orchid

The Masdevallia experiment: day 160

Back in April (5 months ago) I decided to start a little experiment with Masdevallia and different growing mediums. Until then I had only cultivated my Masdevallia i sphagnum moss, but I wanted to try goring them in semi-hydro volcanic rock. I had two near identical M. tovarensis orchids so they were a logical choice for my small experiment. Warning: Sweeping generalizations and vague scientific conclusions ahead.

Here is the report on the result.

The control, Masdevallia […]

By Karma|2017-10-13T11:26:10+02:00September 12th, 2009|Categories: Projects|Tags: Masdevallia, orchid, semi-hydro, sphagnum moss, The Masdevallia experiment, tovarensis, volcanic rock|10 Comments

Voilà! A new look for the blog

For the past week I have been working on a new look for the blog and it is just about done. I am still tweaking a few things, and I am still searching for a better solution for the “My orchids” page, but it will take som serious time to redo so it will have to wait. This new theme is […]

By Karma|2017-10-13T11:26:10+02:00August 23rd, 2009|Categories: A day in the life of...|Tags: flower, new blog theme, orchid, Phalaenopsis, Phalaenopsis violacea f. coerulea|4 Comments

Oh crap, I messed up!

Well, I have some good news and some bad news… Good news first. My huge Phragmipedium Grande (caudatum x longifolium) is going to bloom!! It has been growing like crazy for the past two years but has refused to flower – until now. It has a beautiful bud coming and I am sooo proud!

Ok, so to the bad news. I am really kicking myself for letting this happen too… On […]

By Karma|2017-10-13T11:26:10+02:00August 15th, 2009|Categories: My orchids|Tags: brown rot, bud, orchid, Phragmipedium, Phragmipedium Grande|Comments Off

A Bulbophyllum pulchellum with a bark

Ok. That was a pretty cheesy title, but I could not help myself. Blame it on the heat. Because of course the weather finally turned sunny and warm again after 2 weeks of rain now that I am back to work again from vacation… oh well, that’s life. Especially in Sweden.

Back to the point. My beautiful Bulbophyllum pulchellum has outgrown its glorious IKEA cork […]

By Karma|2017-10-13T11:26:10+02:00August 5th, 2009|Categories: My orchids|Tags: bark, Bulbophyllum, Bulbophyllum pulchellum, mounting, orchid|2 Comments

Big shower day!

Twice a year I drag in all my 100+ orchids, one by one, into the shower so I can flush through the growing media extra thoroughly. I usually rinse through the media with just clean water without any fertilizer every 4-6 weeks or so, in addition to this “big rinse”. It is important to do this as excess fertilizer, minerals and salts build […]

By Karma|2017-10-13T11:26:11+02:00August 2nd, 2009|Categories: A day in the life of...|Tags: orchid|2 Comments

New orchid flask babies

Since most of the orchid flask babies from last summer has moved from the nursery I thought it was time for a new set of little ones. It takes time to look after the little ones, but I really enjoy following their development. Here we have the new gang from Equatorial Plants plus a bottle of Sedirea japonica seedlings I bought from […]

By Karma|2017-10-13T11:26:11+02:00August 1st, 2009|Categories: My orchids|Tags: Cattleya araguayensis, Dendrobium cruttwellii, Dendrobium unicum, Dendrobum dichaeoides, Equatorial Plants, flask babies, orchid, Paphiopedilum sanderianum, Phalaenopsis braceana, Phalaenopsis lueddmanniana, Roellke, Sedirea japonica|Comments Off

Cattleya forbesii

I this is one of the nicer looking Cattleyas there are. The shape and subtle coloring really appeals to me. It is a cool to warm growing medium sized Cattleya with nice long-lived, fragrant, waxy flowers. My clone does not have a very strong scent, but you can definitely smell it in the early morning when the sun warms it up.

I bought this orchid earlier this summer […]

By Karma|2017-10-13T11:26:11+02:00July 24th, 2009|Categories: My orchids|Tags: Cattleya, Cattleya forbesii, flower, orchid|Comments Off

Phalaenopsis Mini Mark – a hybridization triumph

My adorable little Phalaenopsis Mini Mark ‘Holm’ bought from Karge in April is now finally blooming! There are two spikes with 9 buds, four of which has already opened. This is by my estimation quite possibly one of the very best man made hybrid results there are. At least in the Phalaenopsis family. The distinct shape and beautiful coloring is a triumph […]

By Karma|2017-10-13T11:26:11+02:00July 17th, 2009|Categories: My orchids|Tags: flower, orchid, Phalaenopsis, Phalaenopsis Mini Mark 'Holm'|Comments Off

Vandas on summer vacation

Finally it is time for some summer vacation!!

The vandas had to come with us to the summer house since they require daily watering. And why not? After bringing one (the princess Mikasa) on ski vacation last winter, I figured that all of them deserved a few weeks at a nice little red cottage by the coast for summer….

It […]

By Karma|2017-10-13T11:26:11+02:00July 16th, 2009|Categories: A day in the life of...|Tags: orchid, vacation, Vanda, Vandas on vacation|Comments Off

There she goes again…

The beautiful and fragrant first flower faded just a few days ago, and there she goes again… Bud number two from the lovely Ms. Phalaenopsis bellina has started to open. And just like the song (apparently inspired by a seductive street walker), she is indeed quite seductive – although I would definitely not call her a streetwalker. This lady has class!

There is something uniquely special about orchid […]

By Karma|2017-10-13T11:26:12+02:00June 23rd, 2009|Categories: My orchids|Tags: bud, orchid, Phalaenopsis, Phalaenopsis bellina|Comments Off