In bloom on 1/10/09

[Shirley]

Great plants, Ed, and great photos! I especially like the Catasetum -- gorgeous! I see that you have it in a clay pot but what medium is it in, please?

[EdinAZ]

Originally Posted by smweaver

Ed, your clowesia's beautiful. What's the fragrance like? I don't have this hybrid (Rebecca Northern), but I do have one of its parents, Clowesia rosea, which is producing its first spike for me. Hopefully my flowers will look half as nice as yours. Congratulations.

Steve

Steve,

The rosea is what I saw first, and made me say "I've got to get one of those". I never found one, and when I came across the Rebecca Northen, I got that instead. I believe the blooms are just about identical. Hope you'll be enjoying your rosea blooms soon!

Ed

[EdinAZ]

Originally Posted by Shirley

Great plants, Ed, and great photos! I especially like the Catasetum -- gorgeous! I see that you have it in a clay pot but what medium is it in, please?

:)

Shirley,

It’s grown very oddly. In a mix of small/medium bark and medium charcoal, about 50-50%, but It’s been in the same mix (no repotting) for 7-8 years.

By all the “rules” it is WAY overdue to be repotted, but it doesn’t ACT like it needs it. About 3-4 years ago it started to climb out of the pot, and I just dropped it into a bigger pot, and packed sphagnum between the pots to hold it steady (I also thought it would keep it more humid around the plant). By now I’m sure the newer roots are into the sphagnum between the pots.

I do give it the standard winter rest, about4-5 months with NO water (NONE) from November-Feb/March (until I see decent roots on my other Catasetinae (can’t see the NEW roots well on this one).

It’s been the most hardy and reliable of all my Catasetinae. I’m not sure why it likes this unusual set-up, other than some orchids are just more adaptable than others.

Ed

[Psyched]

I love your B. nodosa. I wonder how fragrant it is in the evening.