Last week I gave in to the lure of 20% off orchids at Orchids by Hausermann and ordered four more beauties to add to my collection. On Friday afternoon, my newest additions arrived!! They all look like they’re in good shape, and one of them even has a small spike growing! Click on the photos below to see larger versions.
The Encyclia cochleata is the largest of the four, and it’s still a pretty small plant, about 10″ tall at most. Here’s a closer look at it:
The Huntleya heteroclita is so much smaller than I expected. Huntleyas are in the same family as Zygopetalums, and the two Zygos in my collection are literally about 10 times larger than this Huntleya! It may just be a seedling, I’m actually not sure. But it’s a cutie:
The smallest of my new orchids, however, is the Phalaenopsis violacea, which arrived in a 2″ pot:
Last but not least is the Phalaenopsis hieroglyphica, which has a small spike growing from its base! I will be SO THRILLED if this plant blooms soon!!
You can see the little mitten-shaped spike in this close-up:
I haven’t repotted any of my new orchids yet (BAD!!) but I am going to do so this week to make sure all is ok with the plants’ roots.
In other news, this morning I finally bought a thermometer/humidity meter for my Orchid Room so that I can actually start to monitor these things; I’ve been meaning to do this for awhile! Already, I see that the humidity in the room is just over 50% so I think I’m going to get a small humidifier.
18 comments
Very exciting!! It’s been too long since I’ve done an orchid order and I’ve started a few wishlists, just waiting for the orchid budget to come in 🙂 That Phal. hieroglyphica is a nice sized phal!! I won’t let myself buy anymore Phal species since I have killed all of them, strange since they are supposed to be one of the “starter” orchids but I think it’s my heavy handed watering. And scale. Anyways, good luck! Oh, and I would still buy Phal. gigantica, it’s on my wish list 😉
Thanks for the comment!! Interesting that you’ve killed all your Phals. I’ve definitely killed a couple, but most of mine are flourishing now. What kind of orchids do you currently have?
That Phal hieroglyphica looks like a nice-seized plant!
Um, I mean nice-sized plant!!
Oops, I already said that in my earlier comment! Wow, all this heat is getting to me. I still have a couple phals, I have some Paphs, Cymbidiums, Coelogynes, Dendrobium, and a few more … will do a blog post about it hopefully in the not to distant future!
Haha! Coelogynes, eh? Those are so pretty. Are they hard to care for?
Hi, I live in Brooklyn, grow cymbidiums and have to move to a place where I will not be able to take them. Do you have an interest in buying them or know anyone who would?? They are big, well grown and will bloom a lot in Feb/March.
All the best,
Ellen
Hi Ellen, how many cymbidiums do you have and how much would you want for each? I don’t have a ton of room for more orchids so I’d have to think about it. But I don’t have any cyms so it would be nice to add to my collection!!
How is the Huntleya doing and did Phal hierogliphica ever bloom?
Thanks for asking! The huntleya is doing ok, there are some brown spots on the foliage but it has put out one new growth so far. The Phal hierogliphica hasn’t bloomed yet…keep your fingers crossed that it will someday!!
can you email me a photo? I am curious. people say it is hard to grow. Oak Hill had it but i do not see it any longer on their site. I saw one once and I liked the leaves. I get brown spots on leaves. I do not mind. I can not control the light too much on a window/ fire escape / roof.
I just took a pic and uploaded it to Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sheiman/6241190291/in/photostream
I’ve definitely been underwatering it — you can see the crinkling in the foliage at the front of the pic. I should really be watering this guy twice a week instead of once.
Also, I forgot that the hieroglyphica even had a spike when I first got it — it never grew any bigger! No new spikes have grown yet. Hopefully someday…
Not sure if it is sun burn or fungus but I would cut those black spots. I think 1 a week is way too little watering, especially in the hot summer i spray almost every day. I use net pots inserted in a clear plastic cup or a clay pot that fits and leaves some room at the bottom. the roots grow out of the net pot
That’s good advice, I’ll cut the black spots. The plant is pretty close to the window so my guess it that it’s sunburn. Maybe I will switch it to a net pot too. I do spray it daily, but clearly that’s not enough. I’ve been extra busy lately and have been neglecting my poor orchids! 🙁
Did your phal hieroglyphica bloom yet? Thinking of getting one and would love to see how yours is doing now 🙂
Hi Claire,
It actually hasn’t bloomed yet. I think the shock of traveling caused the spike not to develop any further. But the plant is doing well. I really hope it blooms at some point!!