gb,

The kovachii cross will get pretty big... My 'Fritz Schomburg' is currently blooming and it's a tall, tall spike (@3'), but very, very nice. I water mine 2x week with weak fert 1 time and plain water the other. I don't let it stand in water.

As far as the violaceas and bellina crosses, keep 'em warm and pretty bright. For whatever reason, I seem to have better luck growing violacea and bellinas and their crosses in spagh instead of bark?

Where did you order from?

I picked up 7 at the Miami Valley Orchid Society Show 2 weeks ago, so I'm being "forced" :-) to ship 2 or 3 larger ones (Ang sesquidale, Encyclia Coch hybrid and a stan.) out to a new friend today to make some more space in the grow room. My 7 purchased were: 2 phal hybrids, 2 dendrochillum wenzelliis (red and yellow forms), a masdie hybrid, a primary cross paph (callosum x Macabre) and a phrag schlimii var. wilcox?? (I think there is some controversy about what this plant really is, we'll see when it blooms...) All are either blooming or spiking.

Good luck,

Bob

Mine are coming from H.P. Norton. One of the violacea is blue, the other could either be blue or magenta. I'm not certain what the bellina x lued. cross will look like. I had a Princess Kaiulani? before but ended up killing it. I would really like to find another one of those as well.Oh you just reminded me, I got an Ang. leonis at our last orchid meeting too. It's a tiny thing at the moment, mounted of a piece of cedar I think.

Oh, Miami Valley just rung a bell with me!!! Good Lord I'm slow this morning. Are you going to come over to Indy for the Mid-American. It's in April!!

One last question(ya right) what did you pot the kovachii in? Ginnibug

gb,

The kovachii hybrid is in fine bark mix in a very tall 5" pot from REPOTME.

I got my Fritz and several violacea crosses from HP and Katherine last spring. My Samera (bellina x violacea) has already bloomed and my blue violaceas should put out spikes this summer, I'm excited...

No plans on attending in Indy, although I did buy some nice plants from Michel's at the MVOS show.

Bob

It is still too cold for me to start ordering. Good thing too, we are right in the middle of show season here in the upper midwest. My local Grand Rapids show was late January (bought 4 plants), the Lansing show was this last weekend (bought 3 plants) and we have two more shows coming up in the next 8 weeks or so- that doesn't even count Chicago- which I haven't looked up yet because I would probably drive the three hours to see it and buy plants... so no, no ordering lately!

Congratulations on the great shopping Ginnibug!

Your bellina x lueddemanniana cross is Borneo Star and should be a beauty. What violacea crosses did you buy? Like Bob I have success with bellina and violacea grown in sphag or mounted.

I grew out a compot of the Norton's magenta violacea and the color is gorgeous. They used one magenta parent and one blue parent but I got all magenta out of 10 of them. The color is very intense. I have several of the blue vio's and they are gorgeous.

Again as Bob said, the two kovachii hybrids I have are very tall and robust with large foliage. I grow Suzanne Decker standing in water and Fritz just gets watered a couple times a week, both in seedling bark.

Bob I didn't attend the MVOS but some of my 'chids did. One was lucky and got awarded and another was Best In Show. My husband brought me three from Erich Michels - an Aerangis ellisii, Den. lowii and Ang. didieri. All three in great condition with robust roots.

You will love the schlimii - it is an adorable bloom and not a space hog!

I won't be attending the Mid-America but hopefully I'll have something in bloom for the display.

Brooke

Brooke,

I walked the show area after spending my limit :-), what got awarded?

Bob

Yes I brought home a Ang. leonis from the last orchid meeting. This one is mounted, it is hanging out with my luteo-rhodesticia. Sorry I'm not checking spelling right now, I don't feel like it.

Brooke I have some plants that need to be sent to show as well.My paph that got the HCC last year is already blooming it's head off. I think it needs to go to the Cincinnati show. I'm afraid my Phrag Inca Embers has started way too early. It is already on it's 4th bloom. It was huge and dark on the first and second flower, not so much now.

Yep one of the violacea that I ordered was the blue crossed w/ the magenta. I was hoping for a good magenta because I also ordered the blue. As I remember, I got the Madam*** Blue but I can't remember if it's Rachel's Blue Eyes or something else. They are holding the order for me until it gets warmer. Let's face it though,we really didn't have a winter this year. Watch out, you know next year will be TERRIBLE! gb

Bob it was my Phal. stuartiana f. nobilis - it got an 84 point CHM. This form has never been awarded before so hopefully in a couple more years I can get it moved up to a flower quality award.

{{gwi:146097}}

Ginnibug don't ever mention you want to have something for a specific show. The 'chids here you and either bloom to early or too late.

I got three new blues this summer at the IPA to go with the two I've had for three (or more) years. I did a cross using my magenta with one of my older blues and now have three compots which should produce 1/4 magenta and 3/4 blues. I used a magenta instead of blue to blue because the form on the magenta doesn't reflex.

I don't know who enjoyed the mild winter the most - me or my wallet. My propane bill was much much smaller than previous years :>)

Brooke

Brooke,

They may have had that pulled for judging as I was walking the area (they had pulled several plants at that point). I would have remembered that beauty.

I saw where Big Leaf had a yellow variety a few weeks back, but I like this much better. Are they "easy" to find out there? (Doesn't appear so from a quick Google search...)

As always, good growing!

Bob

Contact Normans to see if he has any left. I got mine from him three years ago but don't thin he has any listed on his site right now.

Brooke