taking a cutting

[orchid dan]

hi i recently met a lady with a brazilian spider orchid which she informs me is quite rare in this country forgive me if the description is poor. could anyone tell me the best way to get a cutting or root sample and successfully grow it.Its for my mother and i want to get this right first time if poss.

[exasperatus2002]

If possible, you'll want to get a division of atleast 3 pseudobulbs. The pb's store energy for the new growth. Try not to damage the roots.

[kmarch]

Braziliian spider orchid? What's that? Maybe a brassia? If it's a brassia, it's not rare, at least not in the US, though I don't know if that's where you are.

[orchid dan]

Thanks for your responses the orchid was brought to england from brazil so thats why i said brazilian spider orchid.im reliably informed that its one of only o few in this country and a college which did a display at chelsea in the last few years was invited to take a cutting so im guessing its pretty special. thanks once again.i,ll keep u updated and will post some pics for you all.

[kmarch]

Common names for orchids are essentially useless because they're not standardized. One orchid can have several different common names and a single common name can apply to several different orchids. I did a very quick web search for "brazilian spider orchid." I found no hits for all three words together which came as no surprise since you indicated that the name simply meant that it was a "spider orchid" from Brazil.

So my most common hits for "spider orchid" were:
Caldenia which is not from South America and which is a terrestrial and therefore doesn't have conventionally dividable pseudobulbs, so cross that off the list.

Prostechea cochleata which eventhough it is from South America and a sympodial, is also roughly as common as air.

The other frequent hit was for Brassia. If you orchid is a brassia, as I suspect it is, it will probably make a spectacular display when it blooms, and may be special in a sentimental sense, but is not a rare orchid. Both Brassia species and hybrids are easy to find for sale and in collections across Europe, the Americas, Australia, and other places.

The orchidgeeks love to see pictures of orchids, both plants and in flower and I'm no exception. I'm eager to see your plant and its flowers!

[patticake]

You would have to get a section of the plant including roots and a few growths. You can't reproduce an orchid from a "cutting" They don't work like other plants. If a university was invited to take a cutting, I suspect That it's not an orchid. Or else they offered a division. I would love to know more about this mystery as well. A picture would be great, then maybe we could figure this out!

[solay]

I think in other parts of the world they refer to a division as a cutting.
I vaguely recall someone else using that term from Thailand or Singapore too for a division.

[missann]

Maybe it is an arachnis..they are monopodial, and you can take a top cut so long as it has at least...I would say...3 aerial roots, at least 3 inches long. I don't know where the arachnis orchids come from though..

[orchid dan]

thankyou all for your time and effort im going to the house today so ill take some detailed photos and post them later today

thanks again
Daniel

[orchid dan]

having trouble inserting my url.but if its possible you can view them at photobucket

Daniel

[kmarch]

Just copy the URL from your browser and paste it into a post. Simple as that.

[orchid dan]

wont let me as i havent made enough posts smiley faces and email addresses etc

[orchid dan]

y3lla1 - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

[orchid dan]

finally ive done it let me know if you accessed them ok

[kmarch]

So those two orchid pics are the "brazilian spider orchids"? The ones that are labeled "from Peru". They look like reed-stem epidendrums. If that's what they are they are considered weeds throughout much of South Americaand are mowed down along the highways. They're very common all over, in England, North and South America, Australia, etc.

[orchid dan]

ive been told that they were brought back from peru not brazil. i will post some pics of it in bloom soon. i hope your not right. also as i mentioned there was some serious interest from the rhs university in yorkshire who done a orchid display at chelsea in recent years, so im hoping its a good one. will post pics asap

Daniel

[orchid dan]

you were right latin name epidendrum ibaguense oh well let me know if this is interesting in anyway have some pics will post soon

Daniel

[kmarch]

The orchidgeeks always like to see pictures of the various orchids other members are growing so people will certainly enjoy the pictures.

Epidendrum ibaguense has a special place in my orchid-heart because it was the second orchid I ever bought (along with an Onc. Sweet Sugar - Phal Brother Lawrence was my first).

Epi ibaguense is a hearty grower, as your previous pics show and they can form large clumps with eye-popping displays.