Bulbo news again

Bulbophyllum is a new genera that I am trying to grow now.

Bulbophyllum ambrosia is my test case. It survived some scale and started new pseudobulb since arriving here.

Well, new pseudobulb has already unfolded the leaf:




Yesterday, when watering, I noticed yet another new growth, but this time - on the oldest pseudobulb:



I like how small and cute the plant is. I am not sure if this active growing proves that it likes my conditions, but at least it doesn't die.

My next bulbo purchase will be Bulbophyllum frostii - another cute mini with flowers resembling dutch shoes.

Bulbophyllum ambrosia update

After discovering scale on bulbo ambrosia, it was isolated from other orchids and wiped with alcohol several times.
Good thing - there is not much to wipe, no creases or crevises.



Looks like scale was successfully eradicated.

New bulb grows healthy and happy followed by the group of nice fresh roots:



Life is good again!

Here is a close up of the sphagnum moss soaked with water:



I just thought it was kind of cool...

Oh no! Pests.

Heavy pest attack on my small Bulbophyllum ambrosia:



What the heck are they - scale or mealybugs, or evil combination of the two?



I was re-potting it last week and was so excited about new roots growth that didn't pay attention to the start of this invasion. That's annoying -should be more attentive next time.

I pulled plant out of the basket, scrubbed all bulbs with toothbrush and 70% rubbed alcohol, washed basket with dishsoap and repotted into fresh sphagnum.
Isolated plant from other orchids and will keep a close eye - if they will come back.
Hope not.

Bulbophyllum ambrosia update

About a month ago I got my first and only bulbophyllum - Bulb. ambrosia. I potted it into smallest clay pot with sphagnum and since the pot was too narrow and pseudobulbs grew too wide - the newest pseudobulb was sort of hanging in the air at the edge of the pot.
I had no idea how it grows and where the new growth would appear.
Now this new pseudobulb activated, produced couple roots and it seems like there is also some swelling on the actual bulb:



I totally freaked out that these new roots are exposed to my dry indoor air and new growth would have nowhere to grow.
After some head-scratching and looking through all the pots I had at my disposal I came up with this:



Plastic vanda basket is shallow, breathable and wide enough to fit existing pseudobulbs with some space for the new ones, and roots can now grow right into moss.
Hope this works out.

Bulbophyllum ambrosia

Bulbophyllum ambrosia is my very first bulbo. I got it because of the miniature size and sweet fragrance. Apparently some bulbos can have unpleasant smells - I would like to avoid those.



At first sight I thought that I got two separate plants with one and two p-bulbs each, but when re-potting I realized that they all belong to one same plant and there is a runner connecting farthest bulb to the rest.



I was surprised to see how fine and fragile the roots are, and probably damaged some of them when removing old moss.
If this one survives some time under my care, I will get more bulbos. So far on my list are:
Bulbophyllum frostii - miniature with flowers looking like dutch shoes and Bulbophyllum sumatranum - for their large striking blooms.
They both are available from J&L Orchids that will be visiting Montreal show in October.