Care Books on different species

[kavanaru]

For Paphiopedilum I would suggest: The Paphiopedilum Grower's Manual by Lance A. Birk. IMO the best Paphs book I have ever read...

second book: Tropical Slipper Orchids by Koopowitz (Birk's book is better as Grower's manual!)

Furthermore, have a look at this website: slipperorchids.info

[nibbler]

Trdyl, RosieC, Brotherly Monkey, thank you for the suggestions. I will check them out.

King, they are stinkers.... fabulous. They left that off the shop site. Given the floor space involved in my appartment, I am not sure it would be a great idea to have them. Maybe when we move. I hear what you are saying about the mounted culture. Maybe I should try look after something less smelly and less complicated in a mounted situation. I have a tendency to run straight in head first rather than thinking.

gnathaniel, thank you for the direction towards the caresheets, very helpful and I will search the other forums and orchid board looking for information before they arrive. I am not growing in a green house. Our apartment is on the fourth floor, north, north easterly direction. We never get direct sun light but the windows are floor to ceiling and let in a lot of light. Our appartment is never really cold and I only really turn on the heating to keep the orchids warm (I know that probably sounds silly) I dont want to open the window incase the plants get cold but can I use a fan to keep the air moving and does the fan need to be on twenty four hours a day or will a couple of hours in the evening work. I have the plants sitting on stones with water underneath and the weather is quite damp here but I have ordered a humidity reader to check and I will get a humidifier if needed.

kavanaru thank you for the book suggestion I will order them now.

Really thanks for all you help.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Originally Posted by nibbler

King, they are stinkers.... fabulous. They left that off the shop site.

Of course they did!

If they put on the site that it smells like dog poop, it wouldn't sell.

Bulb odoratissimum is fragrant. Bulb ambrosia is as well. They're both pretty small plants and have beautiful blooms. Check these out.

Most Bulbos smell bad btw. It's just a matter of what degree.

Like I said though, there are some that are fragrant (nicely fragrant).

[nibbler]

hmmm. Unfortunately they only sell one type and thats the one I ordered. I will have to look around for other nurseries. The flowers looked so beautiful though. How can something that looked like that smell so bad?

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Originally Posted by nibbler

hmmm. Unfortunately they only sell one type and thats the one I ordered. I will have to look around for other nurseries. The flowers looked so beautiful though. How can something that looked like that smell so bad?

Easy!

Many Bulbophyllums are fly pollinated.

Some flies are attracted to fruity smells (no pun intended).

Others flies are attracted to the smell of carrion. There is a picture of Bulbophyllum graveolens flowers being visited/pollinated by Green Blow Flies floating around somewhere, you might want to check it out.

Still other flies are attracted to the smell of animal feces.

Of course, let's not forget that a few other flies are nectar feeders!

This is the range of smells to expect from the genus Bulbophyllum.

Bulbophyllum frostii also smells good btw, it has the smell of over ripe fruit (I believe it smells like over ripe oranges).

[nibbler]

I will add it to my list of checks for orchid buying, humidity requirements, temperature, food, water. Poo smell.