C violacea - Awards & AQ

[Orchonubee]

What an incredible display. I am so envious as I have had nothing but frustration with this orchid.

[catwalker808]

C violacea plants are most active during the warmest months, which are April through September here. We can bloom them 2 times during this period ... 3 times if the plants are mature enough. Each new mature growth will bloom.

Plants need bright light, warm temps &, very importantly, good drainage with lots of water (but not soggy feet). During warm periods, I mean drenching the roots, letting them just dry out, then beginning the next watering cycle. In this forum, I read about watering on one week or 10 day cycles, where plants are watered, dry out in 2-3 days, then remain bone dry for 5 - 7 days before re-watering.

I really don't understand the great discrepancy I read between posts that praise their success using s/h culture (with a constant source of moisture & weak nutrients) compared to posts that recommend 10 days between waterings.

I think that people may be taking the 10 day period too literally. I can appreciate that under some conditions & different media, it may take 7-10 days for root zones to dry out, but if roots dry out in a day or two, by all means, plants should be watered again soon. This is why I prefer a well-drained medium. It doesn't keep roots soggy & take forever to dry out. Plants can then take in fresh water with each watering.

Even growers I know in temperate climates have come to appreciate better drained media & the need for more water for many plants, including C violacea. When growing areas are heated during winter, the air can become very dry & suck moisture from plants. Some hobbyists & growers use propagation mats to warm plants from below. Since heat rises, maybe trapping SOME, BUT NOT ALL, of the heat from ballasts or lights could also warm up the tops of plants that really need more warmth during winter.

Ochonubee. If you are having trouble with C violacea, in Florida, I am guessing that your difficulties may be more related to watering issues.

[Orchonubee]

Originally Posted by catwalker808

C violacea plants are most active during the warmest months, which are April through September here. We can bloom them 2 times during this period ... 3 times if the plants are mature enough. Each new mature growth will bloom.

Plants need bright light, warm temps &, very importantly, good drainage with lots of water (but not soggy feet). During warm periods, I mean drenching the roots, letting them just dry out, then beginning the next watering cycle. In this forum, I read about watering on one week or 10 day cycles, where plants are watered, dry out in 2-3 days, then remain bone dry for 5 - 7 days before re-watering.

I really don't understand the great discrepancy I read between posts that praise their success using s/h culture (with a constant source of moisture & weak nutrients) compared to posts that recommend 10 days between waterings.

I think that people may be taking the 10 day period too literally. I can appreciate that under some conditions & different media, it may take 7-10 days for root zones to dry out, but if roots dry out in a day or two, by all means, plants should be watered again soon. This is why I prefer a well-drained medium. It doesn't keep roots soggy & take forever to dry out. Plants can then take in fresh water with each watering.

Even growers I know in temperate climates have come to appreciate better drained media & the need for more water for many plants, including C violacea. When growing areas are heated during winter, the air can become very dry & suck moisture from plants. Some hobbyists & growers use propagation mats to warm plants from below. Since heat rises, maybe trapping SOME, BUT NOT ALL, of the heat from ballasts or lights could also warm up the tops of plants that really need more warmth during winter.

Ochonubee. If you are having trouble with C violacea, in Florida, I am guessing that your difficulties may be more related to watering issues.

I really appreciate your post Catwalker. With little doubt, my watering was most likely the cause of my failure with this beautiful species. Even in our rainy season, we can go without rain for weeks, and rain was primarily what I relied on.

[ewcia1028]

Congratulation,wow!I have to buy myself one,my friend showed me hers two days ago and right now I saw those and I am in love

[Call_Me_Bob]

amazing blooms! i know im a little late, but i still love them! i want some!!

[GenevaDad]

Very nice!

---------- Post added at 05:24 AM ---------- Previous post was at 05:22 AM ----------

What the heck are these ads and porn showing up on this forum? Is an UGG a type of orchid? I think not!!

[isurus79]

Originally Posted by GenevaDad

What the heck are these ads and porn showing up on this forum? Is an UGG a type of orchid? I think not!!

Ya, I know what you mean! I just try and flag them as soon as I see them so the mods can take them down.

[catwalker808]

This is just an update on the seed I made from a few of the parent plants shown earlier.

Photo 1 shows a fairly mature CP of seedlings. CP's are how we normally plant out from flasks. We place styrofoam peanuts on the bottom & 1-1/2 layer of our peat-perlite CP mix.

Photo 2 show an alternate way we started planting out from flasks. The propagation tray, with a grid of small holes, is lined with a piece of woven poly ground cover material. We may or may not sprinkle a thin layer of CP mix on the bottom. A daily watering (twice in summer) keeps the roots moist, while the leaves dry out. The ground cover material drains, but retains enough moisture to provide humidity. And the roots don't dry out or become tangled in the holes of the propagation tray. This makes for easy transplanting to individual pots.

As plants get to the pictured size, they don't need any cp mix on the bottom. We just flood the trays & rinse out any peat from the bottom, so that the roots only rest on the ground cover material in the trays. No leaf tip or root burns, even when done in summer. Good shading & frequent watering is essential.

[tucker85]

I'm very impressed with your success with this species. Thanks for all the good information. You have some beautiful specimens. I think 'Red Berry' might be my favorite. Please continue to keep us up to date on your progress.

[isurus79]

Now that is a jumbled mess that looks beautiful!