Mary ellen Carter 'Dixie Hummingbird" is growing up fast

[johnblagg]

Originally Posted by silken

That's absolutely a beautiful and healthy looking plant! And when I saw fotofashion's blooms is had to go on my wish list! so is yours grown in S/H? Can't wait for the show that will put on!

It was grown In s/h from the day I got it but I just went to just hydrotron because I dont have a container this big that will be good for s/h and hyrdotron and plenty of water will do just fine ,lol in fact maybe a bit better since the roots are so long the tips seem to be unhappy at the bottom.

I may find a smaller container to sit the new one in to act as a reservoir, and after a few days of staying dryer to let the roots heal from the move, go back to s/h since it loves s/h so much.

---------- Post added at 12:38 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:30 PM ----------

Originally Posted by tucker85

That's a healthy, well grown cattleya. It seems like it should be blooming at that size. Just a suggestion, you might want to give it a little more light and less fertilizer if this is the blooming season for that cross. Especially less nitrogen. Some orchids will grow more foliage and no flowers when lots of nitrogen is available. Good luck.

I think she just needs one more season of growth since it was a 3 to 4 year from bloom size plant when I bought it ....as for the fertilizer she had absolutly none all summer out side and is a late summer - late winter bloom season .

she has several new leads right now and "kick myself for clumsy" I did break one off during the move,but they may well make sheaths since only one has unfolded so far and there is a very good possibility she may make her first bloom any time.

I have had no issues with any of my other chids blooming on my fert schedual so far and in fact have one den that bloomed over and over all year and has been in bloom now 6 months non stop and almost every chid that has bloomed has done so at least twice this year. So I dont think that is affecting her blooming,she just isnt ready yet age wise.

---------- Post added at 12:44 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:38 PM ----------

and lol just showing off a bit this was her on Jan 23 2010 so just under 2 years later she is a monster

http://www.orchidboard.com/community...8-dixie-1.html

[fotofashion]

My plant previously pictured, and thanks all for the compliments, is: Lc. Mary Ellen Carter 'Dixie Hummingbird' HCC/AOS
Mine bloomed in August in 2010 and in July this year.
Beverly A.

[isurus79]

Originally Posted by johnblagg

and lol just showing off a bit this was her on Jan 23 2010 so just under 2 years later she is a monster

http://www.orchidboard.com/community...8-dixie-1.html

That is an amazing rate of growth!!! I am switching a lot of my Catts over to s/h for the very same reason.

[orphansparrow]

sorry, but what are the little round balls? (the substrate)

[Orquidia]

I have one of this orchid and bloom for my in south florida in summer, the colors are amazing.

[jrodpad]

It's hydrotron (aka LECA). They are terra cotta balls for growing in semi-hydro culture. If you run a search for "semi-hydo" or "s/h" there's plenty of good info.

-J

[ewcia1028]

Wow! it is a very healthy orchid.I am wondering how often do you water?and do you use Reverse Osmosis water?good luck with flowering

[johnblagg]

Originally Posted by ewcia1028

Wow! it is a very healthy orchid.I am wondering how often do you water?and do you use Reverse Osmosis water?good luck with flowering

LOL watering ...lots ,in summer on the table under a oak tree I have a misting system built from odds and ends and a deer feeder timer and it waters 30 seconds every two hours during the daylight hours none at night ....

Inside in winter it gets watered every morning with a compression sprayer and its just guess work from experiance I do not water until the s/h container overflows as a general rule just wet the top of the rocks well,One week just water "Tap water plain not r/o" the next week fert every day for a week ---then depending on what I see in the growing room I may or may not do a week with physan 20 if I notice any mold at all then they get physan every day for a week .

I sometimes water a second time later in the day if I think they need a bit more but that round often skipps over some and just gets the ones I know like it wetter like the bucket orchids and the mounts.

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[ewcia1028]

Hello Jon,thanks a lot for a quick respond,that's a lot of watering,but then you keep it outside and those balls are drying out like crazy,I keep my phragmipedium in it and I water every other day,so like you said I will have to experiment a little and see what would be the best.I know I can't overflow with water my phragmipedium because they are very sensitive to water on new leads,and if I don't pay attention they don't survive.I will have to try one of my cattleya to grow in it and I will see.You have done a wonderful job with yours and should be proud of yourself,congratulation and thanks again

[johnblagg]

in winter it is inside and gets lots of water too just not quite as much this one realy likes to do its growing indoors in winter but water in the leaves will get you some black crud and rot inside in winter if your not carefull so I do a week of physan 20 once a month basicly as a preventive...but when new roots are coming out physan will burn them quick if you get it too strong and buds will burn as well