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BP SPECIES NEWSLETTER December 2001

July00  Aug  Sept  Oct  Nov  Dec 
Jan01  Feb  Mar  April  May  June  July  August  September  October  November
  Photos in this issue: Aerides lawrenceae sanderiana (above right), Miltonia moreliana, Paraphalaenopsis serpentilingua. Paraphalaenopsis denevii, Paraphal labukensis, Paraphal laycockii.
Do you know any orchid growers who may like to receive this newsletter? Why not forward this email to them now!
A b&w printed copy of this Newsletter can be mailed each month if you send 12 Australian stamps or 12 International reply coupons to Burleigh Park Orchid Nursery, 54 Hammond Way, Thuringowa, Australia 4815.
Items in this newsletter may be reproduced provided source acknowledged.
We commend "Orchids Online Web Design" for the excellent work on our web site and this Newsletter.
For information or prices click here or email Steve at steve@orchidsonline.com........

A. What's New in flask.

Miltonia moreliana Miltonia moreliana. This is the large all plum, dark plum purple Brazilian species, two awarded clones crossed. Grows best in a basket or on a treefern slab with extra water, the flowers are large, richly coloured and spectacular.
Aerides lawrenceae var sanderiana. A very richly coloured form with cream yellow flowers tipped magenta purple. A rampant grower, will need a basket. Photo top of page.
Dendrobium primulinum giganteum. A pendulous stem bears, at the nodes, pairs of delicate waxy pink to purple pink flowers with a cream, furry labellum. Very fragrant, deciduous in winter, so ideal for any climate, just dry it out in winter

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B. What's ready to replate NOW.

Paraphalaenopsis serpentilingua Paraphalaenopsis serpentilingua (right) and Paraphal labukensis. See Culture below.
Dendrobium punamense is a showy small growing Latourea Dendrobium from New Guinea. The flowers are in clusters, green and white. Best grown in a small pot or basket in a media that will stay damp but not wet. Several seedlings grown together in a small pot will produce an attractive small growing specimen.
Dossinia marmorata var Dayii. This is the more reddish leaf form with the red to copper veins. A showy Jewel Orchid, the seedlings develop well from flask in a mixture of spaghnam moss and shredded isolite. Seasonal in growth, it rests in winter, the flask seedlings are now putting up good strong shoots ready for the final replate.
Paphiopedilum gratrixianum. A good growing form, the large yellow and brown flowers are very striking. Grows well in a spaghnam mix and plants do well with a little extra sunlight.A cool to intermediate grower, the extra sunlight produces the purplebrown colouring in th leaf bases, making an attractive plant even when not in flower.

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C. What's new in Plants.

Epidendrum difforme.This produces waxy green flowers in apical clusters. A most unusual species, the plant and flowers appear to be made from green wax. Currently growing and flowering in 8cm basket pots in 50/50 spagh/isolite media.
Aerides maculosum, with long pendulous spikes of crystalline pink flowers, are in spike in 8cm basket pots in a bark/isolite mix. The flowers are fragrant, sparkling pink to pink purple. A very easy to grow species that requires warm to intermediate conditions and good drainage. It originates from India and it is now very difficult to get orchids from that part of the world.
Paraphalaenopsis labukensis Paraphalaenopsis labukensis (right), laycockii and serpentilingua are growing well on small pieces of cork. A small number of near flowering size plants are available. All listed plants are Nursery raised from seed. TOP

D. Culture
Paraphalaenopsis.

Paraphalaenopsis denevii The genus Paraphalaenopsis consists of 4 terete leafed plants from Borneo. They are inhabitants of a tropical high rainfall climate and require appropriate conditions in the orchid house.
Paraphalaenopsis are definitely warm growers, especially when in active growth. In the cooler months, the plants are intolerant of wet conditions, and should be kept on the dry side, with occasional watering to prevent shriveling. The terete leaves suggest a definite dry period in the growth cycle. The long terete leaves tend to be pendulous and plants are best grown in an open basket in an open media, or on a treefern slab. Sunlight required at about the same level as for Dendrobiums, although young plants benefit from a bit extra shade in the hotter months.
Paraphalaenopsis denevii (above left) is the yellow, gold and brown flowered species, with several flowers to 6 cm across on the spike.The labellum is red and white.
Paraphalaenopsis labukensis is perhaps the largest growing species, with leaves to two feet or more long. The velvety brown and gold brown flowers are about 6 cm across, with up to 10 flowers per spike.The lip is yellow striped red, and the sepals and petals are edged pale yellow to cream.
Paraphalaenopsis laycockii Paraphalaenopsis laycockii (left), with the largest flowers, is a soft pink with a yellow and red marked labellum. These flowers, usually several to the spike, are up to 8cm or more long.
Paraphalaenopsis serpentilingua gets its name from the forked midlobe of the labellum, serpents tongue. The flowers are white, often with some basal red spotting on the sepals and petals, and the lip is yellow with red side lobes and red stripes.
The genus offers four distinctly different species, each with its own distinctive beauty. Easy enough to grow in the orchid house if the basic conditions are met, these species are well worth their small space to grow.

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E. Did you know ?

Flasks are prepared to order in the Nursery. The largest seedlings are selected from the mother flask and replated into a small oval, narrow bottle that allows the seedlings to grow and pack tight inside the bottle. Once the seedlings have grown and packed tight, the bottle can be sent by airmail post or air courier without the worry of the contents being shaken up badly in transitt. Seedlings generally take about 12 weeks to develop in flask. Shipping is avoided in winter, so the time to order flasks is the beginning of YOUR winter, so that flasks are ready to ship in SPRING.
Flasks ordered in spring will be delivered mid summer.
Flasks are generally shipped when seedlings are big enough to travel without getting shaken up. Flasks should be held in your conditions to acclimatise and can be grown on to get maximum growth before deflasking. Usually there is no need to deflask quickly, as maximum gel media is used to allow seedlings to grow for a lengthy period.
Flasks are planted to fill the bottle, to facilitate shipping. Usually 12/14 seedlings per flask, but where seedlings are much larger, then a smaller number can only be planted into the flask. Phalaenopsis, due to the leaf size and the crowding effect of large leaves, are usually planted with fewer seedlings, but sufficient to fill the flask.
For tips on deflasking orchids see our Seedlings Out of Flask article.

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F. Humour.

A reporter on holiday spotted a pig with a wooden leg in a farm yard. Anticipating an interesting story, he asked the farmer why the pig had a wooden leg.
The farmer told him "Thats a fantastic pig, he pulled one of the kids out of the dam and saved him from drowning. A really fantastic pig."
The reporter said but what about the wooden leg?
Again the framer said "Thats a fantastic pig, he woke us up one night and saved the barn from burning down. Its a really fantastic pig."
But what about the pigs wooden leg? was what the reported wanted to know.
"A fantastic pig" said the farmer, again. " That pig went for help when I was thrown from my horse, I could have died. Yep, a really fantastic pig." The frustrated reporter again asked about the wooden leg.
" Well ...." said the farmer," if you had such a fantastic pig, would you eat him all at once?"

A recent cartoon involving the Australian Prime Minister and the Opposition leader and Halloween: " I know you pair, all tricks and no treats!"

A Monk went to the dentist and when asked if he wanted a pain killer needle, declined.
He said he was into TRANSSEND DENTAL MEDICATION.

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G. Books.

     Introducing.....

ORCHIDACEOUS BOOKS

 
  Suppliers of Fine Orchid Literature  
 

Grahame & Margaret Muller
Phone: 07 4122 1251
Fax: 07 4122 4539 International Fax: + 61 7 4122 4539
P O Box 4192 Tinana, Qld, AUSTRALIA 4650.
Email:gmuller@mary.big.net.au

ORCHIDACEOUS BOOKS is an Australian specialist supplier of orchid literature.
We stock more than 100 new titles with more available at short notice.
We buy and sell pre-owned titles and generally stock in excess of 150 pre-owned titles.
If you are searching for a particular title - New or Pre-owned - email us now for our current catalogue as we may have it in stock or may be able to source it for you.
All stock available for world wide delivery

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H. A special note on flasking orchids.

Due to the need for a filtered air vent on flasks to allow exchange of gasses, a reliable air filter medium is needed.
Non absorbant cotton wool allows gas exchange but does not absorb moisture. Thus the air filter will stay dry and prevent the growth of fungus thru the filter, a common problem with ordinary cotton wool which gets wet, goes mouldy and allows the mould to grow thru the filter to contaminate the flask.
Non Absorbant Cottonwool NOW AVAILABLE in 375 gram rolls, contact us NOW.

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