Elegant German Chocolate Wedding Cake Adorned with Cymbidium Orchids

by Admin on February 24th, 2007

Elegant German Chocolate Wedding Cake Adorned with Cymbidium Orchids
Elegant German Chocolate Wedding Cake Adorned with Cymbidium Orchids 0 Comments Published by gtcd February 20th, 2007 in Wedding Cakes, Cake…

Red is the New Black
I bought this background a while back but never liked how it turned out. I guess that would have everything to do with how poorly I was lighting it…

Bits and pieces
It’s been a busy month with a lot of big doing at AmoxCalli. Lisa Alvarado, author of Sister Chicas and a pretty amazing woman joined me in posting…

Lycaste aromatica
Lycaste aromatica February 19th, 2007 Lycaste aromatica 60001828 …

Investigating Orchid Species

The term orchid actually refers to a family of over 24,000 plants that live in every climate, from tropical to the Arctic Circle. Some orchid species are vines, some are clusters of stems, some tiny, some gigantic. Generally, their blooms are symmetrical and they produce a pod of tiny seeds.

Though there are tens of genra (smaller subdivisions) of the orchid family, the most common orchid species for the home come from just four groups: Phalaenopsis, Cattleya, Dendrobium, and Vanda.

Phalaenopsis

This genre of orchids gets its name from the Greek word for mouth, phalaina, because these blossoms resemble an open mouth. Phalaenopsis grow stalks of leaves and a flower stem out of a bulb-like base.

The stem on most Phalaenopsis orchid species will produce several blooms, starting from the bud closest to the base. The bud starts small and spheroid, then it swells until it pops open as a five-petal flower with an open mouth at the center.

Cattleya

Cattleya orchid species are named for an English orchid fancier of the 19th century who grew the first of this genre known to Europe when he unexpectedly received them in a shipment of other plants.

Cattleyas are similar to Phalaenopsis except when it comes to the flowers. Each stem of a Cattleya will generally produce two to ten flowers, whereas a Phalaenopsis can actually produce many more flowers on one stem. The flower of the Cattleya also has five petals, but its mouth is a long tube, very reminiscent of a daffodil.

Dendrobium

The main difference between the Dendrobium orchid species and the other orchids above is the way the flowers bloom. Dendrobium flowers have five leaves and a mouth that may be shallow or long, but each flower is generally smaller. However, they grow on branched sub stems. Each flowering stem makes a smaller sub stem where the flower forms. The result is flowers evenly distributed around the stem just as hyacinth blooms form around the stem.

Vanda

Vanda orchids take their name from the Sanskrit word for one of the showiest orchid species in this category. To the observer, Vandas look very variable. Some have long, skinny, thin leaves, while others may have short, thick leaves. Some grow many blooms on one stem, others, a single flower. What unites all Vandas, however, is their large, extremely showy blossoms. If you see a corsage with a magnificent orchid, all multicolored and ruffled, chances are its a Vanda.

Wild Orchids

If it don’t broken isn’t fix it..
Unsigned, Unsung - give it a listen and comment on… A most mature outing from my good mate - the mysterious statesman of the expat-j-pop-scene in…

Ctna. Maui Maid x December Bride AM/AOS
What a sweet surprise this morning…white with a hint of green.:) Attached Images Ctna. Maui Maid x December Bride AM_AOS 2_22_07 a (Medium).JPG…

Winter Vacation…

by Admin on February 23rd, 2007

Winter Vacation…
I can’t wait for winter to end… I’ve hardly gardened in our yard after being discouraged by some really cold weather… well, relative to our normal…

The Greenhouse I
The Greenhouse I February 20th, 2007 Managed to take some pictures in the greenhouse yesterday. Here are a couple of Vanda orchids that are blooming…

Not one word, folks!
One Wing of course it hurts to transmogrify, the flipping back and forth between angel, gargoyle angel and gargoyle. but its one hard wart grown out…

Morning surprise with…Morning Joy…
:drool: :photo: :cheer: Fresh bloom like a surprise bomb… how can it be so wonderful…?:cheer: :cheer: :cheer: Attached Images DSC07066.jpg (77.1…

Wild Orchids

Peter Branscombe
Peter BranscombeFeb 19, ‘07 11:44 PM for everyonePeter Branscombe has been identified as a Def ‘Leper’ by the ‘Real Player’ and so shall he remain…

Nurturing an Orchid Plant

Orchids, like all living forms, need care for their growth and health. Raising an orchid plant at home or in gardens for commercial benefit, both require the caregiver to understand hindrances that thwart the normal growth and health of the plant. A number of things need to be given care, commonly including: blooming of the plant, using a suitable fertilizer, preventing the plant from fading out, health of leaves, cutting and trimming, and repotting. Though the nurturing needs of an orchid plant depends on which species you are growing, some measures are common to proper caring for orchids in general.

Blooming of Orchids

If your orchid plant is experiencing problems in maturing to bloom in effulgence, the most probable reasons are less than required exposure to light, improper potting, retention of excess water at the roots, and/or absence of optimum level of temperature change. To allow for the best plant bloom, place your orchid plant near the window to get enough light.

If sufficient artificial light is provided, you can place the plant anywhere you want. Repot the orchid plant if you come to detect signs of excessive retention of water at the roots. About ten degrees of daily temperature variation is commendable for proper growth of most orchid species. Water rich in minerals is not suitable for the plant; instead use distilled water or just clear rainwater.

Suitable Fertilizers

An orchid plant, in general, does not respond well to urea-based fertilizers. The use of suitable fertilizer depends on more than one factor including temperature, sunlight, and which particular location you are living in. Get your orchid a fertilizer that is free from urea, if you are unsure.

Fading Out of the Plant

Two types of signs are indicative of fading out of the orchid plant: (1) the leaves develop wrinkles and (2) buds grow yellowish and start falling. Wrinkling of leaves is caused mainly by either insufficient watering or by excessive watering. Check the roots of the plant to see if excess of watering has turned them brown and unusually soft. If so, repot the orchid plant and decrease the frequency of watering.

If lack of water has left them white and firm, provide more water daily. In case the orchid plant is shedding buds that have grown yellow and weak, the amount of water, light, or temperature conditions provided to the plant need be revised.
Remove the plant from the vicinity of sources of heat, placing it in a place where it can get optimum intensity of light. Take care to position the plant in a room with no harmful chemical fumes (paints etc.). Keep from overwatering the plant.

Repotting an Orchid Plant

Repotting an orchid plant requires different considerations in case of different species. As a general rule, repot the plant after a year or two when the roots break the medium. Carefully remove the old mix from the plant roots, rinse the roots, and place it in a new pot. You can cut the hollow or excessively soft parts of the root: they are dead anyway.