[OGD] what would you do with this plant?
Greetings - Last year I purchased a vandaceous plant; it bloomed shortly thereafter with mutated flowers. I waited to see subsequent flowerings, thinking that perhaps some trauma had caused a one-time glitch. Here in the deep south, USA, these plants bloom pretty often, and after three more instances of the exact same mutation, I think the plant has some genetic defect. So, my question: what should I do with it? Beautiful, healthy plant, but the flowers - oh, my! I guess I'm too much of a plant geek to trash the plant, but I don't want to give it to an unsuspecting third party, either. Maybe offer it at a meeting, with the warning that the plant is a mutated freak with horrific flowers? It is Ascda. Tahourdin 'Bronze Grape' so the flowers, at least, are fragrant. Thanks - Nancy Boredom: the desire for desires. Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910) ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] The continuing obsession with orchids and sex, uh, continues...
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/15/science/15wasp.html?_r=1ref=scienceoref=slogin ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] Pleurothallis anfracta
Hello - I have been unable to find any kind of cultural information for this new plant - Jay Pfahl's site describes it as 'terrestrial' and that's all I can find. Hoping somebody else in the sub-tropics is growing this and can advise. Many thanks - Nancy ~~~ Middle age is youth without levity, and age without decay. -Daniel Defoe (1660-1731) Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
Re: [OGD] Weyman Bussey / Houston, Texas (US) article
Greetings Viateur - I particularly appreciated the upside-down photo of Stanhopea tigrina! Our local paper always seems to invert photos of Hylocereus and Brugmansia flowers! They *want* the flowers to grow *up*! Regards - Nancy 1. Weyman Bussey / Houston, Texas (US) ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) ~~~ Humor is reason gone mad. Groucho Marx Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your home page. http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] Weird fungus problem
Greetings - We've had an exceptionally wet spring, summer, and now autumn in the deep south, USA. I've been having problems with various fungus growths on the wood that most of my orchids are mounted upon, primarily grapevine wood. After consulting our county agent, I used a Bordeaux mixture on the mounts (also some mushroomy wood and lined wire baskets); this pretty well eliminated the mushroom and tree-ear type of fungus, but I still have something that appears to be lichen creeping over a lot of the wood. Any suggestions on an attack for this? I can scrape off the ruffled edges, but the flat parts are just too smooth, and I'd like to kill off whatever spores are causing this growth. Not unattractive, but still... Regards - Nancy ~~~ A fruit is a vegetable with looks and money. Plus, if you let fruit rot, it turns into wine, something Brussels sprouts never do. ---P.J. O'Rourke Yahoo! oneSearch: Finally, mobile search that gives answers, not web links. http://mobile.yahoo.com/mobileweb/onesearch?refer=1ONXIC ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] Question about eliminating fungus
Greetings - It has been an unusually wet summer, even for south Louisiana, and September is predicted to be more of the same - a daily soaking; sometimes days of drizzle. This too-much hs led to an unexpected problem for me; I grow almost everything on a mount of some kind. I haven't had problems with orchids rotting (or liquefying), but am beginning to have fungus problems on the wood mounts themselves (mostly grapevine, also cork, catalpa, cedar, etc.). The growths include several kinds of typical mushrooms as well as some bract/tree-ear types. In my arsenal I have Physan, Bordeaux and elemental sulfur powders - will any of these help? I suppose these are a type of mycelium, rather than what I think of as a typical fungus. If not, then what can I try? Thanks - Nancy Choose the right car based on your needs. Check out Yahoo! Autos new Car Finder tool. http://autos.yahoo.com/carfinder/ ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] two questions now
Hello - Last week I asked if the names of naturally-occuring hybrids are written with upper or lower case; any clues? Also, I have a plant labeled V. Fuch's Delight x Vanda coerulea; with the parents in the opposite order, this is Vanda Motes Indigo...I think it would have the same name either way, correct? Thanks - Nancy ~~~ It isn't enough for your heart to break because everybody's heart is broken now. --Allen Ginsberg Be a better Heartthrob. Get better relationship answers from someone who knows. Yahoo! Answers - Check it out. http://answers.yahoo.com/dir/?link=listsid=396545433 ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] Another question for the experts - natural hybrids
Greetings - Can someone tell me if the names of naturally-occuring hybrids are capitalized, or not? Stanhopea a/Assidensis and Catasetum s/Sodiroi are two that come to mind. In entering these kinds of plants for judging, how would they be considered? Some show books seem to break plant groups down into very small segments, with species and hybrids separated. Thoughts? Thanks - Nancy ~~~ It isn't enough for your heart to break because everybody's heart is broken now. --Allen Ginsberg Park yourself in front of a world of choices in alternative vehicles. Visit the Yahoo! Auto Green Center. http://autos.yahoo.com/green_center/ ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
Re: [OGD] Coryanthes culture
As luck would have it, I was browsing through the Alec Pridgeon book yesterday, and actually read the text on Coryanthes species - he said that they typically grow in ant nests, so should be grown very acid with a lot of fertilizer to mimic the natural habitat. I live in the deep south, USA, and was on the verge of buying a mature plant early this spring at a show; two of my society friends dragged me away from the vendor. They said practically everyone has killed one, and nobody has ever had one bloom (or, it has chosen to die), including one of our members who operates a commmercial GH and can grow everything, literally. So, I got a seedling-size plant for $5 in March. It is still alive and is growing, mounted on TX grapevine. I've been treating it like all the others, except a weekly spray of seaweed with a buffer to lower the pH. I think I will try to go more acid and stronger fertilizer, and see. For what it's worth - Nancy ~~~ A computer once beat me at chess, but it was no match for me at kick boxing.---Emo Philips ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] Some questions about names, etc. relating to AOS awards
Hello - This is a multiple-part question, and answers (or theories) about any of it would be appreciated. I guess I will state what I suspect to be true, and those who know can tell me what is so/not so. I'm making up the names! Cattleya Pretty Girl - would this likely be a seedling? Cattleya Pretty Girl 'Dazzling' - a division or mericlone? Would the grex name (is that the right term?) 'Dazzling' lead me to believe that this plant had been awarded by AOS? When I look up Cattleya Pretty Girl in the wildcatt DB, I find that the parents are Cattleya Pretty and Cattleya Girl, and that this cross has been awarded; when I look at the details, I see that Pretty Girl 'Smart', Pretty Girl 'Sassy' and Pretty Girl 'Lovely' all have received some kind of AOS award. If I have just Cattleya Pretty Girl, this has no bearing on my plant, correct? When it blooms, it might be a 'dawg'? Or not? In another case, I look at the tag on my seedling, and I see that the parents are Cattleya Beauty 'Beau' AM/AOS x Cattleya Eye Candy 'Thrilling' AM/AOS - even with awarded parents, does this have any bearing on the seedling itself? Other than high hopes that it will be the best of both parents? Also, regarding showing such a plant - when filling out the tag, does the award pedigree of the parents relate to the (now blooming) offspring in judging? i.e., will it be compared to one/both parents? Or judged on its own merits? Last question: my friend made a cross, but did not register it (lovely to me, but a bow-wow to her). It is still a valid name, correct? Even though not registered? Thanks! Ah, so many questions! Good growing - Nancy ~~~ Il n'existe que deux choses infinies, l'univers et la betise humaine...mais pour l'univers, je n'ai pas de certitude absolue. (Albert Einstein / 1879-1955) ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
Re: [OGD] Stanhopea websites
Hi Les - Short on cultural information, but lots of everything else stanhopea - it is a part of the Houston (TX) society's website. http://stanhopea.autrevie.com/ Regards - Nancy ~~~ I am a deeply superficial person. ---Andy Warhol ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] Question about the AOS judging process
Greetings - While reading through the booket published by an orchid society for their upcoming show, I noticed the notations about submitting plants for AOS judging regarding displaying plants that had been displayed at a previous show. If a plant has been seen already (same flowering), then it can be entered into a display with a notation not for AOS judging. This I understand; it enhances and makes a society's display fuller. The situation with our society is this: another neighboring society has an upcoming show; our society always makes a display for their show. The very next weekend, our own society is hosting a show. So - the likelihood of our very small group assembling two entirely different sets of plants one week apart is pretty remote. My question for those who are judges, or knowledgeable about this process: rather than sending our 'second string' (aka, pathetic) plants to the first show, and keeping the nicer ones for our own, can we display *unseen* plants at the first show, and notate them as not for AOS judging and then have them eligible for judging at our show a week later? Of course, we always want to set up the most attractive booth we can, but we certainly want to dazzle and awe at our hometown show. Any valid opinions on this? Thanks - Nancy ~~~ Pay attention, boy. I'm cutting but you ain't bleeding. --Foghorn Leghorn ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
Re: [OGD] Dendrobium chrysanthum
Marc and Charlie - Thanks for the advice - this did not look like a plant that would like to grow upright (or be able to!). Of course, the photos of the flowers are just beautiful. Charlie - good to hear about your 'dwarfing' technique. I had thought I was doing pretty well, keeping some plants deciduous for 2-3 years running... Regards - Nancy ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] Dendrobium chrysanthum
Greetings - What is the best way to physically grow this plant? All the photos that I've seen seem to show pendant foliage, though my newly-acquired plant is a cluster of reed-like stems. I now have read that the individual canes can reach 6-8' (0ver 2.5m!). How do members grow this? Potted? Mounted? Basket? I think I have a fairly good idea of the culture, but am stumped as to how to 'plant' this rascal. Regards - Nancy ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
Re: [OGD] New Program To Keep Track Of Your Plants
Sorry to send this to the list at large, but I found that the OGD archives 'protects' the e-dresses of correspondents! Hi Rick - I've been playing around with your program for 2 days, and it seems very functional with a couple of exceptions. If you would rather, I could contact you off-list, but I would need that 'protected' info! Thanks - Nancy ~~~ Love is an irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired. ---Robert Frost ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] The biology of scents in orchids
Hi Lee - This is a really interesting topic to me as well; I would very much like to see anything you unearth on this. It took me awhile to track down a book by Arthur Holst, _The World of Catasetums_. There is one chapter on scent, mostly devoted to analyzing the chemical components of the perfumes of Catasetinae, but very interesting. You say 'volatile esters', I say 'banana'. The presence or absence of scents in hybrids is a critical factor to me - I think it is a terrible thing to lose the scent of B. nodosa, while the distinctive lip shows strongly in the hybrids - odd. Regards - Nancy ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] Catasetinae and sex of flowers
Greetings - I just had to use the S word...after poking around the internet without finding the answers to these questions, I thought someone here would have this information stored in his/her giant brain. As I understand, Clowesia was broken away from Catasetum because they have perfect flowers, while the Catasetum have either male, female or (to muddle things further) hermaphrodite flowers. First - is there a difference between 'perfect' and hermaphroditic flowers? And, if so, will I be able to tell by looking? Male vs female flowers are pretty easy to tell apart in Catasetums and Cycnoches, but what of the hermaphrodite? Also, I have a species cross of Clowesia x Catasetum - will the flowers be perfect, male, female, or something else? Sexual oddities notwithstanding, whenever a plant in this group flowers, it is really quite a thrill - these do *not* look like all the other girls! Thanks. Regards - Nancy ~~~ Better sleep with a sober cannibal than a drunken Christian. Herman Melville (1819-1891) ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] Water/no water for deciduous catasetinae
Greetings - I face the same dilemma every year: when fall and winter-blooming cycnoches, catasetum, etc. have lost most/all of their foliage, and are beginning to send out an inflorescence - I'm always uncertain whether to water normally or stop (or something in between). I think I've tried both; it seems like sometimes the inflorescence grows normally, sometimes it shrivels up. Some of the growers who bloom these spectacular rascals every year - what is your verdict on this? Common sense says no leaves=no water...but it also says buds+water = flowers. And how about fertilizer? I am in the deep south, USA, if it makes a difference. When they bloom, it *is* always a real thrill. Regards - Nancy ~~~ Life is pleasant. Death is peaceful. It's the transition that's troublesome. Isaac Asimov ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] A question about the AOS judging process
Greetings - Ah, so many goofy questions! At a recent show, I had a Platystele stenostachya pulled by the AOS judges, and considered for an award. Since it was not awarded, local wisdom says it may continue to live... The experienced member of our society who takes our plants to shows commented that if the plant *had* been awarded, the judges would have had to count the number of flowers on it - a mind-boggling notion. Anyone familiar with this plant can attest that the flowers are knee-high to a dust mote and appear in clusters. This is a fairly old plant, so it has hundreds and hundreds (maybe a thousand) of blooms. Is this true? I have read descriptions of awarded plants, and everything is quantified, but making a count on a miniature of this type baffles my logical mind. Still, I am curious - true or false? Regards - Nancy If it's beautifully arranged on the plate, you know someone's fingers have been all over it. -- Julia Child ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
Re: [OGD] Platystele misera
Greetings - I don't know about this particular species, but I've seen those swirling columns of gnats (Southerners know what I mean) vanishing into my Platystele stenostachya. Have they pollinated it? I don't have a magnifier powerful enough to see. Regards - Nancy If it's beautifully arranged on the plate, you know someone's fingers have been all over it. -- Julia Child ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] Correct pronunciations
Greetings - Can someone direct me to a site that lists the correct pronunciations for orchid genera and (hopefully) species as well? I am giving a presentation, and am totally blathering the names. Words like 'kusukusense' have me in a cold sweat! Thanks for any directions - Nancy They [orchids] are hot and moist in operation, under the dominion of Venus, and provoke lust exceedingly. --Susan Orlean ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] Porpax (Eria) meirax
Greetings - If another soul on this list is growing this plant (or anything remotely like it), I would very much appreciate some cultivation advice, including light, water, fertilizing, heat, sun, bloom time, etc. Very little to be found by googling. Thanks. Regards - Nancy They [orchids] are hot and moist in operation, under the dominion of Venus, and provoke lust exceedingly. --Susan Orlean ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
Re: [OGD] squirrels and capsaicin
Hi Peter - I have to argue with you on this issue; I've tried spraying with hot sauce, to no avail. Two years ago, I mixed a pound of ground cayenne with a pound of white grease, and smeared the mixture on the legs and tops of my wooden orchid racks (think 6' tall saw horses). Didn't bother the squirrels one bit! I even saw them cleaning their feet by licking - no reaction. A person at our local Wild Birds Unlimited said that squirrels hate the bitter taste of safflower seed, so mixing in a good proportion at first 'trains' them to avoid your bird feeders - I have also found a bottle of safflower oil, and may try that as an oil spray if our temps ever cool down. For what it's worth - Nancy __ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
Re: [OGD] Keiki paste/squirrels
Hello Sandy - I've lost a number of plants to squirrels myself; I do not know whether keiki paste can save them or not, but I can send you my recipe for 'Squirrel Sauce Picquant' - I've started to permit my son to target them with my BB rifle. Incredibly and maddeningly destructive - for some reason, encyclia and certain laelia p'bulbs are very attractive to them. Also, potting in round clay pellets (they look like Cocoa Puffs cereal) is a mistake I will not make again! Good luck - Nancy Voici mon secret. Il est très simple : on ne voit bien qu'avec le c½ur. L'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux. ---Antoine de St Exupéry, _Le petit Prince_ __ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
Re: [OGD] Dubious Orchid Names/Imelda and Martha
Hello - Don't want to get off-topic, but I've always loved these remarks from Eleanor Roosevelt: I once had a rose named after me and I was very flattered. But I was not pleased to read the description in the catalogue: 'no good in a bed, but fine up against a wall'. So perhaps it's not all good - Martha may be a 'dawg'. And Eleanor must certainly have been a pistol. Regards - Nancy __ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
Re: [OGD] Unusual places to buy orchids
Hi Sharon - Last year I bought a Phal. at our local Flea Market - surprisingly, they had two for sale. Both were in one of the cluttered little back room nooks, high up on a shelf. Real survivors. Regards - Nancy Pay attention, boy. I'm cutting but you ain't bleeding. --Foghorn Leghorn __ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
Re: [OGD] chilling phals
Hi Iris - In the deep south, many people seem to keep cymbidiums as outdoor plants. I've heard of those who went so far as to put the pot into a cooler, which is kept filled with ice, renewed as it melts, until the inflorescence is well established. A bit radical, but sometimes our winters can be too warm. Regards - Nancy Better sleep with a sober cannibal than a drunken Christian. Herman Melville (1819-1891) __ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] Peloric then not peloric Phalaenopsis?
Greetings - Well, this has been a bizarre 6 months or so, capped off by another weirdness: Dvra. Hawaiian Delight 'The Clown' is a peloric Phal. I've had it for 7-8 years, bought it because I found the peloric flowers charming. They have always been peloric, every blooming, every year. The flowers on the first of 2 inflorescences just opened, and the flowers are - regular, not peloric. Is this more after-effects of the dreaded Katrina/Rita? Is it an anomaly, or has it thrown off the mutant genes, and now will produce standard flowers? It is rather distressing! Thanks for any input on this - the flowers are pretty enough, but the peloric flower was so very lovely! Regards - Nancy (south Louisiana) Better sleep with a sober cannibal than a drunken Christian. Herman Melville (1819-1891) __ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] treasures that grow well in your climate
Hi Leo - Though I chimed in on this discussion, I'm agreeing with Paul and Diane - In the deep south, I have several dozen vandaceous plants; other heat-loving genera, and one Zygo. The hybridizer swore that it was bred to be heat-tolerant, and gawd help me, I believed him. I wanted to believe. Actually, I do grow standard Cymbidiums with reasonable success, and often with spectacular blooming. I grow it, however, as a strictly outdoor plant. Temps in the 'teens (every few years) can freeze off the buds, but the plants themselves seem to relish the cold. But, yes, since the yard is my temperature-controlled greenhouse, I choose the heat-lovers. That doesn't stop me from wanting to *see* actual flowers on the cool-growing plants! In person. Regards - Nancy My mother had a great deal of trouble with me, but I think she enjoyed it. ---Mark Twain __ Yahoo! Mail - PC Magazine Editors' Choice 2005 http://mail.yahoo.com ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] Miltonia in Louisiana
Hello Viateur - I've been told that Miltonia spectabilis can *survive* when grown warmly; I don't know anyone personally who has not watched it die. The others will steadily decline until they cease to exist...definitely not warm-growing or even warm-tolerant or even warm-surviving. There is a grower in New Orleans who keeps a cool greenhouse and has great success with Miltonia - when I consider what it costs to cool our home, the idea of cooling a glass box is pretty daunting! Regards - Nancy (84F right now, and not yet 10:30) My mother had a great deal of trouble with me, but I think she enjoyed it. ---Mark Twain __ Yahoo! FareChase: Search multiple travel sites in one click. http://farechase.yahoo.com ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] Cooling orchids/Harvey Brenneise
Hi Harvey - Like many people in south Louisiana, I look lustfully at photos of Disa, Dracula, Miltonia, etc. I have never seen these in reality, only in photos... On the positive side, we can grow most things outside most of the time. I know of several people here who artificially chill their Cymbidiums to stimulate blooming (when we get some of those freakish January weeks of 75F temps, the spikes often mutate into foliage). What they do, in essence, is place the pots in a styrofoam cooler (cheap at walmart), and refill around the pot with ice once or twice a day. Only necessary for about 2 weeks. Some may say it is worth it. More problematic is keeping even intermediate-growing orchids alive in a climate with temps over 80F for 9-10 months of the year. It is 82F right now, and barely noon. They can take years to fully lose the will to live, and the decline is s long and s heartwrenching - darn them! Regards - Nancy My mother had a great deal of trouble with me, but I think she enjoyed it. ---Mark Twain __ Start your day with Yahoo! - Make it your home page! http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
Re: [OGD] nz sphagnum moss burn?
Hi Steve - I live in the deep South, US. Here, in my opinion, sphagnum moss is the 'kiss of death' if you grow primarily outside. Our combination of moisture, heat and humidity allow it to form a slimy glob of algaecicles and funguscicles. I don't even use it when mounting. It's a little warm here for Neof. falcata, but I grow Neostylus and Darwinara (both 1/2 falcata) on mounts of bark or osmunda with no sphagnum at all, and they have aggressive roots like fingers. So long as they get sufficient moisture, they are happy plants. Sphagnum is disgusting stuff in this climate. Regards - Nancy You can lead a horticulture but you can't make her think. - Dorothy Parker __ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
Re: [OGD] Sulphur Powder
Hi John - My 11-year-old son joined the Boy Scouts this spring; his troop does a lot of camping. They were told, before summer camp, to mix half baby powder and half elemental Sulphur in a shaker. Treat all clothing, and begin a few days before camp to treat self. This concoction was supposed to ward off bited by tickes and chiggers. Combined with standard insect repellent, he came home after 2 weeks relatively bite-free. After 5+ months of regular washing, his camping clothing still has a pretty 'punky' smell, but that's tolerable compared to the bites he could have gotten. Regards - Nancy Truth is mighty and will prevail. There is nothing wrong with this, except that it ain't so. Mark Twain (1835-1910) __ Yahoo! FareChase: Search multiple travel sites in one click. http://farechase.yahoo.com ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] Fungus, horse manure, etc.
Hello Nic and other orchid enthusiasts - I believe the fungus (or bacteria) that I personally dealt with after our previous hurricane affected primarily the plants with broad, succulent leaves (like Phalaenopsis), and I do believe that it was caused by the damage of high-velocity dust, sand and other debris. We have heard of some wind-borne fungus blowing in from the south (New Orleans and the coast) that attacks oncidium-alliance plants and causes them to rot from the ground up. Luckily (or not), I have no talent for oncidiums, and they die before I finish writing my check. Re: plants in horse manure - my cymbidiums are in 100% HM, and could not be healthier or happier. The roots are impressive, and they bloom enthusiastically. These are tough plants, and I don't worry about fungus. I have catasetums, cycnoches and that type of plant in a mix of about half HM and half coarse gravel. Nic, you've asked me why the addition of gravel - I grow these plants in plastic pots, and the gravel helps to keep them upright in slight wind. I will treat these with fungicide simply because the leaves seem rather fragile, and might be liable to injury from the hurricane-force winds. I do expect to lose a few plants; however, following Hurricane Lili in 2002, a number of orchids bloomed impressively - I speculate that some 'survival' hormores were triggered by the abuse they took! Regards - Nancy A computer once beat me at chess, but it was no match for me at kick boxing. Emo Philips __ Yahoo! Mail - PC Magazine Editors' Choice 2005 http://mail.yahoo.com ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] post-hurricane orchid care
Greetings from south Louisiana - We escaped damage from Katrina, but took a pretty good hit from Rita. Last Monday, at our regular orchid society meeting, several people were talking about a wind-borne fungus that was attacking oncidium alliance plants post-Katrina. After our *last* hurricane in 2002, I lost several plants, most notably Phalaenopsis, to what I think was a bacterial rot initiated by impact from 100mph dust or sand. So - some suggestions on trying to head off any problems this time? I will treat all foliage with fungicide. It is still essentially mid-summer here, so the plants are going back into the yard. I'd be grateful for any advice. Regards - Nancy p.s. plants that were dead before the storm - still dead. There is no freedom without justice. Simon Wiesenthal __ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
Re: [OGD] green thumb in Texas
Hi Mike - Seconding Viateur's advice - Houston has an active, world-class orchid society; I see member's names pop up in articles and conversations often. In addition, the Houston society maintains a wonderful, informative website (with many photos). Regards - Nancy They made us many promises, more than I can remember, but they never kept but one; they promised to take our land, and they took it Mahpiua-Luta (Red Cloud) __ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] Revisiting Rhyncholaelia digbyana
Greetings - I had solicited advice a few months ago on caring for my digbyana, which had produced over a dozen growths and was forming buds. Here is a photo of the plant in bloom: http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/platotoldhim/detail?.dir=8fdf.dnm=dd8a.jpg.src=ph It was really quite thrilling! Now that the (13, I think) flowers have finished, would I be better advised to continue feeding/watering, or slack off a little and let it have a rest? Of course, I'd like each year's flowering to be ever-more-spectacular! Thanks in advance. Regards - Nancy Tu es responsable pour toujours de ce que tu as approvoise. Le Renard en Le Petit Prince par Antoine de St. Exupery. __ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] OGRES website
Hello Viateur - I think many of the ratings websites have been meshed with this one: http://davesgarden.com/gwd/ Regards - Nancy I think that I shall never see A billboard lovely as a tree. Perhaps, unless the billboards fall, I'll never see a tree at all. (Ogden Nash, Song of the Open Road, 1933) __ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] Another question on hybrid names
Hello - My plant is labeled Neo. falcata x Rhy. coelestis 'alba' - is this still Neostylis Lou Sneary? The flowers are pure white...is the 'alba' form of the Rhynchostylis still considered the same species? Can someone tell me how often this might bloom in the deep south? When I got it, I thought that the Rhy. addition would make it more heat-tolerant than the Neo. falcata - which is apparently true. Neo. falcata is notoriously difficult to grow here. Thanks. Regards - Nancy Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go. ---Oscar Wilde Yahoo! Mail Stay connected, organized, and protected. Take the tour: http://tour.mail.yahoo.com/mailtour.html ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] Re: Rhyncholaelia digbyana
Hello again - I may have given an incorrect impression when I asked about successfully bringing multiple new growths to bloom. This plant has never been reluctant to flower; however, it generally gets 2-3 inflorescences on 3-5 new growths each summer (and sometimes one or two in winter). It now has about 14 new growths, large ones; I have been picturing in my mind half (or more) of these with flowers. Hey, a girl can fantasize! It is grown outside, in sun strong enough to bring out the red-purple in the foliage (okay, and a few crunchy patches). I will be a little more specific with my fertilizing. Regards - Nancy Measure twice; cut once. Nancy's first rule of woodworking When it comes down to marrying, better speak once, think twice. George Thorogood __ Yahoo! Mail Mobile Take Yahoo! Mail with you! Check email on your mobile phone. http://mobile.yahoo.com/learn/mail ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] Re: sterilizing pots (and demonizing bleaching)
Hi Bert - My intention was never to castigate those who like to bleach their pots! With a house and yard full of children and pets, a container of bleach and pots is a very bad idea. Whereas, I have a door from my kitchen (and the oven) right to the patio (where I repot). And, your pots must be in much better shape than mine are when you clean them. Soaking in bleach does not remove roots on the outside and inside, mildew, fungus, and algae. Spider webs, insect eggs and casings, cocoons, etc. That involves a lot of scrubbing and resoaking. I'm a hobbyist, and the oven method works best for me. And yes, I am in absolute charge of the oven! I doubt anyone else in this family knows where we 'keep' it. Regards - Nancy __ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] Re: Sterilizing pots
Mike said: But, if you are worried about the cost of a gallon of bleach or less than $1 of electricity, you have chosen the wrong hobby There you go! Like Iris, I run a full load of pots, when the oven needs to be cleaned anyway (you cannot use chemicals in a self-cleaning oven!). At perhaps 5-6 times a year, I think the cost is negligible compared to scrubbing and bleaching and rinsing and dipping in fungicide, algaecide, viricide, soap, etc. And bleaching out the knees and hems of my jeans! After the oven-cleaning process, the only thing left in/on the pots and in/on the oven interior is a fine layer of white ash - I shop-vac it out. Regards - Nancy Yahoo! Mail Stay connected, organized, and protected. Take the tour: http://tour.mail.yahoo.com/mailtour.html ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] Rhyncholaelia digbyana
Greetings - This mature plant is quite large, mounted on a cork slab. It has 12-14 new growths, and I would be just thrilled to have many of them produce flowers. Is there a recommended method for helping to insure this outcome? I really don't want to shoot myself in the foot. It is now in mostly full sun, and I have been fertilizing it regularly along with the other orchids, i.e., about every 2 weeks with a general-purpose formulation. The flowers of this particular species are what led me to my ever-evolving orchid addiction - I find it really so arresting, both the color and form and the scent. I want to see lots of flowers! Thanks for any advice. Regards - Nancy (south Louisiana) __ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] Re: Pink ladyslippers removed from
The storefront is still there but all the product links have been blocked by e-bay Incorrect. The plants can be bid on easily. And presumably delivered 'in the spring' according to the listing. Regards - Nancy __ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] 2 questions: naming orchids and bird repellent
Hello - A few years back I bought a seedling of Encyclia alata x Encyclia tampencis (sic). By the time my plant bloomed, this cross had been named Encyclia Cindy. I just found the original label, which says Enc. alata 'Barbara' x Enc. tampencis 'Mendenhall'...this resulting plant is still Enc. Cindy, correct? Or no? Second question: with spring, I've been moving my orchids out into the yard, repotting as I go (good intentions!); I keep finding many of them de-potted every day by birds. No idea what causes this attraction. Poor Cattleytonia Why Nott has been refilled with medium 5 times in 3 days...I've hung a few dozen FREE AOC CDs around the trees and shrubs, but this doesn't scare 'em. A few years ago, a big inflatable snake served as a perch until it was punctured (by bird feet). Any suggestions to repel them? A change from squirrels, in any case. Regards - Nancy Blooming: Gongora tricolor!!! Wow! Cogito, ergo spud. (I think, therefore I yam.) __ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Small Business - Try our new resources site! http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/resources/ ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] Re: Gramm. scriptum and 'catch roots'
Thanks to all who chimed in on both this species and also contributed to the fascinating discussion of these upward-growing roots. I was advised when I bought this plant that I'd need to repot and somehow force those roots into the potting medium - luckily, I have not yet had time to shoot myself in the foot! Thanks to all, and good growing. Regards - Nancy (with a couple of Stanhopea species exhibiting this phenomenon) Cogito, ergo spud. (I think, therefore I yam.) __ Do you Yahoo!? Make Yahoo! your home page http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] New photo organizing scheme at www.orchidphotos.org
Hi Eric - The indexed genera listing is a huge improvement! If I had a complaint about your site, it certainly was that the opening of (in some cases) nearly a hundred thumbnails was unwieldy and time-consuming. The species I wanted to see was, of course, invariably towards the end of the alphabetical listing. Thanks for this wonderful resource! Impressive, beautiful, and useful. Regards - Nancy Cogito, ergo spud. (I think, therefore I yam.) __ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Small Business - Try our new resources site! http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/resources/ ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] Chysis bractescens
Hello - My last question about this species, I swear! Two of my three buds have just opened this morning - how long might they last? My real question: will this plant be able to attend a show mext weekend (March 4-5)? It would like to go! Regards - Nancy = Cogito, ergo spud. (I think, therefore I yam.) __ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - Helps protect you from nasty viruses. http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] Re: Angraecum sesquipedale blooming time
Hi Nicholas - I purchased a seedling 2 years ago that was labeled 'winter blooming' - so there must be cultivars that bloom at other times. It came from Carter Holmes, perhaps they could assist you. Not much help. Regards - Nancy = Cogito, ergo spud. (I think, therefore I yam.) __ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - Helps protect you from nasty viruses. http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] More Stanhopea questions
Hello - I've received lots of good advice here about this genera (my true favorite), and have come across some things on which I'd like to get opinions. The _Taylor's Guide to Orchids_ says to give Stanhopea a month long, cool, dry rest 'after growth is complete.' My plants seem to grow continuously...I've thought that Stanhopeas should be kept well-watered always, though less often in winter, as they don't dry out as quickly. Do they need this rest? Also, the next sentence says, Divide them often after growth (there's *that* again!) to keep them blooming well. Should Stanhopeas be routinely divided? My inclination is to let them get big! Also, I have to admit being broadsided by this statement, Flowers (Stanhopea wardii) keep well frozen. For what reason would I want to freeze these flowers? They don't strike me as being a good table decoration (defrosted? still frozen?)... Thanks in advance. Regards - Nancy = Cogito, ergo spud. (I think, therefore I yam.) __ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] critter creek labs
Hello - Can someone give me the current e-mail address of Jane and/or Critter Creek Labs? My mails have bounced! Many thanks. Regards - Nancy = 'I have done that,' says my memory. 'I cannot have done that' - says my pride, and remains adamant. .At last - memory yields. ---Friedrich Nietzsche __ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] Cycnoches warsweiczii
Hello - Sorry, it may be spelled incorrectly...this plant had two fully-formed inflorescences, with the buds pretty close to opening. Then, we had a cold spell, and I brought the plant inside...tragedy! The buds blasted, fell off. So...I thought it would now be entering dormancy until spring, so I depotted and removed all the medium, set it on a shelf where it would stay bright and dry - this is what I typically do with this genera, catasetum, etc. Yesterday, I found that two new inflorescences have started (they are only 1/2 or so long); I checked my file, and found that it usually blooms in February, so I potted it back up. To make a long story short, have I shot myself in the foot here? You can lie to me if you want to! Regards - Nancy Blooming: Angraecum distichum, Rodriguezia batemanii, Barkeria palmeri, Liparis condylobulbon, Sophronitis cernua and Platystele stenostachya - which makes those other little guys look huge! = Everything is funny as long as its happening to someone else. --- Will Rogers __ Do you Yahoo!? The all-new My Yahoo! - Get yours free! http://my.yahoo.com ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] Re: Sophronitis and Laelia
Okay, wait - is my S. cernua now a Laelia, or is L. anceps now Sophronitis? Anyway, Iris was right - Rhyncholaelia digbyana smells every bit as nice as the Brassavola... Regards - Nancy = Everything is funny as long as its happening to someone else. --- Will Rogers __ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
[OGD] Re: Iguanas
Leslie Bursey Anybody have iguanas eating their orchids or other plants? Hello - Not iguanas*S*, but we have a 7-year-old pet iguana...and learned fairly early that she must be carefully monitored when roaming. These (delightful) creatures are arboreal herbivores, so climbing up on a plant and eating all the buds off of it is just simply in its nature - and a horrific experience for an orchid grower! I believe that they are attracted to non-green colors, particularly in the yellow-to-red spectrum. Still, a very good companion, if well fed with non-orchids. Regards - Nancy (and Buzz) New and Improved Yahoo! Mail - Send 10MB messages! http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lists.orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids
[OGD] Re: use of woofter
Hello - I have never knowingly hurled epithets at anyone, or any group. I was under the impression that we had ascertained that a 'woofter' was the large sound-generating round thing in a lound speaker! My subscription to the Miriam-Webster 'word-of-the-day' just doesn't include such eclectic fare. A thousand apologies - especially to all those who have just found out the true definition of 'woofter' and now feel insulted. Perhaps I am myself a 'woofter.' Regards - Nancy Take Yahoo! Mail with you! Get it on your mobile phone. http://mobile.yahoo.com/maildemo ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lists.orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids
[OGD] Re: Iris Cohen's Inaccuracies
Isn't this the date palm calling the ginkgo dioecious? Dear Iris - I don't care what that crotchety old grouch says about you - you are delightful, funny and generous with your knowledge and experience. Perhaps he is a woofter as well. Warmest regards - Nancy ___ Do you Yahoo!? Win 1 of 4,000 free domain names from Yahoo! Enter now. http://promotions.yahoo.com/goldrush ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lists.orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids
[OGD] Re: Notylia care
Hello - Can I get some advice on culture of Notylia species? I have two, cork mounted. While they are not failing, they are not thriving either. I believe these are heat tolerant. Any advice? Both have begun inflorescences several times; in every case, they have reached a couple of inches in length, and then dried away. Thanks so much. Good growing - Nancy (zone 9a) = ~~ Semper uber sub uber. (Always wear underwear.) ~~ ___ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lists.orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids
