S/O Large Orchids Grammatophyllum Speciosum . . .

[peeweelovesbooks]

Originally Posted by Sharlie

I just wrote a thread asking the same questions... didn't realize you can search...
I just got mine in a 4 in pot... ready to transplant... just nervous to do so. I definitely have some ideas of how to now....thanks!
I was reading some info online and they bloom about every 2 yrs... but one guy says he gets his to bloom every yr(it is a huge plant) and most of the yr it is in bloom. He says he uses bone meal as a spring application of fert.
Good Luck with yours.

Thanks. Same here!! Bone meal, huh? Interesting. I'll definitely keep that in mind.

[orchidnick]

I'm going to take the plunge this spring. Kawamoto has medium sized ones for sale on Ebay but by special arrangement also has larger specimens directly from his nursery. I have my eyes on one in a 5 gallon pot with at least 12 adult canes and 7 new ones forming. It has not bloomed yet but hopefully is close to doing so. I plan to place it in the saddle of a large root stump which when tilted backwards gives a 2 1/2 foot basin for it to sit in. For the next few years it could be taken to shows if in bloom.

Evetually it will outgrow this. It's going to sit on a 1/2' thick bed of 2" gravel, the base of the root stump is about 1' off the ground. The roots can then dig into this gravel base and end up growing as a epiphytic/lithophytic plant. Then it will no longer be movable and stay there for the duration.

I have a green house which I keep at 50F in the winter but that is probably not warm enough for this plant. At first it will winter in there but the final plan is to have it grow on a dedicated gravel patch in a 100% sunlit area without any obstruction to full day sun. It will be much to cumbersome to move it in and out of the greenhouse twice a year. I plan to build a dedicated greenhouse just for it which can be disassembled after the winter. Probably 8' x 8' x 10'.

A plant like that does require special logistics and will over whelm you if you are a windowsill grower. I have a 150 lbs Sulcata tortoise which does the same thing to unwary owners who buy the cute little babies.

Nick

[got ants]

Are these lare grammatophylluns similar in growing techniques to the cyrtopodiums?

I have my Cyrto. Andersonii in a 12" clay pot with Reifers Magic. I got it 6 months ago and it went from a bare 18" psuedobulb with new bulb spike, to the new psuedobulb over 4'.

I didn't get a flower spike with the new "cane" as it looks like it was cut off. Probably best since it came straight from Peru and needed to adjust to the reverse seasons. I should get a inflorescence this spring.

What I like about the Reifers Magic is it drys quickly, it's very airy, and it's light weight.

I'll get a pic up soon to show what it looks like now but here are the pics when I potted it...




[EDIT}

I actually have a recent pic of it....

[orchidsamore]

I grow several types of Gramms including speciosum.

speciosum grows to 9 feet easily. The Gynnis book of world records lists one as 2000 pounds with 7 foot leaves and 9 foot flower sprays. Thailand uses them as road dividers and Hawaiian growers often have a 6-8 foot one in their yards.

For you if you have a sheltered area that will not freeze you can plant it in the ground with good drainage. Similar to a cactus and water it often even daily. They will take full sun in South Florida although afternoon shade will keep the leaves looking better.

If you grow it in a pot and water heavily with a lot of fertilizer then you could be re-potting it 2-3 times a year as it grows.

Mine are just outgrowing 5 inch pots and I will be putting one in the ground and one into a 20 inch basket. (baskets keep them from falling over).

I have many Gram scriptum and hybrids and had to re-pot regularly in pots and they seem to like the baskets better.

Again lots of fertilizer. I never seem to give mine enough. And lot of light or they will not flower.

Also expect to lose leaves every year. They survive down into the 30s OK but drop leaves even in the
40s. Pbulbs often rot in the center of the plant but apparently this is normal as the rot does not spread and can be pulled out when dry.

If you are attending the Tamiami International Orchid show in three weeks (Jan 30-31) in South Miami stop by and say hello. 2010 Tamiami International Orchid Festival

My booth is Pelican Coast Farms, Inc

[orchidnick]

At an orchid meeting a retired elderly gentleman brought in 12" of a leaf which came from a plant growing in his backyard, in the soil. He always thought it was a Palm but someone saw the flowers and told him it's an orchid. What he brought was the tip of a leaf of G speciosum.

He bought the house 15 years ago and has no idea how the plant got there. The area he lives in, Palos Verdes Estates, Malaga Cove, is within 5 miles of the ocean but does go down to near freezing (34F) every year but no colder than that. Lots of fog, not nearly as hot in the summer as the inland Southern California.

I was amazed that the plant would grow, flower and thrive unprotected in that climate but it apparently acclimatised. I have a large one, 22 5' adult fronds, 20 new ones coming, which is also unprotected in my backyard in Lakewood SOCAL which is more inland, so it will get both hotter and colder than Palos Verdes. I do protect the plant by throwing a plastic sheet over it with an electric heater underneath set at 40F, during cold nights. It's a pain as I have to remove the sheet every morning to keep the plant from cooking in the sun.

Apparently these guys are tougher than one usually gives them credit for.

Nick

[orchidnick]

I just re-read the entire post and have a couple of comments. The decorative bark they sell at Home Depot in California is junk. I tried it a few years ago and it very quickly got snow mold. It also turns mushy sooner than good quality orchid bark.

On HS, other wise known as horse manure, I've used it for years. I keep a garbage can of it and add some to the surface areas of larger plants. I also make horsie tea similar to what someone suggested. I have also tried it as the potting medius for Cymbidiums, it worked well but had a tendency to simply disappear. After watering for 1/2 year all that was left was undigested straw. Everything else had leached away so I gave up the practice.

Nick

[Mr. Tech]

everyone!

I'm asking about the propagation. Is it possible to propagate G. speciosum by rooting some cutted segments of the old pseudobulbs? Or the whole 10 ft. pseudobulbs should be separated without cutting them in segments?