Mystery Orchid

This orchid plant is growing nicely, quadrupled in size from last winter. It was a gift. Previously I speculated that it might be Dendrobium biggibum / Vappodes phaelenopsis, due to flowers that I mistakenly thought were on the source plant. I do think those flowers were Dendrobium phaelenopsis or hybrid thereof, but now have other thoughts about this plant. Until it blooms, if it blooms, it will be a wild guess. With the variability and endless variety of orchids, even when it blooms I may not know. I should just call it "Jovie's orchid".

The small section below the roots, was the original cutting. The rest has developed since that time, including the now-largest growth. Whatever I'm doing, it seems to like it for growth. Whether it will like it for flowers, I don't know. That's why I wanted to identify it.

I did find a similar plant on rv-orchids.com, link here. Even more, this link from "the lush garden within", a blog on wordpress.com. More here. Due to copyright issues, I'm not copying those images, just linking. This does look like "Jovie's Orchid".

Image from wikimedia commons. This is identified as "Oerstedella centropetala"

Another wikimedia image, same species.

Hborchids.com describes these are winter blooming orchids. More information from Yongee.name "warm to intermediate-growing species native to Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama... grows at low elevations in wet montane forests on the Pacific slopes... 1,400 m altitude...wet and dry seasons succeed each other... also really good pic on species-specific.com, stating that these orchids grow in heavy shade. That would be good for an indoor plant. That site states these bloom in Spring.

Old sketch illustrating similar plant, also from wikimedia commons, labeled "Oerstedella centradenia and Oerstedella centropetala / Epidendrum centropetalum".

As with all things ortchid, "We'll see" is the appropriate concept. This may or may not turn out to be the correct ID, but it's interesting to learn about all orchids.

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Welcome!

A few late fall flowers, and kitchen garden produce

Late summer planting of Roma bush beans. These are very good stir-fried with mushrooms, garlic, and peanuts, along with some stir fry noodles. Yum!

A few last roses showing me they're still here. They are mostly such a mess, I'm looking forward to pruning them back this winter. Weeds took over. That is largely the job of kitty cat, who decided that the mulch was the worlds biggest and best litter box, stirring up all of the mulch with weed-seed-laden soil below, and fertilizing as she went along. Still no solution for this challenge.


Nice Dahlia. It's survived many years in that location. I thought it was dead, but there it is.

I keep saying it over and over, but best pepper crop ever!

More schlumbergeras

There is such a thing as having too many Schlumbergeras. Over the years, I've thought "that's a cool looking one, it's small, what's one more" or "Let's see if that will grow from cuttings" and they've added up. Still, when in bloom they're very dramatic and fun.

That salmon colored one again, close to full bloom. Discussed before, it's grown from cuttings.

This white one I separated from a red flowered Schlumbergera. Originally, I bought the red+white combined pot because I wanted the white one. It has fewer 'trunks' because half of them were red. Maybe next Spring I'll cut it back, taking cuttings for a thicker planting, and start it over. Should still get bloom next winter.

This one might have to go. The flowers always ball up and look somewhat mushy. One time I can excuse, but it happens every year. Maybe I can find a home for it. Very dramatic red color, anyway.

A Spider

Spiders are our friends. I happened on this beautiful web, glistening with morning dew. It's maker lurks in the center, waiting for unsuspecting insects to land on her web.

Time to move shrubs and trees

We've been talking for a long time about moving this lilac. It was next to the grape arbor. We planted it as a bare-root specimen about 8 or 9 years ago. It's grown too large for its location.

It's fall, heading into the rainy season before winter comes. Now is a great time to plant trees and shrubs. By moving them now, they get a chance to replace lost roots before the hot summer season. They get a bit of a head start and are more likely to survive the process of moving.

I did not take photos of the digging and moving process. I pruned the lilac shrub, removing about one half of its growth. It's still a large shrub, despite that amount of pruning. I dug a trench around it. Not easy - the ground was very hard. The roots were not deep, probably due to the hard ground. I think most of the roots were in the upper 18 inches of soil, or so. Any torn roots, I pruned with a pruning shears to remove ragged edges, but otherwise they were left intact. Of course, a few were lost to digging.

As such a large shrub, it now looks like "it's always been there". Interesting.

I drug the uprooted bush, using an old vinyl shower curtain to smooth the way. I dug a whole in the new location, moved it into place, back filled the soil, and gave it a very good soaking. Even though this is Pacific Northwest and the rains are about to come, I did not want it to suffer dry conditions at the roots, and the ground is only damp to about 1 foot so far.

Lilacs usually take several years to bloom from a small bare-root plant. Most of ours seem to start blooming 4 or 5 years after planting. This is a mature lilac, and I did not want to lose the potential for lots of flowers soon. They bloom from the tops of strong stems that were produced the previous summer. By pruning it back, I probably removed most if not all of the potential blooming stems for next spring. There may be a few to give us a taste, I tried to keep some. If it settles into place, I expect it to bloom in the following Spring on growth it makes early next summer.

Backyard Orchard: Mulberry

Seems like it's growing faster now that it did all summer. I DID get 2 mulberries from this tree, so at least got a taste. Interesting, I liked them. Not as sweet as raspberries, they had their own distinct flavor.

This winter I'll cut it back to about 5 feet tall, to encourage low branching and start it on the way to the "backyard orchard" method.

This tree got off to a slow start but is now looking healthy and strong.

Barrel Planters and Peppers

Peppers looking great. Now I need to pick them and figure out something to cook. I'm thinking about making risotto-stuffed peppers.

I've never had so many peppers reach maturity before. The barrels are definitely the way to go.

The mysterious "night blooming Cereus" blooms again.

Otherwise known as Epiphyllum oxypetallum.

Charlie had to see what it was all about.

If I had taken excellent care of the plant, it might have had more flowers. One or two is sufficient, however. I forgot how fragrant they are. The house was filled with the sweet scent.

Just beautiful.

I applied some pollen to a couple of Schlumbergera. Chances of that coming to fruition are small - I have no idea if they are related! But if they do, it might be fun a few years from now. Assuming they grow.

These are SO easy to grow, it's easy to wind up with extra plants. If a piece breaks off, or is too long and I trim it off, all that is needed is to stick it into some potting soil and it grows. I've never had one not-grow.

More buds on orchid plants

So often, it's difficult to find a photo or reference telling us "what is this growth on my orchid" or giving us an idea of "how long from this bud to an actual flower". Which is why I photographed these early buds. I don't know how long it will take either, but I feel certain these are flower buds and not new growths.

This Cymbidium hybrid (brown flowered, shown in posts earlier this year) has been in full sun, outdoors, from early summer to now. I've quit fertilizing, and quit watering unless it looks completely dry. I feel certain the two bottom growths are flower buds - the new growths that result in leaves are green, while these buds are deep maroon. They've been present about one month and are very slowly growing. I think they'll be blooming in a few more months, but not having grown them before I'm not sure. The plant will have to come inside before actual frosts, but not until then.

This Phalaenopsis hybrid is producing a new growth as well. The point of confusion for Phalaeonpsis would be with new roots. However, the roots look like little green and white worms, and point downwards. They seem to originate more on the side, as opposed to just within a leaf node. This growth is pointing upwards, seems to have a sheath structure similar to those seen on the old, dried flower stems, and doesn't have the downy vellum of a root. Again, I don't know how long to a flower. I'll have to post when it actually blooms - probably in 2 or 3 months. Meanwhile, I continue fertilizing weakly weekly, 1/4 teaspoon of "Growmore Bloom Formula", 6-30-30. The instructions state 1 teaspoon per gallon, but I'm using the 1/4 teaspoon per gallon of rain water method, which is the designation "weakly weekly". One thing I noted, this fertilizer does not contain magnesium (It has manganese which is an entirely different mineral). I've read that orchids do require magnesium, and therefore benefit from occasional dose of Epsom Salts. Not sure if that's true, and they seem to be doing quite well without it, but maybe I'll add a 1/4 teaspoon of Epsom salts per gallon to the next watering. This plant's leaves have a burgundy hue, which could mean too much light, but I think that's just this plant's coloration. I like these dark colored leaves. Some others in the same, North, window, are a grassy green.

These are the current outdoor orchids, except the Cymbidium above. These are in full sun, south side of house, and just being watered with rainwater, rarely adding some "bloom food" but usually just rain water. These are Yamamoto dendrobiums, and this is as close as I can come to their instructions for fall care. Giving water and fertilizer is said to encourage growths (keikis) and discourage actual flower buds. The plant in the greenish pot has 3 keikis, and had one earlier this summer that I removed and started as a new plant, but that's all. They may shrivel and the leaves may turn brown and fall, that's considered normal. I takes self discipline not to water them more, and when looking very dry I do give some water.

In addition, there are two young Oncidium (probably variety "Gower Ramsey") plants grown last year from backbulbs. One has a second growth/pseudobulb sprouting off the side. These are quite vigorous and fast growing, for an orchid, but I cant seem to get them to bloom. This is my attempt to simulate their unknown native conditions and encourage bloom. These Oncidiums may be too young to bloom, or this may not be the correct condition, but it's worth a try.