Bloom Event - Bulbophyllum wendlandianum

I've never really grown Bulbophyllum. My first experience of them wasn't good because I bought one before I could give it the conditions it wanted. At least now I can keep them alive. Through most of my orchid growing career I have been a chronic underwaterer and while this might be fine for some orchids, it certainly does not suit Bulbophyllum which really don't like to dry out and suffer if they do. This is compounded by the fact that Bulbophyllum are generally small sprawly plants with very shallow root systems that dry out very quickly indeed. I have learned my lesson though, and I am doing better with them now I water more often.

The particular species I am featuring here I got from eBay over a year ago. This is actually the second time it has bloomed for me so I must be doing something right. My first photo is a bit of a close up because the flowers are so very unusual.

I really like the tassels on the upper sepal and petals. They flutter in the slightest breeze, as does the rocking lip which I'm told is something of a distinguishing feature for many Bulbophyllum. Now there is a bit of a problem with these flowers along with quite a lot of Bulbophyllum species: The smell. One might be kind and describe this as 'fragrant' but 'odorous' might be a better word. The flowers are trying to attract those unspeakable creatures that consume the rotting flesh and excrement of the world, and I'd say they do a pretty good job of it given the smell. As luck would have it you do have to get close and have a good sniff - at least it doesn't fill the room.

Although this is a slightly odd camera angle, the flowers are large for the size of the plant. The plant is small yet with only one lead growth but it hasn't been any trouble at all, apart from its slightly sprawling habit. It is actually planted in a small basket that some orchid or other originally came in (long dead), but I have put the whole thing into a clay pot (scrounged from a garden centre) to hold on to a bit of moisture and humidity. I've no doubt that it'll root onto the clay and it'll end up being stuck in there forever, but I don't really mind that. More Bulbophyllum will turn up in my next 'new plants' post, so I must be somewhat encouraged.

Perpetual bloomers - Epidendrum 'Ballerina' and Prosthechea 'Octopussy'

Good day to you, my lovely readers. I'm sure some of you will be disappointed that, despite this post's title, it doesn't actually concern a Victorian undergarment. But stay with me. I was looking in my growroom this morning and I thought to myself that I am going through what I call a 'dry period' meaning that there doesn't seem to be much in flower that I haven't already showed you in previous posts. How blind I am! There are, of course, those orchids that are so very obliging I forget that they are in bloom. It is, in fact, rare that they aren't in bloom, so I call them perpetual bloomers.

The first of these dubious beauties is Epidendrum 'Ballerina'. This is a beautiful crucifix orchid that comes from South America. It is, despite its curious appearance, a Cattleya relative. It has what we consider to be 'upside down' flowers. The correct term for this is non-resupinate. Most orchid flowers, if you look very closely, have actually had to twist through 180 degrees for the lip (labellum) to be at the bottom of the flower, and these are termed resupinate flowers. If the buds opened as they actually formed, the labellum would be at the top, resulting in what seems to us to be an upside down flower.

I also notice that for some reason these flowers only have four petals instead of the usual six. I have no explanation for this. The flowers have come out rather pink on this photo. I assure you that in real life they are pillar-box red. Extra buds are produced at the top of the flower spike for quite a long time, so flower spikes can get quite tall. However, these orchids will also re-bloom from the nodes on their flower spikes, so I usually cut the top off them and allow them to re-sprout from further down so they don't get too tall. This type of Epidendrum (termed reed-stemmed) can get quite tall, but the Ballerina series (other colours are available) are quite short and bushy, making nice houseplants. They are thin stemmed and lack the obvious pseudobulbs that the Cattleya family usually possess. New growth and aerial roots are produced both from the base and higher up the plant, resulting quite untidy sprawling masses of plant.

Warts and all, eh? Leaves on these tend to be long lived, so untidiness is rather inevitable. The plants are easy enough to grow. They enjoy bright light (as catered for by my growlights), but direct summer sun should be avoided. Flowers are produced from the tops of the canes as they mature, and plants with a few canes will be almost always in bloom. I have three plants, and this one is still blooming, the other two have had a brief rest (they are also smaller). The plants seem to appreciate plenty of water but should be allowed to dry slightly between waterings. They like an open potting mix, and perform best when allowed to grow on to a larger size. I still consider my plant(s) to be small, but they are good performers.

Now on to the second of my 'Perpetual Bloomers', Prosthechea cochleata 'Octopussy'. I am very attached to this plant. It is a consistent performer and seems very easy going, at least under my conditions. It bears non-resupinate flowers once again. The common name for Prosthechea cochleata is 'cockleshell orchid' and it is easy to see why. It is also easy to see why this cultivar has earned the name 'Octopussy'

What a beauty. I'm not sure whether 'Octopussy' is a specific clone of the species, or whether it's a hybrid. If it is a hybrid, I can't imagine what its with. This plant blooms from the top of a newly completed pseudobulb, either as it finishes its growth or after a rest period of an undefined amount of time. Flowers are produced sequentially at the top of the spike, with two or three flowers out at a time. Buds keep coming and the spike gradually lengthens, maybe reaching 30cm eventually. This particular plant has been in continuous bloom for (at time of writing) at least 19 months, and is still producing buds. Old flower spikes produce buds even after new growth has started, completed and produced spikes of their own.

Aside from the leaf tips, this is quite a compact, tidy plant. Again, it enjoys bright light and its leaves are naturally quite a pale green. Dark leaves I imagine would indicate not enough light. It also likes to dry a little between waterings, but doesn't seem too fussy on the whole. It is my intention to allow this plant to grow on to specimen size. It has started to produce multiple lead growths now, so we are well on the way.

I have another (un-named) cultivar of Prosthechea cochleata which is not such a good performer as this plant. Shorter flower spikes, fewer and smaller flowers. I still rather like it, as I assume it is closer to the wild species. Just goes to show how much variation there is even within a particular species.

Hippeastrum Bloom Event - X Hippeastrelia

This is a first blooming for me, and I have to say I'm impressed (I know, I always say that, I guess I'm easily pleased). Look at it, though....

X Hippeastrelia is a hybrid between a Hippeastrum (nobody knows which one it was) and a small, less well known bulb called Sprekelia formosissima or Jacobean lily. This lovely hybrid is unusual in that it manages to carry the best traits of both its parents, without any of the negatives. The colour is wonderful and deep with a velvety texture to the flowers, and they are longer lasting than Sprekelia. Two flowers to a stem, rather than one from Sprekelia, a good size compared to the size of the bulb. Here's a gratuitous side view of the bloom.

The blooms are absolutely dripping with nectar, have to be careful where I put it.

Seems an easy grower, the hardest part of its culture is finding them in the first place, my plant came from eBay. It is reputed to multiply fast (much like the Klister varieties which will be discussed in a full length post I'm working on) but this has only produced one offset so far. It is potted in my standard houseplant potting mix and grown temporarily under lights. Mostly I try to grow Hippeastrum under natural light, but when the plants put up flower scapes during winter they tend to stretch to the light, no matter how much I turn them, and get unnecessarily tall.

I have had this plant of over a year, so I'm not sure what the bloom trigger here is but it didn't flower immediately on planting like a lot of Hippeastrum do. I did read about Sprekelia that it takes time for it to settle down after disturbance, so maybe this trait has been passed along to the hybrid.

In other news,  a package of new bulbs from Royal Colors arrived today that I'd ordered back in November. I ordered six varieties (Hercules, Daphne, Picotee, Bogota, Gervase and Double Delight), two of which (Hercules and Double delight) are jumbo sized bulbs.  Pictured below is Hercules, with my mostly obscured hand for scale.

Once again, I'm impressed with the quality of the bulbs, and can't wait to get them into bloom, though it will be in the new year, as I have the last lot coming up to bloom at the moment.

Bloom event - Sophrolaeliocattleya little hazel

I got this from Chantelle Orchids a couple of years ago and I really is a true miniature, only standing around three inches high. I assume that gorgeous deep red colour comes from its Sophronitis parent.

 I should point out now that I'm almost entirely sure that under the most recent nomenclature, this hybrid is probably just a Cattleya, rather than Sophrolaeliocattleya as I've titled it. Yes, that's right, the taxonomists have been at it again. I understand the need for accurate naming, but the constant name changes really do get confusing. I quite liked the old name as even though it was much longer, it did give some hint as to the parentage. I always feel with big genera (Dendrobium is a case in point) that they are so diverse in their species' habitats, habits and even morphology that the name really tells us almost nothing. Under the old system, if we see that Sophronitis is present in a hybrid's parentage, we immediately expect diminutive plants, often with strongly coloured flowers, large for the size of the plant. We might also expect plants to be more tolerant of slightly cooler temperatures.

Whatever it is called, this plant is a good strong grower, if rather slow. I would have preferred more than just the one flower, but then beggars can't be choosers, can they?

Bloom event - Oncidium katrin zoch

Oncidium Katrin Zoch is one of those orchids that I just can't quite understand. It grows (after a fashion). It blooms. And repeat. It just never seems to really grow well or reach the proportions you see them at in garden centres. I'd love to know how those Dutch growers do it (this and several other genera I can't grow for toffee). Having said that, this plant has done well recently, and beggars can't be choosers, can they? It has produced probably 20 flowers on a branched spike, and has put on an attractive show. It is originally one of Ray Creek's infamous plug plants, and I have had it a few years now. Sadly it doesn't seem one for 'clumping up' (producing more than one lead), although it often produces more than one spike per pseudobulb, though never at the same time. It is definitely a keeper though, as it has the most amazing scent, sort of like white chocolate with a bit of vanilla. And its a pretty colour. I shouldn't whinge so much about it really, should I?

Hippeastrum bloom event - Red Garden

Hippeastrum 'Red Garden' is a lovely miniature Hippeastrum that produces clumps of smallish, sort of daffodil sized bulbs in what is known as a 'klister'. Two or three flower spikes might be produced per bulb, resulting in quite an impressive show. Only one flower scape on this occasion, though. I have several colours in this 'garden' series (yellow, striped and white). I divided up the clumps to get them planted and rooted so its nice to see blooms. Expect lots of Hippeastrum pictures in future!