Laelia superbiens finally deciding to spike

[smweaver]

My Laelia superbiens is finally sending up a flower spike. Now I just need to protect it from the late summer grasshoppers that are beginning to show some interest in my orchid-growing area. Since this is the plant's first spike, I'm anxiously anticipating what the blooms will look like.

It's a big plant, and, unfortunately, a bit of a climber. The spike is currently almost a meter tall.

Steve
Laelia superbiens | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
Laelia superbiens | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

[dounoharm]

ooohhh thats going to be a beauty! good growing!

[fotofashion]

Get those buds covered NOW!!! I was watching the buds emerge from the sheath of one of my plants and starting to drool over the possible beautiful flowers (first time blooming for me) when I noticed that something had nibbled on a couple of the buds. I just forgot to follow my own advice: Either use an adequate size piece of nylon net to cover the buds or one of those mesh bags the "baggy" orchids come in from Lowes or HD. I'm not sure if it is grasshoppers or just plain the hot weather that is causing a Dend. to lose buds, but I covered those buds also.
I am going to have to be extra vigilant now because I have quite a few plants in sheath and several spikes coming along and I really want to see those flowers whole.
Beverly A.

[peeweelovesbooks]

Steve,

I'm going to follow this thread closely since I ordered a Laelia superbiens from SBOE. It will be a first for me also.

Why does the plant have a reddish tint on the leaves? How big is yours currently, and is it a recent purchase?

Did it take long for it to get established? Can you share with me a bit on how you are growing it?

Thanks!

[smweaver]

Hi, Maria. I too have a plant of this species that came from SBOE; however, it's still fairly young and has not yet formed a spike. The plant that's getting ready to flower was acquired as a division from a local nursery four years ago. They had a tag in its pot that identified it as Schomburgkia superbiens. But I found, after doing some research, that it's considered (for now at least) to be a laelia. The grower who I got it from had it growing in a shady area, where it wasn't doing much more than providing shade for some phalaenopsis and paphiopedilums. He said that since it was a schomburgkia it should be grow warm. He also said that it never flowered, just got larger each year. So I begged and pleaded for a cutting, which he gladly parted with (since he claimed it never bloomed for him and simply took up valuable space).

After doing some more research I learned that Laelia superbiens prefers more moderate temperatures than what this guy told me it needed. So I basically started to grow it like Laelia anceps (which it rather resembles--albeit on a vastly larger scale). I gradually increased the light levels, and I decreased the winter temperatures. The bronze coloration of the leaves was actually a deep magenta a couple of months ago, and is caused by high light levels (the leaves are already starting to change to a green color). It gets full sun from early morning until noon, followed by bright indirect light for the rest of the day. During the cool spring and fall seasons I place it on the back deck of the house, where it gets sunlight all day long. Winters are cool and fairly dry while the plant is dormant (it spends the winter in a sunroom that drops to a range of 48 to 55 F at night, with days climbing to between 70 and 78 F). It's a really hardy plant, taking anywhere from the mid 30s to close to 100 F. So it's the first orchid to go outside in the spring, and the last to come inside in the fall.

I have it growing in coarse-grade coconut husk in a ten-inch clay pot (the bottom six inches of the pot consists of a thick layer of styrofoam packing peanuts), which is seems to really like, judging by the massive root system that's growing throughout the mix. It gets watered and fertilized a lot during the summer, and receives light waterings (but no fertilizer) maybe once ever two to three weeks between November and March). New growths start to break from the older growths around mid to late April.

Sorry for the long-winded response--and I hope this helps you out with your plant.

Steve

[ewcia1028]

Steve,this is just a beginning of this spike and for sure is going to get much taller(double or triple) and it is a long process(months) before it is going to bloom so be patient.good luck

[peeweelovesbooks]

Originally Posted by smweaver

Hi, Maria. I too have a plant of this species that came from SBOE; however, it's still fairly young and has not yet formed a spike. The plant that's getting ready to flower was acquired as a division from a local nursery four years ago. They had a tag in its pot that identified it as Schomburgkia superbiens. But I found, after doing some research, that it's considered (for now at least) to be a laelia. The grower who I got it from had it growing in a shady area, where it wasn't doing much more than providing shade for some phalaenopsis and paphiopedilums. He said that since it was a schomburgkia it should be grow warm. He also said that it never flowered, just got larger each year. So I begged and pleaded for a cutting, which he gladly parted with (since he claimed it never bloomed for him and simply took up valuable space).

After doing some more research I learned that Laelia superbiens prefers more moderate temperatures than what this guy told me it needed. So I basically started to grow it like Laelia anceps (which it rather resembles--albeit on a vastly larger scale). I gradually increased the light levels, and I decreased the winter temperatures. The bronze coloration of the leaves was actually a deep magenta a couple of months ago, and is caused by high light levels (the leaves are already starting to change to a green color). It gets full sun from early morning until noon, followed by bright indirect light for the rest of the day. During the cool spring and fall seasons I place it on the back deck of the house, where it gets sunlight all day long. Winters are cool and fairly dry while the plant is dormant (it spends the winter in a sunroom that drops to a range of 48 to 55 F at night, with days climbing to between 70 and 78 F). It's a really hardy plant, taking anywhere from the mid 30s to close to 100 F. So it's the first orchid to go outside in the spring, and the last to come inside in the fall.

I have it growing in coarse-grade coconut husk in a ten-inch clay pot (the bottom six inches of the pot consists of a thick layer of styrofoam packing peanuts), which is seems to really like, judging by the massive root system that's growing throughout the mix. It gets watered and fertilized a lot during the summer, and receives light waterings (but no fertilizer) maybe once ever two to three weeks between November and March). New growths start to break from the older growths around mid to late April.

Sorry for the long-winded response--and I hope this helps you out with your plant.

Steve

Steve,

Thanks for the quick response!

The divisions that I received from SBOE have been quick to get established, and some have sheaths already. At most, divisions flower for me within the year--I attribute it to growing in Miami as opposed to my stellar orchid growing skills.

I'm planning to put this one in 100% LECA as I do to all my catt alliance, especially my Laelia anceps.

Do you think they would take full sun down here in Miami? The only things I put in full sun are my renantheras..and sometimes I put them in some type of shade during the brightest times in the summer.

Thanks! I can't wait to see yours bloom. Which superbiens do you currently have?

[trdyl]

Steve, Congrats on your new spike! Wow, so the guy you got your division from was growing it with Paphs and Phals? No wonder it never spiked for him.

[smweaver]

Originally Posted by ewcia1028

Steve,this is just a beginning of this spike and for sure is going to get much taller(double or triple) and it is a long process(months) before it is going to bloom so be patient.good luck

Wow. I didn't realize the spike is supposed to grow that big--and here I am going out to look at it every morning and wondering where the buds are! :-)

Ted, the plant that this one was chopped from (the guy just grabbed a pair of shears and cut a piece off without a lot of ceremony :-) was a pretty dark green. It was a beautiful plant (actually, to be honest, its dark green leaves made it look a lot prettier than mine), but I guess he just didn't have it in an ideal location.

Maria, I have no experience growing plants in Miami, so I'm afraid that I can't really answer your question regarding how well this species could be acclimated to direct southern Florida sunshine. The plant didn't have a varietal name when I got it (and the gentleman who sold it to me didn't act like he was handing over anything that was particularly valuable or noteworthy, so I can't really assume it's a "garden variety" version of the species).

Thanks, everyone, for your comments!

Steve

[ewcia1028]

Steve ,my only worry is that your spike is so brown,mine was never brown,all the time green,are you sure is alive and growing?