Orchids Grown Here

Here is one of my favorite orchids-Miltonia Wasserfall

To be very honest, Miltonias are not the easiest of orchids for most people to grow. But their large, handsome, longlasting flowers make them worth the effort to try them.

• Light--bright diffused and as much as possible
• Temperature-- nights at 55-62 F days--below 90 F.
• Water-- evenly moist,; don't water at night.
• Humidity--keep humidity high in daytime, to offset summer heat.
• Fertilizer--use dilute balanced fertilizer regularly.Use blossom booster type in fall. Don't fertilize in excessive heat.
• Pests & diseases--Miltonias have tender, fragile foliage. They get mites in dry environment, and may get mealy bugs,fungus or scale. Use Safer's soap and Sun oil spray to combat bugs. Read directions, and use dilute sprays carefully.

Disas at Longwood Gardens

Mike Owen, Longwood's longtime orchid expert and Disa enthusiast, tells us something about these challenging and beautiful orchids. Disa uniflora was first cultivated at Longwood in 1963, having been acquired from South Africa by Dr. Russell Siebert, Longwood's first director. It has been grown and hybridized here since and remains an integral part of the orchid collection. Other species have been acquired over the years to expand the color range and flower count of the subsequent hybrids. Disa uniflora is commonly called "The Pride of Table Mountain", which refers to its most recognized home in the southern cape area of South Africa. It grows at higher elevations along weeps and bogs with low pH but high quality fresh, cool water. Here at the gardens, disas are grown in an air-conditoned greenhouse where the temperatures are kept between 55^oand 75^o F at all times. This subcollection numbers around 400 plants and is maintained by keeping perennial clumps and by growing new ones from seed, which flower in as little as two years. They are grown in imported New Zealand sphagnum moss to help simulate the low pH situation of their native sites. Water is given manually every two or three days and dilute fertilizer applied once or twice a month. Visit Longwood Gardens in May through July or travel to Capetown, S.A. in January to see the disas in bloom.(Also visit the Disa Page referenced above)

One of our Native North American Orchids

In the rush to grow the exotic tropical orchids from faraway places, let us not forget our beautiful native orchids, such as this handsome Cypripedium acaule, the pink lady's slipper. Look for them in neutral to slightly acidic soil, in sunny spots in shaded woods. Remember that all our native orchids are protected by law, and don't dig or pick them.

Masdevallias

Masdevallia Angelfrost x hirtzii

Masdevallias are handsome, colorful flowers. Grow them cool and damp.Masdevallias can flower in lower light levels than some other orchids.

Sophrolaeliocattleya (SLC) Hazel Boyd 'Elizabeth'

One of the complex, colorful cattleya alliance members. These like bright light, but be careful of burning the leathery leaves in hot noonday sun. Cattleyas prefer night temperatures 55 -62°F, and days 70-80°F.They are fond of an airy environment,and should be allowed to dry out between thorough waterings.They should be fertilized during their growing season with a balanced fertilizer, and when growth is completed, a low nitrogen, high phosphorous fertilizer.Don't fertilize when plant is not growing or producing flower spikes.Watch out for scale or mealybugs. Red Cattleyas need plenty of light and cooler temps when buds are developing, to produce good color. Green and yellow cattleyas should be shaded when flowering to reduce fading of color. Cattleya flowers are long-lasting, and many are fragrant!

© 1996 greenbee@philly.infi.net

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