My Colmanara Wildcat is in spike right now and I can't wait. I love it!

Sam



"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 grow on the windowsills or rather on shelves next to north-facing
windows.
I supplement this with growlamps so that I can achieve medium light right
under a lamp, but I am not sure whether I could have medium light at leaf
level for a Bllra since they are rather tall plants. So the light is low
to
medium, but mostly low.

The temps in our apartment are usually around 70-80 degrees Fahrenheit.
Sometimes in the summer the air-conditioning doesn't work though and then
it
can be in the upper 80s or in the low 90s for a short period of time. In
the
winters, especially at night the temp might be in the 60s.

Humidity-wise we try to keep it above 50% at all times -- easy in the
summer, harder but doable in the winter.

I successfully grow Phals, Dtps, Paphs, and a cochleanthes (though the
last
has a bud-blasting habit, it's currently blooming and has a chance at a
second successful bud at this point, so I guess it counts as a success
though the conditions are definitely not ideal for it). I have never tried
anything else yet.

Based on all this would you advise me to go ahead and try an intergeneric
Onc hybrid, or should I leave it alone? 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? It's really important to me that I
don't get something that does not really have a chance at flourishing
here,
but I am feeling like experimenting a bit with non-Phals.

Your advice will be greatly appreciated!

Joanna