My first ever bloom!

[butterfly_muse]

Yaaaaaaaay!

My Beallara Marfitch Howard's Dream *finally* bloomed after taunting me with his buds for months! This is what happens when you go away on your honeymoon! Thankfully, he was considerate enough to wait until I was home to bloom, but his buds doubled in size during the time we were away. He must have loved my friend that was taking care of him! (They all loved her, I came back to four new spikes on one mini phal, this guy, and a couple new leaves on another. She has orchid magic!)

I am especially proud because this orchid sulked for weeks after I changed his potting media over the summer. I thought he was going to give up and die on me. And now this! This is the first orchid I have bloomed on my own He had a taller spike, but the weight of his buds caused him to lean into one of the lights they are under and it burned his spike and killed the upper part. Still, I am happy with what I have!

Pictures attached (my cat was playing with the zip tie that is holding him up against the pole. He is floppy because he wrinkled his pbulbs a while back and lost a lot of basal support..heh!! ^^; )

[TOMMYMIAMI]

CONGRATS, awesome! Love the color!

[butterfly_muse]

Thank you! I do too! It's sooo beautiful in the sunlight! If it was warmer out I'd leave him in the window sill, but it's too cold. So he is back under the lights.

[Tabbyblack13]

Beautiful color. I've never grown a beallara before. How hard are they?

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[butterfly_muse]

Originally Posted by Tabbyblack13

Beautiful color. I've never grown a beallara before. How hard are they?

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Since this one didn't die, I'll say not hard? Lol. I have west facing windows, and during the summer he was sitting up in the window sill with my cattleyas with only a piece of lace between the window and the plants. It sulked and shriveled its main pbulb when I moved it from moss to chc, but it seems to have recovered. I watered it when needed and fertilized it every other week during summer. When it started getting cool I opened the windows and let it get into the 50s or so at night and was surprised with this bloom spike. I now fertilize weakly weekly because the flowers were growing, and I also used Ray's Kelpmax every few weeks or so during the summer to help it establish new roots.

So yeah. That's all I did for it. The same as my other guys. I was rewarded.

[SlipperGirl]

Great job! I think Howard's Dream is a pretty plant! I kind of wish I had kept the one I had, oh well I don't really have the room for it

[butterfly_muse]

Originally Posted by SlipperGirl

Great job! I think Howard's Dream is a pretty plant! I kind of wish I had kept the one I had, oh well I don't really have the room for it

Thanks! I think it's really pretty too! When I bought it I didn't know what it was (bag plant at Lowes) and then when I got home and Googled it I got super excited! Lol. I am happy!

[WhiteRabbit]

Awesome!

[kindrag23]

Awesome that is a wonderful feeling!

[My Green Pets]

Congrats on the honeymoon, flowers, cute kitty, and nice view out the window!