Thanks, Ursula, that Renate is really 'growing' on me, because it grows and blooms generously twice a year, summer and winter. I wonder if the summer bloom is redder because the buds formed in warmer weather?

Here are a couple of blooms. Den uniflorum with a new bloom. Den laevifolium first time blooming for me.

Elaine,
I am reposting the Anthocyanin ( responsible for the red tones) reference here, cooler temps make for more red color.
http://garden.org/thread/view_...
Perhaps your Renate received more light this time.

Melissa, two cuties there!

Ken, very nice show. I especially like your Eurychone rothschildiana, Nice color.

Elaine, Big Jim is really working for you.

Melissa, both of those Dens are off the charts! Very good growing.

I have had a bit of a problem here. I had a big Catt open badly, like one of those too close to the nuclear plant flowers. Then I had a big Ctsm, spike and then systematically drop all of the buds. Maybe it is just the heat.

Jim

Thanks, Jim. We are in the "brutal" part of summer here, highs in the mid to upper 90's with a 90% relative humidity. I know it just murders me to work outside for any length of time and I feel quite sure, though my plants are all under trees, with shade and moisture from the trees, the tropical plants are stressed.

Oh, I really hope that it was just the heat causing problems, keeping fingers crossed for the next bloom cycle.

I have a small Slc/ now C. Patricia Taaffe 'Neptune' in bloom. These really need to bake in the sun, otherwise we will have a very floppy growth. This one took nicely to the driftwood.

Wow, that's a sweet flower and a really cool looking plant on its driftwood mount.

Thanks for the 'review' on the anthocyanins. I'll keep that straight now. Renate is mellowing somewhat in the heat this afternoon, but still opening buds. Couple of back-lit shots of Renate and Gerberara Snow Ballet.

Ursula, would that 'Neptune' really take full sun here in Mississippi in the summer?

Ken, if it was used to the sun, I would say, yes. Provided you don't have 120 degr F along with that.
I grow it in the Winter right under the glass ceiling and in Summer in the middle of the cage where it gets maximum light.

Elaine, pretty backlit pics!! Hey, I don't mind the occasional review myself!

Highs are taken in the shade, not the sun. If it is 95 F in the shade, I imagine it is 105-110 in the sun. Just my guess. But its not just the heat itself, it is the intensity of the infrared rays. I occasionally have one of my cattleya alliance plants get badly sunburned, simply getting mid-day sun for brief minutes through the tree canopy. I am not brave enough to risk any of mine to direct sun from 11:00 AM till 4:00 PM. Winter sun is an entirely different story, since the sun is so low in the sky. Fall and spring kind of fall in between. I'm just a big chicken!

Ken, I don't blame you! When my dad was pressure-washing the house last year he moved some of my cattleyas into the sun without thinking about it. He said they weren't there very long but they all got varying degrees of sunburn. None of them died, but some of them still look quite sad. Still, I was not very happy with Dad for a while!

It's all part of that learning curve. I have found that most Laelias will take way more sun than the Catts. and need it to bloom. Most of the Maxillarias need lots of sun too. Gerberara loves very bright (morning and late afternoon) sun, but Lc. firedance X nodosa, which hangs right next to it is not looking real happy. I agree that the heat index is at least as important. Add to that the sudden change from 70s and gloomy to 101 and sunny, and you have room for lots of NEW orchids at the next show. My list is growing...

I purchase enough orchids as it is. I don't need to add (unnecessarily) to that number.

Just call me "Cautious-DrDawg".

You know, it just hit me. Y'all that dabble in the stock market will understand this. Some of us are "Long-term investors" and some of us are "Day-traders" when it comes to growing orchids. Most of the varieties I have, and I have a lot, will never bloom for me. Many will be sold long before blooming. I guess that's why I envy many of you who have so many in bloom. You are the long-term investors and I am the day-trader.

A bunch of mine get direct sun until about 2pm, but it is lightly filtered through the pool cage screening. I did acclimate them gradually to the light level, though. Moved them out of the shade in the "dead" of winter when the sun is as gentle as it gets.

That being said, I did suffer sunburn on one of my catts this year, by foolishly moving it so that it got sun in the afternoon. So, yes, I think the heat index is also a factor. Our sun here is more intense than Ken's but our ambient temperature rarely if ever touches 95.

With the humidity, it still 'feels like' 109 sometimes, though.

Our temps don't normally get that high either. That was the freak heat wave that hit us in May. I was totally unprepared! I didn't have the shade cloth up.

Hello everyone!
My name is Karin and I have been growing orchids in my windows for 35 years now, first living in NH and now I have moved to MA. I'm happy to say that the orchids and all my other plants seem to be much happier in their new home than before and I am getting many more blooms. It's wonderful to see my plants doing as well as they are. I also like to take photographs of my flowers both inside and out. One of my all time favorite orchids is Aerangis luteo-alba var. rhodosticta. I love this orchid so much that I have to admit that I have 5 of these and 4 of them are now in spike and one is in full bloom. Makes me smile every time I look at them. This has not been an easy plant to grow in the house, especially since 4 of them are mounted on tree fern so I have to be so careful that they don't dry out. I call them my babysitting plants as they have to be tended so but it is worth it to see these little beauties bloom! Hope everyone has a good day! Karin

Karin. I don't know whether or not you are a new member, but if you are, you are going to love ATP.

I hope you will soon post pictures of your orchids, flowers or not.

Nice to meet you on the Orchid forum, Karin!
I love the Aerangis luteo-alba var. rhodosticta, it sure looks like you got the culture down pat!

Beautiful flowers, and such great growing there Karin. We love to see pictures, so feel free to post away.

to the Orchid Forum, Karin. You will find lots of friendly folks and beautiful flowers here. Feel free to post your pics and join in the discussion.

Jim