Vanda merrillii getting ready to bloom - Orchid Board

smweaver · #1 07-06-2010, 05:20 PM

One of my V. merrillii plants is starting to produce this year's buds. Three spikes so far, with fifteen buds visible on the spike that's the most advanced in age. This plant aborted several spikes last summer, so I'm happy that this year's crop seems to be doing well. As usual, the resident wasps have nominated themselves to act as the plant's guardians (just have to remember to look before I start poking my nose around the leaves to view the spikes).

Steve

Vanda merrillii and "friend" on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
Vanda merrillii preparing to bloom on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Angurek · #2 07-06-2010, 09:50 PM

Steve, you're torturing me here. I've been searching long and hard for one of these to no avail. The plants I find are either too small to bloom or in poor condition.

I can't wait to see the open blooms. This is one of my favorite Vanda species.

LOL...My vandas have wasp (and spider) guardians, too. The wasps seem to love the sap secreted by the flower spikes.

mollycart1 · #3 07-06-2010, 11:03 PM

Steve, congratulations. I am with Carl. I have been looking for a decent v. merrilli, but no luck. Smiley might have one.

natasha · #4 07-06-2010, 11:23 PM

awesome!!! i love looking at new spikes... i check for them everyday! but yesterday i found my very much anticipated catasetum spike was eaten

it would be my first catasetum flower if it wasn't eaten

btw.. i also have many friends adorning my small garden!

smweaver · #5 07-07-2010, 08:27 AM

Carl and Naoki, have either of you called RF Orchids? V. merrillii's not listed on their website; however, they have numerous hybrids that list this species as one of the parents. So they've got to have access to it somehow (unless they're simply importing a lot of their new seedlings from Southeast Asia, where, I'm assuming, V. merrillii might be more widely grown).

Steve

Swamper · #6 07-07-2010, 09:21 AM

Congratulations Steve. That is one of my favorite Vanda species too.
Carl and Naoki, usually a lot of V.species don't look anywhere as good as hybrids do. You probably already knew that though. Good luck.

Angurek · #7 07-07-2010, 08:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by smweaver

Carl and Naoki, have either of you called RF Orchids? V. merrillii's not listed on their website; however, they have numerous hybrids that list this species as one of the parents. So they've got to have access to it somehow (unless they're simply importing a lot of their new seedlings from Southeast Asia, where, I'm assuming, V. merrillii might be more widely grown).

Steve

I already sent them an E-mail asking them if they have this species. They do, but they told me that all their plants are leggy. I decided not to accept their offer because compromised Vandas don't do well.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swamper

Congratulations Steve. That is one of my favorite Vanda species too.
Carl and Naoki, usually a lot of V.species don't look anywhere as good as hybrids do. You probably already knew that though. Good luck.

Swamper, I was actually talking about plant quality, not flower quality. I can't find one in decent shape that's of blooming size. For whatever reason, the growers I've spoken to have all told me that their plants are not in good condition, or that they only have seedlings. I think I may have to keep looking.

mollycart1 · #8 07-07-2010, 10:41 PM

Carl, I have seen Tom Ritter's daughter, Cynthia ( aka chiaki_ayumi on Ebay) had one listed on Ebay before. The bid went up way too high for me to even consider. She might have one, but not sure how you can get in touch with.

I wish I lived in FL.

Anyway, back to Steve's merrillii. Sorry!

smweaver · #9 07-08-2010, 07:20 AM

I think I saw that one, Naoki. Wasn't the starting bid something like $250? I didn't keep track of how far it got before the end of the auction, but I do remember that my jaw dropped in a rather undignified way when I saw the starting price--and the plant. No offense to Chiaki, but that wasn't such a great-looking plant. But who knows, maybe that's the going rate for a mature plant. By the way, do you know what the ending bid was? Just curious.

Steve

Swamper · #10 07-08-2010, 08:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Angurek

Swamper, I was actually talking about plant quality, not flower quality. I can't find one in decent shape that's of blooming size. For whatever reason, the growers I've spoken to have all told me that their plants are not in good condition, or that they only have seedlings. I think I may have to keep looking.

Years ago I was at RF's and asked for a Merrillii. They went in the back and brought one out for me and it looked like it fell off the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down. I asked why it looked that way and they told me some species look like this. I didn't take it cause I love the flowers but I didn't want to look at that plant the rest of the time in the state it was in. I've seen several since then and they looked bad also. Even at Fairchild Tropical Gardens, which usually has very nice specimen, theirs wasn't very nice either. I'm sure there could be a nice one out there, keep looking.