Project 2016: Cattleya walkeriana

[Optimist]

I have noticed something. The Walkeriana I got was wrinkly when it first arrived, and I can even see it on the original e-bay photo when I bought it. I have watered it, and even left it in the rain at one point, and now that wrinkled leaf is taut, like a drum. My observation is that the leaves really do "fill up" quickly, more-so than any other orchid storage bulb I have encountered.

[Orchid Whisperer]

Originally Posted by Optimist

I have noticed something. The Walkeriana I got was wrinkly when it first arrived, and I can even see it on the original e-bay photo when I bought it. I have watered it, and even left it in the rain at one point, and now that wrinkled leaf issues taut, like a drum. My observation is that the leaves really do "fill up" quickly, more-so than any other orchid storage bulb I have encountered.

Yep, all of mine did the same thing. Adaptation to intermittently dry climate, most likely.

[Leafmite]

[wintergirl]

Here is my C. walkeriana coerulea from Andy's. Got it today. It looks like a nice healthy plant. It has freckles

007.jpg

[Leafmite]

What a nice one!

[Orchid Whisperer]

I have three seedlings of C. walkeriana 'Carmela' semi-alba, and wanted to try growing it three different ways. Initially when I bought the plants, one went on a section of tree fern, the other two went into plastic net pots set inside a standard plastic pot until I decided what I wanted to do with them.

I had been thinking of mounting one of the three. After observing their growth for awhile, I decided this would be a good project for the morning. The plant I chose was one of the ones in a net pot, new roots beginning, but not progressed too far:



There is a new growth with some new roots at the base.

Next, I looked at some of the possible mounts I had available. I opted for a natural piece of heart-of-pine, then evaluated which side to mount the plant on. Having seen other mounted walkerianas, they seem to spread a lot on mounts, so I didn't want the mount to be too small; better to have room to grow:



I added a wire to the mount and placed the plant low on the mount, going upward. Here it is (although I straightened it a bit after this photo):

[No-Pro-mwa]

Stonedragon how would that be with air flow? I would think it wouldn't get enough.

[u bada]

stonedragonfarms, unfortunately I can't change the culture all that much, so it's just a matter of seeing what it does this year... no brighter spots, and in that spot the green is borderline burned... so it would have to be shadier spot if moved and doubt that would do anything but set it back even further from flowering... rather try watering it more anything to change... I have a feeling it's more the cold/heat thing. i have a bunch of stuff sitting doing nothing while it's been cooler here (nights low 50's, days top at 70 lately)... once it's warmer i think is when it'll initiate something. At Andy's orchids, they grow them in the warm/hot greenhouse even though it can handle cold, and it's probably for a reason.

Wintergirl, what a beautiful little one... when you can get something beautifully attached to the mount, it's totally worth it! congrats!

Orchid whisperer, what a beautiful mount! and how did you get it cultured with moss already? Think pine is without resins? and such little cuties are the walkerianas... I usually mount a plant at least slightly up the mount to accommodate side growths should they happy, but just adding that, but looks great!

[Orchid Whisperer]

Originally Posted by u bada

Orchid whisperer, what a beautiful mount! and how did you get it cultured with moss already? Think pine is without resins? and such little cuties are the walkerianas... I usually mount a plant at least slightly up the mount to accommodate side growths should they happy, but just adding that, but looks great!

Hi u bada, glad you like the mount!

I'm fortunate to have a patch of mixed pine and hardwood in my back yard. When the pine trees die for whatever reason, the soft sapwood of the pines is easily decomposed by bacteria, fungi and insects, but the heart-of-pine (aka heart pine or fatwood) does not decay. Heart-of-pine is full of resin, red, and quite hard (like oak), very rot-resistant, and does not decay, but if highly weathered, is not resinous on its surface. A hundred or more years ago, people used to make durable flooring out of this material, obtained from old-growth pine trees. Now, younger trees only have a little of this in their centers. In an old rotten trunk or stump, the soft sapwood rots away, and this is what is left.

This piece came from a rotted stump. the top part has some natural moss on it because it stood in place in the ground as the rest of the stump rotted away. The lower part does not have moss on it now, but could be colonized by moss later. The wood is resinous, but you can only smell the resin if you drill or cut into the wood. The resin is not detectable on the surface of the wood.

[stonedragonfarms]

[QUOTE=No-Pro-mwa;805062]Stonedragon how would that be with air flow? I would think it wouldn't get enough.[/]

No-Pro-mwa; which thread are you referring to?