Oncidium Gower Ramsey 'Volcano Queen'

I have not had great luck with growing this orchid.  It has been a couple of years since this one has bloomed last.  I think it was not getting quite enough light.  I also think it is a little too HOT in South Florida for this orchid.  While there are some hot growing orchids in its genetic background, there are also some that like intermediate temperatures and at least one that likes cooler temperatures.  The leaves on this orchid are very thin and mine tends to droop and curl up a little.  This is generally a sign of not quite enough water, but with the heat in South Florida it is hard to give it enough water and not rot the roots at the same time.

Despite the problems, it has started to bloom right at the end of September 2010.  It currently has six spikes and could have up to 70 or 80 blooms per spike.  Right now only the first spike has fully opened blooms, although there are some buds on this first spike to open yet.  I am hoping that by mid October all of the blooms will have opened.

Do you have experience with growing this orchid in South Florida?  If so, leave a comment on how you care for it.  Thanks and enjoy.

SFOS Silver Medal and AOS Award of Merit - Ascocenda Banjong Delight 'Prince Harry' AM/AOS



I have owned this plant for four years and this is its first award.  It is hard to get all of the buds to open.  Many times the buds on the top third of the inflorescence will fail.  Not sure why.  Not thrips because I spray for those.  Maybe too dry.  I have made very sure this past year to give it plenty of water, especially in March, April, and the first half of May.  Maybe the gas powered lawnmower was polluting the bloom with its exhaust.  This past year I have banned the gas powered lawnmower from my growing area.  I only use electric powered equipment.  This plant also requires plenty of light and lots of fertilizer.  The color is gorgeous.  The flowers glisten in the sunlight.

While I have won Blue Ribbons before, this is my first AOS award.  The cultivar was named after my cat, Prince Harry.

Seedling from Home Depot

Four years ago I purchased an orchid seedling from Home Depot in a small plastic bag.  I had no idea what I was buying.  It was inexpensive, and I thought it would be a easy way to experiment with growing an orchid.

Four years later, the plant has finally had a bloom.  The orchid is Brassocatanthe Little Marmaid 'Janet' BM/JOGA.  Some people claim that there was a misspelling when the name was registered, and its name should be "Little Mermaid".  That makes more sense; however, from everything that I can tell, it was registered as "Little Marmaid".   It is a cross between Brassanthe Maikai 'Mayumi'  x Cattleya walkeriana.  I have two flowers on one spike.  As the plant gets more mature, I am hoping for up to four flowers one one or more spikes at each bloom.  I am also hoping for flowers that are a little larger, but they will never be very large.  It was expected that the flower would be small.  Probably why it was named "Little Marmaid".

The lip on this particular bloom  is remarkable in that it has a very distinct margin between the creamy yellow center and the lavender color around the edge of the lip.  Now, I have seen pictures of other blooms from this plant that have this distinct margin; however, this bloom has an additional feature that, combined with the distinct margin, makes it remarkable.  Along with this distinct margin, the lip also has distinct waterfall splashes of dark purple on a lighter lavender background.  On other examples of this orchid, sometimes these splashes of purple are lighter and they merge into the yellow center without a distinct margin.  On other examples that have distinct margins, the splashes of purple have been either non-existent or were not very distinct, having a more muddled appearance.  The lip on this bloom really makes the flower stand out.  Hopefully this feature will continue to express itself on future blooms.

                                                           

I grow this orchid completely bare-rooted in a slatted, wooden basket.

Ascocenda Crownfox Butterfly - September 2010

This orchid gets high marks for its clear colors, distinct markings and very flat flowers.  The size of the bloom is near the limit of this hybrid, about 7.5 cm.  8 cm. has been recorded on other cultivars of this hybrid.

This is the first bloom for this plant, even though the plant is quite a good size.  The arrangement of the flowers and the spacing seems to be very poor.  Maybe it is because this is the first bloom.

Blc, Alma Kee 'Tipmalee' - September 8, 2010

My Blc. Alma Kee 'Tipmalee' has one of its blooms nearly open.  The picture is below.  It has no fragrance, but the bloom has the characteristic clear yellow color on its sepals and petals.  The lip has the deep purple color.  The plant has great color.  So far the flower is not completely open, so it is hard to tell about its shape.  Although, it does appear to have a fairly round shape.  It does not seem to have a very large bloom.  The plant has another spike with three buds that have not opened yet.

Dendrobium Aprichart Rainbow - September 2010

This particular hybrid has no awards, so I guess the bloom is unremarkable.  However, given enough light, the orchid is a reliable bloomer and the plant grows quickly.  This plant now has 4 flower spikes but only one has about 3/4 of its buds open.  This orchid is a cross between Den. Theodore Takiguchi x Den. Mermaid.  Den. Theodore Takiguchi has won awards but not Den. Mermaid.

Blc. Alma Kee 'Tipmalee' - Sept 7, 2010

One of the blooms on this orchid is just starting to open this morning.

Chz. Maria Bockmann - Sept 7, 2010

Fully opened September 7, 2010.  No fragrance.  Blooms ready to enjoy for the next couple weeks.

Dendrobium Aprichart Rainbow

I do not grow very many Dendrobiums, mostly because I do not have a place to give them exactly the right light and care.  However, I purchased this one at the orchid show at Fairchild Tropical Gardens three years ago.  The plant has become quite large and blooms regularly for me.  Below is a picture of its best bloom yet.  However, it promises to get better since it has two more spike with buds and two other spikes with only half of their buds open.  This picture below only shows that flowers that have opened.  Enjoy!

Blc Alma Kee 'Tipmalee' Buds Completely Out Of Their Sheaths

On a previous post, I had a photo of a bud on this plant JUST starting to break out of its sheath.  The buds have now come completely out of their sheaths.  This plant has two flower spikes.  One spike has one bud and the other three buds.

Cahuzacara Maria Bockmann

Fairly new hybrid registered in 2008.  The picture below shows the bloom JUST now opening.  The flower is not mature and will open wider and may develop deeper color.  It has a sort of yellow/greenish color to the sepals and petals.  The petals are slightly peloric.  This plant is in a nice bamboo basket of a size that will allow this plant to grow two, three or more years undisturbed.  In four to seven days the blooms will be fully open.  Since this is the first time it has bloomed for me, I am not sure how long the bloom lasts.

Would you like to have it?  It is your for $50.  Leave a comment and you can pick it up in the Westchester area of Miami.