We came from here: The thread "Our Orchid blooms in June 2020" in Orchids forum


Nice colour on the Vanda, Gina! It certainly looks at home in your jungle.

Glenn, I like the colouring and pattern on your Vanda! I cannot grow them here (at least not without a heated greenhouse) and certainly don't have the space, so I will admire everyone else's from afar.

In my own collection, I have a few more things in bloom.

First up is this seedling of Orchid (Cymbidium Tussock 'New Horizon') X Orchid (Cymbidium Peter Pan 'Greensleeves'). The shade of green doesn't do much for me (although it does look much nicer in direct sun), but I am otherwise very pleased with the results! It is a compact plant (flowering in a 4.5" pot) with an upright, self-supporting spike (only staked because of the weather) whose flowers clear the foliage. There are seven flowers on the spike, which I suspect is good for a first flowering of this cross. The blooms themselves are well-balanced and reasonably full (considering the parentage) and are mildly scented (just enough to be nice).



Then I have Orchid (Cymbidium erythrostylum 'Tikitere') X Orchid (Cymbidium Tracyanum Alexander 'New Horizon') (not sure if the 'New Horizon' clone was used or not - the label didn't indicate which TA clone was used - but have linked it here anyway as an example). I have been eagerly waiting for this to open, so as soon as it looked like the first flower was fully open, I snapped this photo:


It looks like a much more intense Orchid (Cymbidium Florinda) or Orchid (Cymbidium Hanburyanum) (note that for Hanburyanum, you can also get oranges - I am suspicious that it depends on which way the cross is done as to how likely you are to get oranges as opposed to pink-reds, but I'm just guessing). This increased intensity is likely due to the fact that it's a 4N and the contribution of Sander's Cymbidium (Cymbidium sanderae 'Sanderae') (which is known to increase reds in some crosses).

How do you grow all those Cymbidiums and have them in flower in the heat @Australis? If mine don;t get enough cold outside in winter they never flower, and they never flower past early Spring here

The fact that Australis said above that he can't grow Vandas without a heated greenhouse tells me that he does see cooler winter weather.
Too cool for Vandas perhaps but cool enough to promote spike production in Cymbidiums.

I just looked quickly on line but it is winter right now where Australis is. Here is the weather for the next week, highs in the low to mid 50's and lows from 41-45 roughly! How would Vandas like that?? But I have a feeling that he counts on these temperatures for the health of his Cymbidiums!

Gina, Bill is right that I get cooler weather in winter. We've just passed the winter solstice and June-July tends to be the coldest time of the year for us.

The next four days for my suburb are roughly forecast as follows (comparing some of the nearby weather data):

Thursday 2nd July: 8 to 14C (46.4 to 57.2F)
Friday 3rd July: 6 to 11C (42.8 to 51.8F)
Saturday 4th July: 5 to 13C (41 to 55.4F)
Sunday 5th July: 8 to 13C (46.4 to 55.4F)

Generally most areas of Victoria will get the requisite temperature variation for Cymbidiums to flower. Some of the hybrids I own have warmth-tolerant species in them, though, so the temperature variation needed is less. Even the microclimates around my house are enough to cause some weird behaviour. My Cym. lowianum is one mixed-up plant this year; it should flower in Spring, but one of the spikes is going to be open late July/early August at this rate. My Cym. erythraeum var. erythraeum was early, too, whilst (Kusuda Shining X Summer Orion) was a month later this year than last.

There are still a few plants that I'm trying to get to flower. I'm sure it's a combination of factors and working out the best spot for them probably the is key (if they sunburn or suffer too much leaf damage from the wild weather we get in winter, they focus on new growths rather than flowering; if they get too little light they grow slowly and will flower poorly, if at all).

Joshua, this is a lovely start to the month!! I am enjoying your Cymbidiums very much! You are tempting me to pick up some again.....
I had a Cym Ivy Fung which spiked in the middle of our warm NJ Summer with temps in the nineties F.

Thanks Ursula! There are still some more on the way yet, so no doubt I will tempt you further!

I like that!
There is Santa Barbara Orchids, always with a nice selection of Cymbidiums.
https://www.sborchid.com/maste...

I wish I had access to some of the historical plants at the SBOE! Alas, Australian quarantine rules are quite strict so any import effort would be very costly and risky (not all the plants would necessarily survive).

I enjoy looking at the Cym flowers in the heat of our summer. It makes me feel cooler. The plumbers are here running a jackhammer in the master bathroom. The windows are rattling, or is that my teeth?
Some updates and new blooms from the OC:
Aranda Madame Panni:


(Rlc. Toshie Aoki x Rlc. Mishima Excel): Can't believe they didn't register this beauty.


Renanstylis Bangkok Beauty: Now almost fully open.


Epicatarthron Hilo Adventure with better color than before:


Just for fun, a $3 Dendrobium from Apopka:


Jim

I can't believe that she was never registered, Jim.

Joshua your Cyms are stunning! I'm with Gina though on why is it so hard to grow these in Florida??? Our winter temperatures are very similar for several months. Maybe it's just too hot during the summer? Joshua what is your hottest month..and the average heat range ?
Jim, awesome show at your house right now!
I hope the worst of the renovations will be over soon. I remember when we bought those Toshie Aoki crosses at Krull-Smith. They were completely different looking. Maybe that's why it was never registered..it was just too variable?
The Bangkok Beauty is a pretty one too, I wish mine would do something
But in more positive news, I've got a couple of new flowers to share.



Myc. Erin Courtney's SunCoast just opened up



The cute little Bulb. pecten-veneris ' Christopher' with a new umbel of flowers


And the last spike of Strma. Mem. Ruben Sauleda "#17'

I haven't had a bit of luck with the 8 varieties of Cym. I brought with me from Mississippi. They bloomed great there but nada here. There's a bit of growth, but nothing that you would write home about. Just hanging on. I have lost 2 varieties and I need to offer these remaining plants to someone who either has created better (cool) conditions here in FL. or someone who does have a "real" winter.

Jim and Lindsey, I love the beautiful show you have going on (t)here! The Renanstylis Bangkok Beauty is stunning!

Regarding "Cym- temperatures", I can leave mine out in the Fall together with my Epiphyllums and some of my Jades, but then run out of room in the house. Epiphyllums and some of my Jades can sleep in the garage ( which has a small window only) until Spring, most Cymbidiums need a cool spot in the sun in the Fall.

Australis said:I wish I had access to some of the historical plants at the SBOE! Alas, Australian quarantine rules are quite strict so any import effort would be very costly and risky (not all the plants would necessarily survive).

The Australian and New Zealand members of some of the aroid pages I am on elsewhere always say that about the plant import rules there. One friend from New Zealand said that they have a list of acceptable plants they can import seeds of, and, even though its too cold there for many of them to actually grow well, (as in they would never get 'invasive') they are allowed to even import seeds of most Anthurium species.

Thanks all. Lindsey and Jim, you have some beauties there!

Regarding maximum temperature, we will often have a week or so in the low to mid 40s (Celsius) during mid/late summer. More often our summer temperatures range between the high 20s and mid 30s. My parents' farm gets a slightly wider variation (a few degrees cooler in winter, a few degrees hotter in summer) but with extended heat in summer and Mum's Cyms still flower each year.

http://www.bom.gov.au/jsp/ncc/...

Gina, we have a huge list of seeds that we are able to import (getting things added to the list is challenging, but possible - I managed to get 5 Lilium species that were missing added, but it took 2 years and I had to provide a lot of research on the species first). I can easily get seeds and pollen in as long as it is clearly labelled (usually it's the packaging that complicates things, as quarantine is strict about that - they need to know exactly what it is). Plants are a lot harder. Flasks are the easiest way to get plants in, but you need an import permit for shipping; otherwise you can bring in up to 6 with your checked-in luggage.

To put it into perspective - 40 degr C = 104 degr F, that is nicely hot!

At the moment my warm loving ( I think) Vandachostylis Viboon Velvet keeps on opening

and Vandachostylis Charm ' Blue Star' has a spike.

Vanda christensoniana is still in bloom

That is beyond "nicely hot", but thanks. My education is sadly lacking when it comes to the southern hemisphere. Your Vandas are beautiful!

Ursula, your Viboon Velvet is breathtaking, I love those colors.

I'm so pleased to see this little flower of Iwnangara Apple Blossom finally. The plant has been struggling for a couple of years and hasn't bloomed but it seems to be recovering nicely now with three more new leads and two more spikes coming along as well.

Ursula said: At the moment my warm loving ( I think) Vandachostylis Viboon Velvet keeps on opening

Looks similar to: Ascda. Muang Thong

I've been looking for a bloom sized Muang Thong... all I'm finding are "plugs"