Brassavola cucullata!!! - Orchid Board

InspirChid1712 · #1 07-08-2012, 03:39 PM

Hey All!

I LOVE this plant!!! It has been mounted on a piece of wood for 2 years and just started flowering this summer! Its so unusual, and reminds me of a jellyfish when the petals blow gracefully in the wind. Upon close examination though, its really no different than any other cattleya-type plant! Easy to grow (needs lots of light/water/fertilizer in summer, though!) and highly recommended! The bloom isn't too huge, but has a POWERFUL and sweetly seductive fragrance at night. Smells almost exactly like moonflowers, for those that know/grow them! I am taking it to my orchid society meeting tomorrow... hopefully an award in store!

isurus79 · #2 07-08-2012, 03:43 PM

I love how much red is in your flower!! Normally this species has some red, but yours is really amazing. Good growing!

WhiteRabbit · #3 07-08-2012, 06:29 PM

Fabulous!

I always love seeing mounted orchids, especially when they are blooming!

JaneEyre · #4 07-08-2012, 10:38 PM

Beautiful! I love the coloring on the back of the sepals.
Good luck showing off your plant - it is definitely award worthy!

InspirChid1712 · #5 07-08-2012, 11:45 PM

I am amazed by the amount of red in the flower... it was seed-grow from Oak Hill Gardens, so maybe I got a lucky one!
Can anybody identify the white fungus growing on the mount? It has created a beautiful frosted pattern in the osmunda base, and doesn't seem to be harming the orchid, so I've left it alone. In fact, I wonder if both the plant and fungus have a positive symbiotic relationship? Very natural, and looks really neat!

Zoi2 · #6 07-08-2012, 11:51 PM

Gorgeous and good luck tomorrow!
Joann

Susie11 · #7 07-09-2012, 06:52 AM

Lovely blooms. I wonder, I have a Bc tetradip which has B nodosa in it as well as C. bonaza. I have never seen a bloom in the year that I have had it. I keep it in the windowsill and I feed it all year round. What more can I do to encourage a bloom from it?

InspirChid1712 · #8 07-09-2012, 12:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Susie11

Lovely blooms. I wonder, I have a Bc tetradip which has B nodosa in it as well as C. bonaza. I have never seen a bloom in the year that I have had it. I keep it in the windowsill and I feed it all year round. What more can I do to encourage a bloom from it?

Hi Susie,
Is it of sufficient size to bloom? and, is it getting enough light? If both are true, I'd suggest giving it 'seasonal' treatment by watering frequently in spring and summer, gradually easing off in fall, and much less in winter. During the winter, my plants get water about once per week and a daily misting, and I fertilize weakly with every other watering. In summer, I water EVERY day while the plants are outside (sometimes 2-5 times per day in this heat!), and they get fertilizer once per day at half-strength. It gives them a rainy season, and a 'dry' season, as many orchids have in nature. HOWEVER- this works for North Carolina conditions because its so hot in summer, and is probably different for you. I must also state, my mounted plants (such as this one!) are watered EVERY day all year long... the most I have ever gone between waterings is 1 day, and thats only in winter. Hope this helps! Let me know if you need more advice!

Susie11 · #9 07-09-2012, 12:32 PM

Thanks Elliot. I really don't know if it is of sufficient size to bloom or not. I bought it last sept as a blooming size orchid. Since then it has given me about six new leads but no flowers. It is the right colour as far as I can work out the only thing that I might not be able to give it enough of is light. In England we have had the worst summer on record this year. It has been raining non stop and it is cloudy and grey almost all of the time. I grow this on a windowsill so I would imagine that that could be the problem also it didn't get any heat over winter as it is in a room that I do not heat due to costs of heating etc. I wonder if it'll ever bloom for me?