This page is for members' contributions. We want stories, cultivation notes, reviews, pictures, - anything that is orchid related.
Please submit all articles, pictures etc to Jenny.Dark@darteks.com.au or bring them to the next meeting.
Please submit all articles, pictures etc to Jenny.Dark@darteks.com.au or bring them to the next meeting.
Culture Notes
TWO COOL-GROWING LAELIAS by Brian Milligan (Reproduced from OSCOV website with thanks)
The genus Laelia. There are about 75 species in the genus Laelia. Most epiphytic species of Laelia grow in Mexico while the rupiculous laelias (those that grow on rocks) grow in Brazil. The Mexican species, Laelia anceps and Laelia gouldiana, are arguably the easiest to grow under cool conditions, especially if you have a shadehouse with a fibreglass roof, so that the plants can be kept fairly dry in winter. Laelia anceps has been cultivated in Europe for over 150 years. Over twenty different varieties were then cultivated but only a few are common in Melbourne today.
Laelia anceps in Nature. In its native habitat Laelia anceps grows on tree trunks or branches on the edge of forests at altitudes of 1500-2000 m. The plants are often exposed to full sun and strong winds, with hot days and cold nights. Summer (the main growing season) is very wet and the plants receive heavy rain each evening and remain wet overnight. The next morning strong winds and sunshine quickly dry the plants before rain falls again in the evening. By contrast, the weather is cool and dry in winter and the plants receive little water until misty rain arrives in spring. New growths begin at this time with the new flower spike emerging from the centre of the new growth during summer. The flowers open as the new growth matures in late autumn.
Cultivation of Laelia anceps. Based on the above information, it would seem reasonable to:
1. grow L. anceps on a mount (e.g. tree-fern slab or a rough, long-lasting branch of oak or Casuarina, in my experience, cork mounts do not suit L. anceps).
2. hang the plant where it receives good air movement and good light (30-50% shade in summer, less or none in winter).
3. water heavily in summer and early autumn, preferably in the evening, applying liquid fertiliser occasionally.
4. after the plant has flowered (usually in late autumn), water only occasionally until spring.
5. then mist the plant daily until new growth appears. At this stage begin the cycle again with heavy watering each evening.
Laelia anceps can also be grown in a pot, using coarse bark as the potting medium. Because each year's new growth is separated from the previous year's growth by about 50 mm on the ascending rhizome, the plant soon climbs out of its pot and the new roots hang over the edge. Although the plant grows happily like this, it soon becomes top-heavy and will then probably need to be broken up and repotted. The flowers are usually rose, pink, violet or white in colour, with a darker labellum carrying a central yellow spot. The tall stem usually carries two to six flowers. Chamberlain's variety has larger, more deeply coloured flowers than most.
Laelia gouldiana occurs in the same habitat as L. anceps and it can also be grown and flowered in an unheated shadehouse. It usually carries more flowers of deeper colour than L. anceps but they are slightly smaller (about 75 mm across). Some botanists once believed that L. gouldiana is not a true species but a natural hybrid between L. anceps and L. autumnalis. All three grow together in the same mountainous regions of Mexico. However most authorities today regard L. gouldiana as a species and it should therefore be benched in the class Any Other Species or Species Any Genus.
Both Laelia anceps and L. gouldiana grow readily from leafless pseudo-bulbs in the same manner as cymbidiums do from their backbulbs. They 'strike' better if left in pairs. Many plants grown in Melbourne are probably divisions of older plants. Small divisions occasionally appear on the sales bench at meetings and shows. Small plants raised from seed can sometimes be found in orchid nurseries - these may produce flowers of higher quality, if they have been bred from selected parent plants.
The genus Laelia. There are about 75 species in the genus Laelia. Most epiphytic species of Laelia grow in Mexico while the rupiculous laelias (those that grow on rocks) grow in Brazil. The Mexican species, Laelia anceps and Laelia gouldiana, are arguably the easiest to grow under cool conditions, especially if you have a shadehouse with a fibreglass roof, so that the plants can be kept fairly dry in winter. Laelia anceps has been cultivated in Europe for over 150 years. Over twenty different varieties were then cultivated but only a few are common in Melbourne today.
Laelia anceps in Nature. In its native habitat Laelia anceps grows on tree trunks or branches on the edge of forests at altitudes of 1500-2000 m. The plants are often exposed to full sun and strong winds, with hot days and cold nights. Summer (the main growing season) is very wet and the plants receive heavy rain each evening and remain wet overnight. The next morning strong winds and sunshine quickly dry the plants before rain falls again in the evening. By contrast, the weather is cool and dry in winter and the plants receive little water until misty rain arrives in spring. New growths begin at this time with the new flower spike emerging from the centre of the new growth during summer. The flowers open as the new growth matures in late autumn.
Cultivation of Laelia anceps. Based on the above information, it would seem reasonable to:
1. grow L. anceps on a mount (e.g. tree-fern slab or a rough, long-lasting branch of oak or Casuarina, in my experience, cork mounts do not suit L. anceps).
2. hang the plant where it receives good air movement and good light (30-50% shade in summer, less or none in winter).
3. water heavily in summer and early autumn, preferably in the evening, applying liquid fertiliser occasionally.
4. after the plant has flowered (usually in late autumn), water only occasionally until spring.
5. then mist the plant daily until new growth appears. At this stage begin the cycle again with heavy watering each evening.
Laelia anceps can also be grown in a pot, using coarse bark as the potting medium. Because each year's new growth is separated from the previous year's growth by about 50 mm on the ascending rhizome, the plant soon climbs out of its pot and the new roots hang over the edge. Although the plant grows happily like this, it soon becomes top-heavy and will then probably need to be broken up and repotted. The flowers are usually rose, pink, violet or white in colour, with a darker labellum carrying a central yellow spot. The tall stem usually carries two to six flowers. Chamberlain's variety has larger, more deeply coloured flowers than most.
Laelia gouldiana occurs in the same habitat as L. anceps and it can also be grown and flowered in an unheated shadehouse. It usually carries more flowers of deeper colour than L. anceps but they are slightly smaller (about 75 mm across). Some botanists once believed that L. gouldiana is not a true species but a natural hybrid between L. anceps and L. autumnalis. All three grow together in the same mountainous regions of Mexico. However most authorities today regard L. gouldiana as a species and it should therefore be benched in the class Any Other Species or Species Any Genus.
Both Laelia anceps and L. gouldiana grow readily from leafless pseudo-bulbs in the same manner as cymbidiums do from their backbulbs. They 'strike' better if left in pairs. Many plants grown in Melbourne are probably divisions of older plants. Small divisions occasionally appear on the sales bench at meetings and shows. Small plants raised from seed can sometimes be found in orchid nurseries - these may produce flowers of higher quality, if they have been bred from selected parent plants.
CYMBIDIUMS FOR BEGINNERS by NEMOS (Reproduced from OSCOV website with thanks)
Cymbidiums are the most common orchids grown in Victoria. Their popularity is due mainly to the many colourful, long-lasting blooms that they produce but also to their ability to grow and flower under a wide range of conditions and to survive a degree of neglect that would kill most other orchids. However, some attention to cultural conditions is needed if you hope to grow and to flower your cymbidiums well. Regular watering and fertilising, effective pest control and, most importantly, exposure to the correct light level throughout the seasons, should lead to success. Care should also be taken to protect the flower spikes from damage during winter. They are badly damaged or even destroyed by hail, while exposure to frost causes the buds to blacken and fall before they open. Flowering plants and those in bud should therefore be moved to a sheltered spot, for example, a covered verandah or under the eaves on the north side of your house. While flowering plants may be moved indoors for short periods, lengthy periods indoors will retard growth and subsequent flowering.
Light and Air Movement. Cymbidiums are best grown in a situation where they receive about half the level of full sunlight for most of the year, full sunlight during winter. A shadehouse covered with shadecloth (nominal shade factor of 50%) is ideal, provided that it is not overshadowed by nearby trees. Plants will grow almost as well under heavier shade, but they will flower poorly. Cymbidiums will not flower well if placed beneath a tree that casts a heavy shadow. If possible, place the pots on a raised wire mesh bench to provide good air circulation and take care to protect the flowers from snails and slugs.
Watering and Fertilising. Providing that cymbidiums are grown in an open, free-draining potting mix, they can be watered on every sunny day between October and April. Less water is needed at other times, once weekly being sufficient in mid-winter. Liquid fertilisers can be applied at weekly intervals for most of the year. High-potassium fertilisers, such as Campbell's A®, are recommended for use between August and the end of December and high-nitrogen fertilisers, such as Aquasol®, at other times. Slow-release fertilisers may also be added in October.
Repotting. Cymbidiums respond well to repotting every two to three years, even if they have not outgrown their container, because pinebark potting mixes decompose after that time, becoming acidic and interfering with free drainage. October and March are regarded as the best months in which to repot. Remove the plant from its pot - it may be necessary to cut the old pot if the plant has not been repotted for many years. Then remove all the old mix and any soft, dark, decaying roots. Repot in a commercial pine bark potting mix, using 5-10 mm particle size for small plants and 10-18 mm particle size for flowering sized plants. Hold the plant so that the bases of the pseudobulbs are about 25 mm below the rim of the pot and with the other hand fill the pot with mix, working it between the roots. The final level of mix should just cover the lower quarter of the pseudobulbs. Add a slow-release fertiliser, such as Osmocote-Plus®, (a tablespoonful in a 200 mm-diameter pot is sufficient) and tap the pot until the granules make their way below the surface of the mix.
Cymbidiums are the most common orchids grown in Victoria. Their popularity is due mainly to the many colourful, long-lasting blooms that they produce but also to their ability to grow and flower under a wide range of conditions and to survive a degree of neglect that would kill most other orchids. However, some attention to cultural conditions is needed if you hope to grow and to flower your cymbidiums well. Regular watering and fertilising, effective pest control and, most importantly, exposure to the correct light level throughout the seasons, should lead to success. Care should also be taken to protect the flower spikes from damage during winter. They are badly damaged or even destroyed by hail, while exposure to frost causes the buds to blacken and fall before they open. Flowering plants and those in bud should therefore be moved to a sheltered spot, for example, a covered verandah or under the eaves on the north side of your house. While flowering plants may be moved indoors for short periods, lengthy periods indoors will retard growth and subsequent flowering.
Light and Air Movement. Cymbidiums are best grown in a situation where they receive about half the level of full sunlight for most of the year, full sunlight during winter. A shadehouse covered with shadecloth (nominal shade factor of 50%) is ideal, provided that it is not overshadowed by nearby trees. Plants will grow almost as well under heavier shade, but they will flower poorly. Cymbidiums will not flower well if placed beneath a tree that casts a heavy shadow. If possible, place the pots on a raised wire mesh bench to provide good air circulation and take care to protect the flowers from snails and slugs.
Watering and Fertilising. Providing that cymbidiums are grown in an open, free-draining potting mix, they can be watered on every sunny day between October and April. Less water is needed at other times, once weekly being sufficient in mid-winter. Liquid fertilisers can be applied at weekly intervals for most of the year. High-potassium fertilisers, such as Campbell's A®, are recommended for use between August and the end of December and high-nitrogen fertilisers, such as Aquasol®, at other times. Slow-release fertilisers may also be added in October.
Repotting. Cymbidiums respond well to repotting every two to three years, even if they have not outgrown their container, because pinebark potting mixes decompose after that time, becoming acidic and interfering with free drainage. October and March are regarded as the best months in which to repot. Remove the plant from its pot - it may be necessary to cut the old pot if the plant has not been repotted for many years. Then remove all the old mix and any soft, dark, decaying roots. Repot in a commercial pine bark potting mix, using 5-10 mm particle size for small plants and 10-18 mm particle size for flowering sized plants. Hold the plant so that the bases of the pseudobulbs are about 25 mm below the rim of the pot and with the other hand fill the pot with mix, working it between the roots. The final level of mix should just cover the lower quarter of the pseudobulbs. Add a slow-release fertiliser, such as Osmocote-Plus®, (a tablespoonful in a 200 mm-diameter pot is sufficient) and tap the pot until the granules make their way below the surface of the mix.
Controlling Snails and Slugs in the Glasshouse by Vic Pearce
(Reproduced with permission from Australian Orchid Foundation with thanks)
It is the natural order for every plant and all living things to have a certain number of pests and pathogens to attack it... orchids are not exempt from this order.
Arguably, the most annoying pests in the glasshouse are snails and slugs. On most occasions you are blissfully unaware of their presence until they attack your treasured blooms, usually carrying out irreparable damage.
In Victoria two varieties of snail seem to prevail - the common garden snail and the smaller hush or garlic snail, which measures less than 5 mm across. Only one type of slug seems to cause damage. Fortunately, those pests are readily controlled by the molluscicide metaldehyde. This chemical is toxic but, provided that the product in which it is incorporated is handled according to the manufacturers directions, its use poses no problems. The World Health Organization Recommended Classification of Pesticides lists metaldehyde as Slightly Hazardous, with an oral LD50 of 630.
For common snails and slugs, four or five pellets incorporating metaldehyde, added to each pot, is sufficient, Bush or garlic snails present a different problem, as they hide in the potting mix and are not necessarily attracted to the large pellets. By far the best method of attacking this pest is to drench the entire pot with metaldehyde solution, such as Snaleen®, made by the Kendon Chemical and Manufacturing Co Ltd.
Research in Hawaii has shown that caffeine is both a repellent and toxicant to slugs and snails. A solution of 2% caffeine applied to the orchid potting mix was found to kill 95% of snails. It also caused slugs to leave the mix, 95% of them subsequently dying. First Rays Orchid Web Page - Home Remedies (http://www.firstrays.com) recommends keeping the unused coffee from your morning brew, diluting it with water (50%), adding about 30 ml of alcohol (Methylated Spirits) and spraying both plant and potting mix to kill any snails or slugs present. This research was reported in Annals of Applied Biology, 2003,142 (1), 91-97.
It has also been reported that snails and slugs will not crawl over copper, and it therefore seems that you could avoid these pests by isolating your benches or pots with sheet copper or gauze.
(Reproduced with permission from Australian Orchid Foundation with thanks)
It is the natural order for every plant and all living things to have a certain number of pests and pathogens to attack it... orchids are not exempt from this order.
Arguably, the most annoying pests in the glasshouse are snails and slugs. On most occasions you are blissfully unaware of their presence until they attack your treasured blooms, usually carrying out irreparable damage.
In Victoria two varieties of snail seem to prevail - the common garden snail and the smaller hush or garlic snail, which measures less than 5 mm across. Only one type of slug seems to cause damage. Fortunately, those pests are readily controlled by the molluscicide metaldehyde. This chemical is toxic but, provided that the product in which it is incorporated is handled according to the manufacturers directions, its use poses no problems. The World Health Organization Recommended Classification of Pesticides lists metaldehyde as Slightly Hazardous, with an oral LD50 of 630.
For common snails and slugs, four or five pellets incorporating metaldehyde, added to each pot, is sufficient, Bush or garlic snails present a different problem, as they hide in the potting mix and are not necessarily attracted to the large pellets. By far the best method of attacking this pest is to drench the entire pot with metaldehyde solution, such as Snaleen®, made by the Kendon Chemical and Manufacturing Co Ltd.
Research in Hawaii has shown that caffeine is both a repellent and toxicant to slugs and snails. A solution of 2% caffeine applied to the orchid potting mix was found to kill 95% of snails. It also caused slugs to leave the mix, 95% of them subsequently dying. First Rays Orchid Web Page - Home Remedies (http://www.firstrays.com) recommends keeping the unused coffee from your morning brew, diluting it with water (50%), adding about 30 ml of alcohol (Methylated Spirits) and spraying both plant and potting mix to kill any snails or slugs present. This research was reported in Annals of Applied Biology, 2003,142 (1), 91-97.
It has also been reported that snails and slugs will not crawl over copper, and it therefore seems that you could avoid these pests by isolating your benches or pots with sheet copper or gauze.
ROGER HERRAMAN: The Canaliculatum Man by Murray Harding
Roger Herraman is a name that has become familiar to many of us over the last two years. He has been collecting orchids like many of us for a large part of his life and now has a considerable collection.
There are two reasons that this man has become widely known. The first is that he took the trouble to photograph his plants in flower and to write accompanying notes, and allow orchid clubs to access his work. Our club has seen his presentation. The second reason is because the particular orchids that he chose to collect are Cymbidium canaliculatum. Most of us have an Australian native Cymbidium in our collection and most of us acknowledge that they are hard to grow well. Roger wrote a lengthy article for The Orchadian magazine which featured some of his collection. The array of different colours present in this variety is astounding and having seen it many people (myself included) renewed their interest in this particular orchid. Di Lester and I were in Adelaide recently and I contacted Roger to see if he would be available for us to come and see his collection. He was happy to have us visit, so we arrived at his home on the appointed day and met him for the first time.
Adelaide has weather not dissimilar to Melbourne, but they get some rain. This was amply illustrated by the wild duck that was swimming in Roger's backyard swimming pool (in the suburbs of Adelaide). Roger has two orchid houses. One holds the "other" orchids which are a mixture of native and species orchids that grow in a shadehouse covered with shadecloth but otherwise open to the elements. His "canic" house is the exclusive domain of his awesome canaliculatum collection. I will admit to some prior assumptions regarding what I would see here. One was that there would be deep pots (as these plants can have roots metres in length) and the other was that there would be large plants (because they don't like having their roots disturbed). I was wrong on both counts. I don't recall seeing any pots over 8" in diameter and in many cases they were squat pots.
Roger explained that because he waters so infrequently the bark he uses is slow to break down and he can pot on plants with little or no disruption to the roots system. When he divides a plant or the potting medium is in need of replacement, he cuts off all of the roots and stakes the plant until it produces new roots (generally not more than three months before they are out of the bottom of the pot). Any work that needs to be done is undertaken during the dormant period so that when the plants are in active growth again they get the full benefit of the new environment and settle in quickly.
Cym canaliculatum has an enormous range around Australia, which is one of the reasons that Roger is so interested in the variety that this characteristic provides. They are amazingly cold tolerant (he has no heating whatsoever) but will not survive being watered during their dormant period.
Here in Melbourne that would be from Easter until the beginning of November they should have no water at all. The bulbs may shrivel but that is what happens in their natural habitat and they soon recover.
Roger's shadehouse is fully enclosed and he does have some shadecloth over part of the roof during the summer. It's purpose is really only to see if there is any difference between that environment and the full sun that the rest of his collect gets. So far there is no obvious benefit. During summer, watering is generally only once per week. These plants live in some of the harshest condition imaginable, so being dry is what they are designed for.
The mix that he grows in is predominantly bark with a few additives such as charcoal, but it is uniformly coarse material regardless of the size of the plant. Allowing the roots to dry out sufficiently is essential if these orchids are going to be healthy.
Although Roger has become interested in breeding from his huge array of plants, he is not interested in hybrids in the main. His passion is the variation in the different plants from all over Australia. He said that in many locations he has seen quite different flowers in close proximity to each other.
For those of us who have trouble with seedlings of Cym. canaliculatum straight out of flask, don't despair, Roger is one of us. I suspect that he does better than most but he isn't sure of success and if that is the case I don't feel quite so foolish.
Roger Herraman is a genuine enthusiast when it comes to canaliculatum. He has travelled Australia extensively in search of these spectacular plants and has been rewarded with an amazing collection of them that is unique in my experience. He has developed a wide circle of friends around Australia who share his interest and with whom he swaps plants. Some of his seedlings are available from Kevin & Helen Western on www.westernorchids.com
Roger Herraman is a name that has become familiar to many of us over the last two years. He has been collecting orchids like many of us for a large part of his life and now has a considerable collection.
There are two reasons that this man has become widely known. The first is that he took the trouble to photograph his plants in flower and to write accompanying notes, and allow orchid clubs to access his work. Our club has seen his presentation. The second reason is because the particular orchids that he chose to collect are Cymbidium canaliculatum. Most of us have an Australian native Cymbidium in our collection and most of us acknowledge that they are hard to grow well. Roger wrote a lengthy article for The Orchadian magazine which featured some of his collection. The array of different colours present in this variety is astounding and having seen it many people (myself included) renewed their interest in this particular orchid. Di Lester and I were in Adelaide recently and I contacted Roger to see if he would be available for us to come and see his collection. He was happy to have us visit, so we arrived at his home on the appointed day and met him for the first time.
Adelaide has weather not dissimilar to Melbourne, but they get some rain. This was amply illustrated by the wild duck that was swimming in Roger's backyard swimming pool (in the suburbs of Adelaide). Roger has two orchid houses. One holds the "other" orchids which are a mixture of native and species orchids that grow in a shadehouse covered with shadecloth but otherwise open to the elements. His "canic" house is the exclusive domain of his awesome canaliculatum collection. I will admit to some prior assumptions regarding what I would see here. One was that there would be deep pots (as these plants can have roots metres in length) and the other was that there would be large plants (because they don't like having their roots disturbed). I was wrong on both counts. I don't recall seeing any pots over 8" in diameter and in many cases they were squat pots.
Roger explained that because he waters so infrequently the bark he uses is slow to break down and he can pot on plants with little or no disruption to the roots system. When he divides a plant or the potting medium is in need of replacement, he cuts off all of the roots and stakes the plant until it produces new roots (generally not more than three months before they are out of the bottom of the pot). Any work that needs to be done is undertaken during the dormant period so that when the plants are in active growth again they get the full benefit of the new environment and settle in quickly.
Cym canaliculatum has an enormous range around Australia, which is one of the reasons that Roger is so interested in the variety that this characteristic provides. They are amazingly cold tolerant (he has no heating whatsoever) but will not survive being watered during their dormant period.
Here in Melbourne that would be from Easter until the beginning of November they should have no water at all. The bulbs may shrivel but that is what happens in their natural habitat and they soon recover.
Above: A view of Roger's shadehouse
Above: Examples of the pots that he uses
Above: Roger's shadehouse during flowering time.
The mix that he grows in is predominantly bark with a few additives such as charcoal, but it is uniformly coarse material regardless of the size of the plant. Allowing the roots to dry out sufficiently is essential if these orchids are going to be healthy.
Although Roger has become interested in breeding from his huge array of plants, he is not interested in hybrids in the main. His passion is the variation in the different plants from all over Australia. He said that in many locations he has seen quite different flowers in close proximity to each other.
For those of us who have trouble with seedlings of Cym. canaliculatum straight out of flask, don't despair, Roger is one of us. I suspect that he does better than most but he isn't sure of success and if that is the case I don't feel quite so foolish.
Above: Some locations where these plants grow.
Above: The man and his orchids-Roger Herraman
Roger Herraman is a genuine enthusiast when it comes to canaliculatum. He has travelled Australia extensively in search of these spectacular plants and has been rewarded with an amazing collection of them that is unique in my experience. He has developed a wide circle of friends around Australia who share his interest and with whom he swaps plants. Some of his seedlings are available from Kevin & Helen Western on www.westernorchids.com
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