Darwinara Rainbow Stars

[ramp]

The 2 Darwinara I have both came from NWO and are smaller than my Amami Island I have. They are slightly larger than the standard Neo's I have.

[Zoi2]

I don't know if it's my culture or the nature of the plant, but my Darwinara Rainbow Stars start blooming in the fall.
Joann

[Vanda lover]

How often do these bloom?

[ramp]

My yellow one bloomed twice last year, the pink one once.

[MattWoelfsen]

Originally Posted by ramp

My yellow one bloomed twice last year, the pink one once.

Marc, I've been reading up about these plants. One advise--to ensure deep color on the flowers, the plant should be given bright light. I saw somewhere a picture of a blue flowered Darwinara Rainbow Star and it was incredibly blue. It was on a blog and I couldn't ask what they did to get such a deep blue color. You are the only one I've come across discussing two different colors.

How/what is your culture for your plants? Thank you.

[ramp]

Originally Posted by MattWoelfsen

Marc, I've been reading up about these plants. One advise--to ensure deep color on the flowers, the plant should be given bright light. I saw somewhere a picture of a blue flowered Darwinara Rainbow Star and it was incredibly blue. It was on a blog and I couldn't ask what they did to get such a deep blue color. You are the only one I've come across discussing two different colors.

How/what is your culture for your plants? Thank you.

I grow them the same way as my Neo's, Semi-Shade. The only difference is that I keep them a bit warmer in winter. I use rain- & RO water. Thorough flushing ones a week, spraying depending on temp every 1 or 2 days, less in winter. Fertilizer practically every spraying at 1/4 strength or less. I use "Akerne Rain MIX", which was based on the so-called 'MSU fertilizer' of the Michigan State University. (more info here). I was told that it also improved the deepness and quality of the flowers. This I didn't believe until I saw it with my own eyes. Flower colors became more intense since I started using this fertilizer a few month's ago.
And remember, foto's are easily manipulated and I found that giving too bright light can burn them.
I should start making pictures and make time for doing so.

[MattWoelfsen]

Thanks Marc. Photographers do HDR enhancements on posted photos. And there are different monitor settings and pixel densities. Sometimes if I'm particularly interested in a photo, I look at that photo on my iPad, my HP Laptop, and then on my workstation in the office. If all three devices show basically the same color values, I then try to look at the photo's exif data to see if the camera recorded an image that way or if it was "photoshopped".

Thanks for the advise.

[ramp]

What I forgot to mention is that I grow them on a moss mount, traditional Japanese style. I used to grow them in a basket like ascofinetia and vanda's but they started drying out to quickly and stopped growing. My new growing method seems to suit them well.

[MattWoelfsen]

The traditional mounded style is what I prefer too. This plant was grown in bark, so I have compromised by keeping the center in small bark, sponge rock, and charcoal, then lined the pot with sphagnum moss. Perhaps a year from now, I'll transition it to all sphagnum moss. Repotting this plant in this set up has stimulated the plant to develop new roots. I'm encouraged by this development and every one's advice and comments.

[NYCorchidman]

You picked up a nice one!
would love to see the flowers. blue ( I mean, "orchid blue"), right??