Laelia anceps

This is from the cross Walbrunn x Helen by James Rose at Cal-Orchid.  Very nice form and color.

Pacific Orchid Exposition purchases

A month between posts!  Things are just very busy these days.  However, I made a trip to the POE yesterday.  Fabulous show.  I will post lots of pictures in a different post.  Here are the four plants I bought.

Brassavola cordata alba from H & R Nurseries

C. purpurata semi-alba (Deschamps x Cindarosa) from Olompali Orchids

Encyclia Orchid Jungle, remake of the famous primary hybrid by Sunset Valley  Orchids

Angraecum didieri (in spike) from Cal-Orchid

Here is how I rationalized (to myself) these four purchases.  I previously had an A. didieri from Cal-Orchid that died and I decided to try again.  It is a small plant that I will grow indoors as a house plant. This time I will mount it when new root growth initiates.  E. Orchid Jungle is a primary hybrid between E. phoenicia and E. alata.  It looks to be very vigorous and Fred Clarke has remade it using very select parents.  Should be gorgeous and fragrant when it grows up.  C. purpurata is such a great species and I have trouble resisting excellent seedlings.  This one, from two exceptional parents, has lots of potential.  It probably won't flower for three or so years (two if I am lucky).  I have been thinking of getting a B. cordata for a while so I took the opportunity.  This happens to the alba form.  I would have preferred typical color, as they are usually more vigorous.  I will mount this when new roots initiate.

On the benefits of high humidity

A few months ago I acquired some Neofinetia falcata seedlings from Cal-Orchid.  I re-potted them and put them out with the other plants.  Winter arrived, watering frequency dropped dramatically and the Neos looked like they were suffering - the leaves were not as hard as they should have been and even showed mild wrinkling - not enough water.  I moved them into my compot growing chamber.  This tank has moderate temps and high humidity.  Within days the leaves plumped up and new root growth started - all the Neos look much happier.  While it is true that both temperature and humidity were increased when I moved these seedlings, I lean towards the humidity as the factor that allowed more moisture to get to the roots and stimulated new root growth.

Another reason to get a greenhouse!

Cold!

It is predicted to hit 24F tonight.  I am leaving my supplemental CFL lighting on all night in an effort to help keep temps above freezing in the "greenhouse". 

Cattleya labiata

Things are not going well.

Yesterday I found two Cattleya maximas with rot.  On each, the lead pseudobulb started turning brown and soft from the top.  I did radical surgery, cutting below the rot.  Also, you can see my C. labiata semi-alba - a mere shadow of last year's blooming.  Colder than normal temps are setting things back.

Pollination