Spike time--a bit early... - Page 2 - Orchid Board

stonedragonfarms · #11 10-11-2009, 11:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by smweaver

Very nice, Adam. Our summer (here just south of you in Indiana) was unseasonably cool also. My two Cym. eburneums are already spiking, along with a couple of hybrids. I just wish there was a way for me to explain to them that they shouldn't get used to the pampering temperatures they got to experience this year. Next year we'll probably be back to the normal hot and humid swamp-like conditions that make up our usual summers here. How many cymbidiums do you have? All hybrids, or do you have any species?

Steve

Steve: I have about 150 cymbidiums or so, about half are blooming size. I have more hybrids than species, though most of the asian species are well represented in my collection (goeringii, sinense, ensifolium, wenshanense, irioides, tracyanum, etc) I would like to acquire a few of the australian species (esp. suave), but i might keep my gh too cool in the winter to truly grow them well. Are you growing under glass in IN too?

Adam

smweaver · #12 10-12-2009, 06:49 AM

Wow, that's a lot of cymbidiums. All of my orchids (with one or two of the truly warmth-loving vanda species) go outside after the first frost and come back around now, when our night tempts start to drop to the mid 30s. I'm stilling leaving Cym. tigrinum out on the front porch beneath the roof where the temperatures seem to always stay around 5 to 7 degrees warmer at night, hoping that the continued chill will encourage it to throw a couple of spikes this winter. For the winter everything (again, with the notable exceptions of the two pain-in-the-butt warm growers, which get treated like they're at a Four Seasons hotel throughout the year) comes inside. I've got a large four-season sunroom that stretches along the back (south to southwest facing side) of my house. Not quite the ideal of a greenhouse, but low key enough so that the (to put it diplomatically) more aesthetically vigilant neighbors don't glare at me when I leave for work in the morning or complain to the equally vigilant neighborhood association. :-)

Steve

BikerDoc5968 · #13 10-12-2009, 07:17 AM

Steve, just wait until you get to my age. Then you won't care about the neighbors or the a**ociation! I only have a sunny driveway. My GH only gets good sun for a portion of the day, so I put my cyms and catts out on the driveway for the summer along with the succulents and don't care what passers-by think!

Adam, I guess I'm going to have to take a road trip to visit with you and Ross.... missed the color this year but sounds like you have a neat GH and Ross has his neat setup!

Ross · #14 10-12-2009, 11:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BikerDoc5968

Adam, I guess I'm going to have to take a road trip to visit with you and Ross.... missed the color this year but sounds like you have a neat GH and Ross has his neat setup!

You know you are welcome anytime! Fall color just starting here. Adam's setup is way more impressive than mine

BikerDoc5968 · #15 10-12-2009, 12:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ross

You know you are welcome anytime! Fall color just starting here. Adam's setup is way more impressive than mine

Me thinks you're being too modest.....

Des · #16 10-12-2009, 05:04 PM

Adam unless those are species or pendulous you will need to force the spikes to grow upright. You can do this by placing a lable in front of the spike . I use white 25mm conduiting which I split and cut a point into one end .I then push this into the media in front of the spike ,it then grows up the concave piece of conduit.

orchids3 · #17 10-13-2009, 01:49 AM

Steve,
I grow cymbidiums outside in Florida. The only Australian species I have problems with is Madidum which does not like the cold. Have some cannaliculatum hybrids that go inside for the winter. Its not the cold they dont like but the water. I have a sauve hybrid that has been out two years now with no problems noted. ( have around 2500 cymbidiums in my collection)It gets down to 32 a few nights a year here in N.E. Florida - I prevent freezing with a water mist and enclosed shade house.

smweaver · #18 10-13-2009, 07:42 AM

So Adam has 150 cymbidiums and you have around 2500... I'll stop whining about having to haul my half dozen cymbidiums outdoors in the spring and back in again in the fall.

stonedragonfarms · #19 10-13-2009, 10:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Des

Adam unless those are species or pendulous you will need to force the spikes to grow upright. You can do this by placing a lable in front of the spike . I use white 25mm conduiting which I split and cut a point into one end .I then push this into the media in front of the spike ,it then grows up the concave piece of conduit.

Thanks for the tip Des, I'd not thought of using something rigid with a groove in it for training; most of the time I just stake and rewire the spikes every 2-3 days to straighten them. As a matter of personal taste, I prefer spikes that are not rigidly upright (let's just say that I greatly dislike anything which is too "neat"), but for judging it's a whole other ball game. At any rate, thanks for the advice, and how are your plants doing this spring?

orchids3 · #20 10-13-2009, 11:53 AM

Des,
That split conduit idea is a good one. Have used a name tag many times but the split piece of round pipe would certainly be a lot better. Will get some old 1/2 inch PVC pipes ready to go today!