G'day from Townsville

[plucker]

Hello all, have been growing chids for a few years now, and have built a small collection of about 50 different types. I have a mixture of cats, onc's, den's, cym's, phal's and a few soft canes to name a few.
Haven't decided which way to go yet, and have only recently built a greenhouse suitable for this pastime.
Townsville is close to where the majority of Australia's native epiphytes are grown, so fortunately I dont have to try to hard.
Humidity in the summer/wet season is usually 90% and temps in winter get down to 5 degrees for about a couple of weeks a year. In winter we generally don't receive any rain for about 3 months. Humidity is very low then.
Hence some of my orchids grow on my trees without any care or water from me. The only time I give them attention is when they are in flower and that is usually viewing only.
The ones in the greenhouse get looked after, with water and fertiliser.
I have had a look around this site and it seems that it can answer most of my questions that my father and late uncle could answer anytime.

[Anton]

Welcome Plucker (?duck) hope you enjoy your stay.

We have quite a few Ozzies on the Forum, so feel at home.

Once you get 5 posts you can post images, and we'd love to see your tree mounted epiphytes. There's a thread here on the forum called My Growing Spaces where you can post images of your setups for us to peruse.

Hope to hear more from you.

[plucker]

I have an orchid which I believe is Schomburgkia thomsoniana that is growing wild on the tree in my front yard. It is in full sun and thriving. The same plant is also on my mango tree and grows well but does not get enough sun to flower.
The one in my front yard threw out 7 spikes last year, which were eventually eaten by the den beetle which also seems to thrive up here.
Will post pictures when I can.

[Rod L]

Welcome plucker lots of good info here enjoy your stay

Rod

[fred]

Hi Plucker

welcome to the forum

you will get answers here anytime as well all you have to do is ask don't be shy as we have a very caring and knowledgeable lot of members here that will help you with knowledge of orchids.

[patticake]

Welcome, Plucker!! I have a Schomburgkia thomsoniana which Kevin informed me has been changed to Myrmecophila thomsoniana, also. I grow mine in a pot- indoors. I'll be putting it outside once our weather warms up! We've had some warm days, and I "let it out to play".
Good to have you with us!

[kid a]

Hello and welcome plucker!

[arleneg]

Hi & welcome to the forum, plucker!

I look forward to seeing pics of your growing area.

[evagentry]

Welcome Plucker,I am waiting to see some photos of your tree mounted plants, sounds beautiful.

[solay]

Welcome and can't wait to see the orchids. How nice to be able to have them on trees. Especially a mango tree. Please post pics.

[plucker]

As a general rule in my yard, if an orchid goes on a tree, it is on its own. I dont give them water or fertiliser, unless I feel sorry for them. I have not fertilised the ones on my tree for about 2 years now and they might get a watering every other month. They all still flower and grow like weeds anyway.

[plucker]

Originally Posted by patticake

Welcome, Plucker!! I have a Schomburgkia thomsoniana which Kevin informed me has been changed to Myrmecophila thomsoniana, also. I grow mine in a pot- indoors. I'll be putting it outside once our weather warms up! We've had some warm days, and I "let it out to play".
Good to have you with us!

Well patticake, that would be right wouldn't it. Since the main plant was on my mango tree and it was too shaded to flower, it took a long time to see the flower. I figured the shade to be the problem when it threw a spike out 6 months after I trimmed the mango tree.
Unfortunately I went out of town for 2 weeks and when I came home and went to check the progress, I found the healthiest, fattest looking dendrobium cattepilla sitting quite content on the chewed off spike.
I repotted some of the orchid and placed it under my callistomon tree and looked after that one for another 2 years before I finally got another spike and flower.
It took many years after that to finally get it diagnosed which happened late last year and now we find out it has a name change.
Oh well at least the flowers are pretty.

[sandra]

Hi plucker, glad you found your way to the site.

Your weather sounds identical to mine, here in Fla. Hot, humid, wet summers and mild winters with little rain.

I too have a Schomburgkia, a tibicinis. If we lived closer, I'd give you mine. I can't give it enough light where I grow mine, to flower.

Anyway, welcome!

[plucker]

You will probably find that they are tougher than you think. Have you tried leaving it in direct sunlight for a majority of the day. Mine flowered best (7sprays) when the tree it was on was cut to just above it early in summer. It suffered the full sun for most of the day and lived no worries. Prior to that I had one potted up and left it in the full sun all day and it still lived. At that stage I was still trying to get a flower out of it. Our summers get up to the early 40 degrees here.
I use the schomburgkia as a test case as I am yet to kill one with any kind of abuse I give it.
I will say they only flower once a year also which can be painful. But the flower is quite aromatic.
Cheers

[manfred]

Gday plucker Everytime I go to townsville/Cairns I go green with envy because its so easy for u guys to grow .everytime I bring orchids home the either die or take several years to climatise Never mind cant have it all
Cheers Manfred