Shopping spree at the orchid house

[swords]

I always spend too much but today...

Nearly mature Dimorphichus lowii in dire need of remounting. To remove it from the cistern it was hanging on we actually had to get out a pallate knife and scrape it off the moss grown wall! The cork mount was only about 1/3 of the size of the plant anymore! heh! This is the orchid who has two different flowers on the same plant. I've mounted it (old mount and all) to a large 1/2 trunk hollow which ought to hold it for some years.

A 6" pot full of Phrag. pearcii the oldest which have just started to spike. I love this grassy little slipper, it looks so great crowded in a big moss covered pot like they have in their "showroom". The grassy leaves totally hide the fact it's an orchid until the small slippers come up and drop their long twisting petals.

I also had to get one of their award winning Paph. delenatii from last weekends orchid show. That subtle pink slipper and it's silver mottled foliage had been haunting my dreams lately!

Anyone else here growing these species, have any growing tips that work for you?

Ok, it's off to hit my orchid books to read up on my new children.

 

[herenorthere]

That's an interesting assortment.

A great source of info for growing Paphs and maybe for Phrag's too is at Antec's website - http://www.ladyslipper.com/.  I once had a Paph delenatii but I either put it in one of the NASC auctions or traded it.  I think it's one of the Paph species that needs lime, but check that at Antec before adding any.  I don't have Phrags anymore because I wasn't particularly successful with them.  The hybrid that did well overwhelmed the space available for it and it left in a trade.  Enjoy them!

 

[JB_OrchidGuy]

Just so you can find better and more info the Dimorphichus lowii is accualy Dimorphorchis lowii. Atleast thats how the orchid encyclopedia has it spelled. Its very interesting having two different flowers on the same spike. The Cycnoches produce male or female flowers depending on conditions, but not on the same spike. Thats pretty cool. May be able to get some info on your plant here http://www.orchidspecies.com/diphmlowii.htm I hope that helps and good luck.

 

[JB_OrchidGuy]

Well turns out the cycnoches can have both flowers on the same spike. http://forum.theorchidsource.com/cgi-bin....=003814 here is a pretty picture of one that has both flowers on it.

 

[swords]

Thanks for the replies folks! I always mess up the names the first few hundred times I type it if I don't have the label in front of me.

I visited a new orchid shop in MN the other day called Winsome Orchids but it was pretty standard fare. Really nothing you can't get at Target or Bachmanns garden centers. Nice looking stuff but just not the weird off the wall kinda stuff I like!

In the spring they will have native MN orchids (C. reginae, etc.) which were rescued and propagated (with permits from the state) from road construction sites by Tom Nelson and Woodland Rescue (you can read a profile on the guy in the last chapter of that Orchid Fever book by Eric Hansen). I would love to get one but I want to talk with Tom personally before I buy one since I have questions about owning and propagating this species they didn't seem to prepared to answer. And when possible fines and jailtime is concerned... I want answers!