Phal Crimson Cherub 'Chiayi'

I had this plant for almost a year and it didn't do much during all this time.
Didn't even grow any new leaves.



So, when I saw this spike start - it was a big surprise.



Hopefully it won't stall.

Seed pods watch: two weeks

Well, it has been two weeks since I pollinated my two phals and now it is definitely clear that something is going on.

I-Hsin George flower:



violacea "Orchis 01' flower:



Phal. violacea shriveled new bud that followed this flower on the spike and I-Hsin George dropped the second flower that opened after the pollinated one. I think both are trying to tell me that they are pretty serious about the pods and don't want to spend energy on anything else.
Although George has a bud coming on a different spike:



According to web pods should mature in about 6 months...

Phalaenopsis pollination results

A week ago on Friday I did my first pollination attempt. Then for the whole week I was watching the flowers to see the changes that would suggest any positive results. Now I think I see them. Well at least I hope they are there.
I cross pollinated Phal. violacea 'Orchis 01' and I-Hsin George. Here are the exact flowers that I used:



The bloom on violacea is loosing purple color and becomes green:



I-Hsin George bloom one week after pollination:



I think something is going on. If there are experienced people reading this, could you confirm?

Phal. violacea 'Japan'

Here is the second violacea that I got from Orchis Floriculturing. It is spiking now too:



Both purchases from this vendor turned out to be pretty good, I think I will be buying more from them.

Phal I-Hsin George blooms

Gorgeous George opened his first flower for this summer:



It is one of my all time favorites. I find flowers look nice on he picture in front of my large vanda:



The top part has not unwrapped completely yet, but I couldn't wait.



I am thinking about trying to experiment with pollination since I have another beautiful flower just opened recently - Phal. violacea 'Orchis 01':



I hope pairing these two will not result in "crapaploid", if I do everything right of course. Need to do a research and watch some videos on how to pollinate them, all I know now is - you are supposed to use a toothpick...

We got a guest

Here is who has been visiting my small vegetable garden:



We noticed a hole dug under the fence but had no idea who did it until this morning.
Busy rabbit knows what he wants and goes directly to freshly sprouted new lettuce greens:



How cute is that! Good thing I don't grow cabbage...

V. Roberts Delight 'Garnet Beauty'

One more Vanda spiked in my orchid tank number two, Vanda Roberts Delight 'Garnet Beauty':



Last time it bloomed in summer 2011 while growing in glass vase. After that flowering I decided to pot it into bark with packing peanuts at the bottom and that was a big mistake. All roots rotted down to two small leftovers. I was sure that plant will be lost but gave it a chance - kept it in the clay pot with a handful of chc watering quite frequently.

It took two years to grow new roots strong enough for it to spike again.

Vandachostylis Sri-Siam spike

Here is something I am very proud of - a spike on V. Sri-Siam:



It is a first vandaceous that spiked in the orchid tank, which means it gets sufficient light, so maybe other vandas will do the same.

I know, plant looks a bit rough but it is just purple patches from too much light. Hopefully spike won't stall.

Phalaenopsis violacea 'Orchis 01' bloomed

One of the two violaceas that I got from Orchis Floriculturing opened first flower:



It doesn't look like the picture in their catalogue at all, but I still think it is an awesome bloom.



Also it is possible that high light and very warm and humid conditions in my orchid tank made color more solid and dark than it is supposed to be, although their catalogue picture shows bellina-like flower.
Anyway, I got a great plant and that's what matters.

Phal. LDBQ seedlings update

It has been just over a month since I deflasked Phal. LD Bear Queen seedlings from Kingfisher Orchids flask.
Here is how they look now:



There were no losses so far and all of them show some progress - new roots, or new roundish leaf, or both. I was a bit worried about them because the flask had dried medium and the roots weren't green when plants came out, but it seems they are fine now.



I learned my mistakes and sorted them by size from the beginning trying to pot equally sized together. I use all purpose 20-20-20 fertilizer in very small concentration at each watering. hopefully they will grow as fast as my HDG phals.

My plants on ebay.

Well I am making an effort to reduce my collection again and put up some of the plants on ebay here:

http://www.ebay.ca/sch/orchideya12/m.html?item=111133556426&ViewItem=&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2562

Check it out, maybe you see something you like. I can only ship within Canada.

Phal. cornu-cervi red

One of my favorite plants in its full glory:



I have it for the second year and every summer it produces spectacular show that lasts for several months. View from the other side:



It didn't mind recent switch from moss to bark. Looking at the few larger plants that I moved to bark as a test, I might actually start switching most of my phals that live in the tanks and have good roots except the small ones in 3 inch pots and smaller. Bark doesn't stink as much in high humidity and looks somewhat cleaner. I already ordered bunch of clear plastic pots.