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Our orchids are going nuts
For the last 20 years I have maintained a small collection of exotic orchids. Nothing major, just about 30 or 40 plants. Mostly cooler growing members of the cattleya, oncidium, odontoglossum and dendrobium alliances.
To be honest, they've never been very successful. Sydney climate doesn't really suit exotic orchids (except cymbidiums and I've never liked them). They struggle along but typically there isnt a lot of flowering. Until this year. I've now consolidated them in an unusual growing situation and they are going nuts - everything that should be flowering either has flowers or flower spikes - mostly lots of.
I'm not sure what to put this down to - it could be the unusually warm autumn but I think its more likely that in the new growing situation they get far more sunlight, water and fertiliser then I've ever dared to give them before.
Heres a sample of whats flowering. Apologies in advance for the horrible things I'm probably going to do with the spellings.
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This is Laelia anceps. If you wanted to grow just one species which thrived in the sydney climate this is it. Grows outdoors year round, thrives on neglect, and flowers prolifically each year. Will even grow outside in Melbourne, so I hear. Long lasting flowers are 100mm vertically, 2 or 3 per spike. One plant of ours has 18 spikes.
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A tolumnia. Once called equitant oncidiums. Brilliant flowered little miniatures - the actual plant is quite small and sometimes looks like a Tilandsia. I believe they grow in the same environment. Inside in winter.
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A large flowered odontoglossum hybrid. Not much removed from Odontoglossum crispum, I think, and crossed with something else that gives it heat tolerance. This one has just opened and is not coloured up fully yet.
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One of the endless parade of Miltonia crossed with various members of the odontoglossum alliance. This one has 3 spikes for 30 flowers.
Back on the subject of the Laelia anceps and its adaptability, FWIW the only other spectactularly-flowering exotic orchids I've found which are perfectly comfortable in Sydney (outdoors, year-round) are Brassia longissima and Coelongyne cristata. Actually, its not really cristata (for which Sydney would be too hot) its a hybrid between cristata and some other Coelongyne. I can find its true parentage if anyone wants more info. Long tresses of 60mm white flowers with a yellow centre and a crystalline texture.
Many times I have thought I've found others to add to this short list but they tend to grow and flower well for a few years then slowly loose vigour and die.
Anyone know of anything I'm overlooking? Happy to trade.
Over the next few weeks there will be more flowering - I'll add photos if anyone is interested.
chers
arron
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One more new one and a re-photo
Not much has matured since my last post - I guess the weather is getting cooler so flowers are taking longer to open.
This oncidium has opened. I decided to take it indoors and give it the studio treatment. I photographed it in my woodwork photography setup (which I showed here).
This is what I call a miniature. I think if left to its own devices it would grow into a large plant, but it will flower as a very small division so if you divide it rigorously you have a very small plant which can be conveniently bought inside for winter.
I think with these line-bred oncidiums the breeders concentrate so much on enlargening the shape of the labellum they get a bit shapeless and floppy.
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I also decided to redo the photo of the odontoglossum hybrid in the desktop studio.
Each flower is 130mm across, so its quite a display. I think the best feature is the subtle yellow lining on the labellum.
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Its a Beallara Tahoma Glacier - a hybrid which is a bit yawn-inducing to most orchid lovers but its hardy and easily obtainable so I will always have room for it.
There are other plants with flower spikes coming along, but they will mature very slowly once the weather cools so I wonder whether they will overlap with the spring-flowering species. It takes an orchid spike a long time to mature.
cheers
Arron