Cyps in pots 2013

[KyushuCalanthe]

Stunning tibeticums David. With literally thousands of plants to choose from I'm sure he picks the best parents to cross. What is the natural spread on these?

 

[monocotman]

tibeticums

Tom,
the flowers aren't huge - this last one has a dorsal sepal and lip about 1.5 inches across. Total flower span 2.25 inches.
I grow others that are bigger but then this one has only been in a pot 8 weeks after being flown half way round the world !
David

 

[NYEric]

After this inspiration, I took a couple of cyps (flavum) out of the fridge yesterday, put them in S/H cut plastic pots with aliflor/hydroton in the sump and perlite, chicken grit, and a serami type material, then I placed each plastic pot inside clay pots with sand filler in between the two pots to make a zeer pot. I will try to dig deep enough in the outdoor garden to get them below the surface. i'll post photos later.

 

[Dido]

be carefull with flavum and to much water.

I have one type which tolerates more water, but the others not.

Sounds like a good idea, flavum really need cool roots like other kinds.
No need about to much calcium, I am not sure that flavum need so much.

 

[NYEric]

Great! The day after I plant out the flavums we get torrential rains!

 

[The Orchid Boy]

So inorganic in pots so the roots don't get too hot, right? But planting in the ground, organic media is ok because the ground keeps things cooler?

 

[Dido]

the risk in pots is lower without organic.
This is my feeling, dont think it is about heat.

Eric when flavum start to grow they tolerate a lot of water.

 

[Ray]

Ray,

What made you use a tropical orchid mix for your reginae?
Peat is notorious for causing root rot problems with cyps.
Best to go with a mainly inorganic mix, depending on what you're growing it in.

The mix is a lot more bark and perlite than peat, and the plant seems to be doing well, so far.

I think it's hilarious that I - the inventor of semi-hydro orchid culture - would not even consider that for the cyp!!!

 

[monocotman]

this week's species

Photos show macranthos, fasciolatum and tibeticum 'light'.
Macranthos and tibeticum 'light' increase well for species but fasciolatum is fairly slow.
The flower of tibeticum 'light' is not typical for the species, looking more like froschii, but this is the closest thing when you key it out.
There is a fair amount of variation in the species in the macranthos complex with some species seeming to intergrade into others, so it can be difficult to decide what individuals actually are,

Regards,

David

 

[monocotman]

this week's hybrids

Hi,

It has been a windy week and one or two flowers have suffered damage.
First up is Aki 'light' and a good yellow form.
Next is 'Inge'. This plant really resented repotting in autumn 2010 and is only now showing good growth.
Next is Sabine alba with 13 flowers, not quite fully out.
About my favourite hybrid and an excellent grower.
Last is a large plant of Sunny with 25 stems and flowers, growing in a 9 or 10 inch pot.
Noticed a scent on this for the first time this year.
It must be from calceolus.

 

[Linus_Cello]

Very well grown plants! The Sabine alba is gorgeous. Please post pics when the flowers are fully out.
What zone can you grow Sunny?

 

[KyushuCalanthe]

Wonderful stuff David. As for that "light" tibeticum, it is a froschii type in my opinion - look at those over extended petals and dorsal sepal. Dr. Holger Perner seems to think this species is in fact just an woodland ecotype of tibeticum - as you say, within the macranthos section things get hazy.

Your Aki light reminds me of some large x ventricosum types coming out of China several years back - big yellow flowers, but all of those were infertile. The Inge looks great and I love the little one peeking out at the bottom. As for the Sabine alba, I can only say that it is one of the best hybrids out there, very reminiscent of the coveted macranthos v. rebunense, but far more available, affordable, and no doubt a much easier grower.

Now, that Sunny is beyond anything man! WOW, that is the way to grow a Cyp :clap: Stunning...

Tom

 

[monocotman]

ventricosums

Linus - Sunny is calceolus x fasciolatum. I don't know much about the climate zones but I'm sure it will grow pretty much anywhere other cyps grow.
Tom - thanks for the comments. Tibeticum light is proving vigorous and quick to increase compared to other species. The flowers are much smaller than the more usual tibeticums.
The Aki light is a definite hybrid - it has the leaf characteristics of pubescens - quite hairy with pronounced veining. Not at all like ventricosum.
I'd love to find a plant with a pure yellow flower -this is the closest one I grow.
Regards,
David

 

[Dido]

Great flowers and plant as usual.
I like your species.

With Inge I have problems, she put out again like the last 3 years a small spike and no flower.

I will lift it up in fall and put in a pot, beside is sitting shanxiense and faciolatum and some michaels and all are doing fine, so no idea about that one.

 

[monocotman]

Why an individual plants grows or fails is sometimes very difficult to decide.
I've had plants in pots fail for no apparent reason.
David

 

[Dido]

But dont forget some tell hybrids are so easy....

At least not all for me. Now it sounds better if you sometimes have problems too.

 

[monocotman]

Michael alba and Renate pastel

Both these plants were made using macranthos alba and are quick growers.
Michael alba only started out flowering 2 years ago and now has 9 growths and 10 flowers.
This plant seem determined to hang onto the green cast in the flowers longer than usual.
Renate pastel( macranthos x franchetti) was only available for about a year and when this plant first flowered in 2011 was pretty weedy.
It must have liked last year's cool summer as this year there are now 7 growths and 4 flowers.
The first photo shows the flower in 2011 and the next two in 2013.
As with paphs, wait for at least 3 flowerings before making a decision on whether to keep or ditch a plant!

Regards,

David

 

[parvi_17]

I'm very jealous of your renate pastel - it's stunning. I wasn't able to get one and now they are impossible to find. A friend of mine who owns a cyp nursery has a couple in his collection and won't sell me one, ahaha.

 

[KyushuCalanthe]

Stop it, you're killing me!

Fantastic Michael pastel specimen :clap: this pale form is such an improvement over the common, muddy flowered form. I'm digging on the mac x fran hybrid too - that bulbous lip is a trip, though I wonder where it came from since neither parent has such a fat lip usually. It seems more reminiscent of fasciolatum.

Great stuff!

 

[Dido]

great cannot wait till my Michaels open, have onyl young plant, but a lot of my normal will bloom the next days.