Help me pick some new mini/micro-Catts!

[JScott]

Originally Posted by estación seca

LOL, shopping addict math.

Is it, now? Or is it maybe just the plain and simple truth?

[Leafmite]

I have actually ordered a single orchid a few times in the past but, usually, it is very, very difficult to stop at just one if I am ordering plants. Recently, I ordered some small Cattleyas from SVO and then realized I had missed a few and had to do a second order...sigh. I think I am done with the Cattleyas, now, as I have run out of space and basket pots.

---------- Post added at 12:52 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:46 PM ----------

Originally Posted by JScott

Yeah, you have better weather for Orchids where you are. Warm temperatures all year, high humidity. My main concern with walkeriana is the humidity. My understanding is that they need a very fast drying mix, or better yet be mounted, and they need high humidity. My humidity in the winter is too low for mounting plants. I've tried, and the roots just shrivel and die in the low winter humidity. That leaves me with the option of potting it, but then I'd have to be super careful about watering, letting it dry totally between waterings, but with the low humidity, that may not provide enough moisture. I'll eventually give it a try, and maybe I'll get lucky, but I'm hesitant to buy one knowing that I don't have the right conditions (however I just bought a Rossioglossum Rawdon Jester, even though I know i don't have the right conditions for it, but I wanted it so bad, I figured I'd try and see what happens. That's about where I am with walkeriana. I probably can't grow it, but I feel like I need to try, just to be sure.

---------- Post added at 08:56 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:46 AM ----------

Marlow has some really nice looking Cattleya nobilior that I'm looking at real hard. I'm trying to talk myself out of buying it, but I think I'm losing that battle.

Try potting the walkeriana/walkeriana hybrid in large lava rock and a basket pot, then placing the basket pot in a plastic container and leaving a little water on the bottom. I find this works quite well for those Cattleyas, Angraecums and other orchids that need to dry quickly but need the extra humidity around the roots. They sell smaller bags of lava rock for gas grills.

---------- Post added at 01:03 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:52 PM ----------

Originally Posted by SouthPark

I agree that members of the cattleya {mini purple} cross are very nice to acquire.

When looking at my Cattleya collection, it seems like most of them have walkeriana in the background so I guess I also agree with this. It seems like many of the small, nicely fragrant Cattleyas I come across either have C. walkeriana or C. aclandiae (much rarer) somewhere in the background.

[JScott]

Originally Posted by Leafmite

Try potting the walkeriana/walkeriana hybrid in large lava rock and a basket pot, then placing the basket pot in a plastic container and leaving a little water on the bottom. I find this works quite well for those Cattleyas, Angraecums and other orchids that need to dry quickly but need the extra humidity around the roots. They sell smaller bags of lava rock for gas grills.[COLOR="Silver"]

I already have baskets and quite a lot of lava rock, so I think I'm all set there. Thanks for the tip! That's exactly what I'll do with them when they get here.

[SouthPark]

Originally Posted by Leafmite

When looking at my Cattleya collection, it seems like most of them have walkeriana in the background so I guess I also agree with this. It seems like many of the small, nicely fragrant Cattleyas I come across either have C. walkeriana or C. aclandiae (much rarer) somewhere in the background.

Until 5 mins ago or so ----- I didn't know before that mini purple was a cross of C. pumila × C. walkeriana!

I can definitely see some petal resemblance in my mini purple --- when comparing with walkeriana. Fantastic result.

[estación seca]

Originally Posted by Keysguy

Really Kim??????
I can't say as I've ever seen that cross and it's certainly 2 totally different types of plant. What is the hoped for outcome?

Imagine a Laelia-anceps-length spike with four Sophronitis cernua sized pale pink, starry flowers on the end.

[Leafmite]

Originally Posted by SouthPark

Until 5 mins ago or so ----- I didn't know before that mini purple was a cross of C. pumila × C. walkeriana!

I can definitely see some petal resemblance in my mini purple --- when comparing with walkeriana. Fantastic result.

It is fun to look at the ancestry of the Cattleyas one has in their collection.

[Fairorchids]

Originally Posted by estación seca

Imagine a Laelia-anceps-length spike with four Sophronitis cernua sized pale pink, starry flowers on the end.

You are a pessimist. I am hoping for a cernua sized plant, with 5 laelia anceps flowers on a 3" spike.

Actually, I have no idea what will dominate, but I am a fool for anceps hybrids, so I couldn't resist.

[estación seca]

Originally Posted by Fairorchids

You are a pessimist. I am hoping for a cernua sized plant, with 5 laelia anceps flowers on a 3" spike.

Actually, I have no idea what will dominate, but I am a fool for anceps hybrids, so I couldn't resist.

One of my biology professors said hybrids usually combine the worst characteristics of both parents.

[Fairorchids]

There is a degree of truth to that. However, in most hybrids, there are a few exceptionally good ones, which do get the best from each of the parents.

And this brings us back to a series of articles I have been writing for a couple of local orchid societies: Why Buy More Than One. If you buy a single seedling of some new cross, your odds of getting a really good one, are remote. I usually buy anywhere from 3 to 12 of each, since I want to see multiple plants bloom, so I can select a good one (or two) to keep. And, the ones I keep, are then candidates for meristem propagation.

Here are 2 examples.

The first photo shows two seedlings from a selfing of C. Memoria Robert Strait 4N.
The second photo shows two seedlings of C. Christina Mendoza (I have 2 or 3 more, which I want to see bloom before I sell any of them).

You do not have to be a rocket scientist, to figure out which one is the only keeper from these 4 seedlings.

[DrDawn]

Originally Posted by Fairorchids

You do not have to be a rocket scientist, to figure out which one is the only keeper from these 4 seedlings.

So what you're telling me here is that I need to buy many more orchids, FOR SCIENCE! I'll let my husband know that's the reason... (he's the scientist, I'm the engineer)