Terrestrial Orchid Forum :: Last posts

Beth, try Western Orchid Labs over is SA. I haven't used their flasking service but Kevin has been very helpful when I have ordered media from him.

Hi Frank,
true, this is a very adaptive plant. Regarding watering during winter, this one is quite forgiving (at least, in Buenos Aires). I would not say that they need no water at all during winter, (I will check with Mónica, my friend from Salta I got this one from). If night temperature goes below 12ºC, all my plants do great if soil is completely dry (and sometimes temperature goes below 0ºC!!) but I think it is not good if roots are completely dry for too long. But not every night temperature goes below 12ºC. And, during winter, we have something we call "veranillo de San Juán" (Saint John's little summer), a very short period of about one two weeks or so of rather hot days for winter (about 18ºC minimum?? not sure).
So, I guess these every-now-and-then waterings prevent the roots from dehydration, at least here. But, I will try this year not watering at all one of them to see how it does, but only if they loose all their leaves.
About pollinating them, I really need to learn how to do it. And how to sent them. And, will selfing work on this species?

Greetings..

Guiye

¡gulp! The stature is more than a little impressive and such an enchanting flower! I hope really hope that these become more common in cultivation and that I can see them for myself in the wild one day. What next Frank, Bipinnula?

hello,
the Cyps are planted in a garden of about 2.000 square meters, in different places.

and they flower successive, so it is not possible to show them as you like. they are not growing in a "bed" together side by side to show them in a "display"

cheers

Peter,
this is a lovely flower. I assume that the artificial light is the reason for the early flowering? But it would also be possible to grow them in the natural light even in Stockholm, isn't it?
Here in (North) Germany I have flowers between May-June (Disa tripetaloides and aurata) and usually July (Disa uniflora).

Hi all,

I was browsing last month's Scientific American while waiting for something at work when I found this article:

Orchids Are as Finicky as the Fungi That Nourish Them

The article reports on a study of 3 species (Goodyera pubescens, Liparis liliifolia and Tipularia discolor) that were used in a seedbait experiment in old versus new forests.

The article's not that long so I won't spoil the plot. Additionally, I was able to find the publication it discusses:

Limitations on orchid recruitment: not a simple picture

Via the
OrchidGuide Digest

As curator of one of Canada’s largest collections of fungi, Sigler has 11,500 strains of living organisms under her care, from the fungi killing North American bats with white-nose syndrome to soil microbes that help rare orchids thrive.

The microfungus collection and herbarium at the University of Alberta has been nurturing fungi for more than 50 years. And since 1990 it has been considered a “unique” national resource worthy of federal money.

No more. Funding for the collection, and dozens of other “major” and “unique” science facilities and resources across Canada, has been hit by federal cuts in what is being described as a “disaster” for Canadian science.

Full article

If this is a forum no-no just let me know.

Nope, I post links to other fora myself every now and again.

I tried the milk thing one time in a terrarium. The only thing happened was a lot of fungus, till the whole tank was filled with it. I had to redo everything, to get rid of it. never again with milk for me. The Swedish company, that sells Epiweb also sells a substance with it, to smear on the Epiweb and to stimulate moss growth. It is based on yoghurt or buttermilk and contains the spores for the moss already. That seems to work in the right quantity.

Fred

Thanks for posting the term monocarpic. I was unable to think of it when I posted last and was scolded slightly Embarassed

by my botanist friend for forgetting that term as he and I have discussed that possibility on a number of occasions regarding Corallorhiza.

The real news is:

I went out to my bog garden yesterday and found to my surprise that the Platanthera lacera has reappeared and will apparently flower this summer. In the summer of 2010 as the plant was emerging we had a wicked hot dry spell and before I realized, and could water, the Platanthera turned brown and shrivelled up. I made the assumption it was dead. 2011 was the wettest year in as long as records have been kept here in Northeast Ohio. I saw no evidence of the plant last year. I am exceedlingly pleased that it has reappeared and looks like it will flower.

In the event it does flower I will pollinate and share what I can with the seedbank. Currently Cyp. pubescens and candidum are flowering and I will be pollinating several of those so hopefully there will be seed to share there as well.

here are some pics from Diuris brevifolia X venosa

last one for this year I think

Ophrys fuciflora

Hi Craig

Here in the Western Cape of South Africa where Disa grows naturally it gets scorching hot in the summer. The trick thou is to keep the roots cool as you probably no bye now. Sphagnum moss is best for evergreen Disa as it retains moister and keeps the Ph level down. Disa like a ph lower than 6, rain water is best. The best way of cooling your Disas in sweltering heat is to grow them outside in a spot that gets morning sun till early noon then they will need 50% or 60% shade cloth suspended above them. It will probably be best not to grow them in an inclosed area as good air movement is essential if you are not using a fan. Use a pot with drainage holes that goes up the sides of the pot or use plastic hydroponic pots. Fill 1/3 of the pot with gravel and the rest with sphagnum moss. Place pot in a tray of water. It is important that the water does not cover the drainage holes, if it does put gravel or clay pebbles as Fred suggested in the tray and stand pot above water.

Hope this helps!

Bradley

The Listera ovata has spread in my garden which is very wet.It grows wild about 20 kms away.

The cephalanthera are grown in clay pots plunged in damp sand in a well shaded frame which only gets sun in the late evening at the height of summer.

Hi Chris,

check http://data.gbig.org for Orchidaceae in the area you'll visit. Most observations are during flowering.

Also worth a download: flora of China family Orchidacea: http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/

Lastly there's a book called "Native orchids of China in colour" floating around on the web. I'll send you a PM if I find it.

hope this helps.

You could very well be right, I'm just keeping my fingers crossed the the roots are stll good

The chance of buying a random fungus on ebay that turns out to be a match for an orchid species is pretty close to 0.

VAM fungi are a different group of fungi, normally associated with trees and crops. They're readily available online (mostly order Glomales) but they're not going to germinate your orchid seeds.

Info here

Hi,

here is another picture of the first Diuris, taken by a friend. Maybe this helps Smile

Christian

They are alike but comparisons like this are very useful. I particularly like the bright upright sepals in the D. orientis cross.

Anacamptis morio/Green-winged Orchid x 1
Anacamptis pyramidalis x 1
Anacamptis laxiflora

Bletilla striata
Bletilla striata variegated

Cypripedium flavum
Cypripedium macranthos
Cypripedium Reginae/Ladys Slipper x 2
Cypripedium smithii
Cypripedium tibeticum
Cypripedium Ulla Silkens/Reginae x Flavum x 1

Cypripedium Pueblo
Cypripedium Kentucky Pink Blush

Dactylorhiza fuchsii/Common Spotted Orchid x 3

Laxiflora platanthera bifolia/Lesser Butterfly Orchid x 2

from the wild in chiangmai thailand and in the 5th picture is baby pods of this year.

Charles,

You may want to contact Bill Steele at Spangle Creek Labs in Minnesota
www.spanglecreeklabs.com
, he offered seedlings of C. arietinum a few years back and would likely know the best way to pot culture them.

He and I have corresponded on occasion and he has always been most helpful both with media and sterilization recommendations as well as after care.

Give him a shout, and since he is also here in the U.S. he can steer you to products that are available here. He often recommends Turface which seems to be at least somewhat similar to neudohum and is pretty cheap (like $15 for 50 lbs). I am growing (second season out of flask) C. californicum from Bill in predominantly Turface...doing quite well so far Very Happy

From the information I got when I obtained it some years ago I believe it is the occidentalis form.

Culture has been quite straightforward.They are in 3 inch clay pots and I have them planted in coarse duff from under some pines with the tuber at ground level and a light top dressing of grit.

They are in a sand plunge in complete shade but good light .I keep them damp from when they die down about end of May until I see new growth and then they are kept very moist (the compost is very free draining) through the winter and spring until I see them start to go dormant.They have not been kept frost free but have not been below -4c.

Hello together,

here are some pics from my Pleione grandiflora.

All the best,
Johannes

Hello all,

wanted to share an Australian gem with you:

Kindest regards
Stefan