Why not grow orchids?

[John hovancsek]

It is a rainy day but here are some of the things blooming that are not in the garden yet

[John hovancsek]

[piping plovers]

That one with yellow/chartreuse and red, spectacular display.  A type of cymbidium?

[realarch]

Beautiful John, love the ones in the first photo. 

Tim

[Kevind]

56 minutes ago, John hovancsek said:

It is a rainy day but here are some of the things blooming that are not in the garden yet

Wow!  I'd love to see how you incorporate them into your landscape!  Do you have other orchids?

[realarch]

Just thought I’d throw in a couple more from the garden. They are all attached to tree trunks.

Tim

[realarch]

Some more……

Tim

[realarch]

[realarch]

I like this last orchid, it looks like porcelain. The pale green color is so subtle.

Tim

[Kevind]

28 minutes ago, realarch said:

Just thought I’d throw in a couple more from the garden. They are all attached to tree trunks.

Tim

You can grow and bloom Cymbidiums in the same garden as Cattleya?  

[realarch]

Kevin, yes they all grow in the same garden. I honestly didn’t know of a reason why they couldn’t.

Tim

[Kevind]

4 hours ago, realarch said:

Kevin, yes they all grow in the same garden. I honestly didn’t know of a reason why they couldn’t.

Tim

Because those Cymbidiums typically need a cool winter in order to bloom, which might be too cool for the Cattleya and Dendrobium.  I've never seen them growing in the same conditions before.

[SubTropicRay]

I think there was a Stanhopea and Bulbophyllum in the photos.  Love them both and have wanted to try at least one of each.  My fear is they need more water than the Cattleya and Encyclia I grow and the rain is nowhere near as plentiful in Tampa.  

[Silas_Sancona]

1 hour ago, SubTropicRay said:

I think there was a Stanhopea and Bulbophyllum in the photos.  Love them both and have wanted to try at least one of each.  My fear is they need more water than the Cattleya and Encyclia I grow and the rain is nowhere near as plentiful in Tampa.  

Can't speak for the Bulbophyllum  but pretty sure there are Stanhopea that will do fine in FL..  Keeping them watered properly shouldn't be a problem there( could add a timed sprayer / drip over them if you needed to for the really dry days ). Bigger challenge might be finding the species that will tolerate warm / hot summer nights ( several of the more popular / easier to find seem to prefer a little less heat )

Regardless, totally worth trying to grow..

[Silas_Sancona]

6 hours ago, realarch said:

Kevin, yes they all grow in the same garden. I honestly didn’t know of a reason why they couldn’t.

Tim

It's that Hawaiian magic... Wet, mild, and humid enough for all sorts of Orchids to grow well..  My grandparents used to bring back Cymbidium bulbs or certain Dendrobium kekis from visits to see other family on the islands.

2 hours ago, Kevind said:

Because those Cymbidiums typically need a cool winter in order to bloom, which might be too cool for the Cattleya and Dendrobium.  I've never seen them growing in the same conditions before.

Dependent on the make up of some hybrids/ ..or species...  there are several Cyms that will handle warmer temps.. esp. in places like Hawaii..  By the same token, there are numerous Cattleya / related genera that tolerate much more cool-ish or cold ( by their standard ) nights / overall conditions and grow perfectly well outdoors in places where you'd never expect them to ...IE: Santa Barbra, around Los Angeles /  Ventura,  San Diego, California.   At a specific nursery in Santa Barbra, they grow Cattleya and Cymbidium together outdoors, and both thrive.

Remember  that w/ Dendrobium, some like it cool / borderline cold, esp. during the winter, to help stimulate flowering.  Some Formosae section crosses < This one possibly being something like Dendrobium X " Dawn Maree " > ( Orange and Crem colored orchid pictured below the pinkish Cym. ) is one of those " in - between-er "  " Drobs. "  that will tolerate a temperature range that would bring it into a similar, optimal temp. range as some Cymbidium  hybrids. Warm,  ..but not hot..

[realarch]

Kevin, Nathan, thanks for the info. There is a Stanhopea in one of the photos and it’s fragrance infiltrates almost all of the back garden. The little green orchid in the last photo smells like honey when it blooms.

Elevation here is 600’ (183m) and is incredibly temperate. Highs average low to mid 80’s in summer and high 70’s to low 80’s in winter. (28c-29c , and 26c - 28c) Winter lows are typically low to mid 60’s,(15.5c -18c). The humidity is off the charts all year around. It’s like we can grow almost anything except desert plants. Last year our rain gauge measured 185” of precipitation. (4700mm) You can give or take a few inches for accuracy. Giving the orchids access to the rainfall and light, the ones in my garden thrive.

Tim

[Silas_Sancona]

1 hour ago, realarch said:

Kevin, Nathan, thanks for the info. There is a Stanhopea in one of the photos and it’s fragrance infiltrates almost all of the back garden. The little green orchid in the last photo smells like honey when it blooms.

Elevation here is 600’ (183m) and is incredibly temperate. Highs average low to mid 80’s in summer and high 70’s to low 80’s in winter. (28c-29c , and 26c - 28c) Winter lows are typically low to mid 60’s,(15.5c -18c). The humidity is off the charts all year around. It’s like we can grow almost anything except desert plants. Last year our rain gauge measured 185” of precipitation. (4700mm) You can give or take a few inches for accuracy. Giving the orchids access to the rainfall and light, the ones in my garden thrive.

Tim

Agree, that temp. range + your humidity, rainfall, and light levels is perfect for a wide diversity of Orchids.. Warm growers never get cold, Cool-ish growers get some cooler nights to help initiate/ set flowers.. 

Curious how Epiphyllums would do there.  Seems like the temperature/ light/ and humidity could be ideal.. maybe too wet?  If they do well, imagine they would be monsters size- wise.

[Tracy]

10 hours ago, Kevind said:

Because those Cymbidiums typically need a cool winter in order to bloom, which might be too cool for the Cattleya and Dendrobium.  I've never seen them growing in the same conditions before.

As Nathan mentioned, it also depends on species.  I have spikes on Cymbidiums and Dendrobiums in the garden right now waiting to open and all my orchids reside outside. This includes some Phaleonopsis that my wife rescues from friends that would normally dump them in the trash after they bloom rather than waiting for them to rebloom indoors.  Some Cymbidium species are native to places like Sumatra and Borneo so the fact that they will bloom on the Big Island of Hawaii isn't something I wouldn't find too surprising.  My Cymbidium roseum in bloom last spring, this variant of the species is native to Sumatra, with others coming from adjacent islands up through Malaysia. 

[Kevind]

1 hour ago, Tracy said:

As Nathan mentioned, it also depends on species.  I have spikes on Cymbidiums and Dendrobiums in the garden right now waiting to open and all my orchids reside outside. This includes some Phaleonopsis that my wife rescues from friends that would normally dump them in the trash after they bloom rather than waiting for them to rebloom indoors.  Some Cymbidium species are native to places like Sumatra and Borneo so the fact that they will bloom on the Big Island of Hawaii isn't something I wouldn't find too surprising.  My Cymbidium roseum in bloom last spring, this variant of the species is native to Sumatra, with others coming from adjacent islands up through Malaysia. 

Yes, but not necessarily the ones in the photos.  This is new for me.  I've never known anyone to be able to successfully grow and bloom large corsage type Cymbidium and large Cattleya and Dendrobium Frosty Dawn (the one in the photo) side by side.  This is new to me.

[Tracy]

47 minutes ago, Kevind said:

I've never known anyone to be able to successfully grow and bloom large corsage type Cymbidium and large Cattleya and Dendrobium Frosty Dawn (the one in the photo) side by side.  This is new to me.

All growing here in my garden outside.  Large corsage type Cymbidium (Street Hawk is the hybrid name).  Cattleya intermedia and some Dendrobiums

[Kevind]

39 minutes ago, Tracy said:

All growing here in my garden outside.  Large corsage type Cymbidium (Street Hawk is the hybrid name).  Cattleya intermedia and some Dendrobiums

Very interesting.  Thanks!  Do you grow in pots because you don't have suitable mounts, or is it just a preference?

[Tracy]

11 hours ago, Kevind said:

Very interesting.  Thanks!  Do you grow in pots because you don't have suitable mounts, or is it just a preference?

Both pots and mounted.  I don't have many trees sufficiently tall yet and unlike Hawaii, don't have moss growing on my palms to make them better hosts.  Many are stick mounted or slab mounted and a couple are growing on palms.  A sampling of some different configurations and species that aren't in pots is below.

[realarch]

Hey Tracy, your orchid collection is quite impressive. Also you, and others on this board are imparting considerable knowledge to those of us who, for whatever reason, know very little. Thanks to you all for your posts. 

I can’t imagine the discipline it takes to keep your potted specimens watered given your climate. I couldn’t keep up with that task even in my rainforest environment.

Random orchids just seem to ‘pop-up’ here and there and somehow get embedded in the copious amount of moss that grows on everything. 

I found this one growing in some moss yesterday while pulling weeds.

Mahalo, Tim

 

[Cindy Adair]

I am excited to break the news here first that the American Orchid Society has agreed to reciprocally advertise for free with the International Palm Society. 

That means that those of you who are members of either society will likely see upcoming events such as our Biennial and the April orchid gala in both March publications plus an ad on PT and possible newsletter features.

Both organizations have a long history of research, education and conservation so it seems a win win.

I sent a link to the AOS for this very topic showing the varied interests of PT members and highlighting the active nature of our fun and friendly forum.

Please continue with the excellent photos and comments and I’ll try to chime in with mine from time to time.

Plus I might have some orchid gala photos to share in April.

[John2468]

I accidentally mounted this orchid upside down, should I leave it or take it apart?

[Kevind]

13 minutes ago, John2468 said:

I accidentally mounted this orchid upside down, should I leave it or take it apart?

I'm not sure what you mean by 'upside down'.  It looks fine.  

[Silas_Sancona]

1 hour ago, Kevind said:

I'm not sure what you mean by 'upside down'.  It looks fine.  

Agree, when mounting Orchids ..or even Tillandsia, etc.. there really is no upside down / right side up.. Plant will orient itself to it's liking..

[Cindy Adair]

Thanks again to all who post here. Here are a few recent blooms.
 

 

[realarch]

Those are beautiful Cindy. The one with the little yellow flowers is especially nice.

So, I found this one blooming out back, I attached it to a palm trunk may years ago. I’d forgotten how beautiful it was.

Tim

 

[Kevind]

23 minutes ago, realarch said:

Those are beautiful Cindy. The one with the little yellow flowers is especially nice.

So, I found this one blooming out back, I attached it to a palm trunk may years ago. I’d forgotten how beautiful it was.

Tim

 

You can grow Zygopetalums in Hilo?  I thought they liked it cool.

[Cindy Adair]

That is a lovely Zygopetalum Tim!

[Tracy]

14 hours ago, realarch said:

I found this one blooming out back, I attached it to a palm trunk may years ago. I’d forgotten how beautiful it was.

I wish I could get mine to grow on a palm trunk but have to be satisfied for now with growing it in a pot at the base of a skinny Dypsis onilahensis.  I'm actually growing a similar looking hybrid, Zygolum Louisendorf 'Rhein Moonlight'.

14 hours ago, Kevind said:

You can grow Zygopetalums in Hilo?  I thought they liked it cool.

Hilo has it all....  Perhaps preferring the cooler side for blooming?  Here in my climate zone, this Zygopetalum x Zygosepalums hybrid always blooms in winter.

[realarch]

Kevin, thanks for the ID. Something tells me you must have an orchid greenhouse with quite a collection. 

Mahalo Cindy.

Tracy, well it’s winter here as well with nighttime temps hovering in the mid to low 60”s. (15 to 18c) It’s also been unusually dry this winter, but this orchid blooms regularly every year. This species of orchid is so attractive, the green outline on the petals is such a subtle bonus. 

Tim 

[piping plovers]

I’m thinking this is an oncidium.  Anyone have any idea? Blooms in late winter/spring, delightful spices fragrance. Was given to me by a collector years ago and I imagine it was a named cultivar.
 

 

 

[Silas_Sancona]

1 minute ago, piping plovers said:

I’m thinking this is an oncidium.  Anyone have any idea? Blooms in late winter/spring, delightful spices fragrance. Was given to me by a collector years ago and I imagine it was a named cultivar.
 

 

 

Believe you're correct..  Couldn't even begin to figure out what cultivar though, lol.  Do know the group of Oncidiums, often referred to as " Mule's Ears " like it constantly warm/ hot, compared to others that will take some deg. of cooler temps.

[piping plovers]

52 minutes ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Do know the group of Oncidiums, often referred to as " Mule's Ears " like it constantly warm/ hot, compared to others that will take some deg. of cooler temps.

Thanks Silas!  Whatever type it is, it is very patient with my less than ideal indoor winter conditions—-cool and dark days.  As long as I provide it with abundant water, fertilizer, and cattleya light conditions during the summer outdoors it agrees to tolerate my winters and will flower.

[WaianaeCrider]

Our local LOWES always has orchids for 1/2 price sale when they no longer flowering and sometimes looking 1/2 dead.  Here are three I bought some time last year for $10 instead of $20.  After a few months in my shade house they fully recovered.

 

[piping plovers]

Would you like to see some orchid pics?  I’ll post these in groups of 20 since I took so many photos yesterday.  
 

I was driving back home to Rhode Island yesterday from Washington DC  and decided to take the scenic route through Pennsylvania to visit Longwood Gardens.  I heard that they were featuring an orchid display in their new orchid conservatory and my car swerved to PA.

Will post more on the gardens in the travel forum, but if you’ve never been to Longwood, it’s top tier horticulture. Extravagant displays in beautiful gilded age- type glass conservatories on the du Pont family country estate.

Once in the conservatory, I passed through these large spaces and hallways to finally get to the orchid room.  People were just in awe in the orchid room.

On the way to the room were ‘chandeliers’ made of phaleonopsis and cymbidiums.

Anyway, here are the 1st 20 photos.  I tried catching the names in many of the featured plants.

Entrance hall and other hallways

 

phaleonopsis chandeliers through one hallway 

Other hallways passing to the orchid house, some of these halls were like the Versailles of horticulture

 

 

Finally, the orchid conservatory…

 

I’ll post another 20 photos soon…

[Silas_Sancona]

16 minutes ago, piping plovers said:

Would you like to see some orchid pics? 

 

...Is that even a question that needs to be asked?,   Great shots..

Grocery store in the neighborhood had a bunch of new orchids in their Florist section yesterday.. Had to stop myself from buying a couple of the Oncidiums they had, lol.

[Tracy]

On 3/11/2022 at 1:31 PM, piping plovers said:

m thinking this is an oncidium.  Anyone have any idea? Blooms in late winter/spring, delightful spices fragrance. Was given to me by a collector years ago and I imagine it was a named cultivar.
 

 

That wire like growth of the inflorescence reminded me a lot of how an  Oncidium unguiculatum grew for me.  Flower color on the unguiculatum is different and flower structure deviates a little, but I would agree that it looks like an Oncidium.