Fun question for all orchid collectors: so pretty much everyone here ;)

[Theodoreorchidking]

Hello everyone. I thought it would be fun for everyone to answer some quick questions and see what this year has brought: the good the bad and the wild. If you have a story about the orchid or pictures of the flowers please share!!! Answer as much or as little and have some fun with it!!!

1. What is the orchid that has done so well for you this year?

2.What is the orchid that is just a nightmare this year: no shame in showing disasters it happens to all of us and is funny to have a laugh over after all of the frustration.

3. What is your largest orchid or the oldest one in your collection.

 

[DrLeslieEe]

Fun game!

1. Paph charlesworthii sandowiae (album) ‘Immaculate’ FCC/AOS (first FCC ever for me!)

2. Paph vietnamense ‘The Miracle’ (recently posted with the petal streak, had blasted 3 previous times)

3. Paph delenatii ‘Dumbo’ (had it over 20 years).

 

[okiesarah]

1. With flowers, I'd have to say my plain base-model neofinetia. It's on the second bloom spike this year. And I've had this one for a while, so I can take credit for the flowers. I've had a couple orchids have some really nice root growth too

2. It's me. I'm the problem. I'm not the best at watering. But if i had to pick one, my maxillaria tenufolia is very rough looking, and I haven't been able to bloom it

3. I don't know what my oldest is, but my biggest that I've had longer than this year is probably my encyclia cordigera or my cattleya Mari's Song

 

[CarlG]

1. Phrag. Cardinale. Always does well. grows like there's no tomorrow. Close second this year: Paph. villosum.

2. Cischweinfia (any species). Always fails. Doesn't seem to travel well. I'll keep pushing that rock up the hill, though.

3. Biggest - Dendrobium Gatton Sunray. Longest held: Dendrobium aggregatum (or whatever it's called these days). Had it going on 46 years now.

 

[FlaskandFlora]

1. Cattleya (Laelia) tenebrosa! After an *extremely* poor year in cultivation last year (bad weather, slug infestation, general apathy about feeding, etc), I can see something happening inside the sheaths already. Especially excited because one of the tenebrosa is a division of ‘Rainforest’!

2. Paph. zieckianum/papuanum - I was SO excited to start growing this species. Got it home and within 10 days the plant browned out right at the base and was totally toasted. Still haven’t figured out why it went.

3. Biggest plant? I just came into possession of a 4 MASSIVE Paraphalaenopsis labukensis. They’re probably as old as me (late 20’s/early 30’s) and the longest plant is slightly over 7ft (2m) long. Truly amazing specimens. Longest plant grown? Slc Jewel Box! Such a common and simple hybrid, it was the first orchid ever given to me. It had just a single pseudobulb and now 4 years on it has almost 40! It’s the plant I blame for making me start a nursery.

 

[Theodoreorchidking]

1. Cattleya (Laelia) tenebrosa! After an *extremely* poor year in cultivation last year (bad weather, slug infestation, general apathy about feeding, etc), I can see something happening inside the sheaths already. Especially excited because one of the tenebrosa is a division of ‘Rainforest’!

2. Paph. zieckianum/papuanum - I was SO excited to start growing this species. Got it home and within 10 days the plant browned out right at the base and was totally toasted. Still haven’t figured out why it went.

3. Biggest plant? I just came into possession of a 4 MASSIVE Paraphalaenopsis labukensis. They’re probably as old as me (late 20’s/early 30’s) and the longest plant is slightly over 7ft (2m) long. Truly amazing specimens. Longest plant grown? Slc Jewel Box! Such a common and simple hybrid, it was the first orchid ever given to me. It had just a single pseudobulb and now 4 years on it has almost 40! It’s the plant I blame for making me start a nursery.

I always wanted Paraphalaenopsis labukensis but my humidity is terrible. I have a Trichocentrum stacii but the struggle is real with the watering on cork bark. It is doing OK now but im not sure if I can bloom it. If you have a photo of yours please share

 

[Ross]

Rather than this year, I thought I'd do all time
1. Paph that has done well for me: Paph niveum 'PbR' CCE/AOS
2. My biggest nightmare: An awarded Laelia anceps that keeps taking over bench space. Fortunately, a friend has agreed to take the unruly plant.
3. My biggest and possibly longest in my possession: Dendrobium nobile. I got it as a single growth division in 1999. I've attached a picture of one of its bloomings. (There's a clay pot somewhere in the middle of the plant

 

[FlaskandFlora]

I always wanted Paraphalaenopsis labukensis but my humidity is terrible. I have a Trichocentrum stacii but the struggle is real with the watering on cork bark. It is doing OK now but im not sure if I can bloom it. If you have a photo of yours please share

Here are the two biggest. There are a couple smaller siblings I’ll be offering for sale on my nursery’s FB page, but when I say smaller I mean only just - they’re both 5ft long plants still! I grow these outside in Ohio summers, then once the night temps get into the 50’s I move them to a hot tent in the basement of my mother in law’s house. She’s from the tropics and absolutely blasts the heat in the winters here - balmy 82F days and 73F nights there make for good Paraphalaenopsis weather

 

[dodidoki]

1. i bought a kolopakingi seedling from Sam many years ago.Now it is in low bud.

2. i killed my robinsonianum, lowii album and haynaldianum, when i repotted them , i use fertilizer salt instead of pumice as potting component ( both look similar and i changed them, sily of mine....).All repotted plants died within 2 days. I have no any idea at all how i will get another robinsonianum again...

3. I have a 15 years old cattleya dowiana aurea plant, I can see its wonderful flower year by year.

 

[Theodoreorchidking]

1. i bought a kolopakingi seedling from Sam many years ago.Now it is in low bud.

2. i killed my robinsonianum, lowii album and haynaldianum, when i repotted them , i use fertilizer salt instead of pumice as potting component ( both look similar and i changed them, sily of mine....).All repotted plants died within 2 days. I have no any idea at all how i will get another robinsonianum again...

3. I have a 15 years old cattleya dowiana aurea plant, I can see its wonderful flower year by year.

That's terrible. Take a deep breathe we all feel your pain and are here for you . I make stupid mistakes just like that and I feel so stupid. However I get over it. I was repoting my rothschildianum and it had this huge root that i was so proud of. When i put it in the pot it broke and i swear i had a mini heart attack. Thanks for sharing

 

[tomp]

1. Angraecum arachnities awarded both an FCC and a CCE same day

2. too many to list. Torrential rains here drove rats in where they feasted on many anceps spikes and an extra abundance of thrips caused several major disappointments.

3. Arpophylum giganteum A hug gorgeous beast with 27 full spikes which needs to be repotted as soon as I can figure out how. (Keep kicking the can down the road)

 

[southernbelle]

My best grower and so far most floriferous (10 last bloom) is C. trianae semi-alba flamea ‘Kathleen’. Just a wonderful plant that is almost always in bloom with a couple of spikes at least. And I forgot to mention most expensive, as it is an original Rogerson division from Orchids Ltd.
No nightmares, but a horrible disappointment when I discovered my C. Betty Ford ‘York’ with sentimental value (a gift from Terry) blasted two sheaths and developed ugly markings on 2 new ones and i discovered is virused. After having a completely clean collection for 2 years and testing every new arrival, very disconcerting on many levels!!
My oldest is an Rlc. Dinard ‘Blue Heaven’ about 10 yrs (not home to ck tag) It was my first cattleya after only growing phals. Purchased with 15 flowers on 5 spikes and was breathtaking. It started cattleya growing for me. Is been divided several times and grows really well. Never more than 4 flowers at once for me though.