The Dean Street Orchid Blog

We're Back for 2012!

2012-01-23T20:39:00.000-05:00

For those of you who have stumbled upon or googled your way to this blog, and wondered, where are the new posts? Wonder no more, O ye teeming multitudes! (Or at least ye tiny handful)

I'm teaching a class at the New York Botanical Gardens this spring as part of their annual Orchid Show, and am also doing a talk or two for local orchid societies, and that means new topics! The class is on orchids to grow under lower light conditions, and I've got one talk on mini Vandaeceous orchids, and another on the Dendrobiums of New Guinea. I'm not going to give out too many details, mainly because I haven't written the scripts yet, but I'll be posting bits to test out, and would welcome any feedback, as well as suggestions on what you'd like to hear more about.

In the mean time, I'll fill in with some shorter posts related to the ups, and particularly the downs, of growing orchids in urban apartment conditions. Next up, the La Boheme orchids: the ones you're always dying to grow, but always end up dying on you despite your expressions of deepest amour. Love! Valour! Crown rot! Stay tuned.

Dean Street Orchids is now The Dean Street Orchid Blog!

2010-12-02T11:36:00.000-05:00

This should've happened a long time ago . . . .

too many people saw the old title, assumed I was an orchid nursery, and contacted me to buy plants. OK. It was confusing, I should have known better, it's fixed. Moving on!

Orchids can help you get a job!

2010-05-03T20:07:00.000-04:00

No, really, it's true. Walk into an interview, and see what the prospective boss has growing in her or his window. If there's an orchid or two, mention casually that you grow orchids. If you're feeling really gutsy, you could bust out with something like, "Wow, what a great multi-floral phalaenopsis hybrid you've got there!" You may get asked a cultural question, or launch a whole discussion about how each of you got into the hobby, or favorite species, or where to buy good plants. It could be that extra connection that clinches the position for you. Hey, you never know.

Or it could be like my interview today, when I noticed a well grown ludisia discolor on the windowsill, and upon mentioning it to my interviewer, was told that the plants were the territory of his executive assistant and he was "not allowed to touch anything."

I'll let you know whether I get the job or not.

Touring the Latourias: An Overview of New Guinea Dendrobiums

2009-01-31T12:41:00.007-05:00

Dendrobium is the second largest orchid genus after Bulbophyllum, with over a thousand species stretching from Australia to Northern India. The Latorias, aka the New Guinea Dendrobiums, are a small group of about 24 species, mainly from the warm, wet lowland areas of the island, although some species occur in the Solomon Islands, the Philippines and other nearby islands. They received their name from early orchid taxonomist C. Blume, who described D. spectabile in 1850 as a new genus Latourea, which is no longer recognized as separate from Dendrobium. I prefer the term “Latourias” to “New Guinea Dendrobiums” because, obviously, there are plenty of other Dendrobium species from New Guinea, many with completely different growth habits and cultural requirements, and not all of the Latourias are from New Guinea.

They are related to the Australian Dendrobiums of the Dendrocoryne section (speciosum, kingianum, etc.), but do not interbreed well with them, or with most other Dendrobiums either. They usually have long, club-shaped psuedobulbs with leaves on the top, and one or two ﬂowering spikes coming out between the leaves. The ﬂowers are usually white, yellow or green, often with purple spots. They’re not really huge, but they pack mass appeal when they reach mature size; multiple spikes per growth are not uncommon. Because of their remote habitats, very little was known about many Latourias until quite recently, when several species that had been ‘discovered’ early in the century and then pretty much forgotten were rediscovered and described in the 1970s and 80s. Hybridizing among the Latourias is likewise a recent phenomenon and still conﬁned to just a couple of growers, mostly in Hawaii and Australia.

And yet there is every possibility that Latourias will join phal-type Dendrobiums as the most popular groups of the whole genus. Here’s why: they’re pretty easy to cultivate and ﬂower, a bunch of them are minis or compact in habit, and in many cases their ﬂowers can stay in perfect shape for 3 or more months! They ﬂower quickly from seed, and are not seasonal in their ﬂowering habit, so twice a year blooming is quite possible. Second generation hybrids are now coming onto the scene, promising even better ﬂower colors and presentation on compact,fuss-free plants. You have to wonder why they remained little known for so long. One issue, as with so many new areas of breeding, is that not only were there few species in the hands of commercial growers, but the species and their breeding potential were not well known—and their relatively low fertility with other Dendrobiums made hybridizing look like a bad bet. Another is that Latouria species do have their bad points: their tall, narrow psuedobulbs make for ungainly plants that tip over if you breathe too hard on them, and the ﬂowers can be hidden under the top leaves. These shortcomings are being addressed by both line-breeding of species and hybridizing.

As early as 1909, breeders were cross-ing Latourias with other Dendrobiums, but modern breeding within the section didn’t start until the 50’s and 60’s, with only a handful of hybrids registered by pioneering Australian grower Hermon Slade and a few others. Then in the late 80’s and 90’s, hybridizers began hitting their stride. Roy Tokunaga, the ‘R’ in H & R Orchids and one of the top Latouria breeders, relates that he and others saw the potential of Latourias as specimen plants, and started looking for species that could grow well in warmer climates and were not too tall and spindly, with good ﬂower counts and presentation.

Latouria Species and Hybrids

Let’s look at the individual species and the magic they can make when crossed.

Possibly the most popular species for modern hybridizing is D. atroviolaceum; it’s compact, has nice purple-spotted white ﬂowers that are large for the size of the plant, grows easily and can remain in bloom for up to six months. A pretty plant in its own right, it is the parent of a number of well-known hybrids such as Andree Millar, Roy Tokunaga and Wonder Nishii. Roy Tokunaga went one better and found a particularly dwarf clone of this species, ‘Pygmy’, and is remaking old
crosses with it to produce more compact plants, as well as new hybrids.

Next up is a charmer, D. aberrans, a true mini with pseudobulbs only a few inches tall. From the tips sprout little white ﬂowers, blush pink around the labellum; they last and last and last—some claim up to 9 months! Its primary hybrids Maiden Charlotte and Mini Snowﬂake, are near-perfect windowsill orchids, being under 6” high, with clusters of long-lasting pretty white ﬂowers that dance above the leaves.

D. alexanderae has red-spotted, twisted petals and a red-veined, dagger-shaped lip. It was once suspected of being a hybrid of D. spectabile, but is now considered a valid species. It is one of the taller-growing species in the section, but its size can be controlled in hybrids such as Green Elf and Spider Lily. It’s also fragrant, with a warm, honey-like scent that may be passed on to its progeny!

D. convolutum is the best known warm-growing, green-ﬂowered species; many of the others come from high cloud forests and are more difﬁcult to grow. It stands about a foot high, can ﬂower any time during the year, and the ﬂowers typically last 4-6 months. Growers use it to extend the ﬂowering season and longevity in hybrids, although its green-to-chartreuse color combined with a wine-red lip is not everyone’s cup of tea. Combined with D. atroviolaceum it produces Andree Millar, and with D. aberrans makes Aussie’s Pixie. Other well-known hybrids include Gerald McCraith, Green Elf and Key Lime.

D. johnsoniae may be the most gorgeous Latouria: its large white ﬂowers have upswept petals and tepals like wings, and red lines in the lip. These qualities have earned it awards as a straight species, unusual for a Latouria; it’s a parent of such distinguished hybrids as Roy Tokunaga and Stephen Batchelor. Its ﬂowers also last for months and can occur in any season.

D. macrophyllum is very common in New Guinea and surrounding islands; its wide native habitat means it grows well in a variety of conditions. It’s one of the tallest, with psuedobulbs over 2 feet high. Like many Latourias, its ﬂowers are covered with hairs on the backs of the petals and tepals. Flower count is up to 25 per spike, and its green-to-yellow ﬂowers have a good size and shape. It was parent to many early Latouria hybrids, such as New Guinea, Nellie, and Caprice. It also appears to be more fertile with Dendrobiums from other sections, leading to interesting breeding possibilities.

D. rhodostictum is another compact gem similar to D. johnsoniae in size and looks: its white ﬂowers have purple spots on the lip margins and are held above the foliage, they may have a light fragrance. Roy Tokunaga liked it so much he named one of its primary hybrids Nora Tokunaga after his wife; it’s also the other half of the popular Maiden Charlotte.

D. spectabile is weird. Really weird. Its ﬂowers look like alien monsters, with bizarrely corkscrewed petals and sepals, yellow-green with heavy maroon spotting. It has a strong, sweet fragrance, rare in this group of species. It grows upwards of 2 feet tall, with spikes rising up above the leaves. As a parent, its twisted habit becomes more dramatic than grotesque in hybrids like Adara Nishii and Woodlawn. It appears to be growing more popular in the latest crop of hybrids, perhaps as growers look for something completely different.

One of the things that makes Latourias interesting to me is that their breeding potential has barely been tapped. The vast majority of registered hybrids are simple primary crosses, but more complex second generation hybrids are starting to show up. As with many orchids, a number of Latouria species show a lot of variation among seedlings, which growers like Roy Tokunaga are exploiting as they gain more experience with breeding and growing. Introducing parents from other sections has the potential to open up new colors, ﬂower shapes and scents, much as the hot/cold Australian hybrids brought new shades and shapes to the tough, cool-growing Dendrocoryne species. The future is looking mighty bright for Latourias!

Culture

So, now how do you grow all these Latourias you’re about to buy? The basic conditions are warm, humid, and evenly moist: they don’t like daytime temperatures above the 80s or nighttime temps below the high 50s. They appreciate good humidity and air movement but tolerate dry air so long as they’re well watered. Watering well means keeping the medium moist but not soggy; new growths are particularly susceptible to rotting if water gets inside the unfolding leaves, so be very careful when watering from above. Mounted plants need a good soaking 3-5 times a week, depending on conditions. Weak fertilizing once every week or so is recommended. Latourias do best in bright but not full sun; I have found that Latourias will get leaf burn in a south-facing window without adequate shading at midday; a sunny east or west window should do ﬁne. The smaller species and hybrids are particularly ﬁne candidates for growing under lights. All need a fairly loose, well-draining mix, so that roots stay moist but are well aerated; baskets or clay pots are best. I’ve seen very dramatic mounted Latourias, but keeping them moist indoors is likely going to be a challenge. As always, small plants in small pots need more frequent watering then specimen-size orchids in large pots.

Creepy Crawlies: Orchids of Unusual Growth and Flower

2009-01-31T12:24:00.004-05:00

Let’s face it: orchid growers are weird. If we were normal, we’d stick to mainstream plants like roses, lilies or ﬁcus trees. To quote paph grower Joe Kunisch in Orchid Fever: “the only people that are weirder than us are the dog show people . . . and we are not a distant second by any means.”

Within the wild, weird world of orchids, there are plenty of odd-looking orchids to choose from -- you could build an entire collection of weirdos from just within the Bulbophyllum/Cirrhopetalum alliance. Mormodes and Catasetum both contain species capable of scaring small children. I’m not even going to mention the Draculas, it’s just too obvious. But many of these are not easily grown at home without special care, and some get quite large. So, for this article, I’m going to look peciﬁcally at orchids with a crawling, miniature habit. This is not just a Halloween-season gimmick—well, OK, it is—but crawling habits are easy to accommodate if you know a few tips, and they can pack considerable ﬂower power if grown to specimen size.

The genus Dendrobium is so large it has something for everyone, including weirdos. Dendrobium toressae is so small it can ﬁt anywhere, its leaves are less than a quarter inch long! Sure, you’ll need a magnifying glass to see the ﬂowers, but it has a particular charm of its own, and you can hide it in someone’s hair for a trick. Dendrobium lichenastrum, a newer species, is similar in habit, but its ﬂowers are a whopping 1/4” wide, and fragrant, too. Dendrobium rigidum is deﬁnitely creepy, with greyish-green leaves spotted purple, but it’s also a nice, easy-growing species which ﬂowers readily and tolerates neglect, and its small, red-lipped blooms are not at all scary. Dendrobium laevifolium is a true gem of an orchid. It’s miniature, has purple-backed leaves, and long-lasting sparkly pink ﬂowers. It’s often mentioned as an easier alternative to Den. cuthbertsonii, one of the most spectacular minis in existence if you can keep
it alive long enough to bloom. These and other species in the oxyglossum section of Dendrobiums come from cold, wet, high mountain elevations in New Guinea, where they have constant cool temperatures, high humidity and air movement, and they never, ever, ever dry out. Think of them as delicate sprites among a crowd of goblins. Finally, for something completely different, there’s Den. dichaeoides, with ranks of small overlapping leaves—like a Dichaea, which we’ll get to next, and hot pink ﬂowers at the tips.

Dichaeas are little known rainforest epiphytes from Central and South America, and they grow in warm, damp, medium light conditions; their overlapping leaves are shaped to shed excess water. Most grow best mounted, so their pendant stems can wander around like Medusa’s hair, but their ﬂowers, small, intricate, and often fragrant, are deﬁnitely not monstrous. Successful growing can be a challenge, but their small size makes them excellent additions to a terrarium or light garden setup with good air movement.

Attendees of last September’s Manhattan Orchid Society meeting heard about Dockrillias, diminutive, rock-dwelling, mat-growing Australian species split from Dendrobium. Many species have terete leaves, and quickly form wild, hairy specimens big enough for a haunted house ex-
hibit. Others, however, have leaves shaped like tongues (linguiformis), gherkin pickles (cucumerinum), or broad daggers (pugioniforme) — a whole Halloween party in a single genus! Dockrillias have a reputation for being very forgiving of different growing conditions, although young plants do need consistent watering, and have high ﬂower counts when grown to specimen size. Line breeding and hybridizing are constantly bringing improvements, so expect to see more of these around in the future.

Epidendrums are probably second only to Dendrobiums in diversity of growth habit and ﬂower. In addition to the typical tall reed-stem epis grown all over the tropics, the genus holds a number of creeping species, and perhaps the best for our purposes is Epi. polybulbon, which may or may not be moved to its own genus, Dinema. Epi. polybulbon is in some ways like a mini, mat-form-ing Encyclia in the shape of its psuedobulbs and leaves, the main difference other than size is it grows horizontally along a widely-spaced rhizome, rather than in a tight clump like most other Encyclias. Epi. quisayanum is relatively newly discovered species from Ecuador, similar in size and habit, the difference is the ﬂowers are purplish-white rather than orange-red, and are held on longer stems rather than appearing right above the psuedobulbs. Nanodes medusae is another former Epidendrum with a creeping habit. Its ﬂowers are a somewhat lurid shade of red with a wild, fringed lip similar to other species in the Epidendrum family like Epi. ilense and Epi. ciliare. Other worthy members of this creepy genus include Nanodes discolor, with spidery reddish ﬂowers, and its even smaller cousin longirepens. The cross between Nanodes porpax and Nanodes medusae, Epi. Panama Ruby, has ﬂowers bigger than either parent and the best features of both. If you can ﬁnd it, get it; it’s a true Queen of the Creepy-Crawlies.

Want a challenge? Maxillaria sophronitis is a miniature in the genus, with leaves only 1” long on a creeping rhizome. Its ﬂowers are as orange as pumpkins; perfect for seasonal arrangements. This species has a reputation of being difﬁcult to grow. It needs good quality water and must stay moist, but not soggy. If you can manage this, it should do ﬁne in bright light. Maxillaria arbuscula is another mini, with more of clambering habit, and pretty red and white ﬂowers like tiny peppermints. Keep it cool and bright, with regular watering. Maxillaria uncata is like a pendulous form of arbuscula, with less bright ﬂowers and similar care requirements. To complete the goody basket survey, Mediocalcar decoratum has psuedobulbs like sausage links and candy-corn-like ﬂowers; it’s another cool grower that should work ﬁne under lights or in a shady window.
Here’s to a ﬁne fall season for all orchid weirdos, with more ﬂowering delights than dead plant frights, so go get creepy!

Announcing The New York City Orchid Growers' Guide

2008-11-06T19:13:00.011-05:00

A reader, Sarah Ruane, wrote to ask a really good question: where do those in the know go to get their orchid fix in the New York City area? When I started writing her back I thought, why not make it part of the blog? So here is the first edition of the New York City Orchid Growers' Guide, your one-stop site for all the spots in the metro area where you can see orchids, buy orchids (and orchid supplies) and learn more about orchids.

In Brooklyn, here are my top picks (hey, it's my home borough, so it has to go first!):

Brooklyn Botanical Gardens: their selection is mostly phals and paphs, true, but 1. the plants are usually labelled, so you actually know what hybrid you're getting; 2. they frequently carry decent cattleya hybrids as well as oncidium intergenerics, and 3. prices aren't always cheap, but are usually marked down for orchids that are finished blooming. Plus, they have one of the best selections of orchid supplies (pots, baskets, hangers, potting mixes, etc.) in the city.

Liberty Sunset Garden Center: down in Red Hook near Fairway (and in the same warehouse as Steve's Key Lime Pies). They have a huge outdoor nursery, but also a big indoor space in the warehouse, complete with indoor waterfall. Their selection is very limited, it's probably a good idea to call ahead to find out what's around, but it's such a cool space in a dramatic location that it's worth a visit (Full disclosure: I worked for them 3 summers ago). Chelsea Garden Center has a branch a block away, and they usually stock some orchids inside their store.

Fort Hamilton Flower Market: a wholesale market at 3380 Ft. Hamilton Parkway with some retail stores, I've never been myself but I understand this is a big place for finding annuals and perennials that don't make it to the retail nurseries, so it might be worth checking to see if any of them carry orchids.

In Manhattan:

Union Square Greenmarket: During the summer and fall, one of the most respected New Jersey growers Silva Orchids) will be at the market every Wednesday and every other Saturday, starting 7/11. A good selection, mainly of hybrids but also some species, all in excellent shape. These guys are pros and are happy to talk to you about orchids and how to grow them, so please stop by and check them out! Some other plant dealers have orchids from time to time, mostly generic phals.

The 28th st. flower district on 6th ave. is smaller than it used to be; but reports of its demise have been exaggerated! There are a number of stores on the avenue and on 28th west of 6th, and on a recent visit seemed to be doing brisk business. Some carry a large stock of orchids, they're mainly selling wholesale, so what they have is 100 of the same kind of phal, 100 of the same kind of paph, etc., and retail prices aren't cheap, though the plants are blooming and very well-cared for. They have a wide variety of non-orchid houseplant also, for those with multiple interests.

Chinatown plant stores: Garden City Flower Arts at 222 Centre St. between Canal and Grand; they not only have phals and oncidiums, but asian cymbidum species and sometimes dendrobium and neofinettia cultivars. Really nice folks, the only catch is plants aren't usually labelled. Another store is Manhattan Florist at 87b Bayard between Mott and Mulberry; they're smaller and don't have as many orchids.

Plantworks on E. 4th st., and Plant Shed on W. 96th off Broadway, are two good indoor stores that will probably have orchids as well as unusual houseplants, but selection will likely be small.

If you're looking for a quick orchid fix, Trader Joe's has better quality plants than the big box stores in Manhattan and Brooklyn, though you'll find mostly phals, phal-type dendrobiums, and the occasional oncidium type.

Bronx:

The New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx always carries orchids, and they have some great classic Cattleya plants and unusual hybrids during their big Spring Orchid Show (I'll be doing a lecture on miniature orchids there this spring), but expect to pay premium prices; the garden store is perhaps slanted toward the more well-heeled visitors. ;>)

Wave Hill, also in the Bronx, is a smaller but beautiful public garden, I have seen a few orchids in their shop, but nothing you couldn't get elsewhere. I have not been to the Queens Botanical Garden yet (shame on me!) but I would guess they would stock some orchids as well.

Local Orchid Societies:

this may be the closest thing to the Big NYC Orchid Secret -- at most meetings, not only do you get a lecture/presentation from a grower, they usually bring plants for sale with them! We're talking the unusual and choice items that you usually have to mail order and pay $$$ for shipping. Plus, societies usually have a raffle table where orchids are raffled off, you can get some great plants for a few bucks. Their websites will announce topics ahead of time, so if the speaker is talking about,say, Australian terrestrial orchids, and that's not your thing, you can skip it. Of course, attending or joining an orchid society means admitting that you're an addict/otaku/geek (I joined the Manhattan Orchid Society a few years back, and now I'm on the board, go figure), but hey, there are worse addictions! Here's a slightly outdated list of societies and their websites:

NY Area Orchid Societies

Best Wishes for the New Year, and Happy Orchid Hunting!!

Cymbidiums You Can Actually Grow at Home

2008-08-07T12:35:00.004-04:00

I can't be the only orchid grower who's stared at a full-sized Cymbidium at an orchid show or florists' shop and thought, "Wow, that's gorgeous -- but how could I ever fit that thing into my small apartment?" The great majority of Cymbidiums grown for sale are so-called "standard" cymbidiums, which means basically they're at least four feet high, need a foot-wide pot, and only bloom if you have your own personal cool temperature greenhouse or live in coastal California. Tough luck for the rest of us. Even more ironic are the "miniature" Cymbidiums, which really mean "minature only when compared to the regular gigantic kind," being about, say, two or three feet tall. Hello? What kind of dictionary have they been using here? But don't lose hope. There are Cyms that almost anyone can grow in an apartment. Really! The trick is knowing what species and hybrids to look for, and perhaps giving up on the idea of dozens of four inch flowers on tall spikes. Hey, you can't have it all.

The "original" mini Cymbidiums are the six East Asian species of the section Jensoa. Characterized by thin, grassy leaves and short sprays of relatively small but often fragrant flowers, they have a history of cultivation in Asia that stretches back over 2,000 years. Some of the higher-elevation species need colder winter temps than most home growers can provide, but a few are quite suitable. Cym. ensifolium has a short spike of brownish flowers and can bloom several times during its summer season. It's also one of the parents of one of the most well-known mini hybrids: Golden Elf 'Sundust', with pretty yellow flowers and a great scent. Cym. sinense has wider leaves and a winter/spring flowering season. Cymbidium goerengei is the shortest of these three, and the coolest-growing; but is still worth trying.

More recently, hybridizers have developed a number of "ultra-miniature" or "teacup" cyms using species such as devonianum, pumilum (aka floribundum), and tigrinum. They are the closest in looks to the standard cyms, but only 12 to 18 inches tall, and encompass a range of colors from all white to yellow, red and green. Culture is similar to standard cyms as well, but since these species grow in warmer climates, they don't need as pronounced a temperature drop in order to spike.

Finally, there are a few pendant-flowering species that may fit a sunny window if you have the space to hang them in baskets. Cymbidium dayanum flowers in the winter, with red-marked white blooms; there is also an alba form. Cym. devonianum, mentioned above, is not really a miniature, but it can exist happily in a 5" basket if old bulbs are removed every other year, and its reddish- green blooms are quite dramatic.

So what do you give a mini Cymbidium to make it happy in your house? Most of these need good, bright, but not full light: the shorter ones can grow well and flower under lights. Two keys to cultivation: good air movement, and careful attention to watering. Spider mites love these plants, and the thin, grassy leaves give them plenty of hiding places. Particularly in the dry air of winter, they need a fan or other moving air source to keep their leaves healthy and developing spikes from blasting.

Regarding watering, an old saying has it that "cymbidiums love water but hate wet; they love dry but hate drought." What this means in actual practice is they need a coarse mix for terrestrial orchids, with large perlite, sharp sand, gravel, or charcoal to keep the drainage open. They also need deep watering, enough to run water through the entire mix, then they need to almost, but not quite, dry out before their next watering. In the house, drench your cyms in the sink or a bucket, or a give them a good shower, but skip the shampoo and conditioner. If your plants grow well but don't flower, they probably need cooler conditions at night and brighter days. Got a window that you can crack open at night, or a room that you don't heat as much as the rest of the house? Here's where you put your Cymbidiums (and any other plants needing similar treatment) to bed at night. During the day, keep them close to the window or other light source, but not so close as to burn the leaves. Avoid air from radiators or heaters at all costs.

During growth, Cymbidiums like regular feedings; some growers add slow-release fertilizer pellets to the growth mix. During the winter, too much fertilizer can create new, weak growth rather than flower spikes, so once a month is plenty. Cymbidiums have long, fleshy roots, and need pots about three times as tall as they are wide and a coarse, semi-terrestrial mix. A visit to your nearest Asian-American neighborhood will likely allow you to find beautiful clay pots for your plants; probably a lot cheaper than on the web.

Mini-cymbidiums can be seen as a "next-best thing" for those who lack the space for full standards, or they can be seen as charming orchids in their own right. A group of mini-cyms, in traditional pots, in the window or on a light shelf can be as elegant as any NBA Allstar-sized specimen. And they're perfect plants for those of us trying to keep our heating bills down this winter!

The Green, Green, Grassy-Leaved Orchids of Home

2008-08-07T12:23:00.004-04:00

Why grow an orchid that looks like a grass? You can go to the park or front lawn for grass, or buy one of those mini Zen gardens that lets you manicure a square foot of turf, or even hit your juice bar for a shot of wheat grass, if you really like that sort of thing. With all the unusual growth habits that orchids display, why go with a plant that non-orchid lovers (i.e. most of the people you know) won't even recognize as anything out of the ordinary when it's not in flower?

Well, let me give you a few reasons. First, a grassy-leaved orchid doesn't take up much space in the windowsill or shelf -- its vertical shape is easily managed. Second, when displayed in a nice pot, like those used for Asian cymbidium species, a grassy-leaved orchid can be elegant indeed even when it's not flowering. Finally, there are a number of easy growers with great flowers that fit this category which may change your mind.

Since the quintessential grassy-leaved orchids, the Asian cymbidiums mentioned above, have been covered in another article, let's start with another category -- phragmipediumss. Yes, some of them are monster-sized, and their flowers can be an acquired taste. But some species, like schlimii, peirceii, and fischeri, are much more manageable, as are their hybrids such as seidenii, Silver Eagle and Carol Kanzer. The flowers of schlimii look alot like a paphiopedilum, with a pink pouch and short, rounded white sepals. In some clones they're even fragrant. Peircii look like a typical phrag flower in miniature; some plants have rather muddy colors, so try to find a clone with proven color and shape. Here's another plus for those who tend to overwater -- phrags really like to stay wet, in fact, growers often stand the pots in a saucer of water during the growing season to make sure they don't go dry. Don't be put off by statements that phrags are sensitive to water quality, and need a strict diet of rainwater to survive. If your tap water is less than good quality, and if you can't collect rainwater on the fire escape/balcony/roof, then a regular rinsing with distilled water will help to prevent build-up of salts in the potting mix.

Maxillarias are another multifarious genus, with sizes ranging from mini to monster, and a variety of flower sizes, colors and fragrances. Max. tenuifolia, the "coconut orchid," is usually grown for its flowers, which in terms of fragrance could be stunt doubles for coconut cream pie. It has a climbing habit, growing new psuedobulbs above the old ones on a slim rhizome. Because of this rambling habit it's often grown mounted or in a basket. But indoor growers aren't likely to have room to allow it to reach specimen size. Instead, take the small plant you just purchased and put it in a tall, narrow cymbidium-type pot. As the plant climbs, it'll grow more bulbs and roots above the mix, and will start to need frequent misting to keep all this stuff moist. But it will look neat and classy, and when it flowers you can serve it for dessert. Just kidding. Maxillaria has a few more species with a grassy-leaved habit. Max. sanguinea is very similar in leaf and growth to max. tenuifolia. But its flowers have a really beautiful rosy sunset tone to them, and it's less rambunctious in growth than tenuifolia. Other maxis with potential include cucullata, gracilis, and picta, although some of these get a bit large and spreading, and may need cooler summer temperatures.

Sigmatostylix is a South American genus of which only Sgmx. radicans is well-known to home orchid growers. It works great in a basket, allowing its tiny psuedobulbs pop up all around and build up a nice, grassy bunch of leaves. Its flowers are small, but intricate, and have a faint, sweet scent. Because even a small plant will have a lot of growths, it can put up spikes over a long period of time. It is not a spectacular orchid, but a subtle charmer. Look for more species coming from Latin American nurseries to expand the selection.

If you're looking for really tiny grass-like orchids, consider Ceratostylis phillipinensis. It's small, neat, with white, scented flowers. It'll work fine in a small orchid case, light garden shelf or windowsill as long as your humidity's decent and you never, ever, let it dry out for too long. Remember, small orchids in small pots have a much smaller margin for error than a giant catt in a giant pot. Similar-sized orchids include Isabella virginallis, a tiny gem with tufts of needle-like leaves and little violet flowers. Larger, but very choice, are the Isochillus species, particularly isochillus linearis. It has small, thin leaves along slender stems, and the overall effect is definitely grassy. It produces flowers on short, successively-blooming spikes, so make sure to keep it well watered and warm when it's in bud or bloom and you'll get a long-lasting series of small, graceful purple flowers.

Finally, there are Dendrochilums -- every apartment grower should have at least one of these. The genus includes a bunch of compact, elegant, easy-growing and blooming species, and they look great in a hanging basket. All have long, thin, grassy leaves, and long arching spikes of small or even tiny white, golden, or red flowers. Vandas, they're not, but the impact of half a dozen or more spikes on a plant in a 4-5" basket can be very dramatic, and you don't have to water it twice a day or run up the heating bill to keep it happy in winter. These are intermediate growers, and need bright light but not heavy sun, they like to be kept moist year round. My Dendrochilum glumaceaum has a light, sweet scent, and several others are scented as well.

Learning to enjoy grassy-leaved orchids isn't hard, and once you get started, you may find them becoming some of your favorites – even if you still lust after those big, dinnerplate catts and vandas!

Jewel Orchids: Growing for Foliage

2008-08-07T11:42:00.007-04:00

Orchids grown primarily for their leaves? Sure, I got a bunch of them that haven't bloomed in years, so I'm growing them for the foliage! But seriously, folks; though many of us may have counted a ludisia (old name: haemaria) discolor among of our first orchids, the very idea of growing orchids for their foliage display rather than their flowers somehow goes against the grain of orchid growing. For that reason, jewel orchids have long remained hidden gems, so to speak. They achieved brief popularity in the late 60s and 70s when gardening under lights became a fad, but mostly remain a sideshow to orchid flowers rather than a respectable group of their own. There are two very good reasons why the situation is about to change, though. The first is that, during times of high energy costs, people tend to gravitate towards orchids that are smaller and have lower light requirements, so in this age of astronomical heating bills, don't be surprised to see more vendors offering jewel orchids. The second is that a few nurseries are introducing new species and hybrids, and a number of these push the concept of jewel orchids in new directions; renowned orchidist Harold Koopowitz coined the phrase "jewel and painted leaf orchids" to describe the full range of orchids with attractive leaves. Even without these two global factors, there is plenty for hom orchid growers to like about jewel and painted leaf orchids. Many are minis or compact in habit: a whole collection of jewel orchids takes up a small space, even in a crowded apartment. Most grow in low light conditions; you can put them in places too dim for other orchids and they'll do just fine. Finally, as long as you know their growing likes and dislikes, they're easy maintain, and some are extremely easy to propagate. A few even have pretty flowers -- but that's just extra.

{NOTE: This article owes a special thanks to Dr. Leon Glicenstein of Hoosier Orchid Company, hybridizer extraordinaire, who gave a terrific lecture on Jewel Orchids at the WOC in Miami and was very generous with his time and knowledge.}

Jewel Orchids

Species:

The original "jewel orchids" are a number of small, spreading terrestrial species of the subtribe Goodyerinae from Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands, which grow on the floor of damp jungles among leaf litter and moss. Their leaves, particularly the veins, have a bright, almost electric glow to them, hence the "jewel" name. The most familiar, the aforementioned Ludisia discolor, has been in cultivation for over a hundred years, and comes in a number of leaf patterns. The most common, var. dawsonia, has very dark green, almost black, velvety leaves with luminous red veins. I keep expecting to see a picture of Elvis appear on one, but it hasn't happened yet. Var. nigrescens is similar, but with only a single, central red vein on each dark leaf, for an understated yet dramatic look. Var. alba has green leaves with very pale cream veins in a more netted pattern, and is generally smaller than the other varieties in leaf and habit. Ludisias spike during winter, and bear many 1/4" white flowers, attractive in their own right, especially on a specimen plant with multiple spikes. But wait, there's more! A newly discovered cultivar of var. nigrescens, named 'Ambrosia,' received a JC/AOS for its fragrant flowers, which may explain old reports that Ludisias are fragrant; though all the varieties I've smelled so far are not.

Perhaps the next most common genus is Macodes. Mac. petiola, with shining green leaves laced with sparkling veins that look like lightning in bright light, is a popular species. Macodes sanderiana, a closely related species, can be distinguished by the wavy edges on the leaves. There is a legend about this orchid, told in Borneo, that a goddess decided to visit the local mortals one day and came down from the sky, wearing her shining cloak. The villagers were scared of her supernatural appearance, and, in a sad comment on human nature, tried to kill what they feared. As the goddess ran away, a few threads from her cloak caught on a rock and turned to Macodes plants. Some of the calmer villagers noticed the plants and brought them back to their temple, where they promptly died (a cautionary tale to all orchid growers!) But when the villagers prayed to the goddess, she came back bringing new plants with her. Whether their origin is truly divine or not, Macodes are true minis, and small specimens in particular need attention so that they neither dry out completely nor get their tiny roots waterlogged, which will result, as the story tells us, in swift death. Patience, however, is rewarded with one of the best foliage displays around.

Dossinia is next on the popular scale; Doss. marmorata has been around for a while, but is not commonly grown; wild-collected plants proved very difficult to grow. However, Dr. Glicenstein reports that newer seed-grown specimens are much easier to cultivate, and that's good news; this is a gorgeous orchid with dark green leaves veined with iridescent gold. Flowers are insignificant, but with these leaves; who needs 'em?

If any genus can outshine Macodes and Dossinia, it is Anoectochilus, a group of about 35 species with some of the most fantastic leaf patterns ever; mostly dark greenish-red background with bright gold or copper veins. Anct. burmannicus, aka chapaensis, has the added bonus of bright yellow flowers, a change of pace from the usual white. Several of the species have interesting fringes on the flower lip; Anct. formosanus has yellow fringes on a divided white lip which makes the flowers look like tiny winged insects!

The final important genus for jewel orchids is Goodyera, a pan-global genus that includes hardy species native to North America and temperate Asia as well as tropical species. Typically growing a rosette of white-spotted or marked green leaves, the flowers are usually small and not showy. Good. daubeniensis from Taiwan is a well-known representative of the tropical species; Good. hispida, from the Himalayas, has tiny crystalline hairs inside the flower nectary. Good. katanya from India has satiny green leaves.

A tip from Dr. Glicenstein for those going hiking in the Western states, straight out of Native American and frontier folklore: several Goodyera species are said to be effective at curing venom, perhaps courtesy of their snakeskin-like leaf markings. The procedure is simplicity itslef; if you're bitten, just grab the snake and make it bite itself, then let it go -- it will head for the nearest goodyera plant. Follow it to the orchid, pull it out of the snake's mouth, nibble away and you're cured!

A few rarer genera include Nephelphyllum, with gorgeous bronze purple leaves; Oeceoclades, which includes the tropical orchid "weed" Oec. maculata as well as some fabulous species that look almost like pinkish-gray rocks; and Malaxis, mostly tiny-flowered species with some highly colored and patterned leaves.

Jewel Orchid Hybrids:

According to Dr. Glicenstein, the first intergeneric orchid hybrid ever was not the famous Calanthe dominyi but a ludisia/dossinia cross, which has now been remade. Hoosier Orchid Company carries a number of jewel orchid hybrids, and with names like Anectodes Charlotte's Web, Dossinyera Tapestry, and Macodesia Spiderman, you just know the leaves are fantastic. Most of these are also more vigorous and easier to grow than the straight species. Pictures don't quite do them justice; if you get a chance to see them in person you'll really understand why they're called jewels.

Painted Leaf Orchids

Species:

The genera of Spiranthoideae includes a bunch of wonderfully patterned species, but they neither look nor grow like the jewel orchids, hence the term "painted leaf." Most of these are terrestrial species that grow basal rosettes of leaves, with thick, fleshy flower spikes rising up from the middle. They grow in shady conditions in humid, moist or seasonally dry rainforest habitats. Like jewel orchids, they grow best with little to no direct sunlight, which can scorch the leaves, in shallow pots of well-drained, humus-rich mix. Since they dislike stale conditions at the roots, it's a good idea to repot at least every two years, but keep them fairly tightly potted, as overpotting can also lead to root rot.

First up is Sarcoglottis, with glossy leaves striped and spotted silvery-white. Popular species include Sarcg. sceptrodes and speciousus. The flowers are usually greenish. Srcg. portillae reportedly has a fantastic fragrance as well! You can grow these practically like a regular houseplant in well-draining potting mix. All species need a slight dormant period after flowering, with some requiring a complete break from watering, so it's important to know what species you're growing and what its dormancy needs are.

Stenorrynchos is a South American genus very closely related to Spiranthes, most species have silvery-green leaves in a rosette, with a thick spike emerging from the center. The flowers have bright red bracts and often bloom around the end of the year, though not always in time for Christmas. Styn. speciousus is the most common species; a new species, austrocompactus, is a mini version of speciousus, which can get large if allowed to grow to specimen size.

Stennoglottis is an African genus, with some species having purple-spotted leaves. Sngl. fimbriata is being line-bred to increase the size and density of spotting, and its flowers are a lovely lilac with darker spots in the lip. Like Sarcoglottis, it needs a dry resting period after flowering, where it will drop its leaves before putting up new growth in spring, so cut way back on watering until you see new foliage appearing.

Painted Leaf Hybrids:

Some very interesting crosses are being made among the painted leaf group, with the aim of improving leaf markings, flower size and color, and ease of growth. This is totally new territory with regards to which species and genera will cross successfully, and what the results will be; aside from the species mentioned above, most orchids in this group have a very short and limited history of commercial cultivation, and new species are still being discovered and brought into the trade, so who knows what the near future will bring us?

Stenosarcos Vanguard, the first intergeneric hybrid in this group, was just registered by Hoosier Orchid Company in 2001. It combines stenorrynchos with sarcoglottis to produce a plant with the leaf markings of the latter and the bright red flower spike of the former. Stenorrhynchos has been crossed with Cyclopogon and Pelexia, two similar terrestrial genera, that introduce shades of pink to the typical red flowers of stenorrhynchos. Stennoglottis Venus is a cross that maximizes the purple spotting of its Stenn. fimbriata parent; Stenn. Bill Fogarty has great flowers but unmarked leaves, technically it's not a painted leaf orchid at all, so perhaps this is the right note to end on!

Three Orchids from Japan: Dendrobium monoliforme, Neofinetia falcata, and Sedirea japonica

2007-02-13T13:17:00.001-05:00

In a world where mass-produced phalaenopsis clones and oncidium hybrids by the dozen are showing up at every home department store, corner florist, and local cafe, it suddenly becomes possible to forget the unique nature of orchids, and to begin looking at some of them as just another potted plant. To prevent modern merchandizing from robbing you of the special joy of orchid growing, it's refreshing to turn to species; especially species with personality. These three orchids are hardly unknown -- neofinetia and its hybrids being some of the most popular home-grown orchids around -- but it's worth looking at the three of them together as a kind of tryptych illustrating the potential wealth of variations within a species. When we do this, we can appreciate things like leaf shape, growth habit, and variegation -- things not often talked about in the North American orchid community.

Aside from their geographic origin, these three orchids have a number of common characteristics that appeal to apartment growers: they're small, of course, adaptable to a range of growing conditions, flower reliably, and are very fragrant. They have been cultivated in Japan and China for centuries, and as a result of selective breeding, there are numerous cultivars available for each species, all with different leaf colors and shapes, growth habits, and flower colors. Considering that the wild forms of all three have plain green leaves and all-white or mostly-white flowers, this is quite an accomplishment.

In fact, the practice of collecting and growing many different varieties within a single species is well known in Japan, where it is called "koten engei." Both orchids and non-orchids are used as subjects. The practice traditionally emphasizes collecting specimens for their leaf and growth variations as much or more as the flowers themselves, and requires great attention to the potting method and the container used to display the plant. This is a strong contrast to the style of most American home growers, growing a wide variety of hybrids and species, usually in plain plastic or clay pots, even old take-out containers. But when your growing space is small and your ability to modify growing conditions limited, it's worth thinking about an orchid plant and its pot together as a harmonious whole, rather than seeing orchids as simply clunky green vehicles for fantastic flowers.

For the home collector, growing multiple specimens of the same species also has the advantages of simplifying watering and care routines, and having "backup specimens" in case one of them dies. But the true joy of koten engei lies in appreciating the subtle differences between various cultivars. For instance, a neofinetia collection might consist of a typical wild specimen; a cultivar with short, thick, "bean" leaves; one with twisted, "ocean wave" leaves, and one with yellow-edged variegated leaves. Each one, sitting in its pot, will have a very different feel to it. Each one will grow differently, and respond differently to the same cultural conditions, even though horticulturally they're all the same species. It is possible to start thinking about each orchid as an individual, rather than as one of a thousand genetically identical clones.

Even if you don't want to get all Zen about your orchid growing, there is a lot of fun in collecting within a species; placing a white, a yellow, and a pink-flowering den. monoliforme together, or a dwarf sedirea with leaves the size of a quarter next to a regular-sized specimen.

Although it goes completely against the grain of this article, I can't resist mentioning a few choice hybrids. Dendrobium monoliforme, crossed with Den. tosaense, aka stricklandianum, becomes Den. Ise, a common parent in many compact nobile-type hybrids and worth growing in its own right for its fragrant, pink-tinged flowers. The hybrid of neofinetia and sedirea, Neosedirea Summer Stars, is very rare, but try seeking it out. Sedirea has been hybridized with holcoglossum (formerly vanda) amesiana to produce Vandirea Newberry Jasmine, with excellent fragrance, temperature tolerance, and frequent blooming. Rhynchorides 'Dragon Charmy' combines sedirea with rhynchostylis gigantea; it has dramatic, reddish foliage and reddish-marked flowers and is described as intensely fragrant.

For more information on these species and their growing requirements, there are a few nurseries to look at on the web: New World Orchids specializes in these three species and has a ton of cultural information. Cal Orchids and Orchids Limited both offer many different neofinetia cultivars. Finally, Japanese orchid show and society pages, available on the Web, are not often translated, but beware: the beautiful pictures can really get you hooked.

Epicatts: the Spray of the Future

2007-02-01T16:34:00.000-05:00

Huh? Spray of the future? You’ve probably seen at least one cross between these two different genera of the Cattleya Alliance, possibly without even knowing it. On the one hand, you’ve got the well-known Cattleya, Laelia and Sophronitis species with large flowers and a whole palette of colors and fragrances. On the other you have plants from the Epidendrum and Encyclia genera, with sprays of many smaller flowers and a different range of colors, also often fragrant. Putting them together can be like combining lemon and meringue, or honey and mustard – you’ve got a whole new taste treat! I say “Spray of the Future” rather than “Wave of the Future” because I don’t think epicatts are going to push regular Cattleya alliance orchids completely out of fashion, but I believe and hope they’ll be making more of a splash at shows and in collections, especially for us urban orchid growers.

What do you get when you cross an epi with a catt? Many encyclias and epis used in epicatt hybrids have a tight habit, with psuedobulbs clustered close together, and a number of species are miniature growers as well. This means many epicatts are mini or compact growers. In addition, they’re fast growers and often produce multiple growths. This, combined with tall, often branching sprays of flowers, leads to massive flower power for the size of the plant. Finally, they have very dramatic colors in shades of purple, rose, brown and green, particularly in the lip. Compared to a straight cattleya hybrid, an epicatt will often have more numerous but smaller flowers, a compact growth habit, and bright color combinations. What’s not to like?

Things get even more interesting when you consider some of the diversity in the Epidendrum group. For instance, Epidendrum conopseum (now Epi. magnoliae) is a tiny, very cold-hardy grower with small, honey-scented flowers, and it blooms on each new growth when happy. Rarely seen as a parent in the past, it’s now being used to create some very small epicatts that are tough, adaptable and often fragrant. Taller epi species like epi. ciliare, epi. criniferum and epi. ilense have extremely fimbriated (that’s “frilly” to most of us) lips, which they can pass on to their progeny. Epi. psuedoepidendrum has a dramatic orange/purple lip, leading to some outrageously-colored hybrids. Encyclia prismatocarpa and epi. stamfordianum have spotted flowers. And for you fragrance fanatics, encyclias such as e. alata, e. cordigera, e. fragrans (of course), e. radiata and e. tripunctata are all wonderfully scented; e. phoenicea and e. randii are even rumored to smell like chocolate, giving the ubiquitous Oncidium Sharry Baby a run for her money. From the breeder’s point of view, it’s safe to say that the surface has barely been scratched on the breeding potential of epicatts.

Most epicatts grow very much like other cattleya alliance orchids: they like medium to high light, a well-draining mix – they also do well mounted, if your humidity levels are decent – and a cooler, drier rest in winter to promote flowering. If you don’t have a sunny window, many of them do just fine under lights, or with grow lights supplementing natural sunlight.

Popular epicatts include:

Epc. Rene Marques 'Flame Thrower': gets its colorful lip from Epi. psuedoepidendrum, and has somewhat tall, canelike growths.

Epc. El Hatilo, a cross between cattleya mossiae and encyclia tampensis, has various clones; they all have rounded white flowers with a magenta lip. Easy to grow, with lots of flowers per spike.

Epc. Siam Jade is somewhat similar; the white flowers have green tepals, flowers are larger than El Hatilo but fewer in number.

Eplc. Don Herman is a cross of Lc. Gold Digger with Epi. stamfordianum, which gives this orchid orange flowers, a red lip, and varying degrees of red spots on the petals and sepals.

Eplc. Pixie Charm combines another orange Lc. with Encyclia alata to create tall sprays of very fragrant light orange flowers.

Brassoepilaelia: this epicatt has no cattleya genes, but the laelia parent is in the Cattleya Alliance, so it fits our definition here. Bepil. Golden Spice 'Red Peppers' (Bl. Richard Mueller x Epi. stamfordianum) has starry bright yellow flowers covered in red spots.

Vaughnara: a trigeneric hybrid combining Brassavola, Epidendrum and Cattleya; look for crosses like 'Grapelade' and 'Sir Walter Raleigh'.

Kirchara: an Epidendrum crossed with a Sophrolaeliocattleya results in some nicely colored minis like K. Tropical Jewel.

Rothara: adds Brassavola to the Kirchara mix; a notable hybrid is Rothara Koolau “Starbright,” with the starry flower shape from the Bepi. Phoenix parent and a deep reddish color from the Slc. parent.

Adamara: Brassavola x Cattleya x Epidendrum x Laelia. Some I’ve seen look rather like encyclias, with long, thin leaves and sprays of flowers. Others, with Encyclia mariae or more cattleya in their background, have rounded flowers on short stems close to the leaves. You’ll also see these under the older hybrid genus name of Yamadaara. (For all you orchid nomenclature freaks, it seems both names were published independently, and only recently has the RHS decided that Adamara was first chronologically, so it has precedence, but the word hasn’t gotten very far yet. Confused? Read on!)

Important Note: Encyclias have recently been split up into a number of new genera like Prosthechea, Coilostylis, and Pollardia, so you will likely start seeing some of these hybrids under new names like Cattleychea. Yes, it can be annoying to keep up with taxonomic changes, but it's all part of the constantly evolving world of orchids. If you like things simple, you probably don't want to get into growing them!

Calling All Mounties!

2007-02-01T16:13:00.000-05:00

ONE GROWER’S TIPS ON KEEPING YOUR MOUNTED ORCHIDS ALIVE DURING THE WINTER INDOORS

During the heating season, all Northern climate indoor orchid growers get anxious about their mounted orchids. Sure, they were fine in August when sunlight was plentiful, temperatures were hot (sometimes too hot!) and the humidity was 80% even with the air conditioning on. But it’s a radically different environment when the sun is low on the horizon, night temperatures near windows get downright chilly, and the radiators are spouting bone dry air all over. What’s a home orchid grower to do? There is no magic solution, short of turning your closet into a growing room or building a conservatory on your roof, but the following methods are all worth trying.

Before you even start thinking about humidity, think location, location, location -- your orchids may be in the wrong place! We get a lot less light through our windows in winter, both in terms of day length and intensity. Plants that usually can’t take direct summer sun, like phals, may be much happier getting a few hours of morning sun in winter. Depending on the placement and exposure of your windows, some of them may get more sun due to the changing angle of the sun, but it’s still not as strong as it was in July. You should always be thinking about optimizing the position of your orchids as the seasons and lighting conditions change. Many indoor growers, even those blessed with southern exposures, supplement natural light with artificial sources during the winter, to keep the day length and total light exposure up to par.

I’m going to skip over using humidity trays and room humidifiers, because many growers already use them, and talk about methods you may not have heard of before.

Mist ‘em!

Some growers claim misting does nothing to raise humidity in the long term, and so it’s practically useless. That’s probably true in a greenhouse with high ambient humidity, however, a thorough soaking with a spray bottle will keep the roots moist for a few hours in the dry atmosphere of a winter home. If you’re home during the day, mist your mounts two or three times at intervals. I’m even going to go out on a limb and say, contrary to common wisdom, that it’s perfectly OK to mist mounts in the early evening when you come home from work, as long as they’re not too close to a cold window or other cold spot, and they’re fairly dry by the time you go to bed, when the thermostats are turned down, the home gets colder and grow lights get turned off.

Soak ‘em!

Many home growers rinse or dunk their orchids in the kitchen sink or bucket at least once a week. In the winter, you may want to dunk more often, if your mounts need to stay moist. Don’t worry, it’s almost impossible to overwater a mounted orchid; just leave them in the water for at least 20 minutes to allow the roots to become fully saturated. Here’s another reason to soak, and not just rinse mounted orchids: if you use tap water, as many of us do, you risk mineral build-up on and around the roots, which are particularly harmful to sensitive types like angraechoids. Soaking, especially in distilled water or collected rainwater, can help dissolve mineral deposits. A capful of vinegar added to a gallon or more of water may help if you suspect hard mineral deposits.

Shower ‘em!

Yes; it’s not talked about much, but it’s true: showering with orchids is widespread, especially in winter. First, you save time (at least in theory -- my wife still yells at me to quit puttering with the plants and help get the kids ready for school. I think she’s just jealous of my rhynchovanda). Second, you can leave them in the shower to drip dry, instead of leaking all over the floor – just don’t forget to take them out! Finally, it gives you a chance to inspect your orchids up close and personal, to make sure they’re healthy and aren’t harboring any hidden pests. And they won’t make rude remarks about how you look, either.

Pad ‘em!

The ladies at J & L orchids suggest hanging your mounts on something more absorbent: a mesh bag or piece of nylon stocking filled with wet spaghnum moss, or even a moss pole from a florist’s shop. The extra moisture helps increase local humidity around the mount. (Note: don't try, as I did, to go cheap and use regular kitchen sponges. They dried out too quickly, and they looked rather strange hanging on the walls!)

Pot ‘em!

No, I don’t mean potting them in standard mix. Instead, place the mount in an unglazed clay pot with a thick layer of spaghnum moss, gravel, or coconut chips on the bottom. Soak the entire pot, and the evaporation from both pot and mix will help keep your mounts happy. The only danger here is having wandering roots attach themselves to the pot, but if you’re taking them out regularly to water them, it shouldn’t happen. I recently saw at an orchid nursery a very healthy-looking mounted brassavola stuffed, wandering roots and all, into a net basket filled with sphagnum.

Group ‘em!

That's group, not grope. Keeping mounted orchids close together, or even hanging them on larger houseplants, can create a wetter micro-climate that will keep exposed roots happy. Two dangers to guard against: pests moving from plant to plant, and crowding plants so close together that you get mold or fungus due to stale air. Humidity without air movement is a big no-no, so turn a fan on to keep things moving.

Change ‘em.

This may seem like a drastic solution, but sometimes you need to be able to let go of an orchid that just won’t grow well for you. Some orchids that like being mounted but can deal with dry winter air include brassavolas, some cattleya species like aclandiae and walkeriana, encyclias, some epidendrums, laelias, and tolumnias (equitant oncidiums). Of course, they’re all high light orchids, but you can’t have everything. Don’t forget deciduous types like calanthes, catasetums, cychnoches, and thunias, that can be basically ignored all winter. No dry air worries!

Conclusion

Until somebody breeds the perfect indoor urban orchid – grows hot ‘n humid in summer, dry, cold and dim in winter, stays compact and flowers all the time – we’re stuck with doing what we can to keep our orchids happy. Remember that high humidity and constant air movement are good for you as well as your plants: turn on the fans, keep refilling the humidifier, and dream about Spring!

New Directions in MiniVan(da)s

2007-02-01T15:41:00.000-05:00

No, we're not detailing the 2008 auto models, we’re talking about mini-vandaceous orchids here. There’s been a growing interest in mini-catts, or miniature cattleya hybrids, and for good reason: they don’t take up much space, often flower more than once a year, come in a range of bright colors, and some are quite fragrant, too. What’s not to like? But all these reasons hold true for miniature vandaceous orchids as well, and yet they don’t seem to get the same respect. This article hopes to correct the imbalance.

Many an urbane, sophisticated city-dwelling orchid grower has looked at the giant, pendulous vanda species and hybrids grown in greenhouses and tropical climates and felt, well, rather inadequate. Those flowers, those colors, those roots! But most of us lack the space for even one full-sized vanda, much less a whole collection – and even if we did have space, their requirements of high light, humidity and open drainage put them out of reach for almost all indoor growers.

However, those who crave the colors, scents and growth habits of vandaceous orchids have a whole range of choices in the smaller vandaceous species and hybrids, and new combinations are always coming onto the market. Let’s start with some of the more commonly available ones:

Ascofinetias combine neofinetia with ascocentrum species to produce a range of colors, from red to orange to pink to white, sometimes with fragrance. Ascocentrums are mini vandaceous orchids that tolerate a range of light, leading to an easy growing plant. Some popular hybrids are 'Cherry Blossom', 'Peaches', 'Twinkle' and 'Petite Bouquet', which give any idea of their size and colors.

Darwinara hybrids combine ascocentrum, neofinetia, rhychostylis and vanda – quite a mix! They are similar to neostylis in size and flower and are usually blue to white: look for clonal names like 'Blue Star' and 'Charm'.

Nakamotoara is a multi-generic hybrid of vanda, neofinetia and ascocentrum, which gives a range of colors in plants just a bit larger than ascofinetias. 'Rainbow Gem' is one clonal name.

Neostylis 'Lou Sneary', probably the most famous mini-vandaceous orchid, is a primary hybrid of neofinetia falcata, a miniature from Japan with sprays of nicely scented white flowers (and very worth growing on its own), and rhynchostylis coelestis, a larger vandaceous grower, also with wonderfully scented flowers, usually purple and white.

Rumrillara is another multi-generic, this time of ascocentrum, neofinetia and rhynchostylis. I had a Rumrillara 'Sugar Baby'sitting in half of a coconut shell; it first flowered with two spikes and had a couple of new growths sprouting from the base. (It later perished of crown rot, but I'm definitely going to try this one again)

Ascovandoritis -- yes, you can cross an ascocenda with a doritis, and the result has excellent, ripe red color on a tall, erect spike. 'Thai Cherry' is one such cross. Expect more of this kind of cross in the future.Expect more of this kind of hybrid in the future, there's a lot of potential in mixing vanda alliance species with phalaenopsis alliance species.

Vandirea is an oddity even for this group: it crosses vanda amesiana (now technically a holcoglossum), with sedirea japonica, a miniature Asian species that looks like a small phalaenopsis. The result is supposed to be fabulous, jasmine-like fragrance with small size, frequent flowering and excellent cold tolerance. 'Newberry Jasmine' is the clonal name, if you can find it.

Vandofinetia pairs a vanda, usually one of the smaller-growing species like coerulescens, cristata or pumila, with neofinetia. 'Blaupunkt' is a beautiful, fragrant blue-white hybrid that flowers more than once a year.

Vascostylis, which crosses vanda with rhychostylis, hits the upper limits of the size boundary for mini-vandas, but the rich colors and reliable flowering can make it worth the space. Look for clonal names like 'Pine Rivers' and 'Five Friendships'.

OK, now that you’ve heard all about these little gems, how do you grow them? Well, they do need good light; these are not orchids to place in bright shade in an eastern window, unless you can supplement natural light with artificial light from fluorescents or other grow lights, or grow them under lights for 12-14 hours a day. Particularly during the winter they can take a fair amount of direct sunlight. In summer, shade them from midday sun, or grow them beneath or behind another plant to provide dappled sunlight.

During the warmer months, water them frequently and generously to drench their roots, which, though not as long and dangly as vandas, can get pretty rambunctious. Use a coarse, quick-draining mix such as coarse bark or tree fern and perlite – I’ve had pretty good luck with compressed coconut husk (“CHC”) . Fertilize “weekly, weakly” during the growing season, twice a month in winter. If you pot them in wooden baskets, they won’t need potting for a while, just let ‘em grow all over, then drop the whole plant, basket and all, into a larger basket. If growing in pots, watch for root rot, especially during winter, and always be careful not to let water sit in the crown, in between the top leaves, when the weather's cold, or crown rot becomes a very real hazard.

All that miniature vandaceous orchids need to become the new craze for indoor growers is a catchy name. Mini-vans is confusing, mini-vandaceous is too long, mini-monopodal (mini-mon?) is too technical, and mini-sarcanthinae (from the taxonomic subtribe name) is just right out. Vanditas? Vandelites? Whatever the name, these easy-growing, free blooming little orchids are worth checking out. And the next time you start coveting that gorgeous monster of a vanda, remember: it’s not size that matters. It’s flower power!

Let's Get Terrestrial

2007-02-01T15:33:00.000-05:00

Terrestrial orchids occupy a strange space in the indoor orchid growing world. They come from a wide variety of genera, their growth habits run from miniature mat forming growths to giant upright fans of foliage, and cultural requirements vary from outdoor hardy bulb-types to rainforest shade growers.

And then there’s that whole dirt thing. For many orchid growers, the idea of growing orchids in regular plant potting mix seems downright odd; a step back towards growing those boring old houseplants that many of us nurtured our green thumbs on before graduating to orchids. Where’s the challenge? Actually, terrestrials give the indoor grower a large number of worthwhile and rewarding orchids to grow, and ease of culture doesn’t have to be a drawback!

Rather than discuss terrestrials according to their taxonomic classifications, let’s divide them into a few very unscientific, but more user-friendly categories:

Small bulb growers
Jewel orchids
Clumping terrestrials
Larger terrestrials

Small Bulb Growers

Bletillas and pleiones are two orchid species often found in garden catalogs alongside familiar bulbs like tulips, narcissus, and daylilies, but they are orchids, and there’s no reason not to grow them indoors. First, they’re really small: you can keep three bulbs in a four inch pot. Second, during the winter, you don’t have to take care of them at all – just clean off the bulbs at the end of the growing season in the fall, put them in a paper bag with some barely moist sphagnum moss, and put them in the back of the refrigerator – yes, you heard that right! They need a cold, but not freezing period to initiate blooming. After about 2-3 months in the crisper, take out the bulbs, pot them in fine bark with some regular plant potting mix added, and water when new growth appears

Ancistrochilus rothschildianus doesn’t need refrigeration , but it does need some attention to watering in order to grow well. It is deciduous, so when its leaves start to die down in the fall, it’s time to cut back on water, but not let it dry out completely. Its small bulbs have been described as looking like “little chocolate kisses”, and it bears bluish/mauve flowers in the spring that are large for the size of the plant.

Spathoglottis is often used as a landscape plant in frost-free areas, it does not go deciduous but needs even moisture and medium light. It has wide, pleated leaves, and happy plants can bloom almost year round.

Jewel Orchids

Jewel orchids are named for their brightly patterned leaves, often with veins of bright red, or sparkling gold or silver tones. They are grown as foliage plants rather than for their flowers, which are usually small and undistinguished. They are rainforest understory plants, meaning they like it warm, humid and shady, perfect for a small terrarium or a shady window. They prefer a mix with lots of leaf humus, peat and chopped sphagnum moss, to mimic the leaf litter and moss of their natural habitat. Their leaves can be marked or even rot due to water remaining on young leaves, especially in cold weather: water carefully at the level of the pot rather than drenching from above. The most common jewel orchid is ludisia (haemaria) discolor, with dark, almost black leaves veined in red. Despite its exotic leaves it’s a pretty tough plant, able to grow in lower humidity and drier mix, and can be propagated simply by rooting pieces of stem in water. It also has an alba variation, with green leaves veined in white, and the rarer var. dawsonia with only one central red vein. Also available is macodes petiola, with fabulous bright and dark green dappled leaves veined in gold – a bit trickier to grow, but well worth the effort. Less available genii include anoectochilus, with some of the most beautiful markings of the group, goodyera, which has both tropical and hardy species, stenoglottis fimbriata and hybrids, with purple spotted leaves, cyclopogon, some malaxis species, sarcoglottis, stenosarchos, and even some oeceoclades species. If you can’t find any of these, take that paphiopedilum that’s never bloomed for you, put it in a fancy pot, and call it your jewel orchid.

Clumping Terrestrials

Clumping terrestrials are a diverse group of orchids that, well, clump. But don’t yawn! There are some great orchids in this bunch –

Habenaria rhodochila is a small grower with spotted leaves almost as pretty as a jewel orchid’s, and it bears numerous flowers in shades of white, yellow, orange or red. Oeceoclades maculata also has attractively mottled leaves; its flowers are small and white with pink markings.

Liparis has some terrestrial species, they generally have spikes of small, but often highly colored flowers; an established specimen can put on quite a display.

Malaxis is similar to liparis in its growing requirements and habits; some species have pretty pleated or marked leaves.

Large Terrestrials

Larger terrestrials include some really showy, outstanding species that make fabulous indoor pecimens. Take phaius tankervillae, which produces spikes of up to 20 3 inch flowers in shades of rose, tan and white, and has large pleated leaves which give a tropical look to any room. It can get quite large, so also look at phaius Bebe Chien, a hybrid with the smaller growing phaius pulcher, or the increasingly popular phaiocalanthe hybrids like Cryptonite or Dan Rosenberg.

Calanthes are also worth growing in their own right. Some species are like the smaller bulbous growers, ideciduous in winter and needing no more care then your summer sandals. However, others are evergreen, and need to be kept moist all year round. All have long spikes of flowers in all shades from white to dark red, which make excellent cult flowers.

Next is sobralia, a genus of South American orchids with leaves and growth habit much like bamboo. Their flowers look like cattleyas, and last only one day, but are produced successively during the blooming season, so that a mature specimen can put on quite a display. Smaller species like callosa, powellii and decora only grow about 2-3 feet tall indoors, while larger species like macrantha can top out at over five feet – just the thing to screen a bare stretch of wall. Sobralias, like phaius, like lots of water and fertilizer during the growing season, less in winter, and bloom best when potted tightly.

Arpophyllum doesn’t grow as tall as sobralia, but it does have a spike up to 4ft., with a tight cluster of small purple flowers that remind many of grape hyacinths. It needs excellent drainage, with lots of tree fern and sphag in the mix, and medium light.

Last, but not least, in our line up is thunia, a genus that has a habit like sobralia, but loses its leaves and goes completely dry and dormant for the winter – put it away, it looks like a dead dendrobium. Come spring, though, new growth shoots up at a fantastic rate, and blooms successively with white, cattleya-like flowers. It’s also one of the only orchids in the world that features attractive fall foliage – the leaves color golden brown before dropping!

That’s it; have fun going terrestrial!