Xref: kermit rec.gardens.orchids:47815
You know, I've killed 3 Eliz Ann Buckleberrys, so I'm the last person to ask
about them. *G* I can grow other Bulbo/cirrs, but that one just doesn't like
me. The ones I've had were all in plastic pots and a mix of fine and
intermediate bark, which the previous owners had success with. Once they got
into my conditions they went south fast. Come to think of it , that's
probably because of my watering habits (or lack thereof). All my other
bulbos/cirrs are in baskets in sphagnum moss or mounted and placed such that
they get mist from overhead misters a few times daily, allowing them to be
evenly moist by nightfall. I have it in light as for catts or oncidiums.
The key to these, IMHO, is the water. They are really a pain in the butt
sometimes, becasue they grow and grow and won't flower until the reach the
edge of the container, their roots hang out into space, and *then* they
flower. So that begs the question *why* all the hoopla about evenly moist
conditions if it wants its roots hanging out there in space in order to
flower? But if I don't give them that moistness they sulk, die back and
(wellll) croak. That's not sopping wet, but evenly moist. With my misters
they'll get real wet, but then with the fans they'll dry out over the day.
And (here in the Walnut Creek area) its dry enough that they dry out over
the day. But, and I'm probably going to tick people off by saying this, I
can't depend on automation to water as well as what the individual plants
require, hence my attempt at being a better mother and watering better by
hand.
You know who's in teh Sacramento area that grows bulbophyllums real good is
Howard Gunn. He's with the Sacramento Orchid Society and is holding an
openhouse sometime this month - it may be announced on their webpage. It may
be worth joining the society in order so you can go to these sorts of
weekend outings whether you can make the monthly meetings or not. IMHO you
get some one on one attention at these sorts of functions whereas the
meeetings are lectures on topics that may or may not be of interest to you.
K Barrett
"Dave Sheehy" wrote in message
...
K Barrett ) wrote:
: Keep it sopping wet?! Aack! (Now you know why I don't do dendrobiums!!
There
: are just too many variables!)
Yeah, I was a bit surprised by that one too. ;-)
I'm still trying figure out how "Growing Tip: Keep moist all the
time.", from Andy's web site translates to sopping wet.
: Well, that's what makes orchids so great. 'Whatever works for you works
for
: you' is the law of the land, *G*.
That's very true. On the flip side it also makes trading notes like this a
bit futile. Even so, that doesn't stop us from doing so.
Drifting even farther OT, I think you said you recently said you have a
Cirr
Elizabeth Ann 'Buckleberry' (not sure if you threw it away or are trying
to
deal with the bush snails). Anyway, what's your take on its requirements?
What light levels does it need and how wet does it need to stay? Do you
think it can deal with my I-H environment up here in Sacramento?
TIA,
Dave
: K Barrett
: "Dave Sheehy" wrote in message
: ...
: K Barrett ) wrote:
: : In the 3rd link, top photo (taken by Eric Hunt) you can see the
profile
: for
: : sulawesianse/crepidiferm on one of the flowers in the upper left.
The
: : nectary has a keel. The flower you mention is taken at an off-angle,
and
: : shows the 'ventral' side of the flower - if one can use an animal
term
: for a
: : plant, *G* . The lip is rather like how it shows in all pictures.
Andy's
: pic
: : does show the crystalline texture, which is a very fine feature of
the
: : plant.
:
: : The flower does have a long nectary that extends back from the open
: flower
: : face, about 1-2 cm. Sounds like your petals and sepals are slowly
: opening?
:
: Yes, that seems to be the case.
:
: : In my GH the flower has not trouble opening, not like Den
: victoria-reginae
: : (Purple and white) in which the blooms are all scrunched up together
and
: : each individual flower has no room to open fully and diplay its
self.
:
: Hey! I thought you didn't do Dendrobiums.
:
: : So I
: : prefer crepidiferum, plus the color is a knock out and the
crystalline
: : texture is to die for.
:
: Those are the exact characteristics that I like in this plant!
:
: : What to do in order to get the flowers to open better, I have no
idea
: but I
: : can tell you how I grow mine. I have mine in a rather dry corner of
the
: GH.
:
: That's probably equivalent to my indoor conditions.
:
: : Its in sphagnum in a clay pot,
:
: That's the way it came potted from Andy's and I've left it that way.
:
: : it gets light as for cattleyas, if not
: : brighter. When I got the award the judges commented that some of the
: leaves
: : were the same color as the flower from the high amount of light I
give
: the
: : thing.
:
: We differ here. Andy's cutlural info says it takes low light. So, I
have
: it
: in a north window where it gets around 1000 foot candles of light (if
I
: hold
: the light meter just right). Yet another reason I bought it was for
it's
: low light requirements.
:
: : I water once a week. More if I have time. Rel humidity is 40-80%
: : (yes! quite a fluctuation) and temps are 55-85F. So its tolerant of
: abuse.
: : (Not that it enjoys abuse, just that so far its putting up with me)
:
: Another likely difference. Andy's culture info on the web says to keep
it
: moist. But, when I saw Andy at the SF show he said to keep it "sopping
: wet". So, that's what I do now. I had problems with leaf tips browning
and
: accordian growth if I let it dry out at all.
:
: : I've
: : been keeping the canes staked upright, although they may look really
: cool
: : laying over, pendant. However the canes are about 2 1/2 feet tall so
it
: : would take up a lot of room if allowed to hang (IMHO)
:
: Mine's still small. The largest canes are around 10". I've thought
about
: tying the canes up but I can hang it in such a way that I don't have
to.
:
: : I hope this helps, its a great plant
:
: It is a great plant. So far, it's been pretty easy too.
:
: Dave
:
: : K Barrett
:
: : "Dave Sheehy" wrote in message
: : ...
: : K Barrett ) wrote:
: : : http://www.aospacificcentral.org/SF-050702-21.html
: : : http://www.aospacificcentral.org/SFA...3/densula.html
: : : http://www.aospacificcentral.org/SFJuly%202003/den.html
: :
: : : I hope these pics help you with the shape. Also please note that
: : according
: : : to Christensen the name now is Dendrobium crepidiferum (ick)
: :
: : Thanks Kay, they do help some. The top photo (that you took) in
the
: second
: : URL illustrates my question about shape. In the top left corner
you
: see a
: : flower in profile that is very trumpet, or cone shaped. That is
what
: my
: : flowers are shaped like although they are gradually (very
gradually I
: : might
: : add) flattening out. There is a bit of an illusion in the pictures
: which
: : are taken head on. That is, the lip looks very short and squat
from
: that
: : perspective when in reality it is not. Again, looking at the
flower in
: the
: : top left corner you can see the lip sticking out from the edge of
the
: : petals/sepals. Having bought this orchid from the picture at
Andy's
: : Orchids
: : I didn't expect it to quite look the way it does. BTW, the picture
at
: : Andy's
: : can be found at:
: :
: :
: :
:
http://www.andysorchids.com/picturef...s/5168med.jpg&
: : PicId=5168
: :
: : It looks very much like the photos you listed above (except for
the
: : silvery
: : sparkles on Andy's photo).
: :
: : Dave
: :
: : : K Barrett
: :
: : : "Dave Sheehy" wrote in message
: : : ...
: : : Gene, I have a question for you. I have a Den sulawensience
that
: I
: : got
: : : from
: : : Andy's Orchids. Andy's claims that the flowers are very flat
when
: they
: : : open
: : : but mine are more trumpet shaped. So, what shape are the
flowers
: for
: : your
: : : plant? I wonder if I'm doing something culture-wise or if it's
: just
: : the
: : : nature of the beast (err... plant).
: : :
: : : TIA,
: : :
: : : Dave
: : :
: : :
: :
: :
:
: