Phal. bellina and violacea

[jocierk]

I have totally fallen in love with both of these varieties. I have only been growing orchids for a 4 months or so, so I am trying to move slow and not get in way over my head (she says while looking at 17 orchids with 5 more on the way). As of right now I only own one (violacea var. borneo x violacea var borneo 'Pacific Isle') that I got from Hausermann's and it seems to be doing well. It has what I think is a little spike just starting to come out, which I am SUPER excited about!

Anyway, I was just wondering if anyone has any insider suggestions or first hand experience with these type of phals. I have done a bunch of research but there just doesn't seem to be a heck of a lot of info on them and I would like to make the little guy happy.

I would also be interested in knowing about any recommended vendors for these…ya know…just for future reference.

[RandomGemini]

My Bellina is a slow grower compared to my hybrids, I believe I purchased a plant that is not quite blooming size. So my experience may be different. In six months of owning mine, I've seen one new leaf grow and another one only just started. I keep it in slightly higher light than my hybrids, but I had to acclimate it to that spot. I grow it in bark with some spaghnum moss on top of the pot to help it maintain moisture between weekly waterings.

[Miss_Cat]

Welcome to the wonderful world of orchids! I must applaud you as the 2 you have picked are not the easiest Phals to start with right off the bat. I have a couple of violaceas I got as mature plants a few years back and I can confirm that they are slow growers.

It would help to know where you live and what conditions you grow under to be able to share growing experiences and suggestions.

[RosieC]

My bellina likes brighter light than my other phals. In the UK I don't have massively bright light, but it grows in a south west facing window behind a sheer curtain and get's bright light when the sun is out. My other phals are all grown in east or north east facing windows and only get morning sun, this get's far more.

When I first got mine it was slow growing... well it did nothing for about 18months. However now it grows about average for a phal, 1-2 new leaves a year and they are massive! OK, not as big as gigantea or anything, but they are big compared to my other phals, and big compared to the leaves it had when I bought it.

I don't think mine likes being moved when it flowers. I usually move phals to the mantelpiece when they are in flower, but this one with it's sequential nature will blast it's spike and not produce more than the first flower if it's moved.

[quiltergal]

Just want to point out that the plant you got from Hausermanns IS bellina. It was reclassified many years ago and Hausermanns never updated their tags.

That said, I find bellina a little more difficult to grow than violacea. My bellina bloomed for the first time last year after owning it for 3 years. The violacea bloomed a year after I got it . They were both purchased at the same time as small seedlings.

Bellina I believe is more fussy about humidity than violacea. Both take more light than my other Phals. Neither one likes to dry out completely. Your new spike is exciting. These like many Phal species will start spikes and then they will stall. Sometimes they start growing again and sometimes they just sit there doing nothing. Cross your fingers and hope yours keeps growing!

[orchidsarefun]

yep, thats a bellina from Hausermann's. I have a similar cross from them.
Mine has plenty of leaves - grows well, and spikes - 1 to 2 every year. Its only ever flowered 1x ! It has 5 spikes. I keep hoping that all will flower at once.....

[jocierk]

Thank you all so much for your replies. Figures I would pick the complicated and fussy ones to love.

Cat in answer to your questions about my conditions. My orchids are on two workshop type shelves, one of which sits directly in front of a large south window (shaded by a tree and a privacy fence). The other one sits perpendicular to it against the wall so it still gets a good amount of light from the window.The wall shelf has a four bulb T5 hanging above it, it is mostly Catts with a few Oncidiums and some random others. The window shelf has a 2 bulb T5 fluorescent above it, it is my phal shelf. The top of this shelf has all the large phals, and the lower part has the smaller ones, including the bellina. Both shelves share a humidifier and all the orchids sit in their own dish with gravel and water. I also mist them when they seem like they need it between waterings. They are all in the kitchen so the temp is low to mid-70s and it does drop a few degrees at night due to the large window.

I am planning on getting a good sturdy shelf and summering some of the orchids outside so I wasn't sure if the bellina would appreciate that or not. Oh and I am in Mid-Missouri.

All the phals have perked up a lot since I hung the light over them. I have new leaves from four of them and two of the large ones and the bellina are starting to spike. The other three are still in flower from when I bought them (I constantly amazed at how long they last) so they haven't started any new growth yet.

Ill post some pics of the whole situation soon.

[Vanda lover]

My first orchid was a violacea. I had trouble getting it back into bloom and when it did bloom it only had a few flowers. It did have a nice scent though.

[debrasoon]

The first pics is of what I think is a violacea cross. The second is a Bellina. The violacea has been blooming sequentially almost non stop since I got it. Semi shaded. Humid. Both have been doing well on my balcony and they both appear to like being mounted. Daily watering. Outdoors in humid and warm Singapore.


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[RandomGemini]

Ok, I want a violacea now! That's lovely!!