused on the flowers.  The two pictures below show not only the flowers, but the entire plant.   From these photos, one can get a better sense of the size of these plants.

The first picture below is Mokara Moonlight 'Tangerine'.  It has two flower spikes in bloom which is not unusual for this orchid.  It also has another spike starting to develop which you cannot see in this photo.  This plant is 44 inches from the bottom of the container to the top of the flowers.

The second picture is of Ascocenda Motes Burning Sands.  This plant is 36 inches high with three flower spikes in bloom.  One of the blooms is coming from a keiki that is growing from the base of the plant.

FRAGRANT Ascocenda Blue Tahourdin

If you like FRAGRANT vandaceous orchids, then Ascocenda Blue Tahourdin is an orchid for you.  While the color is a rather dull grayish purple, it has a very STRONG fragrance and it is very pleasant  -- a very sweet fragrance, strong but not overpowering.

Like many Ascocenda's, this plant likes lots of water and relatively high light.  In the morning, I give this plant direct sun.  But if yours has not been in direct sun, try it gradually to prevent burning.  This plant likes high humidity, particularly in the summer, and can take hot night temperatures.  It also like full doses of fertilizer.  Keep the crown dry at night if at all possible

Look at the bottom photograph at the blossom at the very bottom.  This photograph was taken this morning after a hard rain the night before.  Look closely and you will be able to see a drop of water hanging off of the bottom of the blossom.

One of the things I like about this plant, even more than the blooms, is the way the roots grow.  The roots on this orchid tend to grow out all up and down the plant and sticking straight out and then dangling down at the ends.  It gives the plant a very decorative and asian feel to it.

If you live in Miami, I have some seedlings of this plant that I would be willing to sell.

This orchid is a cross between Ascocenda Karnda X V tessellata.

A Better Identification: Sc. Purpurato-Rex 'Cahiz-Yrygoyen'

This orchid was previously identified on this blog as Blc Tribute X Blc Mem Crispin Rosales.  It was the name that appeared on the tag from the vendor.  While I could not find this cross on OrchidWiz, based upon viewing pictures of the two stated parents, neither of the parents looked anything like this bloom.  It made me suspicious.  Another viewer on the web also felt that this bloom could NOT be Blc Tribute X Blc Mem Crispin Rosales.

So I sent a picture to the vendor.  He also believed that the plant was mislabeled and that the name of the cross is Sc Purpurato-Rex 'Cahiz-Yrygoyen'.  This cross does appear on OrchidWiz but without a picture.  Although, as of the lastest version of OrchidWiz, it does not show this particular cultivar.  When you look up the parents of this newly identified cross, they both have similarities to this bloom.  This identification is much more likely to be correct.

Have you had similar issues with plants that were mislabled from the vendor?

RAINING AND POURING IN MIAMI

Do you grow orchids outdoors in South Florida?

If so, be careful at this time of the year.  Based upon the showers that I have been receiving, it seems like we have definitely entered the "rainy" season.

Orchids like to get wet, but most also like to dry out fast.  With the high humidity and afternoon showers, it is hard to get orchids to dry out before nightfall.

There are a few stategies that you can use to overcome this problem.  If you use fungicides as preventives, now is the time to start your spraying schedule.  I would recommend once a month through September or possibly even October depending upon the weather.

Another strategy, is to mount your orchids with little or no media.  This works great during the rainy season and during the drier winter, especially for orchids that have a growing season in the spring and summer and require a rest during the winter.  The only issue that one may have is during the spring, if we have dry weather, one may need to water more than once per day.  That same is true for the very hottest days in the summer when there is no rain.

Additionally, make sure your orchids are well spaced in an area that gets any breeze that is available.  If possible, one may also want to use a fan if you can find one that is suitable to outdoor use. 

If all else fails, if you have any areas that are covered from rainfall, you may want to move your most sensitive ones undercover.  The biggest downside to this is that they may not receive enough light under these conditions.

As always, be observant, watch your plants so that you can react to changing conditions and reactions.