Tuesday 9 November 2010

My orchids

I'm no orchid expert, but I do like to have a few about. I haven't killed any yet, and can now get reblooms. I do however seem to be really good at getting plenty of new growth! But as I now move them around the house in order to offer them different levels of light and heat, more and more are producing flower spikes.
Most of my orchids are just Phalaenopsis noids, but I have a couple of Paphiopedilums and this year successfully  grew and bloomed Habenaria Radiatta.

Bit of a love it or hate one!

Bought in bloom like this, but as soon as this spike finished it started producing another, and should be back in bloom in the next few weeks!

Lovely little dwarf gift that bloomed all summer outdoors!

A gem of a bloomer, that has been in flower since April. Now has six flowering spikes!

This rebloom was also put outdoors for the summer. Bought it indoors a few weeks ago, it has responded by throwing out a new flower spike.

A Paphiopedilum noid with a sequential flowering habit. Happily flowered all summer outdoors, but suffered bud blast when bought back indoors. Now that it's adjusted it's forming new buds again. Another that started flowering way back in April!

My pride and joy this year! Habenaria radiatta (White Egret orchid). 
Read a few stories of this terrestrial orchid being a little tricky, so I went instead for the option of growing it in a pot. Made up a medium consisting of sphag moss, bark chips which I beat up a bit in a pestle and mortar, perlite and vermiculite. It's eventual site got early morning and late evening sun. The only other point to observe it to keep it constantly moist, which is why my medium was a bit of a mix - the last thing that I wanted was to risk the small tubers rotting!

Bye for now....

4 comments:

  1. Keith, These are wonderful pictures! Have you thought about joining Blotanical.com? I know other members would love to see your orchids.

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  2. Thank you Charlotte!
    I've just tried to join, but the site is throwing a tantrum and won't let me!

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  3. Really a nice collection of Orchids. I love that first one. Glad to see you are experimenting a little, it is the best way to learn.

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  4. Thank you Digital Flower Pics!
    The first one was a rescue orchid for a couple of pounds. It had been knocked over and the stem was hanging off. I took it home, repotted it, cut the snapped stem of and stuck it in the spare bedroom. Two weeks later I spotted the new spike emerging.
    I have several plants with new spikes emerging at the moment.

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