2006 mailing list messages

2006 Archived Messages

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From: Paul Johnson
To: Orchid Talk list
Subject: Re: [OrchidTalk] RE: Putting plants outside
Date: Thu, 15 Jun 2006 13:25

In the northern Great Plains, summer is very much like lowland
subtropical to tropical conditions now through early September. As
to Coelogyne species all of my cool and intermediate growers go
outside for the warm season, once the daytime greenhouse temps reach
the 80'sF and the outside lows are in the 50'sF -- temps in the 40'sF
are not a problem for the plants. They are kept in a shade house
under 50% shade cloth and a lattice panel layer, and get sprinkled in
the morning and again in the late afternoon if it is hot and dry.
Some are presently in their second bloom cycle for the calendar year,
and all are putting on considerable new growth. The shade house
provides shade, of course, but also protection from the heavy rains
and hail from our T-storms, and greatly reduces visits by honeybees.

Warm growing Coel's remain in the greenhouses to luxuriate in the
heat and higher humidity.

From: James H
To: Orchid Talk list
Subject: Re: Putting plants outside
Date: Thu, 15 Jun 2006 16:00

im in BC Canada, right on the coast regular temps are -5C to +40C in the
summer its regulary 30+ C
summer is a bit dry for the orchids and i have to water alot but in spring
winter and fall it rains constantly and is always cloudy.
James

From: James H
To: Orchid Talk list
Subject: Re: Putting plants outside
Date: Thu, 15 Jun 2006 16:00

Ferts are short for fertilizers, i hear it all the time used in reference to
aquarium fertilizer quite often
James

From: P G Hieke
To: Orchid Talk list
Subject: Re: [OrchidTalk] Ancistrochilus rothschildianus
Date: Thu, 15 Jun 2006 16:20

For Geoff,
it was not my intention to turn you green. There are really few people
who have seen this plant in flower even here in SA. A very prominent
professionell grower in the north of the country told me last year that
he had never seen it before.

Hi All,
Grow it like a Phalaenopsis, that is what I do.
As it comes from Central Africa it has low light, lots of heat and plenty
of water. It is important to keep it warm and dry in winter. Most plants
suffer from too low temperatures in winter and then it takes a long time
in spring and summer to recover.
I have this plant for almost 10 years and I also grew it too cold in winter
and probably too dry in summer. It wants to be wet. When I put it in
with the Phallies it really started to grow. Last year it was best african
species and this year the winner with 49 flowers on 13 inflorescences.
Kind regards
Peter from Bloubergstrand

> Hi Peter
>
> A well deserved award. Looks really super with such a lot of flowers. I
> bought a little one last year − just 5 of those funny little bulbs- and it
> had a few flowers on a couple of spikes. It has taken a long time to come
> out of winter dormancy − I did wonder for a while if it was still alive but
> it now has five new growths. Your pictures have given me renewed
> enthusiasm. Do you have any tips about culture?
>
> Andy

From: Ron Newstead
To: Orchid Talk list
Subject: Els Orchids, Germany
Date: Thu, 15 Jun 2006 23:30

My order of plants, made about a week ago, arrived to-day, all in fine
condition, even to the extent that 2 flowers on one plant were totally
unharmed by the trip − impressive!

From: Geoffrey Hands
To: Orchid Talk list
Subject: Re: [OrchidTalk] Re: Neem oil ?
Date: Fri, 16 Jun 2006 12:10

Thanks for the wick John. If I could remember your address |I‹d send you the
stamp , but perhaps you can remind me ?

From: "SKELLAM, Richard"
To: Orchid Talk list
Subject: Provado /lycastes
Date: Fri, 16 Jun 2006 15:15

Interesting comments about Provado. I gained some mysterious mottling
some plants, particularly Phrags following spraying with Provado . At
first I put it down to not getting to the bugs in time, but I was not
aware of any on these plants, they just got sprayed alongside the others
when I was suffering from scale on Cymbidiums. The fact that the marking
of leaves (pale green streaks and blotches) seems to suggest it was the
Provado. I will take more care with mixing in future. It did kill the
bugs tho!

I don't think it is a related problem to the Provado (but beginning to
wonder) but I would appreciate any cultural advice for the growing of
Lycaste locusta and Ada Reichenbachii. Both of these seem to suffer from
very pale leaves (varying the light levels seems to make little
difference) and slow growth (Locusta has been about three months in
achieving a leaf spike of about 15cm). They are potted in a coarse bark,
clay pots, and grown in an intermediate greenhouse, now in a shady part.
Temperature sometimes gets to 30C (even with all doors open) but
humidity is controlled to try to maintain a minimum of 60% (though with
all doors open can drop to around 45% occasionally)

I have many Lycastes that are reasonably successful, both hybrids (of
Skinneri mostly), but also Macrophylla, aromatica etc.

From: Roger Grier
To: Orchid Talk list
Subject: Ascofinetia Cherry Blossom.
Date: Fri, 16 Jun 2006 16:20

Sharon first. It grows in the cooler of my two glasshouses. Single glazed, polystyrene slabs up to the eaves, and bubble cap inside the roof. The roof outside is 'painted' with the white jollop to keep the strongest of the suns rays away. Still bloody hot in there today though.......almost 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The door is kept open all the time in summer and the lowest nightime temperature is about 50. In the winter the lowest is about 45 on a very cold night..........I do not expect the heater to keep at a constant 50. If it's a very cold night, the heater cannot cope, and so I let the temperature drop a little.........as in nature.

I find this plant is very easy to please, and it is a very good grower and flowers every year.

I must take a photo later on today and you can all see what it looks like after a very warm/hot week here in southern England.

Hi Peter, So, you now have the name of the plant. It's parents were: Neofalcata falcate and Ascocentreum ampulaceam.

As to the photos. Sorry Peter as I did forget to compress them. I will do better later today.

From: Roger Grier
To: Orchid Talk list
Subject: Plants outside.
Date: Fri, 16 Jun 2006 16:25

Plants outside. I am sure that the ones that you speak of would benefit from the nice warm sunshine, fresh air and cool night temperatures.

A few years ago I put my Vandas outside. They stood against a wall. At the end of the season when I went to return them to the glasshouse, I grabbed hold of the pot and started to lift...........damn thing would not budge. Roots were attached to the wall for some distance.

From: John Stanley
To: Orchid Talk list
Subject: Re: [OrchidTalk] Re: Neem oil and wick and stamp!
Date: Fri, 16 Jun 2006 23:15

Hey Geoff,
Don't worry − it'd cost you a stamp and an envelope to send one!
If it really worries you, take your wife for a day out to the seaside on it (!). Or, more seriously,drop the equivalent into a charity box somewhere.

More importantly, can you tell me if it works − there is another request in the pipeline and I'd hate raise hopes if it really isn't any use. Oh, and is it long enough?

From: Ron Newstead
To: Orchid Talk list
Subject: Re: [OrchidTalk] Re: Neem oil ?
Date: Fri, 16 Jun 2006 23:15

From: Peter Fowler
To: Orchid Talk list
Subject: Emailing: xanthodom
Date: Sun, 18 Jun 2006 12:35

I have found this picture in one of my files of what I call "Darwin's
Moth", the one he predicted to be present to germinate an Angraecum with a
very long spur.

From: dennis READ
To: Orchid Talk list
Subject: Lycastes
Date: Sun, 18 Jun 2006 18:55

Richard, both your orchids are now Idas. The Ida genus is the old Lycaste section fimbriatae. They grow in nature on rock,wood or earth which is covered in moss and benefit from sunshine 12 hrs a day all year and never dry out. In my opinion to grow them in this country they need to be potted in moss and perlite and fed twice a week to ensure they grow a large pseudo bulb the size of a large lemon. Also clay pots do not retain moisture infact they dissapate it. The Nationsl Collection is all in plastic pots or bowls.
Regards

From: dennis READ
To: Orchid Talk list
Subject: Night time temperature differential
Date: Sun, 18 Jun 2006 19:10

A while ago some one advised of a system that linked two thermostats to control night and day temperatures using gear from a company called Maplin.
For the winter i have decided to try to automate. My back is now complaining too often when I bend down. Regards

From: John Stanley
To: Orchid Talk list
Subject: Re: [OrchidTalk] Emailing: xanthodom and the credit for the pic
Date: Mon, 19 Jun 2006 00:45

Peter,
The photo you attached has its origins with Tony Watkinson of The Species
Orchid Society of Western Australia.who provided me with a copy of the same
.jpg for a cover picture on our CANWOS Newsletter about six moths ago

I just thought it'd be nice to give the credit especially since it it not
often seen illustrated.
The name of "Darwin's moth" is, I believe, Xanthopan morgani praedicta
(rather than Xanthodom).

Incidentally, at
http://www.orchids.mu/Species/Angraecum/Angraecum_sesquipedale.htm there is
a picture of the moth performing its function with Angraecum sesquipidale.
Scroll down a bit for it.

From: Geoffrey Hands
To: Orchid Talk list
Subject: Re: [OrchidTalk] Night time temperature differential
Date: Mon, 19 Jun 2006 08:10

Of course d.i.y from Maplin may be cheaper , but I can't see how it can be
any better than (1) setting the hours when you want the lower temperature to
apply , and then (2) setting how many degrees drop you want.

From: Roger Grier
To: Orchid Talk list
Subject: Dactyl orchids.
Date: Mon, 19 Jun 2006 19:45

I have been on holiday and got back a few days ago. Read quickly all of the Club's E-mails, and then deleted what I did not need to save. I guess I deleted your E-mail about Dactyl orchids, so could you please tell me what it is that you were interested in.

On Saturday and Sunday I took some people around the New Forest looking at the wild orchids. It sure was warm!!!

From: Theta Sigma
To: Orchid Talk list
Subject: Encyclia Citrina photos
Date: Wed, 21 Jun 2006 15:20

I waited 3 years for this one to bloom. Terrific aroma too. Hope you
enjoy it as much as I.

From: Ron Bower
To: Orchid Talk list
Subject: Re: [OrchidTalk] phals
Date: Wed, 21 Jun 2006 21:30

Hello,
I would very much like to view the new Phals on offer from Nardottoeappello but am unable to bring the pictures to the screen. I can see the gallery picts but nothing else. I wonder if any one else has this problem.
Ronbow.

For those of you interested in Phals, I notice that Nardotte have just added about 20 new hybrids to their catalogue:

MONTH	DATE	DATE	DATE	DATE	MONTH	DATE	DATE	DATE	DATE
January	1-7	8-14	15-21	22-31	February	1-7	8-14	15-21	22-28
March	1-7	8-14	15-21	22-31	April	1-7	8-14	15-21	22-30
May	1-7	8-14	15-21	22-31	June	1-7	8-14	15-21	22-30
July	1-7	8-14	15-21	22-31	August	1-7	8-14	15-21	22-31
September	1-7	8-14	15-21	22-30	October	1-7	8-14	15-21	22-31
November	1-7	8-14	15-21	22-30	December	1-7	8-14	15-21	22-31

2006 Archived Messages

June 15—21