Hoya retusa

I received a small cutting of Hoya retusa about a year and a half ago, and started it in S/H.  It rooted so well in S/H that I just decided to grow it on.  So far it has grown pretty well for me, and this week, bloomed for the first time.  I have quite a few buds, which have a wonderful sweet scent to them when they open. Last winter I did bring it inside to grow it under warm conditions, and I haven't researched to see if this is one that would do outside during the winter.  So as it is doing well, I'll probably bring it in again this winter. I do give it very bright light, during spring, summer and fall, a little less during winter as it was inside.

Unlike many other Hoyas, retusa does not bloom in an umbel.  Each penduncle gives a single bloom, but with so many at one time, it still gives a pretty nice show. It is still relatively small, as it continues to grow, I expect next year it will give an even better blooming.

Catasetum hybrids

My three favorite alliances of orchids are Catasetums, Dendrobiums and Bulbophyllums.  I haven't written or posted many of the Catasetums, so it is time for that. I'm not going to detail how I grow them, I wrote up a pretty detailed culture description on www.orchidgeeks.com if you are interested.

Within the Catasetum alliance, I prefer the true Catasetums and Clowesias.  Current popular trends in this alliance seem to favor the Mormodes and Cycnoches - which I really am not interested in.  So my collection of these are small, and I manage to acquire only a couple a year.

While I prefer to grow species, I have kept a few hybrids over the years, and here are a few of them.

Catasetum expansum x Jumbo Heart

Ctsm (Doris' Choice x Breckenridge Onxy) x (Susan Fuchs x spitzii)

Catasetum Olga

Unfortunately the rest of my photos are on flickr, which doesn't allow me to do a link to Blogger.  So as they rebloom and I get new pics to my current photo site, I'll update this post.

Edit:  February 2013.  Another hybrid has come into bloom, and this is the plant that started my love of the Catasetum Alliance.  Clowesetum Dragon's Treasure.  Not only is it a beautiful flower, but the fragrance is perfect, strong, fresh and lemony. 





Hoya carnosa complex

I really have no idea whether these following plants are all closely related, but they look like it, so I'll put them all here in one post.  Also, I pretty much grow all these under the same conditions, except for one - fungii.  Most of them get very bright light, allowed to dry completely between waterings, and left outside in the winter down to freezing temperatures. Fungii though is kept shaded, and more even waterings, although I do let it stay outside with the rest in winter.

Since fungii requires different culture, I'll start with it.

Hoya fungii

     

Hoya carnosa - regular

Hoya dasyantha

Hoya Ban Nong Noy

And Hoya rubra



Hoya cagayanensis

I received a cutting of this plant going on three years ago.  It has grown very quickly in that time, but it never bloomed.  This summer I put it outside in a little more light.  Whether it needed that extra light, or it was just finally ready to bloom?  But I'll keep it in the extra light from now on just in case.  This is one I do bring inside in the winter, and due to its height, it doesn't get much sun during the winter.  So I keep it a little dryer during that time.  In the spring/summer/fall though while it is outside, I do try to keep it a little moist.  It is currently growing in a fine orchid bark mix, when it is due to be repotted, it will be switched over to my Turface/Perlite mix.

I also started a cutting in S/H and it is growing well, hasn't bloomed yet.  As for rooting cuttings, cagayanensis is one of the easiest for me.  Just stick the cut end in S/H rooting set up and within a week, it has little nubs starting.  One thing to point out is the leaves on this plant are very different.  They are shimmery, it is hard to catch that in the photos, but in person, they are very intriguing.

Encyclias

I don't grow many Encyclias, not sure why though, as I find them just wonderful orchids.  Although many of them look alike at first glance, when you take a moment and really check them out, you find charming differences between them.  And really, the fragrance so many of them have, alone is worth growing this genus. Many consider their culture requirements to be similar to Brassavolas.  Very high light levels, warm to hot conditions, dry out well in between waterings.  I have a couple Encyclias - profusa and parviflora that I have always followed this advice.  Funny these two haven't bloomed for me.  But other Encyclias that I leave outside year round, with cool to cold winters (see my below Vandaceous post for description) have bloomed.  Oh well, as I have learned, more than one way to grow an orchid.  I'm going to just place the pictures here in a row of the few I have.



Enanthleya Middleburg 'Maj'   (Cattlianthe Bactia x Encyclia phoenicea)



Encyclia alata x Encyclia tampensis

Encyclia Lee Ward (E. adenocaula x E. tampensis)

Encyclia Lee Ward (E. adenocalula x E. tampensis)

Catyclia Florida 'Pine Knot'  (C. dowiana x Encyclia cordigera)

Catyclia Florida 'Pine Knot' (C. dowiana x Encyclia cordigera)

Encyclia phoenicea

Encyclia alata

Dendrobium convolutum

D. convolutum is a Dendrobium in the Latouria section.  Many of the Latouria section Dens prefer to be grown under warm conditions, and do not like to dry out completely.  D. convolutum thrives for me under these general conditions.  Intermediate level light, slightly under typical Cattleya levels seem to give my plant the best growth and flowers.  This plant, while still small for it's species, puts out spikes for a couple months in the summer, therefore it is almost always in bloom during the warmer months.  The individual flowers last for weeks, and are very interesting. Here are a few different views of the plant.

Hoya blashernaezii IML 1631

I received this plant in September of 2011, so less than a year ago.  I find it an amazingly fast grower.  For example, I took a cutting in January to test it in S/H, and look at it already, 7 months later.

This is in S/H, I just have the plastic pot set inside a net pot for hanging.  Also, this is my first set of flowers.  Interestingly, the original plant this cutting was taken from is growing well, but hasn't bloomed yet, nor even started a penduncle.  So glad I decided to try this one in S/H.

I've only had this plant for a year, so I'm not sure what the best growing conditions are for it.  Last winter, I brought it inside to be kept warm, and most of the growth started  after it was put back outside in spring.  I think for now, I'm not going to change anything.

Hopefully it will continue to grow well, and I'll see more of these absolutely lovely flowers.







Edit 9/8/12 - so a month ago I complained the original plant hadn't bloomed.  It must have heard me, because it decided to start growing a few penduncles.  Growing in Turface/Perlite mix, kept moist.