I've been surprised to find that people consider vandas difficult to grow in
California. Something about the heat or lack thereof. Well, I'm sure
people in San Diego will be happy to find out its not hot there.... And I
have friends here who grow vandas - not ascoscendas - very well indeed. They
do have to heat their greenhouses no less than 60 and maybe becasue the
vandas are hung closer to the rafters its hotter up there.

In reading 'American Cattleya Hybrids' I was intereted to see that Florida
hybridizers thought Blc Fortune was a dud stud plant. In Florida's
conditions it and its hybrids would cripple, while here in California it was
considered a great parent. ( I think Fortune was used alot by Stewart's and
Armacost & Royston to make yellow catts.) When Stewart's moved to
Mississippi I'm sure thay had a bit of an acclimatizing in their collection,
too.

K Barrett

"John Mallery" wrote in message
...
That is very true - while visiting Florida I was reminded that it is
extremely difficult (nearly impossible) to grow Vanda's in Kansas -
Ascocenda's we can grow and bloom, but Vanda's prove much more difficult.
Vandas bloom extremely well in Florida - There is a reason the
Conservatory
of Flowers in San Francisco specializes in Masdevallias and related
genera -
they grow well in that area. When I said controlled environment - I am
able
to control temperature to some degree and humidity. I grow in what I call
"extended" windowsill growing as I modified an office into an "internal"
greenhouse - added an 8' tall x 6' wide sliding glass door and a 5' tall x
4' wide window on the west side of the room. I water my plants with rain
water most of the year. Plants get bright often direct light for some part
of the day. I would even go farther to say that people in the same
relative
geographic locationoften have different growing conditions. I am able to
grow and bloom some plants that other people in my area have difficulty
with. As far as Laelia pumila is concerned, when I purchased the plant I
read somewhere that it likes to be in a medium that drains well - which is
why I put it in a basket with course bark. I find that I often learn from
threads on this newsgroup even if I don't know peoples growing
conditions -
but knowing them certainly helps.

John

"K Barrett" wrote in message
news:O0l4d.4706$He1.390@attbi_s01...
Well actually there's a world of difference between growing orchids in
Kansas, Florida or Italy. As well as growing orchids on a windowsill,
under
lights, in a greenhouse or on your patio.

Water quality springs to mind. Ambient humidity, amount of available
light
at that latitude, daylength, day/night temperatures. A hobbyist can
influence some of these physical factors but can't control all of them
without additional expense, sometimes considerable additional expense.
Also
on a mundane level there is a difference between trade names and product
availability to a consumer in the USA vs the EU for example.

That there are certain areas of the world that some orchids do better
than
others is no shocking news. Some Cattleyas grow better in California
and
Hawaii than they do in Florida. Most cymbidiums and certain oncidiums
don't
grow well in Florida. Even a cursory reading of any orchid related
magazine/journal will have articles by credible authors (Rebecca Northen
comes too mind) on exactly this point. What works in one environment
doesn't necessarily work in another.

As a matter of courtesy people giving adivce should mention where/how
they
grow so that the person receiving advice will know how far they have to
change that advice to fit their own growing conditions. Assuming they
even
realize that. Which is why I brought it up. Reka (and rgo lurkers)
should
remember that she isn't living anywhere near Kansas, or growing in
whatever
John Mallery considers to be a 'controlled environment'.

K Barrett

"Rob Halgren" wrote in message
...
GARLAND HANSON wrote:

What's the difference in growing orchids indoors in Florida or Italy
OR
Kansas?



Completely under lights, or in a windowsill? In the window, there
will be differences. Even under lights there will be a fair amount of
difference. Humidity, ambient temperature, water quality, fertilizer
brands, etc. Across the street in the botany building they have very
expensive growth chambers that regulate all aspects of culture, just
to
get some measure of reproducibility for their experiments. I doubt
most
home orchid growers have absolute control over all of the factors
involved in plant growth.

All that said, I'd certainly accept advice from somebody growing
in
a completely different part of the world from me, and try to integrate
it into my personal experiences. Most things translate, some things
don't. The more you know, the better, but there isn't a book in the
world that substitutes for hands on experience. That is what makes
orchid growing fun.

Orchid growing is more than a little art, and a bit of science.
My
grandmother could grow and bloom phalaenopsis in dark corners of north
facing rooms, sitting in saucers of water with never a drop of
fertilizer. Green thumb. I have no other explanation than art -
science says that won't work. My thumb is several shades lighter
green
than that, unfortunately.

Rob

--
Rob's Rules: http://www.msu.edu/~halgren
1) There is always room for one more orchid
2) There is always room for two more orchids
2a. See rule 1
3) When one has insufficient credit to purchase
more orchids, obtain more credit
LittlefrogFarm is open - e-mail me for a list )

I've been surprised to find that people consider vandas difficult to grow in
California. Something about the heat or lack thereof. Well, I'm sure
people in San Diego will be happy to find out its not hot there.... And I
have friends here who grow vandas - not ascoscendas - very well indeed. They
do have to heat their greenhouses no less than 60 and maybe becasue the
vandas are hung closer to the rafters its hotter up there.

In reading 'American Cattleya Hybrids' I was intereted to see that Florida
hybridizers thought Blc Fortune was a dud stud plant. In Florida's
conditions it and its hybrids would cripple, while here in California it was
considered a great parent. ( I think Fortune was used alot by Stewart's and
Armacost & Royston to make yellow catts.) When Stewart's moved to
Mississippi I'm sure thay had a bit of an acclimatizing in their collection,
too.

K Barrett

"John Mallery" wrote in message
...
That is very true - while visiting Florida I was reminded that it is
extremely difficult (nearly impossible) to grow Vanda's in Kansas -
Ascocenda's we can grow and bloom, but Vanda's prove much more difficult.
Vandas bloom extremely well in Florida - There is a reason the
Conservatory
of Flowers in San Francisco specializes in Masdevallias and related
genera -
they grow well in that area. When I said controlled environment - I am
able
to control temperature to some degree and humidity. I grow in what I call
"extended" windowsill growing as I modified an office into an "internal"
greenhouse - added an 8' tall x 6' wide sliding glass door and a 5' tall x
4' wide window on the west side of the room. I water my plants with rain
water most of the year. Plants get bright often direct light for some part
of the day. I would even go farther to say that people in the same
relative
geographic locationoften have different growing conditions. I am able to
grow and bloom some plants that other people in my area have difficulty
with. As far as Laelia pumila is concerned, when I purchased the plant I
read somewhere that it likes to be in a medium that drains well - which is
why I put it in a basket with course bark. I find that I often learn from
threads on this newsgroup even if I don't know peoples growing
conditions -
but knowing them certainly helps.

John

"K Barrett" wrote in message
news:O0l4d.4706$He1.390@attbi_s01...
Well actually there's a world of difference between growing orchids in
Kansas, Florida or Italy. As well as growing orchids on a windowsill,
under
lights, in a greenhouse or on your patio.

Water quality springs to mind. Ambient humidity, amount of available
light
at that latitude, daylength, day/night temperatures. A hobbyist can
influence some of these physical factors but can't control all of them
without additional expense, sometimes considerable additional expense.
Also
on a mundane level there is a difference between trade names and product
availability to a consumer in the USA vs the EU for example.

That there are certain areas of the world that some orchids do better
than
others is no shocking news. Some Cattleyas grow better in California
and
Hawaii than they do in Florida. Most cymbidiums and certain oncidiums
don't
grow well in Florida. Even a cursory reading of any orchid related
magazine/journal will have articles by credible authors (Rebecca Northen
comes too mind) on exactly this point. What works in one environment
doesn't necessarily work in another.

As a matter of courtesy people giving adivce should mention where/how
they
grow so that the person receiving advice will know how far they have to
change that advice to fit their own growing conditions. Assuming they
even
realize that. Which is why I brought it up. Reka (and rgo lurkers)
should
remember that she isn't living anywhere near Kansas, or growing in
whatever
John Mallery considers to be a 'controlled environment'.

K Barrett

"Rob Halgren" wrote in message
...
GARLAND HANSON wrote:

What's the difference in growing orchids indoors in Florida or Italy
OR
Kansas?



Completely under lights, or in a windowsill? In the window, there
will be differences. Even under lights there will be a fair amount of
difference. Humidity, ambient temperature, water quality, fertilizer
brands, etc. Across the street in the botany building they have very
expensive growth chambers that regulate all aspects of culture, just
to
get some measure of reproducibility for their experiments. I doubt
most
home orchid growers have absolute control over all of the factors
involved in plant growth.

All that said, I'd certainly accept advice from somebody growing
in
a completely different part of the world from me, and try to integrate
it into my personal experiences. Most things translate, some things
don't. The more you know, the better, but there isn't a book in the
world that substitutes for hands on experience. That is what makes
orchid growing fun.

Orchid growing is more than a little art, and a bit of science.
My
grandmother could grow and bloom phalaenopsis in dark corners of north
facing rooms, sitting in saucers of water with never a drop of
fertilizer. Green thumb. I have no other explanation than art -
science says that won't work. My thumb is several shades lighter
green
than that, unfortunately.

Rob

--
Rob's Rules: http://www.msu.edu/~halgren
1) There is always room for one more orchid
2) There is always room for two more orchids
2a. See rule 1
3) When one has insufficient credit to purchase
more orchids, obtain more credit
LittlefrogFarm is open - e-mail me for a list )

K Barrett ) wrote:
: I've been surprised to find that people consider vandas difficult to grow in
: California. Something about the heat or lack thereof. Well, I'm sure
: people in San Diego will be happy to find out its not hot there.... And I
: have friends here who grow vandas - not ascoscendas - very well indeed. They
: do have to heat their greenhouses no less than 60 and maybe becasue the
: vandas are hung closer to the rafters its hotter up there.

I live in the Sacramento Valley and I have a Vanda on my window sill that's
bloomed for many years running. Alan Koch, whose green house is about 10 miles
from here, has a couple of monster Vandas that are just to die for. The
Sacramento Orchid show in the spring always has a good selection of Vandas
in it as well.

Dave

K Barrett ) wrote:
: I've been surprised to find that people consider vandas difficult to grow in
: California. Something about the heat or lack thereof. Well, I'm sure
: people in San Diego will be happy to find out its not hot there.... And I
: have friends here who grow vandas - not ascoscendas - very well indeed. They
: do have to heat their greenhouses no less than 60 and maybe becasue the
: vandas are hung closer to the rafters its hotter up there.

I live in the Sacramento Valley and I have a Vanda on my window sill that's
bloomed for many years running. Alan Koch, whose green house is about 10 miles
from here, has a couple of monster Vandas that are just to die for. The
Sacramento Orchid show in the spring always has a good selection of Vandas
in it as well.

Dave

"Dave Sheehy" wrote in message
...
K Barrett ) wrote:
: I've been surprised to find that people consider vandas difficult to
grow in
: California. Something about the heat or lack thereof. Well, I'm sure
: people in San Diego will be happy to find out its not hot there.... And
I
: have friends here who grow vandas - not ascoscendas - very well indeed.
They
: do have to heat their greenhouses no less than 60 and maybe becasue the
: vandas are hung closer to the rafters its hotter up there.

I live in the Sacramento Valley and I have a Vanda on my window sill
that's
bloomed for many years running. Alan Koch, whose green house is about 10
miles
from here, has a couple of monster Vandas that are just to die for. The
Sacramento Orchid show in the spring always has a good selection of Vandas
in it as well.

Dave


Exactly!!! That's why I was so amazed to read (I know it was Ned Nash who
wrote it but can't recall if it was in Orchid Digest or Orchids) that it was
almost 'common knowledge' that vandas didn't do well in California. Hence
the lack of hybridizers here, I suppose. Maybe vandas are spectacular in
Florida, becasue they are pretty good here....

K Barrett

"Dave Sheehy" wrote in message
...
K Barrett ) wrote:
: I've been surprised to find that people consider vandas difficult to
grow in
: California. Something about the heat or lack thereof. Well, I'm sure
: people in San Diego will be happy to find out its not hot there.... And
I
: have friends here who grow vandas - not ascoscendas - very well indeed.
They
: do have to heat their greenhouses no less than 60 and maybe becasue the
: vandas are hung closer to the rafters its hotter up there.

I live in the Sacramento Valley and I have a Vanda on my window sill
that's
bloomed for many years running. Alan Koch, whose green house is about 10
miles
from here, has a couple of monster Vandas that are just to die for. The
Sacramento Orchid show in the spring always has a good selection of Vandas
in it as well.

Dave


Exactly!!! That's why I was so amazed to read (I know it was Ned Nash who
wrote it but can't recall if it was in Orchid Digest or Orchids) that it was
almost 'common knowledge' that vandas didn't do well in California. Hence
the lack of hybridizers here, I suppose. Maybe vandas are spectacular in
Florida, becasue they are pretty good here....

K Barrett