Hi
I noted that on a trip to Costa Rica.lol Of those I could observe (most were over 50 feet in the air,used binoculars.> Not a single one would be what I would call healthy lol one in particular interested me as it was less than 15 feet up and I could climb the tree . In the 3 days I observed it, the media that it was growing in NEVER stopped dripping WAY over watered I thought But then again not a single one was growing appropriately by my standards!!lol gary

I grow almost all of my Cattleya type plants outside under shade cloth. They may reach 100F in the summer and dip to 28F in the winter. Fungus, bacteria, snails, grasshoppers, caterpillars, mice and tree rats all have a go at them. Most are bare-root and growing all over the place with new leads pointing in all directions.

I'm satisfied with the flowers but the over all appearance of the plants cannot compare to a greenhouse grown specimen which is manicured, staked correctly and has the leaves polished with leaf-shine. I brought a beautiful (in my opinion) Laelia purpurata venusa to a society meeting. It had in excess of 20 purple flowers. Next to it sat a white purpurata in a large pot with all the growths staked perfectly upwards, all the flowers in line at the same level. The flowers of my mounted, hanging plant were all over the place and the leaves reflected where the plant spends it's life. The 2 plants were perfect examples of the pristine perfection which is possible and the normal way these plants grow if left to their own devices.

What's described in the previous posts is the normal way these plants grow, nothing wrong with that.

Nick

Nick, FWIW - I grow my Lp's similarly to your strategy. The plants FLOWER! That's MY/OUR goal.

I love this species. I'll betcha that people who manicure, correctly stake spikes perfectly upwards and polish leaves also insist on changing "names" on their labels every time that some airhead directs that the plant name is no longer "correct". It's happened to Laelia purpurata FIVE times since the year 2000!

Give me flowers!

--Stitz--

Ian,

That Cattleya growing in the Atlantic rainforest near Rio de Janeiro ? is just plain sorry looking and fugly. I would toss it's diseased carcass in the one-way direction of trash to be discarded and hopefully incinerated.

I'm happy that you derived some enjoyment from it. Even fugly puppies deserve love.

--Stitz--

Stitz, there is nothing wrong with a little grooming. You have got me worried! What is the latest name for Laelia purpurata?

I am resisting imposing the multitude of Laeliinae Name Changes in the Hybrid register on the local Orchid Society members. But it is nice to get the species names correct.

I also groom plants, remove old bracts, spider webs, bird doo doo and old flower stalks. That's however how far it goes. I seldom stake unless the flowers are so heavy that they cannot be supported by the natural stalk.

The only plants I take for display are species going to species club meetings. My daughters haul of the rest to decorate their homes. I get them back when they stopped blooming. There have been times when visitors look at a thousand plus plants and marvel that nothing is in bloom. I tell them that next time they have to time their visit to precede my grabby daughters. I honestly don't mind, I get to see the flowers for a few days, enjoy watching the plants grow and love to see my kid's enthusiasm for them.

Nick

Laelia purpurata (1852)
-----------------------
Sophronitis purpurata (2000) - absurd!

Hadrolaelia purpurata (2002) - this isn't funny

Brasilaelia purpurata (2006) - makes sense. "Laelia" was originally applied to Mexican Laelia, clearly different from the Brasilian ones

Chironella purpurata (2006) - DR. Guido Braem's concoction

Cattleya purpurata (2008) - will throw the hybrid names into turmoil forevermore, if it "sticks"

--Stitz--

Nick, the key word in the sentence was ....."little" grooming.....not things like putting Cymbidiums on turntables and giving a one quarter of a turn per day so that the flowers face all directions.

Stitz, thanks for that, i didn't know that Laelia purpurata was part of the great renaming and synonym creation.

Arthur, You might be surprised to learn that the genus "Sophronitis" is now kaput.

The Sophronitis species are ALL considered "Cattleya", including the former rupiculous Laelia, a.k.a "Hoffmannseggella" which were transferred to Sophronitis.

Those little rock huggers look like Cattleya? Yeah, right. Who's making the Kool-Aid? Jim Jones is long gone.

--Stitz--

I agree, Stitz...in the garbage!

I'm proud to admit I like my plants to look neat and manicured. I love to show them off and display them. I train the spikes and tie them up. I put my flowering plants inside decorative pots and display them in the house.

Tacky, I suppose - but my flowers last at least a week and make my home smell glorious.

To each his own,

Jane

I wasn't suggesting that plants SHOULD look like this, merely demonstrating that in nature they often do. My point is that if growing conditions are right plants will tolerate a great deal more than when they are not.

So why is it that I try my best to grow my orchids according to GW standards, feed, tend, love and repot my orchids when I am supposed to and they die?

What gives?

Too much TLC.

Benign neglect is key to success.

Nick

"Benign neglect is key to success.

Nick "

EXCEPT when destructive pests, especially insects, are a factor!

--Stitz--

Correct. I meant excessive love such as over watering, over dividing, etc etc.

Nick