Den. Superbum "Sweet Fragrance" - Orchid Board

Sandra Billeter · #1 03-23-2006, 03:10 PM

We bought one of these 2 1/2 years ago and when it arrived, it had 2 keikis. This is the keiki we kept and this is the first blooming. The plant is mounted on cork bark in a ball of moss. The cane is about 30 inches long and the 3 inch flowers appear on the lower half of the cane. They smell like raspberries. The parent plant has 2 canes and it just started to open yesterday.

Sandra in South Carolina

Oscarman · #2 03-23-2006, 07:17 PM

Real nice Sandra - love the color!
From the picture, this plant is growing in a pendant manner and the leaves have been shed only from part of the canes? Where do you grow it?

Tindomul · #3 03-23-2006, 09:49 PM

wow that is nice, very nice.
Thanks for the raspberry imagery that I now can't get out of my head.

Sandra Billeter · #4 03-24-2006, 12:09 PM

We built a GH about 20 months ago and my husband built a vertical "wire wall" that is about 42 inches tall. It sits on the top of the bench. Both of these are hanging at the top of this wire wall and the canes end about 8 inches above the top of the bench. On the keiki, the leaves did fall from the lower half of the cane and that is where the flowers are. On the parent which has 2 canes, the leaves haven't fallen and the flowers are opening now. I'll post a pic when it gets fully open.

Sandra in South Carolina

Oscarman · #5 03-24-2006, 03:55 PM

I plan to include a wire wall or similar structure for mounted orchids in my plant room. Do you remove and dunk all your mounted plants or do you water them in place?
What is your opinion regarding water dripping from one plant to another and the water being the vehicle for the spread of virus?

Sandra Billeter · #6 03-24-2006, 06:01 PM

We water in place most of the time. Sometimes we dunk but not often. We are always concerned about virus but so far, we have been lucky that none has surfaced. In our travels, we have visited probably 15 or 20 commercial orchid growers. Their plants are always very crowded on the benches and many of them have trays, etc. on small shelves above some of the benches. Others have hanging pots above many of their benches. There is no way they can do their routine care without water dripping from one plant to another even if it is just from leaf to leaf on the benches. I guess we have just decided to do the watering as easily as possible and hope for the best. In our 5 years of growing, we haven't encountered virus as yet and I hope we never do. Maybe we're foolish Dave, but so far it has worked fine.

Sandra in South Carolina