Ascocentrum Miniatum 'Robert'

[Sandra Billeter]

This is a re-bloomer for us. It is only about 8 or 9 inches from the bottom of the basket to the top of the bloom spike. However, the roots are about 2 feet long. There are 2 plants side by side coming from the same rhizome and the other plant had one spike that has finished blooming.

Sandra in South Carolina

[Tindomul]

Wow, vibrant!!!
I approve

[Oscarman]

Very nice Sandra - thank you.

[Randy]

What a lovely color! Looks ready to eat. I have a thing for oranges & tangerenes. ;>

Randy

[Neofalcata]

Beautiful! Care to pass along some of your growing wisdom?

[Sandra Billeter]

I'll be glad to share what we do but you're probably going to get more than you wanted. We had Ascda. Princess Mikasa 'Pink' before we got our greenhouse. It did re-bloom once in the summer while hanging outside. It is in a wood slat basket with no medium. It was inside under grow lights for 6 to 7 months and we watered it by filling a plastic basin and sitting the whole thing in it for about 30 minutes. We did that twice a week and fertilized the same way about every other watering using 20-10-20 urea free mixed at half label strength.

We built a GH and moved the plants in Labor Day weekend 2004. The next month we were in San Antonio and visited Xanadu Orchids and they specialize in Vandaceous. We talked to them about 2 hours and came home and started a new system. We now have 6 Vandaceous types and 5 of them are doing super great. We have all of them in baskets with no medium. They are hung near the top of the GH at the western edge of the shade cloth so no direct sun but lots of light. In the winter we water them 2 times a week by watering can and in the spring and summer 5 times a week with the hose. We now fertilize 4 to 5 times a week year round and use fertilizers that contain micro-nutrients mixed at label strength. Since increasing the frequency and concentration of the fertilizing, the root growth is extraordinary. New roots that are coming now on some of the plants are almost 1/2 inch thick and branches from old roots are about twice the thickness of the original root. There are keikis on both the Pink and Blue Princess Mikasas and they each are blooming 3 times a year.

Hope this is what you wanted.

Sandra in South Carolina

[Heather]

I love Ascos!

[Neofalcata]

That is great information! Exactly what I was looking for. Which vandaceous plants do you have besides the Mikasa's and the Ascocentrum? I have a blue Mikasa, Ascocentrum Miniatum, Rumrillara Sugar Baby, Neostylis Lou Sneary, Vandafinetia Blaupunkt and a small Darwinara.

I am growing them in my inside greenhouse. I am going to put them in baskets, and mist daily with fertilized water. I also have a grow light for them. We will see how they do. If I can just keep them alive at first, that will be enough for me.

[Sandra Billeter]

We've got Ascda. Dong Tarn 'Robert' which blooms 3 times a year, Christieara Crownfox 'Golden Sparkler' which blooms twice a year, Rhv. Colmarie which blooms once a year, Ascocentrum Ampullaceum var. auranticum which blooms once a year.We had Vanda Blue Noi but it gave up the ghost.

We think the increased watering and fertilizing is what made the difference. Xanadu told us to soak the roots thoroughly every time we watered and to fertilize at least 4 to 5 times a week. He called Vandaceous 'Heavy feeders' and said they wouldn't do as well if we didn't increase our fertilizing frequency and concentration. It sure has made a difference in our setup!

Sandra in South Carolina

[Ray]

Just to keep things accurate, ascocendas are monopodial, and as such, don't have rhizomes. They have a great tendency to put out basal growths however, and pretty soon they become really nice, yet still compact specimens.

Nice growing, Sandy.