Your Orchid phases...

[ramonypony]

I haven't even kept track of all my phases. Just thinking about trying to remember them all gives me a headache. xD

I know that I'm still in a zygo phase and have been for a long time. I only have one, the same one you mentioned, Zglm Rhein Moonlight. It's incredibly tough and loves to bloom. I had potted it to it's satisfaction and it was doing so great for several months. Then my cat knocked it off the shelf my first day of college and it stayed on the floor all day. The leaves were bruised and broken and the pot was busted open. I repotted (overpotted) it and killed most of it's lovely roots. Rerepotted back to old pot size and used less moss. Now it's got two new growths and three spikes. I don't think it's possible to kill this thing.

lotis, I've been looking for a zygo like you have in your avatar, a green one. Do you have that plant? May I ask where you got it? Zygos are scarce on ebay and I haven't been able to find an online nursery that has them.

[lotis146]

Originally Posted by ramonypony

I haven't even kept track of all my phases. Just thinking about trying to remember them all gives me a headache. xD

I know that I'm still in a zygo phase and have been for a long time. I only have one, the same one you mentioned, Zglm Rhein Moonlight. It's incredibly tough and loves to bloom. I had potted it to it's satisfaction and it was doing so great for several months. Then my cat knocked it off the shelf my first day of college and it stayed on the floor all day. The leaves were bruised and broken and the pot was busted open. I repotted (overpotted) it and killed most of it's lovely roots. Rerepotted back to old pot size and used less moss. Now it's got two new growths and three spikes. I don't think it's possible to kill this thing.

lotis, I've been looking for a zygo like you have in your avatar, a green one. Do you have that plant? May I ask where you got it? Zygos are scarce on ebay and I haven't been able to find an online nursery that has them.

Hey Ramonypony,

Part of my draw to them is the fact that they're not so easy to find and especially not beyond the basic hybrids. Here's the thread I created for the plant that is my avatar: Neopabstopetalum

It didn't have a hybrid name, just the cross written on the tag.

Another green one, very similar, that I have - also no "official" hybrid name - is of the genus Alantuckerara. It is bigger than the Neopabstopetalum, MUCH BIGGER. and it's very prone to lots of black spotting and streaking on the leaves. Neo is much more compact and while I haven't had it as long it doesn't have spots on the leaves.


They are difficult to find on ebay, honestly part of my success has been checking ebay OFTEN and searching Zygopetalum, Zygoneria, Zygonesia, Zygonisia, Zygotoria, and so on. I also recommend checking out Seattle Orchids as that is where I got my Alantuckerara, Ianclarkara, & Zygonisia Cynosure 'Alba'. Or check out Kalapana.

The plant your asking about - the Neopabstopetalum - I got from Lucky Girl Orchids on Ebay.

Another way to go is to search for Orchid sellers and contact them about when they may be or if they may be getting Zygo hybrids. You might also be able to ask them to look for plants for you. People here and elsewhere have advised me that prior to Orchid Shows you could research the participating vendors; if they deal with Zygos they may be able to bring some to the show for you.

Oh and I almost forgot, contact Porter's Orchids in Michigan. His website, last I knew, is not up to date but you could tell him what you're looking for and take it from there.

And hey, if you find some special ones do let me know. And I'll do the same.

---------- Post added at 02:25 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:09 PM ----------

And thanks everybody for sharing the phases you've gone through in Orchid growing. It's interesting and yet not at all surprising to see that it's really common to go through different phases, after all there are thousands of different hybrids.

Ula I don't think you have a different strain necessarily - but what do I know as I suffer from a similar affliction - but perhaps you're waiting for your "rock bottom"? When you look up and you're no longer excited in having "whatever" orchid but you're much more sure of what characteristics you prefer then you're at least close to bottom (and about to head back up ). So I think I'd go with you not being in the "next phase" yet. The minimal space you have left becomes very valuable - never mind the increasing space in your wallet! - and when you see a plant flower and think oh that's cool and move on, that'll change the way you do things for sure.

It wasn't hard for me not to go overboard at my first show this year. There were lots of beautiful plants but only a few that say hey I belong in your home! Luckily there weren't more society's selling their display plants (then I would have been in more trouble).

Cambriawhat, I would like to see a GH in my future one day. I think one day when I move to a bigger place I will yet again go into another phase, no doubt there are cymbidiums in my future. I long for summer in ways that only gardeners (aside from other Orchidists) could understand. I'm anxious not only to have some of my space back but also to set them decoratively and see how awesome they do out there again!!!!!!

Another phase for me will come next year when my flasks I sent off to the lab mature. By then I'll have a space set up in my basement.