BP SPECIES NEWSLETTER FEBRUARY 2001

  Photos in this issue: Cattleya iricolor ( left),  Mormodes liniata
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A.  What's New in flask.

 Dendrobium albosanguineum, a softcane from Burma with nearly 10 cm waxy cream flowers with 2 maroon eyes on the large labellum.
Vanda sanderiana "Jacqueline" FCC x self, is a selfing of a very fine original sanderiana.
Cattleya nobilior amaliae, is a semialba, but the white is supposed to have a blueish flush, the lip a delicate pink.
Dend bigiibbum superbum alba x alba "White Cooktown Orchid". Pure white phalananthe dendrobium species originally from Cooktown way, North Queensland.
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B. What's ready to replate NOW.

  Cattleya iricolor, a yellow rather Laelia looking species from Ecuador. Cattleya luteola "Brazil" also yellow, but with more purple in the lip. Schomburgkia undulata, a spectacular species with a 1.8 m spike of large purple bronze flowers, from Central America. Stanhopea jenischiana, they flower thru the bottom of a basket and grow like weeds in spaghnam moss. Shooting up well is Coryanthes bruckmuelleri , yellow and red Bucket Orchid flowers.
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C. What's new in Plants.
 
Recently potted are quick growing plants of Coryanthes leucocorys, a white and red flowered Bucket Orchid.
Eulophiella roempleriana are away, doing very well in spaghnam/isolite 50/50 media.
Seedlings of Mormodes liniata are proving to be good growers, also in the spagh/isolite. Photo right Mormodes liniata
 
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D.  Seedlings out of Flask

         Well, you’ve finally got your hot little hands on that hard to get orchid at long last.
Only trouble is, it’s in a bottle, and how do you get it out of that and flowering in a six inch pot?? Not so easily as you would hope.
         The little babies are fragile and delicate, so check the bottle to see if they are big enough to come out. If not, place the flask in a well lighted area, near a southern or northern window, but out of direct sunlight which will cook the seedlings.
         When the seedlings are large enough for you to handle, harden them off by placing the flask under about 90% shade, DRY, for several days. Again, closer to a window for the extra light will do.
         Prepare your work area with a sheet of clean newspaper on the bench. Make sure the pot is clean, and the potting media is sterile.
         Good results have been had using a mix of shredded spaghnam moss and isolite ( coolite) 1:1. Microwave the moss first, in an oven bag, damp. Peat moss should be sterilised wet in an oven bag, 10 minutes in the microwave, if perlite and peat moss is your choice.
         The biggest danger to flask seedlings is soil and water borne pathogens, so keep everything clean.
         Remove the seedlings from the bottle, either by washing them out or breaking the bottle. Wash the seedlings in warm water, not cold, so that all agar gel is removed. Place the seedlings on a clean sheet of newspaper and allow to dry to dampness.
         With a small pot well crocked, pot the seedlings together into a community pot. They like to be together, and will do better this way than potted singly. About an inch of potting media is all that is required. Water the pot well, and allow to drain.
        There is a product called "Envy", which can then be sprayed onto the seedlings. This coats the leaves and helps prevent the seedlings drying out. It is an aid, not an essential.
        To protect the seedlings, it is a good idea to use a humidity crib. A coolite box with two inches of wet sand in the bottom and a sheet of glass over the top will do, sit the pot of seedlings on the wet sand. Cling wrap can also be used, with a few holes punched in it to allow air movement. If a sheet of glass is used, ensure it is not sealing the top of the box, as some ventilation is needed. A few notches cut into the box will allow air in.
         Most seedlings die from Too Much Water. For the next few days, very lightly mist the leaves. Keep the seedlings in heavy shade. Frequent light misting will prevent dehydration and encourage new root growth, without keeping the media wet.
         After a few days, the cover can be partly removed and the seedlings watered so that they are just damp but not wet. Hormone formula and very weak fertiliser can then be used, and as the seedlings establish, the cover can be removed altogether.
          For the first couple of weeks, fungicides should not be used on the seedlings, as a growth inhibiting effect can be caused by fungicides. If there is a problem with fungus or mould, it means the conditions are too wet, so cut water, ensure ventilation is sufficient, and let the seedlings dry out a bit. In fact, most fungus problems in an orchid house can be fixed by reducing water and increasing ventilation.
         Once the seedlings are established and grown to their second lead or new larger leaf, they can be potted singly into small pots. One local orchid grower whose name I wont mention, leaves several seedlings in the one pot (or basket), and when Alf’s Barkerias flower, there is an instant specimen display.
         Growing seedlings from flask is a techinique to be learned,and once mastered, can be very rewarding, especially when YOUR babies start to flower. Text & photo Ian Walters. May be reproduced provided source acknowledged.
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E. Web page.

Check out our web page  www.ultra.net.au/~bporchid
       Year 2000  winner of  “Linda the Orchid Lady” award .
Coming up is the new web page for Burleigh Park Orchid Nursery, www.speciesorchids.com
The web page is constantly under revision and you will find heaps of colour photos, articles on species in cultivation and in the wild, plus links to other interesting species orchids, and more photographs.
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F. Humour.

KIDS!.
    A lady and her infant boarded the bus and sat down. The conductor came along, collected the fare and said, "Good God madam, what an ugly child".
   The lady freaked out, and the women sitting next to her said " Don't let him talk to you like that dear, get up and hit him with your handbag, I’ll hold your monkey".
 Someones definition,
    Insanity is hereditary, you catch it from your kids.
     Two year old child; a 2 foot being with an 8 foot reach.
Out of the mouths...
Singer on stage, "I insured my voice for a million dollars".
Child in audience, "So what did you do with the money?"
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G. Unsubscribe

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Yours in orchids,
Ian and Pat Walters, Burleigh Park Orchid Nursery
54 Hammond Way, Thuringowa, Australia 4815
Email us at  bporchid@ultra.net.au
www.ultra.net.au/~bporchid 

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