Need Some New Orchids, What Should I Get?

[Mountaineer370]

The orchid shows are starting in my area, winter has been so long and cold, and I am so looking forward to seeing the beautiful displays and browsing the vendors' tables. Of course, I have a terrible itch to bring home a couple new orchids. Out of necessity, they will have to be fairly small and also very tolerant of what I will call plain old upper Midwestern household conditions. I grow in a south-facing window, and supplemental light or humidity is not an option. I also have a tiny bit of extra space in a north-facing window.

I currently have three phals, three of the oncidium alliance, a paph, and a compact cattleya. So far, I have managed to not kill any of these, although it seems I wait forever for anything to bloom. Maybe my conditions just aren't right for being very successful with orchids, but I'm not ready to give up yet.

I've got my hopes set on an Onc. Twinkle if I can find a nice one, but I am open to other ideas. Does anybody have any suggestions for small or compact orchids that might be happy in my conditions? I like phals because I don't mind the looks of the leaves even when they aren't in bloom. Likewise with the mottled-leaf paphs. Something with fragrance would be a nice bonus.

I know it's a broad topic, but I'm open to your ideas, suggestions, opinions!

[zelda]

I would recommend Miltonia Sunset. You can often find them for $15 at Trader Joe's. It's a really easy and fast growing plant. This one blooms several times a year for me. No fragrance though. It's very rewarding for little work.

[Leafmite]

Dendrobium auriculatum. It is easy to grow, not picky about light, prefers warm but does fine with my cooler winter temperatures, has nice green fern-like foliage, doesn't get too large, and it blooms very frequently and fragrantly. The roots are kind of fun, too, as they are unusually large for such an orchid.

[Mountaineer370]

Thank you both for the suggestions. I looked up culture information on both of them.

Zelda, what lovely flowers on the Miltonia Sunset! In addition to being very attractive, it sounds like it is a forgiving and hardy plant that would do well in an average windowsill.

Leafmite, I don't have any Dendrobiums yet, but the Dendrobium auriculatum sounds like it might be a good one to start with. From what I've read, it sounds like it has a nice fragrance, too.

Anybody else want to help me spend my money?

[Paul]

Well if you don't mind orchids more for foliage, then I'd say get a Ludisia/Haemaria discolor. It is one of a group of orchids often referred to as "jewel" orchids. Many folks I know will actually cut off flower spikes on these as they begin to form because the foliage is the really showy part. There were a bunch of them at the GR show last month -- couple of the vendors had a bunch of them and I even sold one I brought along. (The vendor I help out at the Michigan shows lets me use a small section of his table space to sell some plants that I bring along -- the occasional orchid or succulent, and carnivorous plants.) They are usually inexpensive running around $10-$15. However, Ludisia does not like strong direct light so it would fair better by the window or well shaded by other plants in the window.

If the southern window is unobstructed, you should be able to bloom quite an array of orchids there, such members of the catt, dendrobium, oncidium, or vanda alliances. If you are able to summer plants outdoors, that may also provide you with options.

I have an area in front of my unobstructed SE exposure sliding glass doors. I have bloomed some mini and compact catts (Note: Some catts want less light than they would receive there, some more. The ones wanting more are harder to get to bloom. So in the case of your catts, might just be a matter of finding the correct ones for you. Have even had a few catts over the years I could not get to bloom no matter what I did. Needless to say I got rid of them.) I have even bloomed warmth tolerant masdevallia like Masd. herradurae in that area. For plants which cannot handle intense sun, like the aforementioned masdie or a phal, I may place them so a larger plant shades the smaller.

I would not advise getting a Miltonopsis, aka "pansy orchid". They do have lovely flowers, but they prefer cooler temps year round and good humidity 50% or better -- which sounds like you may not be able to provide.

If at some point you are able to set some space aside for a plant stand with lights, it will greatly increase your options and grow space. (A sturdy metal adjustable shelving unit can work very well and can be found quite reasonably priced or, if you're lucky and find a used one, downright cheap. Standard 4ft shoplight fixtures using standard fluorescent tubes will do the trick for lighting.) Mayhap you can convince family to get you them for a b'day or anniv. present.

[orchidsarefun]

If you like Twinkle, you'd love Sharry Baby. It has the scent of chocolate. I sell at shows and this is usually the first to go. However - a word of advice. Buy one in bloom so that you can smell / ascertain the fragrance. I've noticed that not all clones have a strong fragrance.

I mention it as I've also been told that a smaller clone has been propagated. The plant - oncidium alliance - can get large in optimal conditions.

[Paul]

Originally Posted by orchidsarefun

If you like Twinkle, you'd love Sharry Baby. It has the scent of chocolate.

That is a plant I do not like. The scent reminds me of those "chocolate" scented scratch-n-sniff stickers popular back in the dark ages when I was a kid. A very fakey scent to my nose. Also, if one is sensitive to strong scents, large multi-spiked plants can be overpowering and cloying. I agreed with a couple folks from my old os who referred to it as "Stinky Baby". That said, I do know a lot of folks who love them and they do tend to sell fast at shows.

That does bring to mind another popular scented orchid that can take a lot of sun -- Maxilaria tenuifolia.
The fragrance reminds most folks of coconut butter/oil.

[estación seca]

Consider a Darwinara Charm or a Neostylis Pinky in a small basket. These are a small Vanda hybrids, with fragrant blue and pink flowers, respectively. They are often available in hanging baskets with long roots dangling freely. This would free up windowsill space. To water, take to the shower, hang on on the nozzle, soak the roots, and let finish dripping. Or, dunk in a bucket, and let drip dry.

They can also be grown well in pots of large bark. My Pinky blooms in a 3" / 7.5cm pot. They have Neofinetia falcata in their heritage, which lets them do well in somewhat cooler temperatures than large-flowered Vandas prefer. They are also easier to flower in a centrally-heated house than are Neos.

Not all clones have fragrance, so sniff.

[Mountaineer370]

Thanks, everyone, for the additional suggestions. I should mention that my orchid collection lives in my kitchen/dining room, on the table in front of the south-facing window. It's a tiny house, and there is no place else I could put up plant shelves. I have no basement, no "spare" room, nothing. My three African violets are in the bedroom, in the north-facing window.

So I really mean it when I say I am challenged for space. For the same reason, putting up supplemental lights or humidifiers is out of the question. The kitchen actually has fluorescent ceiling fixtures, which I know is not ideal but it can help on gloomy days. Humidifiers take up space, and there is literally nowhere to put one. Likewise, any kind of hanging plants are out of the question. There just isn't anyplace to do it.

Paul, I've looked at Jewel orchids before, and I think they might like my north window. I have worried that the ones I have seen seem to like to creep and spread out quite a bit. I agree with you that Miltoniopsis would not be good for me, but I think the Miltonia that Zelda was mentioning above has different culture requirements. I'm still concerned that it would be too big, though. I would love to have a Maxillaria tenuifolia, as I do love the fragrance of that one, but I know they get quite large.

Orchidsarfun, I do have a Sharry Baby. I got it off the raffle table at my orchid society a year and a half ago, and it has not bloomed. I am a bit concerned that the fragrance may be too strong for my small house, but we'll see. I think it's about to go back to the raffle table soon, anyway, and I'll just keep an eye out for a small one already in bloom.

Estacion seca, thanks for those suggestions. I will look up some more info on them. They would have to grow in a pot at my house. I've always been afraid to consider vandas, as my humidity generally runs quite low, especially in the winter.

Please keep the ideas coming! I'm making a list. Of course it's unlikely I will see many of these at the shows, but once warmer weather gets here, there's always mail-order.

[WaterWitchin]

I have Tolumnia mounted on a small stick, wire on stick, and stuck over wine bottles filled with water. They winter on a cabinet in a south facing window and summer outside (very humid).

I do have to mist them each morning. Usually I just grab the bottles, mist or shower in my kitchen sink, then set back after done.