CJ,

I am PROUD to share that I have TWO Lockhartia species in flower at this moment,

Lockhartia acuta
Lockhartia lunifera

--Stitz--

Sorry to hear about your pleuros - I didn't know warm-growing pleuros could go anywhere NEAR 80F, let alone 115. Interesting!

We've had major heat waves here too...35C, and with the humidex feels like 40C. I've moved everything inside already - otherwise, simply providing sufficient water becomes incredibly laborious. The dends seemed to be okay, but some of the catts were shriveling.

In bud:
Dendrobium Peng Seng (cruentum x tobaense)
Dendrobium Frosty Dawn

In bloom:
Dendrobium draconis
Angraecum magdalanae

In spike:
Aerangis distincta
Aerangis mooreana
Aeranthes grandiflora (may be in the process of blasting though)
Leptotes bicolor

Wow, we're hot too! Not much blooming. I have a C. Interglossa with ONE bud. This will be a first blooming and I really want to see the flower. Can't decide whether to bring it indoors. My psychopsis blasted AGAIN! Only a pretty NOID dend blooming in the kitchen window. Lots of spikes, sheaths...just hope they can survive the grasshoppers and the heat. Just got a Phal pulchra in bud. I look forward to seeing it's bloom.

Stay cool :)

It is 90s and humid here so my orchids are having a good time. I dont think ive ever seen 100s here so I should be safe. I have an Oncidium Heaven Scent and a Beallara Tahoma Glacier in bloom and a NOID vandaceous in spike. Hope to see the vanda soon as well as one of my NOID catts.

Stitz - can you share photos? I think lockhartias have such interesting growth habits...but I can only admire them through cyberspace.

Calvin, You have given me a "project". I will work on it. I am not skilled at photography.

In addition to the Lockhartia species, I also have a Lycaste bradeorum which sends up a few flowers, now & then. It flowered BIG time in late spring and it continually sends up a few flowers throughout the summer.

And, there's also a Lyc deppei, also in flower.

I have a Vriesea splendens 'Major' which is advanced in the flowering process. Does this one count? :)

--Stitz--

Stitz, I've tried to grow Lockhartias a few times without success. Congrats on what I find a difficult genus to grow.

Calvin, there are many naturally warm-growing Pleurothallids that come from sea level (or thereabout) habitats in the tropics and are accustomed to temps around 85-90F every day. Before I buy any Pleuros or Scaphosepalums, Stelis, I research their habitat to see if they will do well here with our hot summer (last week's temps were totally an anomaly). Now that we are back to normal temps, I will probably put most of them back out into the GH.

Phal. bellina, bellina, and more bellinas.

C. Angel Bells, Blc. Bryce Canyon, V. Rothschildiana, Paph. Somers Phil, Paph. Fumi's Gold, Phal. amboinensis and Phal. Penang Girl.

Highs about 90 here in Paradise.

Randy

thanks, CJ & Calvin!

As I scanned my vast orchid ranch ( ~100 plants!) this morning, I was astonished to find a sudden, 3-flower spike on my Laelia lucasiana!

The last time that I looked at this plant in detail was less than one week ago. yeah-buddy!!

--Stitz--

CJ, My experiences are primarily with Lockhartia lunifera. This is an easy species to grow/flower for me. Considering that you have difficulty, is it a result of location? I grow this species outdoors as much as possible, down to at least 50°F before I bring it indoors. I'm not saying that this is the "only" way to grow this one; it's the way that I grow it.

I have no experience with the other Lockhartia species, acuta. I purchased this plant in spring, 2010. I am "winging" it!

--Stitz--

Many of these are miniature orchids, my greenhouse is tiny compared to most other hobbyists'.

ANGRAECOIDS in spike now:
Aerangis mystacidii - will be a first bloom
Euryangis Galeankotsch (Eury galeandrae x Aerangis kotschiana)
Jumellea confusa - blooms several times a year
Summerangis Ivory Star (Aerangis biloba x Summerhayesia laurentii)

SPECIES in bloom or bud:
Angraecum didieri -- only one of two plants
Angraecum scottianum
Brassavola cucullata
Brassavola nodosa ('Minnie Mouse' 'Mickey Mouse') had to hum song to spell Mickey right.
Cattleya intermedia 'Gran Blue'
Christensonia vietnamica (one of my absolute favorites)
Chroniochilus virescens (teeny flower smells just like a Twinkie)
Clowesia russeliana
Dendrobium polyanthum -- bad ID, can't find it in the Lavarack's book either
Encyclia angustiloba - first bloom after 8 years of waiting, very very fragrant
Encyclia bracteata - blooms on and off all the time
Micropera (Camarotis) obtusa - first bloom
Phalaenopsis appendicula - in bud
Phalaenopsis lindenii - in bud
Phalaenopsis venosa
Scaphyglottis cuneata
Schoenorchis gemmata
Tolumnia triquetra
Trichoglottis seidenfadenii (tomentosa)

HYBRIDS in bloom or bud:
Angraecum (florulentum x eburnium) -- big buds on one spike
Bc (C. Guatemalense x B fragrans) - first bloom, heat got most flowers
Bc Leprechaun Legend (C. luteola x B. digbyana)
Bc Tripp's Grandma (C. Tripp Johnston x B. nodosa)
Bl Golden Glory (Bl Richard Mueller x L. tenebrosa)
Brassavola Maria del Carmen (nodosa x flagellaris)
Bepi Janette Reder (Bepi Pseudosa x B. glauca)
Cattleya Quinquecolor (aclandiae x forbesii)
Encyclia (Grand Bahama x dichroma) -- first bloom for me, 6 spikes
Lc Luna (L. harpophylla x C. harrisoniana alba)
Lc Schilleriana (L. purpurata werkerhausi x C. intermedia aquinii)
Nakamotoara (Neo. falcata x Ascocenda Yim Sum Wah)
Neostylis Fuch's Ocean Spray (Lou Sneary x Rhyn coelestis)
Neostylis Lou Sneary (Neo falcata x Rhyn coelestis)
Ornithocephalus iridifolius x Zygostates alleniana
Rumrillara Margaret's Jewels (Ascf Peaches x Rhyn coelestis) - needs cool temps when in bud
Rumrillara Sugar Baby (Lou Sneary x Asctm miniatum)
Schombonia Elaine Fisher (Broughtonia sanguinea x Schomb brysiana)
Stanhopea Ronsard (oculata x wardii)
Trichovanda Thai Velvet
Vandachostylis (V. coerulea x Rhv Claire Florist)
Vascostylis Viboon Velvet 'Perfection'

CJ Den. polyanthum used to be called primulinum but mine blooms in the spring on bare canes.

Brooke

Thanks, Brooke. This pendent Den has small star-shaped greenish-white flowers in pairs up and down the fully leafed slender canes. It's the second year it has bloomed for me, originally coming from Malaysia.

WHAT SUMMER? Lots is blooming but we have not had the summer heat yet. Wake up to a chilly 60F with morning overcast and dew and have not seen the hot summer days we normally get. A few days in mid July we hit the 90s and the rest of the time 80s, not 90s like we normally see. The days are getting noticeably shorter and as far as I'm concerned, summer has not even arrived yet.

Bummer.

My cold GH efforts are paying off, 2 Draculas are blooming and 4 more have stalks including a vampire with 5 developing stalks, can hardly wait for that one. In addition to that a whole bunch of Rain Forest plants are blooming which are best viewed with a magnifying glass. I show them off with pride and my non-orchid friends think I'm crazy. Most of my orchid friends are not too far behind as they all like big, splashy, beautiful things. It's lonely being a species snob when you are surrounded by people who go goo goo gaa gaa over a 7" Blc.

Nick

CJ - I'm always so excited by your list of bloomers...but Aerangis biloba x Summerhayesia laurentii?? Holy cow! I've seen the euryangis too and it's quite the amazing plant...I won't jinx anything but I hope you have your camera ready in the next few weeks. I'll have my box of tissues to mop up my drool. Phal lindenii too - what a treat!

Stitz - Please share how you grow the lucasiana! I have 8 or 9 compots of these things which I started from seed 2 years ago, and I don't know what to do with them. They are in pure sphag right now, but are reaching a stage where they should have more permanent individual homes. Any seasonal variation?

Nick - looks like your efforts are paying off. Are you going to try dend cuthburtsonii in those conditions?

Calvin,

I grow the Laelia lucasiana "hard" in a LECA mix that was a gift. I don't know the precise name of the product. I know that Prime Agra was a significant component.

During spring/summer, it gets hosed on a daily basis except when it rains :) I use a Hozon proportioner. I fertilize daily with a very weak solution. During winter, it gets no fertilizer and a "spit" of water on sunny days.

It is outdoors in FULL sun 'til the temp drops to 50°F (that's 10°C for you metric types). During winter, the hi temp might get to 68F (20C) on rare occasion. The low temp is usually in the low/mid 50s although it gets into the upper 40s on the SW window sill, often.

Calvin, I suggest that you move a few of your seedlings out of the "pure sphag" and see how they do. My guess is that you will see them continue to mature.

"Babying" rupiculous Laelia plants isn't the accepted way to bring them to flower. These plants are tough.

--Stitz--

Calvin I am in the process. Bought 2 of them 3 month ago and have given them everything but the family jewels and despite that they have lost 1/4 of their leaves. I have refrigerated RO water for them! One is getting 2 new flowers now but I think that's a 'Desperation Bloom' of a plant that knows the end is near.

These guys are difficult.

Nick

Calvin & Nick,

I cheated. I don't have the time/patience to bother with seedlings at this stage of my life. I learned re: orchids, 'tis better to have loved than to never have loved at all!

I purchased a MATURE specimen plant ~ one year ago as an import directly from Brasil. It bloomed in Sept '09 with one flower. It's gonna bloom even better in 2010 with three flowers!

Hellooo, Maryland!

--Stitz--

I have three vandaceous orchids in bloom now (2 Ascocenda Princess Mikasa both purple and pink varieties, and one hybrid Vanda with a long Indonesian name I can never remember from Natt's in Naperiville) Three phals (2 NOID and "Joe"). Kept near the coolest part of the sunroom flowered. Oncidum Sharry Baby flowered for the third time this year (!) - it finished up a week ago.

One NOID purple dendrobium, Slc Hauserman's Holiday "Christmas", Brg. Stephen Isler, Eplc. Don Herman, Catt "Dark Waters" and Blc. Robin Henry 'Sweet Scent' are all actively spiking already. I have another NOID catt I bought at HD (my first catt, actually) and it has seven new leads this year, and its in a four inch pot! Last year it flowered on three leads.I am still waiting for my one lady slipper to flower again; sorry, I just dont see why these are so great (wife loves them).

This is a full month ahead of schedule for most, and its been really hot here in Chicagoland, not sure what's going on.

Houseplants: Hoya carnosa compacta and another Hoya (the varigated leaves) are also flowering, as well as Epiphyllum oxypetalum and a Rhipsalis (which also flowered in the middle of winter too).

I divided my cymbidiums this spring with an axe and a hammer, I would be very surprised if they flower this year but they are gowing like crazy.

oh, dang! another Laelia lucasiana spike to contend with was just discovered this morning! I certainly hope that I can tolerate just ONE more! I am satisfied with TWO!

--Stitz--

Here are my bloomers:

-Phrag Calarum
-Paph (Domenica X Niveum)'Pillow' X Pinocchio 'Pippen'
with double spikes.This an fantastic plant now. I can't wait until I have it up to specimen size.
-1 Richard Mueller cross which I was trying to show off the the bud to my niece and discovered that I had promptly broken off the second bud I hadn't seen was there!!!! I'm such an idiot!!!

Oh well...Maybe I'll get some more paphs to bloom,that seems to be what I'm better with.
ginnibug

Paphiopedium insigne, outside
Dendrobium cuthbertsonii, outside
and an noid cymbidium, again outside and out in the bushes!

August is always such a quiet bloom time. I have:

Cym. Chen's Ruby 'Gold Tiger'
Phal. bellina
Phal. violacia
Phal. cornu-cervi 'red'
Dend. laeviflolium
Epid. nocturnum
Brassavola cucullata
Brassavola subulifola
Haraella odorata
Lycaste consobrina - Just finished up this week.

tman - you have dend cuthbertsonii outside!? In California - how!
smwboxer - love laevifolium and also have a little crush on b. cucullata! Any chance of photos?

Sure Calvin, I'll post them tonight when I get home. You should get both!

One of my all-time favorite plants just started blooms a few days ago, a scrawny Cattleya forbesii var aurea managed some REALLY nice flowers!

This species is a borderline miniature, depending on the definition of "miniature". My plant was imported one year ago. Generally, it's an easy species to grow although it can be fussy. Some plants present problems....

--Stitz--

Thanks smwboxer
Stitz - never heard about the aurea version until now. Forbesii is one of my favourite cattleyas and one of the only species I've managed to bloom consistantly (intermedia and luteola are still babies) - would love to see photos. I only found a few on google.

Speaking of aureas, I recently scored a laelia rubescense var aurea, after seeing someone's plant on flickr (I think it may have been Brooke's)

Brassavola cucullata

Here is a link that might be useful: Brassavola cucullata

Calvin the rubescens var. aurea is now just aurea. It was given its own species designation.

Brooke

Calvin,
Guess I need to take time to work up some webjournals on them. Got lots of images. They are really easy outside. I am in zone 9 so the winters are no problem and I am able to keep them cool during summer by daily mistings/watering at least once. Both are in baskets: one in whatever it came in-other I repotted into homegrown osmunda fiber. I did have a third that was in sphagnum. Big mistake for me to not repot it as it rotted out.
I need an excuse not to get back to the house painting tomorrow!

@brooke - Awesome, thanks. If I recall properly and if the flickr member is who I think it is, you have a really nicely shaped one. Hope mine turns out like that too. Do they have similarly long spikes to rubescens?

@smwboxer - that is beautiful. I think I need one of these.

@tman - that's fascinating. I've never heard/seen it grown in anything but moss (live usually). I've heard these are difficult and are the holy grail of dend growing (mainly from Nick's and other's posts). Haven't ever tried it, although there is a local grower of masdies and draculas who also grows these. I'm amazed that they are fine with the heat outside - good job!

Oh no we're in trouble, Calvin has discovered Twitter!!! My husband spends WWWWWWWAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYY too much time on it.

I do not have a Twitter account. I do not have a Facebook account. I have more *time* for what matters to me.

--Stitz--

@gin - LOL, actually twitter has always mystified me, and I've never understood that one (although I do use Facebook and Flickr :-)) My usage of the '@' designation is just a remnant of the olden days when I used to be a bit of a gamer..:D it still takes much effort not to break out in l33t!