Onc. Sharry Baby in water culture

[Sun rm.N.E.]

Nancy

I find that the different clones of Sharry I grew behaved differently. As I understand it a new clone is usually from a different mating of parents and don't have to be more alike than brothers and sisters and the parents themselves may have resulted from different clones so our plants may just be more like cousins genetically.
I grew:
1. Onc. Sharry Baby 'Sweet Fragrance' (tallest)
2. 'Short Sharry' (shorter leaves but fat pb)
3. 'Two Color' (in between size)
4. 'Fantasy'
5. 'Red Fantasy' (this and the previous are smaller in size and I could not tell them apart even when in bloom)

1 & 2 irrepressible bloomers. I looked at division of 'Short Sharry' I gave away to someone 5 years later. He said he lost all his houseplants to neglect except for this one. Never fertilized it just took it to the sink for a soak once in a while. The new pseudobulbs were the size of my thumb, (the one above is 3.5+inches across) hanging over the edge of the pot. It had a few miserable little flowers with a big scent. Since I was restarting my orchid collection once again at the time I asked him for a division of 2 pseudobulbs. The result is a division of those 2 little pseudobulbs you see above in water culture 3years later. This is also a good example of the advantage of water culture. I don't think this rehab would have happened so fast in regular culture under my conditions.
4 & 5 grew fast but needed a lot more light to bloom and did not have the disease resistance of 1 & 2. #3 seems to require more light to bloom too but has better disease resistance. I gave away a division of this plant to someone in South America who grows near the Amazon. She complained that it filled a large pot but was not blooming. Now it is full of spikes after she gave it more sun. The all inherited a wonderful fragrance.

I hope this is helpful.

[silberhaarig]

Sun rm, you make me feel better. I read so many comments on how easy Sharry Baby is to grow,and have wondered why mine should be different. The black sheep in the family no doubt. Maybe I'll dump it and get another Dendrobium. Those I can get to bloom!

Nancy