Gorgeous!

Brooke

Thanks Brooke! How are your phals doing? I remember you with a wonderful collection.

They are doing fine. I have several that have been awarded and also have registered a couple of seedlings with a third one about to be registered.

The clarity of your tetraspis is outstanding. Mine is a brick red and not my favorite. I have another that hasn't bloomed yet and it is supposed to be a clear red.

Enjoy yours - Brooke

Gorgeous tetraspis. I have a lavender seedling tetraspis. Do you have any tips to share?

Not seen a lavender tetraspis, pl post picture when it blooms. Mine is mounted on to a tree fern and hanging out n the phal tree. watered everyday in summer and every other to every 3 rd in winter. Since I grow them outside, Florida rain helps out a lot. Fortunately or unfortunately all my phals are treated the same way, they don't seem to complain.

I will definitely post a picture when it blooms. but that might be a while. It is pretty small. Thank you for the reply. I have heard that I should give my species phals more light than my hybrids. So I was just wondering if others use this practice.

No I don't give most of the species more light than hybrid Phals.

The two I was told to give more light are the cornu-cervi family and the old Doritis, but now recognized as a Phal. The other grow in 800 to 1200 fc.

Brooke

If you are growing between 800 to 1200fc, then I am growing in too much light. I think I grow between 1,200 to 1,800 fc. Maybe that is why my leaves are a bright green. They are not yellowing or turning red yet. They seem to be healthy though.

Agree with Brooke. But my Cornu cervi is behaving, Phal pulchra is the one throwing out more keiki's than blooms . I may have to move it to a brighter spot.
Brooke, can you give me any tips on getting the lueddemanniana to bloom, it only throws kieki's, I have tried moving it to a brighter light as well.

Greencurls if they look healthy I wouldn't change anything on my Phals.

Many pulchra are notorious for producing more keikis than blooms. I wouldn't move it to a brighter space because it will keiki even more. Mine gets quite a bit of light because I don't have the space in my "darker" area for it. Mine is a shrub.

Sambac lueddemanniana's bloom season starts late winter to spring. I have two from different sources and they bloom at totally different times. The potted one is early and the mounted is late. Is there a difference between the two because of how they are grown, I don't know. The only keikis I get on mine are basal growths. Both of mine grow in the darker area. Years ago the luedde also had a lueddemanniana v. pulchra. I wonder if yours would be from that variation?

When I received the pulchra it was in a 4" pot with two stem keikis. I had seen a gorgeous pulchra on a huge cork mount with the keikis also anchored. I used a tree fern totem for mine.

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Brooke

That's a gorgeous specimen. I have to mount mine to a larger slab, hesitant as it will be cumbersome to hang on a tree branch but doable. I hope my lued blooms at least once to see what it is:)

Hi Sambac. Nice to hear from you. Lovely photos of a gorgeous Phal.

This one has struck my fancy more than almost any other orchid. 99% of my Phals love it here, but wouldn't you know, I've killed two of these, maybe because minimum winter temps were in the mid-50s... and maybe not. Regardless, for a couple of new orchids, 65 will be the minimum next winter.

The 2nd one bloomed out lavendar. The grower was all excited and wanted it back to breed with, but it died before the weather warmed up.

"Phal speciosa 'C#1,' was Phal. tetraspis 'C#1'" is the name on my list of orchids, for what it's worth.

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If anyone knows where to get them for about $35 or less, I'd love to get another one.

Enjoy! WC8

Good to hear from you as well WC8, didn't realize they are cold finicky. Can't remember the grower, got mine at Redlands a few years ago for 20 bucks, Will keep an eye out for you.

Sambac, they may not be that sensitive to cold. However, for several years, the orchid room was in the mid-50s virtually every winter night.

Recently, I read that my Ctsm imperiale, which have been less than happy, need 65 F or warmer, and the grower from whom I just got a Brassocattleya and a Rhynchorides suggested 65 as a minimum for those two.

The grower also said that, when they had P tetraspis in the past, they kept them at 65 or higher. So, for various reasons, 65 minimum is the new normal for winter.

That's awfully nice of you to be on the lookout for one. If you find them for $25 or less, I'd be glad to reimburse you for two plants - plus packing materials, shipping, etc. Many thanks.

Brooke, congratulations on your awards and registrations. It's always a treat to see photos of your plants.

What minimum temp do your P tetraspis have?

Also, I saw tetraspis w/ brick red flowers, too. I missed the bright red so much, I almost got one and am glad I didn't. Maybe Peter Lin will have some bright red ones again at some point.

WC8

Peter has one plant for sale for $125: "Phalaenopsis speciosa #8 (speciosa (solid red) X self) Also known as Phalaenopsis tetraspis." It's out of my price range *and* flat-out beautiful. WC8

Here is a link that might be useful: Phal speciosa #8, Big Leaf Orchids

WC check and see if Norman's has one of the red ones. I got one from him for a lot less money than the $125. It is supposed to be a good red, not the brick color. It is still a seedling and I don't expect it to bloom for another year.

The g/h is kept at 60 for the low. It might slip to 58 if it is below 20 outside. I've got two tetraspis potted and one on a mount, plus the new one, and they do fine at that temp. I've had the first three for multiple years. They also say bellina shouldn't go below 70 but I don't have any problems with those either.

Also during the winter I can go a week or ten days and never see the sun so they aren't getting warmed up during the days. I know "they" say the 'chids in their native habitats never go below such and such degree but I've never had any that asked for a jacket or died. The only species that can suffer at my house are the Masdies when the night time temps during the summer don't go below 75 - they hate that temp.

Brooke

Brooke, thanks for the suggestion. Norman's doesn't have any right now. I emailed Peter, and he's expecting some of the bright red in the next few weeks. No pricing yet.

I get it about such-and-such orchids doing well, even if they're "never" supposed to go below whatever. The main reason I'm switching to 65 is for the Ctsm imperiale 'Pierre Couret.'

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Recently, I downloaded The World of Catasetums, by Arthur Holst, and will see if following his guideline of 65 minimum temp makes a difference for mine, which isn't thriving.

It'll be interesting to see how the new speciosa does at the higher temp, plus maybe the Phal Princess Kaiulani 'Chin Yo,' AM/AOS (amboinenses x violacea) will bloom for the first time.

This post was edited by whitecat8 on Mon, Jul 15, 13 at 19:56

On the way to a happy ending - Peter Lin of Big Leaf Orchids is the guest speaker at the Orchid Society of Minnesota on August 17 and will be bringing me a speciosa/tetraspis. 1st cousin to amazing.

Sambac, I haven't belonged to the society for several years & never visit their site. Because you posted, I looked for the Phal on the Big Leaf site, emailed Peter, and found out he's getting in new plants a couple of weeks before his trip to MN.

You made the Orchid Angels smile. :)

Thanks lots,
WC8

he, he. Hope you get some great plant/plants!!