Laelia purpurata. Please Help - Orchid Board

Cattleya17 · #1 07-24-2009, 01:55 AM

Hey all! how are you guys?? well here is the deal! i have fallen in love with these orchids! especially Laelia purpurata Var Carnea. now i need to know everything you do, about them! do they require a rest of any sort? i grow mostly catts and a couple brassavola and two vandas. all are healthy and blooming. now i would like to extend to laelia. can you please give me some advice before i decide to buy so i can be certain i will be able to grow it. ive looked online but havent found too much info. so im hoping some of you who have grown it can shed some light. Please help me!

WhiteRabbit · #2 07-24-2009, 02:27 AM

Hard not to love L purpurata! this past fall and spring I got a couple - seem to be easy to grow - not sure yet about the blooming - both of mine have sheaths but no blooms yet. I think I see buds in the carnea sheaths now

In the winter I had mine in a south facing window - and now they are on front porch where they receive early morning to near mid-day sun.

I have read to grow them a bit dry during winter- a bit less so now.

I am sure more experienced growers will chime in with more info and advice - but just wanted to say that in my experience so far they have been quite easy! We'll see if I get blooms lol
I would say "get it!" lol

catwalker808 · #3 07-24-2009, 05:12 AM

Agree that they're very easy. Especially since they bloom in summer. Yours might bloom late in summer since your spring growing season probably comes late. Never visited your area, but we researched it for a possible stopover ... not enough time though. Read about a guy named Ichabod Crane who lived nearby.

Cattleya17 · #4 07-24-2009, 10:47 AM

Okay Cool! im so happy you guys got back to me so fast, Thank you! i will most ikely buy it! ill wait just a litlle bit for more feedback just so i can get as much advice as possible haha. now the dilema is where to get it from? nice big plants with a bunch of growths! odoms always has plants like that but they don't sell this one

Cattleya17 · #5 07-25-2009, 11:45 AM

Okay Cool! im so happy you guys got back to me so fast, Thank you! i will most ikely buy it! ill wait just a litlle bit for more feedback just so i can get as much advice as possible haha. now the dilema is where to get it from? nice big plants with a bunch of growths! odoms always has plants like that but they don't sell this one

luckygrower · #6 07-25-2009, 02:06 PM

I have few purpurata's, they are easy to grow here in Southern Cal. mine are mounted or growing in granite chips. I grow mine in full sun all year long, as for watering I try to water everyday but being mounted they are dry by mid day and I don't give a winter rest so to speak I just am not able to water regularly in winter

Cattleya17 · #7 07-25-2009, 07:56 PM

Cool im going to buy it! ive called The Santa Barbra Orchid Estate for one they said they are gonna go find one for me. i hope they have one! i called Parkside and they dont have any blooming size ones only ones that are 2 years from blooming, Called hausermann and they only have them in flasks, Is SBorchids doesn't have one where should i look?? I really really want one! especially since mine are growing and blooming regularly! i finally got it right with this type of orchid and am going to stick to it for now and this one is a must have!

WhiteRabbit · #8 07-25-2009, 08:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cattleya17

Cool im going to buy it! ive called The Santa Barbra Orchid Estate for one they said they are gonna go find one for me. i hope they have one! i called Parkside and they dont have any blooming size ones only ones that are 2 years from blooming, Called hausermann and they only have them in flasks, Is SBorchids doesn't have one where should i look?? I really really want one! especially since mine are growing and blooming regularly! i finally got it right with this type of orchid and am going to stick to it for now and this one is a must have!

I have seen some on Angelstreet Orchids website - Cattleya

I got my carnea from them a few months ago - the drawback is shipping cost from hawaii - not sure how much it works out to from them

Quote:

Shipping charges are 15% of the total order plus $10.00. (handling and packaging material). If you choose FedEx, there is an additional $17.50 charge to all addresses on the contiguous United States.

not horribly brutal sounding ... depends how badly you want the plant i guess lol -
or can rationalize that you need to get another plant as well to make the s/h cost worthwhile

Cattleya17 · #9 07-25-2009, 08:37 PM

Hey Rabbit! How healthy and big were the plants? the cost all together for me is only 30 bucks but i kinda told Sb that i would take a plant from them if they don pan out i will buy from these guys. if they are healthy and good plants?

WhiteRabbit · #10 07-25-2009, 08:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cattleya17

Hey Rabbit! How healthy and big were the plants? the cost all together for me is only 30 bucks but i kinda told Sb that i would take a plant from them if they don pan out i will buy from these guys. if they are healthy and good plants?

Plant was listed as 4" pot - in sheath
plant I got was definitely ready for a bigger pot and had 2 sheaths

still hasn't bloomed yet - but I do now see buds in the sheaths

. Roots were very good as well

pic is plant I received when I received it - so when it was still in the 4" pot