I promised some orchids

[rtbaum]

Prior to my brother having to be admitted to the hospital, I did manage a visit to a nearby conservatory to try to get my orchid fix.









The visit only served to prompt me to visit an orchid show and ultimately spend too much money on adding to my collection......That story will follow

[Rainforest]

I particularly like your third shot Randy. Very nice light on the flower and a very pretty orchid. I wonder how it would look if you could brighten up the shadows in the left lower portion?

[bje07]

Backgrounds seem too busy for me.

[AlwaysOnAuto]

Hope your bro is OK Randy.
Orchids are some of the most photogenic flowers there are. You've captured these nicely.
Our neighbors invariably give us an orchid for Christmas each year and all we end up doing is kill them it seems.
I do try to photograph them before that happens though.

[Shadowman]

Nice series.

[rtbaum]

Hope your bro is OK Randy.
Orchids are some of the most photogenic flowers there are. You've captured these nicely.
Our neighbors invariably give us an orchid for Christmas each year and all we end up doing is kill them it seems.
I do try to photograph them before that happens though.

My brother is feeling better at this time, must be....he's getting frisky.

My #1 rule with orchids is to remove them from the "pot of death"! Invariably they will be placed in a pot with no drainage and packed tightly in sphagmum. Throw away the pot or use it to store pencils, remove the wad of sphagmum. You will find that the roots are not particularly dainty.
Most orchids are epiphytic in nature and actually do best mounted to a slab of wood and misted in the morning, every day. This is difficult to do for most, so a compromise is to place them in a well drained clay pot with orchid bark media. I water mine twice a week over a humidity tray (nothing more than a standard seedling tray with grid on top).It is important to remember that the roots should never be allowed to sit in water. I follow the school of thought that one should "water weekly weakly" All a fancy way of saying, fertilizer at 1/4 the recommended rate dissolved in rain water. You should only use reverse osmosis water, rain water, or bottled water. Tap water has nasty things added that are not good for orchids.
I have found that orchids are actually easier to grow than many house plants. In California, you can grow them outside if you wish. A good site for help growing orchids is http://www.orchidboard.com/community/

[JohnRostron]

You will find that the roots are not particularly dainty.

The story goes that orchid roots resemble testes (testicles) and that the name derives from the Greek(?) word for testis.

Nice pictures anyway. I like the last one best

John

[Wavelength]

Excellent images

[marlunn]

Nice images Randy, yep +1 on the rain water - all ours are only ever watered with rainwater that has stood, we have ours in clear pots with bark chips the sunlight allows the roots to Photosynthesis in the light as they do naturally and help feed the plant

John, indeed that however mainly applies to the terrestrial orchids - < Latin < Greek órchis, plant with roots like testicles' as the 'bulbous fleshy root growth is often split in two and roots grow on from them. So all the UK orchids are of that type.

[rtbaum]

Thank you, Nandakumar

[rtbaum]

Mark, the principal reason that Judy supports my growing of orchids is because she finds them sexy.....not me.....just the orchids

[Jimr1961]

For years I grew orchids using passive hydroponics method. In fact, I used to speak at many orchid societies around So. Cal. and had a business selling LECA medium, pots with holes in the side about an inch from the bottom and fertilizer. MSU based for pure water. I had about 600 plants until one particularly cold winter froze them dead. Even the Cymbidiums. The only orchids that survived were a hundred or so Disa uniflora and some primary Disa hybrids.

I gave up on orchids and decided to put my energy into taking my kids camping. Last year, I decided I would get back into Disa, but where I am is not conducive. Maybe sometime in the future when I live in a place where I can setup a proper stand for them. I currently have one pot full of Bletilla striata. In full bloom. It will have to do.

My coworkers get Phallys all of the time and regularly send them into their three year plunge into death. One is nearly there. Another is owned by a long time employee of mine and she was frustrated because no matter how well she took care of it, she would not get flowers. The plant was growing well, so I made her put it next to a different window for more light. Now she has a full inflourescence. She said she wanted to get it to bloom again quicker than three years from now. I told her we were going to put it into passive hydroponics and I would show her how to care for it. My goal is double spikes within six months. And it will happen.

[rtbaum]

For years I grew orchids using passive hydroponics method. In fact, I used to speak at many orchid societies around So. Cal. and had a business selling LECA medium, pots with holes in the side about an inch from the bottom and fertilizer. MSU based for pure water. I had about 600 plants until one particularly cold winter froze them dead. Even the Cymbidiums. The only orchids that survived were a hundred or so Disa uniflora and some primary Disa hybrids.

I gave up on orchids and decided to put my energy into taking my kids camping. Last year, I decided I would get back into Disa, but where I am is not conducive. Maybe sometime in the future when I live in a place where I can setup a proper stand for them. I currently have one pot full of Bletilla striata. In full bloom. It will have to do.

My coworkers get Phallys all of the time and regularly send them into their three year plunge into death. One is nearly there. Another is owned by a long time employee of mine and she was frustrated because no matter how well she took care of it, she would not get flowers. The plant was growing well, so I made her put it next to a different window for more light. Now she has a full inflourescence. She said she wanted to get it to bloom again quicker than three years from now. I told her we were going to put it into passive hydroponics and I would show her how to care for it. My goal is double spikes within six months. And it will happen.

A fringe benefit for caring for my brother is that he was an ardent herp fancier. That had to end with his illness and I now have access to his multiple exo-terra setups. I am currently making one into an orchidarium, the mister should arrive tomorrow. I have set it up with a couple computer fans for air circulation and two LED floods for lights. I think that I ready for a new adventure . One burning question.....How does one grow a Dendrobium cucumerinum?

I will post a shot of the whole affair.

Phals got me going down this road. My wife works at an assisted-living facility, she has been bringing them home after they begin their decline. I simply remove them from the 'pots of death', repot them properly and I now have somewhere in the vicinity of 20 phals, I brought 4 plants down with me and they will start blooming very soon.

[Jimr1961]

"How does one grow a Dendrobium cucumerinum?"
You may not have much luck with this one in an orchidarium unless you have it dedicated to plants of similar needs. It grows best on a stick or tree fern. Watered frequently during the growing season, but allowing to dry out between waterings so it doesn't rot. Weakly weekly fertilization is fine while growing. It does well in an intermediate house (Cattleya temps and a bit less light, but good light) during the growing season, but it needs that diurnal shift. During the dormant season, water needs to be pulled back and temps will need to get below 50F, maybe as low as 45F. This is why it is difficult to grow them in a controlled environment that isn't dedicated to this type of treatment. Dedrobium nobile and it's hybrids come to mind with respect to the conditions that will allow it to grow and bloom. BTW, you do know that the D. cucumerinum flowers stink, right? Like a Bulbophylum, sweaty workout clothes left in the gym bag in the dark for a month.

[Jimr1961]

Just shot this for fun. I really need to learn more about artificial lighting.


Bletilla striata
Chinese ground orchid. Can sometimes be found in the spring bulb section of your local nursery.

[rpcrowe]

The story goes that orchid roots resemble testes (testicles) and that the name derives from the Greek(?) word for testis.

Nice pictures anyway. I like the last one best

John

And the word Testament derives from the word "testes". It was a common practice among biblical era Jewish men to grab their testes (their own) to solemnize a deal or to verify what they had said was the truth. Just the way our culture shakes hands

[rpcrowe]

My local supermarket has a selection of very attractive orchids. They are displayed against a black background which I think is a wonderful way to isolate their delicate beauty...

[rtbaum]

"How does one grow a Dendrobium cucumerinum?"
You may not have much luck with this one in an orchidarium unless you have it dedicated to plants of similar needs. It grows best on a stick or tree fern. Watered frequently during the growing season, but allowing to dry out between waterings so it doesn't rot. Weakly weekly fertilization is fine while growing. It does well in an intermediate house (Cattleya temps and a bit less light, but good light) during the growing season, but it needs that diurnal shift. During the dormant season, water needs to be pulled back and temps will need to get below 50F, maybe as low as 45F. This is why it is difficult to grow them in a controlled environment that isn't dedicated to this type of treatment. Dedrobium nobile and it's hybrids come to mind with respect to the conditions that will allow it to grow and bloom. BTW, you do know that the D. cucumerinum flowers stink, right? Like a Bulbophylum, sweaty workout clothes left in the gym bag in the dark for a month.

It will be in there with a Phal. manni, Phal. belosa, and Leptotes bicolor initially. I'm planning on the orchidarium staying at 50-70% RH. I am aware of the odor.....wife is not . Luckily, I have the option of several enclosures, so I can provide all sorts of conditions; worst come to worst, I can place it near a window, 50 degree temps are not hard to come by in Mn in the winter. Best thing about mounts....they can be moved.

[rtbaum]

Just shot this for fun. I really need to learn more about artificial lighting.


Bletilla striata
Chinese ground orchid. Can sometimes be found in the spring bulb section of your local nursery.

I doubt that it would be an option in Mn, we have about a 4-6 week period where it goes from freezing to 80-90 degrees

[rtbaum]

My local supermarket has a selection of very attractive orchids. They are displayed against a black background which I think is a wonderful way to isolate their delicate beauty...

It drives me crazy how the supermarkets and big box stores market orchids. They make a nice display on the surface, but the consumer is set up to fail. Most orchids in their native habitat grow on trunks and branches of trees or rock faces where they are subjected to high humidity, frequent showers and drying breezes. Think of the conditions that you were subjected to in Viet Nam. The way that they are potted in decorative pots and packed in sphagmum moss without airflow nor drainage is just so wrong! Once you provide the proper environment those same orchids will provide years of enjoyment....The real surprise is it really is as simple as placing them in spot that receives protection from mid-day sun and watering a couple times a week with weak fertilizer solution. They will respond.