Epi. Mabel Khanda 'Miyao' x Enc. randii
 

This was another NBS "orchid-in-a-bag" from Home Depot, that I pulled from the "death-row" rack where it was sentenced to a life of no water. I've had it for about a year and a half, and this is it's first blooming. It also has a wonderfully heavy spicy scent.
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Still waiting for mine! Glad to see what I can expect and hope to smell it soon!

Awesome, good job, I love get those Home Depot ones in a bag, some are pretty exotic.

Another rags-to-riches story... beautiful.:bua:

Fantastic, Jasen!

Kim

Congrats...How'd you do it?
 

How do you get them to bloom? I'm pretty horrible at it. I have one just like it at home and even though it has proven to be fairly easy to grow, I don't know why it has never bloomed. Does it take more sun? Less sun? Heat? Cold? A certain time of year? A certain age? I think it's big enough to bloom and it's putting out shoots again. I have to keep it inside during the winter though. Not enough light or temperature change maybe? What do you think?

In most cases, failure to bloom is usually due to not enough light. Most Epidendrums and Encyclias can handle almost full sun, as long as they are introduced to it gradually.

Yeah, it probably is.
 

Yeah, it's by a very dim window and most of its light is being supplied by just regular old plant bulbs you can get at walmart and an old shop light. Also, it's probably pretty dry in the house, but I have not found a good way of remedying it without driving my family, and myself crazy. I tried using a vaporizer for a while but I was terrified I was going to catch the house on fire. Man, I want a greenhouse someday.

Mine is also very purplish. Does that mean anything?

Nope, it's normal. This species of Encyclia has a reddish-purple tint on the bulbs and leaves. I had theses same light problems until I built my greenhouse. Now everything blooms, even after the neglect they went through this winter. Starting a new business sure does take time away from the 'chids. They have, however, remained faithful bloomers....so I'm gonna make it up to them in the spring.