Orchid Update

Summer may not be the time to expect a lot of flowers on home-grown orchids. I'm still not ready to say that I know how to grow them in my circumstances. However, one Dendrobium nobile gives me a lot of hope.

This unknown variety is on its second rebloom. According to the web information on D. nobile hybrids, they usually require a period of sun in the summer, dormancy in the fall, and then bloom in winter or spring. This plant keeps putting out new flowers. Not a lot, but that doesn't matter. In addition, it has many buds. It just doesn't know the rules. I did have it in full sun, but now it's in a shaded south window. The other D. nobile remain in the sun, and seem to be more conventional. Currently I'm giving them a low-N plant food, continuing the weakly-weekly method.

Dendrobium phaelenopsis hybrid, purchased at the Missouri Botanical garden in St. Louis. My selection was restricted by size. I wanted small, so that I could keep in the carry-on. I made a loose tube of newspaper, seemed to protect this plant well enough. They had no problem with this at the St. Louis airport security. It fit well under the airplane seat. Label gives variety as "Genting". Given the appearance of the plant, and the shape of the flower, I wonder if the gift plant that I identified as "Vappodes" is really a D. phaelenopsis hybrid? If it blooms, I'll have a better idea. The leaves are somewhat different but that may be due to age of plant and my culture conditions.

I like showing the whole plant, for general morphology, and a close-up of the flower. That gives a nice idea of what the plant really looks like

Also from the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis, same transport idea. There were several that were much taller and full of flowers. I chose this specimen for the same transportation issues above. It did suffer a little in travel, but not too much. The variety is listed as "Anching Lubag". This plant has a nice fragrance. I liked the green color of the flower, and the shape of the flower.

Some of the cool-loooking arial roots were damaged in transport, so I snipped them off. When this plan finishes blooming, I'll repot in the same medium that I use for all of my orchids.

This Zygopetalum was from Trader Joe's, I purchased it a few weeks ago. It's a demonstration of how tastes change. I didn't like these before. It's nicely fragrant.

This photo shows the tubby pseudobulb. The growth habit is similar to Oncidium orchids.