Super summer time blooms!!

[Red1122]

Yay!!! The summer is such a happy blooming time. I'm a very new orchid collector (since January).....only one of these I bought in bloom. The rest have grown so much in such a short period of time as well as gifting me with so many first time flowers....I would think that the first time blooms would be a bit small or less....but I guess not?

The orchids in bloom are:
Masdevallia Machu picchu, 2 spikes!....and I think I see more just starting
Dyakia hendersoniana..2 spikes!
Bulbophyllum fascinator....unfortunately there is no bad smell, which i was looking forward to. It just opened so I'll give it a few days
Cattleytonia Why Not....I bought it with 3 blooms......it shot up a new growth in a few months and gave me 9 this time!!
Trichoglottis triflora....super tiny. It has 4 small spikes that are just starting to open
Phragmipedium fedora brochu......its working on its 4th sequential bloom, I'm hoping there's more!!
Pleurothallis trichostoma.....another super tiny sequential blooms. It grows so fast....I bought it in February and its already tripled in size. It started spiking in May with 3 spikes....now it's up to 10 with the first spikes still going!!! Kind of weird that it seems to need to get into a rhythm for sequential blooming.....when the spikes are young they seem to abort every other flower....but the older spikes are now blooming regularly

Sorry my pictures aren't the best.....and sideways?
.....hopefully you get the idea

[Roberta]

Really, really nice!
The "sideways" thing is a "feature" of the Orchid Board (very old) software... If you download to your PC, open files with any editor, and "save as" the same name, it seems to reset the metadata that controls orientation and pictures display the way you want.

[DeaC]

Great variety and so well bloomed. I agree with you about the Bulbo. Don't care how bad the "fragrance" is as long as I get blooms. It's all about the pollinators anyway. Colorado rocks btw!

[SADE2020]

I am so in love with the Masdevallia Machu Picchu. I wanted to get one, but couldn't find it. I end up with a similar one .

Super nice blossoms

[tmoney]

hello red, your plants look great! are you using any supplemental lights, or just windowsill growing? do you keep any outside? just curious about your lighting situation. thanks!

[Red1122]

Originally Posted by tmoney

hello red, your plants look great! are you using any supplemental lights, or just windowsill growing? do you keep any outside? just curious about your lighting situation. thanks!

So right around the time I started my orchid collection we welcomed Charlie.......the fuzzy lawn mower into our home. I didn't realize cats loved to chew on plants, leaves, buds......so picky about her cat food, but LOVES my orchids.
I would really love to grow just out in the open, but they wouldn't survive. So I did the whole Ikea cabinet thing with grow lights, humidifier and fans. It's actually quite nice because I can control the temperature and temp drops, plus I have a few different lights that I have at different strengths for my lower light plants. I think the lights and being able to keep the cabinet at around 80% humidity is what has helped my plants come so far in such a short time

[Red1122]

Originally Posted by SADE2020

I am so in love with the Masdevallia Machu Picchu. I wanted to get one, but couldn't find it. I end up with a similar one .

Super nice blossoms

I know! As soon as I saw it I had to have it. The color is so intense fuchsia. And I guess one of its parents has some sequential blooming traits, it seems to be blooming of a spent flower spike

---------- Post added at 01:11 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:09 AM ----------

Originally Posted by DeaC

Great variety and so well bloomed. I agree with you about the Bulbo. Don't care how bad the "fragrance" is as long as I get blooms. It's all about the pollinators anyway. Colorado rocks btw!

Ha, thanks!!! I love the mountains and dry air!

[SADE2020]

I want to see the cabinet set up, please post a picture

[DeaC]

Originally Posted by Red1122

So right around the time I started my orchid collection we welcomed Charlie.......the fuzzy lawn mower into our home. I didn't realize cats loved to chew on plants, leaves, buds......so picky about her cat food, but LOVES my orchids.
I would really love to grow just out in the open, but they wouldn't survive. So I did the whole Ikea cabinet thing with grow lights, humidifier and fans. It's actually quite nice because I can control the temperature and temp drops, plus I have a few different lights that I have at different strengths for my lower light plants. I think the lights and being able to keep the cabinet at around 80% humidity is what has helped my plants come so far in such a short time

Love the new addition! I had 4 cats at one time(only 1 now) and with a bit of persistence from you and a spray bottle they can be taught to avoid plants. Smart creatures but stubborn. But the cabinet sounds great. Send pix of it and him!

[Red1122]

Here are pictures of my case empty and full...I started collecting in December and I'm up to 30 something plants now.
My lower light, some what cooler plants are on bottom.
The lights on top are the only ones that give off some heat, the case gets into the upper 70s during the day and then cools down to the mid 60s at night
I have a smart power strip that controls the lights and a humidity controller that runs the humidifier to keep the case around 80% I chose not to weather strip the case so I get better fresh airflow
I find the orchids do better with a bottle of wine.....and notice Krampus keeps out the bad stuff