A few species in bloom

[SlipperKing]

Outragious pouch color on that suk! Happy it came around for you Gary. Got to love that virens as well.

Fingers crossed for your cross!

 

[troy]

The weather in africa sounds pretty harsh, great perserverence , blooming yur plants, they are not very common where I'm at , I really like them

 

[NYEric]

The weather in africa sounds pretty harsh, great perserverence , blooming yur plants, they are not very common where I'm at , I really like them

The weather in his area of Africa sounds like NYC, the Midwest and every part of the world that is not in the Tropics or Northern California!

 

[paworsport]

Thanks !

Thanks all! This time of the year is always a bit nerve wracking for me. Because I don't heat, I tend to grow very dry in winter so all my plants are a bit stressed as Spring approaches. I have to be very careful with my watering as the weather warms as we still get a few cold fronts moving through, also rots set in very easily (a combination of stress, cold nights and soft new growths starting to emerge). All my plants get a drenching with Captab now, and then Zineb in a couple of weeks. So not only do they look very stressed, sad and limp, but they look very ugly with the white fungicide residue as well.


I switched to a finer mix with chopped sphagnum added in. Previously I used a much coarser bark with charcoal on all my Barbata types, but they never seemed happy. So now 9mm bark with perlite and chopped sphagnum. Because they stay wetter for longer now, I increased the air circulation by moving them nearer one of the fans.

 

[atlantis]

Way to show off Gary. Welcome back. Very nice blooms. I on the other hand has 0 blooming right now but its going to change soon! Cross fingers.

virens and suk. are both very special. I love them :clap::clap:

 

[Rick]

Very cool Gary:clap:

You should breed that virens. They are very rare in collections.

 

[Stone]

Very impressive Gary. So let us know the minor changes needed to get your suk to grow well?

 

[Trithor]

Very impressive Gary. So let us know the minor changes needed to get your suk to grow well?

Fertilize with potassium nitrate only, and lots of it:rollhappy:

(Seriously though, finer mix, little bit sphagnum chopped up in the mix and that's about it)

 

[Stone]

Fertilize with potassium nitrate only, and lots of it:rollhappy:

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!

 

[emydura]

All nice Gary but that virens is special.

 

[Trithor]

Thanks guys, I will harvest the virens pollen and breed with it. We have WOC21 in a few days time, and I don't have much in bloom at the moment, so all breeding has sort of come to an end till after the show. Everyday I inspect the few that are in spike, trying to gauge if they are going to be ready in time (but if I am honest, none of them will, but we live in hope)

 

[Stone]

Thanks guys, I will harvest the virens pollen and breed with it. We have WOC21 in a few days time, and I don't have much in bloom at the moment, so all breeding has sort of come to an end till after the show. Everyday I inspect the few that are in spike, trying to gauge if they are going to be ready in time (but if I am honest, none of them will, but we live in hope)

We just had a show here and I had the same problem. Very irritating!
Say hi to Pepe for me and enjoy Jburg! Send pictures..

 

[Trithor]

We just had a show here and I had the same problem. Very irritating!
Say hi to Pepe for me and enjoy Jburg! Send pictures..

I will spend a bit of time at the show, and be sure to post a bunch of pictures. I am looking forward to a week of orchid-mania!