Easy Orchids

[Maxxreps]

The longer I collect orchids I am increasingly amazed at just how easy some are to grow. I admit I have been bitten by the "Species" bug... but when it's time for my "Big Easy's" to put on their show I wonder why...

Guys what others (Hybrids or Species) do yall find easy and showy?

This is Lc. Gold Digger 'Fuchs Mandarin' (Not as great this years as previous, but it's time to divide)

[sandra]

That is one of the most beautiful displays I've seen. How are you growing this? In/out doors?

Outstanding!

[fred]

the thing is Maxxreps the question should be what orchids grow easy in your location
and in your growing conditions.

as the orchids I find easy to grow in my conditions may not grow in your conditions.

I would not divide your Lc as that in itself is a very nice display but thats my opinion
a bigger basket ( re-pot ) yes.

[Maxxreps]

Great point, Fred... All my chids stay outside around my koi pond 9+ months of the year (Charleston, SC). I bring them in when temps approach the upper 40's to my "living room". The living room has 8 skylights and 3 walls of glass, but is under a huge elm tree so light is very limited. Watering is a P.I.A. in the winter most being rolled out on shelves and hosed down...

The Golddigger was purchased in a mesh "torture sleeve" at home depot 10 years ago as a seedling. Fred it is starting to thin out severly in the center... you should have seen it last year! If I just re-potted it would it not be set back almost as severly secondary to the removal of old media from the roots?

[shiningrock]

just beautiful

[articuno75]

Oh please don't tell me you're going to divide this It's so beautiful! I'd keep it the way it is! It's a 10 year masterpiece

[fred]

I an just wondering what do you mean with ( starting to thin out severely )
are the Psbulbs shriveled,dead ?
maybe we could see a pic of that ?

if the media is removed with great care not to disturb the roots to much it does not set the plant back as much as a dividing the plant.
having said that I use fresh sphagnum moss for my Lc,s

[Vivienne]

I agree, don't divide.

Back to your question of 'easy orchids'... I agree with Fred that it is 'easy to grow' in your location. Having said that, I find my Comparettia speciosa the easiest.

[arleneg]

Maxxreps -- I agree about the easy-to-grow in your growing environment and not dividing. That's specimen size! Beautiful!

Viv -- my Comp. speciosa bloomed last month and now putting out more blooms on the same flower stem (still have the first bloom on there, too)! My Comp. Oberhausen bloomed a little before the speciosa, but already lost its flowers. Love them Comps...really cute! I ordered a few more and will be picking them up at the Santa Barbara show this weekend.

[Tobi]

That is absolutely stunning Max. My Gold Digger ' Orchid Jungle' is approaching specimen
size and I was going to divide it, but was talked out of it from one of the local vendors
around here. I've had it for about 3 1/2 years and it blooms traditionally in Jan for me
when none of my other Catts. are. I got to agree with the rest, don't divide unless you
have a must reason for doing it.

[patticake]

Wow Maxxreps! That's one pretty sight! I have a couple of plants that I bought at Home Depot in as you say, torture sleeves! I got them when I was first starting out, just to make sure that I could grow them. I can't wait to see mine looking like that someday-(hopefully!) Just gorgeous! I have new growth on the two of them. (finally) Good luck with it- it's a stunner.

[Debbie Hayden]

Boy! You've got the touch, don't you! That is gorgeous.

[Maxxreps]

Wow, thanks! Debbie, Patti, Tobi, and Arlene!, but with this particular plant (and a few select others I have) I feel like I cheated cause it's just too easy! I put this Lc. in the same category with native reed stem epi's, B. nodosa and cuculatta, all the new Phal. hybrids, and almost all my L. anceps... they put on such displays with no little fuss (at least in my climate) that I really can't take credit...

[Vivienne]

arleneg - I just moved my Comparettia from a pot (that was too big) to a 4" basket. Looks great and has a nice spike going with 7 buds. I can't wait!!! Might take it to the show in 2 weeks.

[blk_seedorchid]

WOW!

[Debbie Hayden]

Originally Posted by Maxxreps

Wow, thanks! Debbie, Patti, Tobi, and Arlene!, but with this particular plant (and a few select others I have) I feel like I cheated cause it's just too easy! I put this Lc. in the same category with native reed stem epi's, B. nodosa and cuculatta, all the new Phal. hybrids, and almost all my L. anceps... they put on such displays with no little fuss (at least in my climate) that I really can't take credit...

Yeah! Easy for you!!!

[made4engineering]

That Lc. is a beautiful specimen. I think it would be a shame to chop it up... And where is everyone getting these Comparettias? I can't find them anywheres

[exasperatus2002]

Brassia I think is the easiest to bloom (atleast for me). For years it was the only one that would bloom till I bought my current home and put everything in a southern window. Now everything blooms.

[Maxxreps]

Exa I bought a Brassia maculata this summer. Is that what you have? It's beautiful!

[epiphyte]

In terms of outdoor growing, I've found easy orchids to be those orchids that are tolerant of a wide range of conditions. Some orchids require very specific growing conditions because they are only found in one valley at exactly 516 ft elevation on only the East side of lower, stream overhanging, branches of one species of tree. Other orchids might be easy for both of us because, even though our conditions are different, they are distributed from Southern Florida to Paraguay at elevations ranging from sea level to 8000 ft and have adapted to a wide range of growing conditions in their native habitats.

So for me, "easy" is pretty much synonymous with "tolerant" and tolerance is directly correlated with the distribution of an orchid species in terms of latitude and/or elevation.

[exasperatus2002]

Originally Posted by Maxxreps

Exa I bought a Brassia maculata this summer. Is that what you have? It's beautiful!

I think its Rex. I had lost the tag a few years ago but Im very certain its Brassia Rex.

[evagentry]

What a lovely plant Maxxreps, I agree with you about reedstem eppidendrums being easy ,mine just grows and grows.

[Maxxreps]

Thanks, Eva G! Funny that you mention the epi's... mine died last night! Left it out and when I woke up it was 27 degrees F! Oh well, yet another one I've killed

[evagentry]

Sorry to hear about the fatality, but at least they are easy to find and easy to grow.

[jerrymeola]

Lc Golddigger is one of the easiest orchids to grow to specimen size. Here is one that belongs to a friend. It is 30 inches wide and, while overgrown, it is still in a 6 inch pot.



I agree Cattleya can 'thin' 'die' in the center of the plant. I usually cut out the center roots when re-potting. I do not know how I would handle one in a basket. That is one reason while I seldom put Cattleya in baskets. I would have to examen the plant. Possibly I would remove the center of the plant and allow the plant to grow back.

As to the easiest to grow I have to say all hybrids are easier than species. There is no reason to continue to produce a hybrid that is hard to grow.