Few orchid blooms – but good smells

Not as many bloomers in the greenhouse this week as in previous weeks. But the ones that are showing their colors are quite lovely…and one has a famous and fabulous scent: Maxillaria tenuifolia. The red flowers on this orchid, with its grass-thin leaves, make the greenhouse smell like a cocktail lounge serving only piña coladas. The [...]

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Using pumice stone as a potting mix

One of the great advantages of attending orchid conferences is learning new and promising growing techniques from experts like Chuck Hanson of Ecuagenera. He raises his Gongora plants in 3/8 inch pumice stone. Among other things, his technique insures that the media is appropriate to the species’ need for a dry season.  Hanson keeps his Gongora plants dry [...]

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Two new blooms and a word about Cattleya

Two new blooms: Blc. (Fair Catherine – Love Sound) var. ‘Hakucho’ and Phal. bastianii [see Photo page] A few years ago I attended the Southwest Regional Orchid Growers Association Meeting and Show. William Rogerson, one of the speakers, gave an outstanding presentation on Cattleyas.  A key element of his talk was repotting. Only repot when [...]

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Repotting – A Housekeeping Note

As spring approaches, I’m getting ready for the repotting sessions that come with that time of year: stocking up on bark and moss and other potting supplies, and identifying the plants that need repotting. I’m also sterilizing used pots. I do this two or three times during the winter and off and on during the [...]

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Growing tips from OSGKC Orchidists of the Year

Below are three excellent tips from two of Zone 5′s best orchid growers. Susie and Al, recent recipients of the Orchid Society of Greater Kansas City’s 2009 Orchidists of the Year, live near Lawrence, Kansas, about 50 miles west of Kansas City. [Click on the Photos page to see recent blooming orchids from Susie and [...]

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More blooms…and a word about Cycnoches

Five new blooms from this week are posted to the Photos page. One of the blooms is a Cycnoches (Cyc. pentadactylon ‘Galaxy 4N’), one of my favorite orchid genera. A challenging genus, Cycnoches orchids need a definite rest period, during which the leafless bulb should be watered sparingly. Some Cycnoches growers, who pot their plants in a bark [...]

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