HousePlants Now » Orchids

Potinara Kat E-Sun ‘Caribbean’ lives up to its name

admin — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 17:23:31 +0000

Pot. Kat E-Sun 'Caribbean' (Sc. Beaufort 'Elmwood' AM/AOS 4N x Blc. Sunset Bay ' Miyamoto')

Pot. Kat E-Sun ‘Caribbean’ (Sc. Beaufort ‘Elmwood’ AM/AOS 4N x Blc. Sunset Bay ‘ Miyamoto’) is a stunning orchid as you can see. Its in the Cattleya alliance. The Beaufort parent is a classic and brings plant size downs considerably–this is obviously a happy marriage with the Blc. Sunset Bay.

I grow this plant in a sunny south facing window year ’round. It is blooming in 3.5″ pot and has several strong growths and leads so will need repotting soon. It took about a year to bloom although it matured at least one or two growths in this period.

Often I find that many orchids with cyclical growth patterns take a while to adjust to your growing environment, especially if quite different from the one they were growing in before purchase. However, once they’ve settled in, they should have a more regular blooming cycle. This hybrid apparently blooms several times a year–something to look forward too!

Brassavola David Sander

admin — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 03:07:55 +0000

Brassavola David Sander 'Carney'

This is one of my favorite orchids. It is now known as a Rhyncovola but I prefer the more commonly used older name. I remember seeing a photo of it in one of the first beginner orchid books I bought and being immediately captivated by the flower. This orchid, in the cattleya alliance, has a large elegant, almost ghostly flower, with a striking fimbriated lip. The flower is white, but the back of the sepals have a dark pink pigment so when the light shines through them they can appear pinkish.

I purchased this division several years ago and it took about 3 years before it bloomed! Since then it has bloomed regularly putting out more flowers every year so it was well worth the wait.So if you have one, it may need to put on a good number of growths in order to bloom.

The plant blooms in the summer, and thrives in bright light and humidity. Learn more about how to grow Brassavola David Sanders.

Orchids shine at 2010 Chelsea Flower Show

admin — Wed, 26 May 2010 03:00:56 +0000

Eric Young Orchid Foundation Exhibit, photo: BBC

The Eric Young Orchid Foundation was back at Chelsea this year winning a gold medal with a stunning display of Miltonia (pansy) orchids. Located on the isle of Jersey, the foundation is well known among orchid growing circles for their first-rate collection of award-winning Phragmipedium slipper orchids. Like most of the phragmipediums that the foundation grows, miltonias appreciate milder temperatures with cooler nights. Miltonias have been bred with their near relatives such as brassias and odontgolossums to produce hybrids which are widely available and easier to grow.

See photos of individual miltonias in display at Chelsea

Orchids on the National Mall–USBG 2010 Show

admin — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 01:14:06 +0000

” …go on a journey with the U.S. Botanic Garden as we explore the ways orchids have permeated the lives of people around the world. Discover orchids in arts, literature, exploration, jewelry, trade, and business. Travel the world within our Conservatory and discover how influential and magnificent orchids have been in our lives!” [from the USBG website]

Ever year, the U.S. Botanic Garden and the Smithsonian Institution Horticultural Services Division put on an great display of orchids, and this year is no exception. Many stunning specimens from the collections are on view, including ‘vintage’ orchid cultivars, some dating back to the turn of the last century. The show is free and runs through April 11 2010 at the US Botanic Gardens on the National Mall in Washington D.C.

Here are a few photos to whet your appetite!

orchid dragon

Dendrobium Merlin

Dendrbioum species

The dendrobiums pictured are mostly spring bloomers requiring a bright, cool and drier winter rest in order to produce their abundant blooms. Many beginner growers have a hard time withholding water for one to two months in order to stimulate flowering. Many of these types of dendrobiums are deciduous-they’ll drop their leaves which also prevents water loss during this ‘rest’ period. The cooler temperatures required during this rest period, about 50 F, also reduces plant growth and hence, water requirement. In fact, they will not produce any new leafy growth until warmer weather, after flowering. Remember also that ambient humidity also tends to be high enough to keep the plant pseudobulbs(long canes) from drying out

Dendrobium farmeri

Lc. Gold Digger 'Buttercup'

Oncidium Irene 'Mamau'

Cymbidium insigne

Phalaenopsis amabilis orchid, as white as snow

admin — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 22:46:14 +0000

Phalaenopsis amabilis orchid

With all the snow we’ve been having, I thought i would post a photo of Phalaenopsis amabilis, an orchid species from Southeast Asia that is in bloom now! It has pristine snowy white flowers, and has been used to breed the standard large flowered white phalaenopsis orchids that have become so ubiquitous. Nevertheless, there is something charming about this species, with its small delicate flowers that are produced in great abundance.

Phalaenopsis amabilis orchid flower

This compact plant is grown and bloomed as a houseplant on a windowsill, not in a greenhouse! Learn more about growing Phalaenopsis amabilis.

I’ve posted a larger photo below!

Phalaenopsis amabilis orchid

Orchids in Bangkok

admin — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 17:06:01 +0000

Thailand has long been synonymous with orchids and for a good reason. Not only do orchids abound naturally, but there is a long history of orchid cultivation. Now, cattleyas, and other non-native orchids, are grown alongside local varieties. Wherever you go in Bangkok, you see orchids, whether in a fancy arrangements in a hotel lobby, hanging outside in front of a modest home, or simply growing epiphytically on trees for the pleasure of all who pass them.

These photos were taken in Thailand last fall, mostly at the weekend Chatachuk market where people converge to buy orchids, from cheap dendrobiums to highly sought rarities. (Also see our earlier post, Tropical Houseplants in Bangkok)

Cattleyas for sale

I’ve seen more cattleyas in Thailand then anywhere else in south-East Asia. Granted I haven’t been to Malaysia, but even in Indonesia or Singapore, they are not as common. Thai growers will have many different types for sale-they are so ubiquitous that they often do not have name tags attached!

Gorgeous cattleya orchid for sale. Price? About $5!

Cattleya orchid

purple cattleya

Vandas are native to south-east Asia, but are slow growing plants. They demand bright light, heat and humidity and are grown to perfection in Thailand and other south-east Asian countries.

A Vanda orchid for sale-about US$10

Mini dendrobium phalaenopsis (bibbigum type) by the box

cut orchids-buy buy the bunch!

Below are some more unusual orchids. Paphiopedilums, phalaenopsis, bulbophyllums and many other unusual orchids can also be found at the weekend market.

Cycnoches hybrid

Slipper orchid hybrids and species(several are native to Thailand)

(Below)This type of Vanda hybrid, probably a Mokara, is very common through south-east Asia. They are the equivalent of carnations (though much more exotic) and you will seem them widely used as cut flowers often in huge bunches. They come in a variety of colors from the yellow through red part of the spectrum, often in rich oranges and sunset shades with darker spots on the blooms.

Specimen vanda hybrid!

Compact Phalaenopsis make great houseplant

admin — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 04:38:00 +0000

Dtps. Sogo Gotris 'Sweetheart'

Doriataenopsis Sogo Gotris is a very compact growing phalaenopsis hybrid that produces several short statured flowering spikes with miniature blooms. These types are phalaenopsis orchids are generally known as multiflorals and make great houseplants. Some growers market them as ’sweetheart’ type phalaenopsis.

No matter what you call them, these charming hybrid have been developed for small spaces and will thrive on a bright windowsill or under lights. A plant in a 3.5″ inch pot, as shown to the left, can easy produce one or two spikes with 15 or more flowers in less space than an African violet!

Some multifloral phalenopsis can actually get quite large as plants, but many, depending on the parentage, will remain on the more compact side. Chances are, they will never outgrow a 5 inch pot and if you can get them that big, you should have a specimen plants capable of producing multiple spikes covered in blooms for a good part of the year. This particular plants consists of two growths which are joined like Siamese twins. This is fairly typical of some species, such as phalaenopsis equestris, that is used in this kind of breeding. Eventually, you can get several growths in a pot each producing one or two spikes resulting in a cloud of blooms.

Dtps Sogo Gotris--art shade flowers

This particular hybrid bring art shade colors into genre that has been dominated by white with red lips, or dark pink flowers. The flowers, also tend to be very long-lasting and the plants will be in bloom for months!

These orchids are quite robust and do not need special care making them good houseplants. Since they tend to need smaller pots, the only thing you have to be especially careful about is that they do not dry out during warmer weather. They tend to produce their flowering spikes in the fall bringing much needed color during the cooler winter and early spring months.

Learn more about growing phalaenopsis orchids

Orchids: Oncidium Sweet Ears

admin — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:09:29 +0000

Oncidium Sweet Ears 'The OrchidWorks'

Oncidium Sweet Earsis ‘dancing doll’ type Oncidium that is not difficult to grow if you follow our tips. It is a cross between two Oncidium hybrids: Sweet Sugar x Cloud Ears, hence the name. The flower is a fairly typical for a ‘dancing doll’ type Oncidium: bright yellow flowers with variable darker brown markings and a large lip, but, nevertheless, its an improvement over other similar Oncidiums. There are several clones of this hybrid available, and most should be easy to grow.

The plant shown to the left is a young plant blooming on a single mature growth in a 3.5″ pot. It exhibits a compact ‘Christmas tree’ or candelabra flower arrangement that breeders are striving for when it comes to orchids for the houseplant market. Oncidiums have been bred for many years and the goal is now to produce plants that are more compact than the species which can grow to be very large and often have very long unwieldy flower spikes.

Read on to find out how to grow these oncidiums as houseplants on your windowsill.

Oncidium Sweet Ears 'The OrchidWorks'

You can grow dancing doll onicidiums in bright light in a slightly shaded southern,west or east facing window. Allow them to dry out slightly between waterings, and fertilize regularly during the growing season. They will bloom on a mature spike, generally in the cooler months. the flowers last several weeks each, and flowers on the branched spikes will open sequentially resulting in a long lasting display of blooms. After flowering, restrict watering and fertilizer slightly, until you see new growth emerge at the base of the mature bulbs.

The clone photographed is Oncidium Sweet Ears ‘The OrchidWorks’ which was patented by James McCully a grower in Hawaii. Apparently, this clone was selected for its superior qualities from 120 plants. There are many ways that breeders can benefit from discovering, or breeding, a superior plant. I do not believe that patents should be granted for such orchid ‘inventions,’ unless there is a mechanism to share the economic benefits resulting from such a patent with the breeders who bred the parents used to create the patented plants, not to mention the countries from which the parent species were first removed from, without permission and without any compensation; an impossible task once you think about it. Nevertheless, tissue cultured plants like these are often widely available for reasonable prices. This plant, for example, was purchased at Trader Joe’s.

Oncidium Sweet Ears 'The OrchidWorks'-first bloom

See the close-up of the flower on a second blooming (above right) of the same plant, the year after the main photo and the close-up (below left) were taken! The flowers are significantly larger(some of them almost twice the size as the year before) , especially the lip. The coloring is also more intense though that is affected by growing conditions, especially temperature and light. This year, our plant had three branches, but apparently more than five branches are possible. The lesson here, is that it takes several years for orchid plants to bloom to their full potential. Grow the strongest, most robust plants you can and you’d be amazed at the quality and quantity of flowers that you will get!

2009 Orchid Show in Washington D.C

admin — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 22:20:16 +0000

Here are a few pictures from the 2009 National Capital Orchid Show and Sale. This event takes place every year at the U.S. National Arboretum in Washington D.C. on Columbus Day weekend and admission is free! Most of these photos are from the Carter and Holmes display as there was sufficient natural light to get good photos. However, there are a large number of displays with hundreds of orchids in bloom. Orchid societies from surrounding states also put on displays which are enjoyed by several thousand people over the course of the weekend. For more information visit www.ncos.us

Orchids-Fall Open House & Sale this weekend

admin — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 15:39:20 +0000

Psychopsis papilio orchid hybrid

Orchid growers Carter and Holmes, a long established greenhouse in North Carolina are having their fall open house and sale this weekend! See details below. Their new fall orchid mailer is full of color photos is now available. Carter & Holmes are renowned for their cattleya orchids and have bred many wonderful and award-winning cattleya hybrids over the years. Also not to be missed are their spectacular Psychopsis papilio hybrids(see photo)!

Details
“You are invited to our 2009 Fall Open House & Sale on Thursday, August 27th, Friday, August 28th, and Saturday, August 29th from 9 AM to 5 PM each day. We will have the following programs each day at 10 AM.
Thursday, August 27th – General Orchid Culture
Friday, August 28th – Cattleya Species
Saturday, August 29th – General Orchid Culture
We will also be serving lunch between 12:30 and 1:30 PM each day for customers buying plants or supplies.
If you plan to attend one or more of the programs or if you plan to join us for lunch, please let us know by emailing us at orchids@carterandholmes.com or calling us toll free at (800) 873-7086.”