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Old 02-10-2004, 02:58 AM
GrlIntrpted
 
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"J Fortuna" wrote in message
news:RVk7d.573$1g5.286@trnddc07...
My local plant nursery has some really attractive intergeneric hybrids for
sale, including Bllra Marfitch 'Howard's Dream' and Colm Wildcat, and I am
quite tempted to buy one of them, however I would not want to buy them if

my
conditions are such that they couldn't possibly do well.


I live in New York City, and consider myself a window sill grower though I
take many of the orchids into the outdoors to spend the summer.
In the winter, obviously they are all indoors and majority get a western
exposure, and some direct southern exposure (the Catts, some Dendrobiums,
intergeneric hybrids [ which btw I can't stand lately ]). The Bllra
Marfitch 'Howard's Dream' and Colm Wildcat as well as Bllra Peggy Ruth
Carpenter get to spend the summer in the outdoors as well but in the winter,
they sit on the Southern exposure side, about 4 feet away from the window
sill. It's fairly dry in my home during the winter, and they're not very
active during that time. In the summer they spend in the outdoors, in direct
sunlight from around 10am until noon, and then I move them to a bright spot
with no direct sun (They are in the back yard of my business so I can
shuffle and move the outdoor plants as needed) The Bllra Marfitch 'Howard's
Dream' & the Bllra 'Peggy Ruth Carpenter' are blooming for the second time
in less than 5 months. The Wildcat bloomed twice too in one year, but took
a very long time to rebloom the second spike! I really am not certain if
temperature flactuations are as important for the intergeneric hybs as they
are for some Dendrobs and Phals.


Based on all this would you advise me to go ahead and try an intergeneric
Onc hybrid, or should I leave it alone?


I think that they're pretty, some can be drop dead gorgeous, but for me
personally, they no longer hold the appeal as they did before. Focusing on
species is so much more fun and challenging!



I am also considering getting a
miniature cattleya at some point and putting it right under a lamp.

Anything
else I could try in these conditions?


I don't know, Catts just don't want to do well for me. I just can't get
them to bloom despite the great green growth, and healthy root systems. I
subject them to direct light, to bright light, moved them from one area to
another, chilled them, warmed them, NADA, I get absolutely nothing! I don't
know, maybe they just don't like me .

Mariana