quick question about a new hknsa. - Orchid Board

tim_r95 · #1 04-06-2013, 09:26 PM

So I got two new orchids today, because my local orchid club was having a big sale/show, I may go back and get one or two more. haha. But I bought a really pretty Hknsa. for a good price, or at least I think it was. It's labeled as Hknsa Keepsake "Denver Gold" AM/AOS (not sure what the AM/AOS is for) but it's very pretty and looked very healthy from what I can tell. What I want to know is How to take proper care for it... I couldn't seem to find a caresheet for this hybrid of orchid anywhere on the internet. right now it's planted in about a four inch pot I think with sphagnum as the medium, I kinda want to re-pot it into fir bark, but I'm not sure if it likes that kind of medium. also, is there anything special I need to do to keep this species of orchid happy and healthy?

---------- Post added at 05:26 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:26 PM ----------

I'll be adding a few pictures in a bit.

tim_r95 · #2 04-06-2013, 10:04 PM

A couple pictures before it gets dark.

WhiteRabbit · #3 04-06-2013, 10:16 PM

Cute! Hawkinsara is an intergeneric hybrid: parent genera Broughtonia, Cattleya, Laelia and Sophronitis.

AM/AOS is Award of Merit from the American Orchid Society.

I found cultural info here http://www.logees.com/ftg/Hawkinsara.pdf

Personally, I wouldn't be too concerned about maintaining minimum 50% humidity.

It would probably do well in a bark mix. (I generally grow Catt alliance in either bark or chc mix)

Seems like general Catt care for the most part, and a not too difficult keeper

tim_r95 · #4 04-06-2013, 10:22 PM

Well easy keepers are always good. Haha. I read somewhere that repotting can cause the flowers to fall off. Does this happen regularly? Because I think I'll probably wait to repot until after the blooms fade naturally if so.

WhiteRabbit · #5 04-06-2013, 10:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tim_r95

Well easy keepers are always good. Haha. I read somewhere that repotting can cause the flowers to fall off. Does this happen regularly? Because I think I'll probably wait to repot until after the blooms fade naturally if so.

Yes, repotting could cause the blooms to drop.

tim_r95 · #6 04-06-2013, 10:38 PM

Okay. I think that may have been what happened to my miltassia. After I repotted it the flowers started to kinda darken and then just fall off. So I just cut the spike because the last one fell off today, lol I read that somewhere a little too late and I repotted my oncidium when I bought it too. Hopefully those flowers won't fall of so fast, or at all if I'm lucky.

CR7cristiano · #7 04-07-2013, 03:16 AM

This one isn't too tough to manage. If you want to repot after it finishes blooming to a bark medium that would be fine as well. Since it is in spag moss you won't need to water as frequently as a free draining medium would permit. Once a week drenching would be fine or even as much as every 9-10 days. I say this assuming that the weather is warm or even getting hot as we are in the midst of the spring season now. Once every 2 weeks fertilizing is fine with a moss medium. Once you switch to bark then once a week is good as at that point you can start to water every other day. Enjoy your new orchid.

I am actually in the process of writing a ebook for beginners looking for a straight forward reference on good orchid culture to care for and maintain healthy orchids. More loopholes than I expected in how you get it published but it will be done soon.