GardenBanter.co.uk - Christieara

Hello!
I hope this note finds each of you in good health.
My Christieara lost its lead. It was falling over and I grabbed it by
the top which snapped off the three newest leaves. I'm guessing it
will sprout a new lead from somewhere down the stem. I hope it will,
anyway.
After waiting about four years, a Paph. primulinum var.
purpurescens(?) has finally flowered! It's a neat little flower. It
needed much more light than I expected.
I'm also replacing the bulbs for my light shelf. One at a time three
days apart. I was willing to spend a bit more for the wide spectrum
bulbs, but decided to get cool white bulbs, since the lights are for
supplementing the natural light from the window. If the orchids do
well over the next year that's great. If not, then I'll switch to the
wide spectrum. It was interesting to note, while reading about the
different kinds of fluorescent bulbs, that wide spectrum bulbs (from
Sylvania) had higher initial lumen output than cool white Sylvania
bulbs. Most of the specialty plant grow lights had much lower initial
lumen output. I guess that targeting photosynthetic wavelengths makes
up for lower intensity?
I also had three Dendrobium. I thought there were two Den's with dark
pink flowers and one with white flowers with a dark pink throat on the
lip. I thought I had tossed one of the white ones which, rather
suddenly, started doing poorly. Now, they're flowering. Turns out I
threw out the dark pink one! :-( Darn! I seem to remember reading
recently that the dark pink flowers are Den. phalenopsis and the white
with pink are D. biggibum. I have also read much longer ago, that D.
phalenopsis is a variety (?) or synonym (?) of D. biggibum. To avoid
confusion I also threw out the labels - lol.
Bob Campoli - Philadelphia, Pa