Flower Porn

[Bayard]

Way to go, Keith!

[K-Sci]

Forty six large flowers on two spikes - Phalaenopsis NOID. The flowers on this orchid are hard to photograph because they're presented 360 degrees.
-Keith

[DirtyCoconuts]

Wow! That’s a show!

[Diane56Victor]

Lovely colours on your phal, looks like a bit of a colour changer.

[K-Sci]

Originally Posted by Diane56Victor

Lovely colours on your phal, looks like a bit of a colour changer.

I do not know what you are seeing as colour change, but the flowers get a bit lighter as they open fully. The flowers on this phal are extremely long lasting. The cream-yellow colored background will be a pale straw color 6 months from now.

-Keith

[K-Sci]

This one is one plant with 5 spikes and 76 big beautiful flowers. This phal has some of the longest lasting flowers of any I've grown. In the past it held its flowers through to late-summer (albeit with faded colors).

[KikaMaggie]

Originally Posted by K-Sci

One plant 5 spikes, 76 big beautiful flowers. This phal has some of the longest lasting flowers of any I've grown. In the past it held its flowers through to late-summer.

Dear K-Sci, this phal is the most beautiful I have ever seen. As I’m not an experienced grower, I hope you don’t mind if I going to ask some very basic questions. Is this a common plant or some with highly selected genetics? How old does it take to reach that size and load of blooms? How is it fertilized?
Thank you very much and congratulations

[K-Sci]

Originally Posted by KikaMaggie

Dear K-Sci, this phal is the most beautiful I have ever seen. As I’m not an experienced grower, I hope you don’t mind if I going to ask some very basic questions. Is this a common plant or some with highly selected genetics? How old does it take to reach that size and load of blooms? How is it fertilized?
Thank you very much and congratulations

Questions are good.

I purchased this orchid, Phalaenopsis Cleopatra 'Leopard Sunset' in flower at Lowes about 10 years ago. The clone name, 'Leopard Sunset' was given by me for lack of another. For readers outside the US, Lowes is a building supply chain with a garden center. Not the best source for phals. Many are virused. The only time I've seen a Cleopatra for sale is this individual.

This particular plant has very large leaves for a phalaenopsis and tries to lay over as it grows seeking to grow hanging over the side of the pot, much like the species phalaenopis gigantia. This growth habit and the very large size of the leaves suggests that gigantea may be somewhere in its ancestry, though the early origin of the hybrid suggest otherwise.

P. Cleopatra is an old hybrid. It is a cross between Phalaenopsis Sunbeam (Mrs L.McCoy 1963) x Phalaenopsis Zada (Fields Orchids 1958). The hybrid was registered by Jones and Scully 1974.

If you scroll up in this thread, you'll see the photo of another phalaenopsis that is not quite as large/old as this one, but also bloomed in beautiful profusion this year. When this other plant reaches the size of this one, I think it will also have a comparable number of flowers. I don't think the Cleopatra is more prone to having a large number of flowers than many other phals.

I believe the large number of flowers I'm seen on all my older phals this year is the result of two changes. First, my orchids were moved to a greenhouse. Previously they wintered indoors and grew outdoors in the summer. Second, I fertilized my phalaenopsis very generously this summer with MSU 13-3-15 (1/4 tsp /gallon every other watering). Previously for the past 40 years or so I fertilized with Miracid 30-10-10 one per month. Miracid gets its nitrogen from urea and lacks both calcium and magnesium. How orchids are fertilized and what they are fertilized with definitely make a difference. I'm seeing better results with all my orchids since changing fertilizers.

-Keith

[WaterWitchin]

That leopard has no reason to change its spots. It's absolutely gorgeous!

[KikaMaggie]

[QUOTE=K-Sci;981073]Questions are good.

Thank you very much for your explanation. I will try to fertilise more often. My best phal is attached, wishing to have more flowers next year! Thank you very much, you were very kind!