Carmella BLC (LoveKnot x Digbyana) - Orchid Board

Rosemary · #1 06-09-2009, 09:01 PM

Very new since May 15. Carmela Love Knot - Loves me not. I rescued this orchid three years ago from a local garden store. I was in a dried state in a inch pot in a mesh bag. I looked a great deal like it was suffering. I bought it for $7.99.
Fast foreward three years and it is thriving many health dark green leaves and plump pseudo bulbs. I live in Milwaukee and have about nine orchids have taken over by kitchen table. The table in next to a south facing bay window. I alternate weekly between plain water and water with fertilizer.

Any hints are how to get Carmela to send me flowers.
Rosemary

SP2340 · #2 06-09-2009, 10:39 PM

Hi welcome! If it hasn't flowered and the leaves are dark green then I would move it into a brighter location. Maybe cut back on the fertilizer when you see the p-bulbs on new growth are getting plump. Good luck!

tuvoc · #3 06-10-2009, 11:15 AM

Agreed. More light will almost always induce blooming.

Kim

Becky15349 · #4 06-10-2009, 12:18 PM

More sun more sun! As much as it can take without the leaves burning

Carmela plants grow in hawaii, imagine how much sun they get there!!

Cookiemonster · #5 06-10-2009, 08:30 PM

This plant has digbyana in it- translation BLAST IT GRADUALLY WITH LIGHT!!!
Digby loves loves light

Rosemary · #6 06-10-2009, 11:50 PM

Thank you for your help. It is front and center in the window. Will watch to make sure in does not get burned.

catwalker808 · #7 06-11-2009, 12:25 AM

You might want to clear up the name on the label because it doesn't seem to be correct. With the information you give, the name is probably Lc. Love Knot x B digbyana.

Somebody probably got lazy along the way and called it Blc (Love Knot x digbyana) which is not correct because Love Knot is not a Blc and neither is digbyana. The cross as a whole is a Blc.

The Carmela at the beginning makes no sense at all, except if the store put the nursery name in front of the plant name to indicate its nursery source.
Anyway, to avoid further confusion, I would call the plant Lc. Love Knot x B. digbyana ... which is what it seems to be.

Agree about the the plants needing more light to bloom. The cattleya side of Love Knot and the B digbyana need more light to bloom ... especially in Wisconsin.

catwalker808 · #8 06-12-2009, 12:05 AM

Today I just happened to come across a digital photo in my files that I had taken a long time ago of Lc Love Knot x B digbyana. It's real pretty ... nice star shape, light pink, little darker pink lip ... full but not frilly like digbyana. And when I got real close to the photo, the fragrance was very nice, since both digbyana & Love Knot are fragrant.

If I knew how to load up a photo here, I would, but I don't.

catwalker808 · #9 06-13-2009, 06:41 PM

OK. Figured out how to upload photo. Your flowers should resemble this photo. However, segments may be a little less full and rounded, because this was made with a 4N tetraploid Lc Love Knot. Your cross probably had a regular Love Knot parent. Flowers should be nicely fragrant on a short ( 7-8" tall) plant.

Royal · #10 06-13-2009, 07:40 PM

Hey Rosemary, Sounds like you got your advice. Just wanted to say welcome the OB!