I need to borrow a Sawzall

I'll need a strong arm to assist cutting through the rhizomes of what was the Buddha belly bamboo. Need to find a reciprocal saw. It's pot, with only 20" mouth is waist high. I'm thinking of Carissa macrocarpa - Natal Plum; slow growing, sweet flowers, wind resistant, full sun. But is has serious spikes, though not quite as mean as a bougainvillea. Need to find a nursery that sells such shrub/trees. Flamingo road would probably be a good start.

Sprayed the orchids with Bayer Advanced Formula for Flowering Plants and Shrubs. Sprayed at 5p or so. No danger of fungus after this bath. Probably should have done a trial on a single plant. Letting them dry before the sun saved them from harm.

What about a tall column of chicken wire for as a perch for the vanda's. Sunk in a large pot of cement.. We'll see how the smaller science experiment with the teretes work.

The winter solstice is 5 days past and the sun is already setting 15 minutes late. Possible?
 

Bounden duty

I am a member of the American Orchid Society. The AOS 2014 Orchid Source Directory came as a supplemental to their monthly Orchid Magazine. I am going to rate some websites in the booklet. Starting in Hawaii;

1. www.hrorchids.com - They evidently have bought space in the Orchid Source Directory, however the downloadable color catalogue seems to date from 2006-2007.

2. www.kaleialoha.com - Orchids offered don't have any genus information appended to pics. More of a orchid florist than an interesting source of orchids.

3. www.kauaiorchids.com - website down for service..

4. www.kawamotoorchids.com - primarily an Ebay seller. I bought a small (but pricey) trichoglottis brachiate, healthy, shipped quick, carefully packed.

5. www.lehuaorchids.com - Paphiopedilum, Masdevallia, Agraecoid, Lycastenae, etc. Specialized grower.

 A neighbor complained that my bougainvillea bracts were blowing onto her terrace and her dogs were eating them and vomiting. I cut it down from the level from 15' to about 6' below the level of the wall. I had cut down the Buddha belly bamboo the day before. It's growth had become too irregular and some of the lower branches were dying. I need to come up with a tree for the pot; wind resistant, etc.

This is a sorry excuse for a blog.

A monopodial

Acclimated this girl within a month of acquisition from partial sun, to full mid to late afternoon sun. Seems to be quite happy so far. You can see that it's already loosing some of its legginess with this sunshine. 

renanthera storiei

Too much loving?

Mokara Sayam with Miss Joachim

It's been warm and sunny this past week. Very busy at work. My time on the terrace has been made up trying to re-hydrate the vanda velum and selectively watering pots with the 3 litre water can. I probably did a seaweed Super Thrive wash once during the week.

Today, I was up early, before the sunrise. Reading about pests and diseases on the St. Augustine Orchid society. It reminded me that it's preferable to spray in the early morning. So I did. With Organicide. Leaves and roots-- all of the vandas, strap leaf and terete, the renanthera storei, trichoglottis brachiatis. Oh nooo. Organicide is made up, among other things, of fish and sesame oil. I thought I had carefully put one ounce in one gallon. Absolutely no sun after spraying  Natural, oil-based insecticides like Organicide can attack insects, fungus, rot. 3 in 1.  Wonderful. But I haven't had luck-- with them unfortunately. I don't think they're advisable in zone 10b.

I have tied 2 of the Mokara Sayam to the teretes that are themselves affixed securely against chicken wire in one instance and a branch of hardwood. Having a bunch of vandas hanging around is not really natural looking, so why not bundle up some different types of vandas-- if the strap leaves can take the sun, the different types leaves, rates of growth, flowers could be quite the center piece.




Vandas - strap leaf and 2 types of terete (same as above), it might make an interesting mass

Splurge day

 

We are on a diet; for 6 days one can eat proteins, greens and beans as the only carb. 1 day of the week can be a train wreck of macaroni and cheese followed by wild blueberry scones, donuts. I haven't lost much weight on this diet.

Now, yesterday I put 2 Noriko Sumida together in a pot interspersing orchid bark around the roots very loosely to help keep maintain a little moisture. The pot is unglazed and we have a hot sun, so I think the assistance is warranted. How did you secure the orchids in the pot you may asking? Please see below:




 

It's gotten up to about 85 degrees (F) today, sunny and dry. I Jacked (Jack's 20-20-20 All Purpose) everyone up today full strength with some sea weed emulsion-- a popular cocktail. The teretes especially 'Miss Joachim' seem to be responding well to this bright, hot, winter sunshine. Miss Joachim is tied to a nice straight arm of hardwood and is sending out rootlets feeling things out. The Mokara Sayan (x2) have a black stickiness on the stem (on base of strap leaves). Probably a bug that eats and leaves sticky droppings (white flies will do this when they eat the fronds of the coconut palms over my car). Need to get on the case here asap.

http://www.tohgarden.com/orchid-care/common-orchid-pathogens/

Looks like my Mokara might have some black mold due to too much water sitting on the leaves, right at the. joint between leave and stem. Soap and water. Need to focus on the roots in daily watering. A pesticidal spray might be in order for thrips .

Tropical Orchid Farm, Inc., Haiku, Maui, HI 96708



Here is a good online source for orchids.These handsome semi-teretes were just 15$ ea. I saw a Noriko Sumida approx. same size as below sell for $30 on Ebay recently.. I would buy from TOF again if I should ever buy another orchid. Great selection.Very professional. Shipped quickly, wrapped carefully-- and just as cheap as my going to RF Orchids in Homestead, FL.and buying them there (1 hour away). R.F. does have great tables running down the hot houses with cuttings and smaller plants for 8-15$. I bought a nice 12-15" sprig of trichoglottis brachiate for cheap, they tied it into a pretty clay orchid pot. I feel a growing affinity toward monopodial orchids. I wonder if I can find an untreated fence post I could sink into a bucket of concrete to tie vanda's on? A  10' pole would be fantastic covered with rowdy vandas climbing over each other.



Had to have a v 'Noriko Sumida', but they had a $45 min so I ordered a pair @ $15per. Beautiful plants!

2 peas in a pod. The Noriko brothers tucked in. I think plants like a mate when possible.

 

Also ordered a fairly priced vanda denisoniana, healthy in empty pot 15$

 

Received a healthy looking Catleya skinneri f. delicate 'teresita de Pizz. x self as a gift. Can't find a pic online for this particular variety.

 

Very pleased with my purchases. Worth every penny.