Phalaenopsis Spiketacular

I don't know what's going on this year. None of my spring blooming orchids, and next to none of my summer blooming orchids flowered this year, but fall seems to be a whole different situation. All, let me repeat that, ALL of my Phalaenopsis are in spike or still blooming. I've never had this happen before.

So here's what I have to look forward to as we head into the cold weather:

1.) NOID medium Phalaenopsis. I call this one medium because it's not a mini Phal, but it's nowhere near large enough to be normal sized either. I've got two spikes on this one. This Phal blooms just like those huge white NOIDs you see at grocery stores and Home Depots, except on a much smaller scale. I've had this one for maybe 3 years and it hasn't ever bloomed here before.

The whole plant

Spike #1

Spike #2 and a keiki it made last year

2.) NOID Mini Phalaenopsis with mottled leaves. See older pictures of it and last years blooms here: NOID Mini Phalaenopsis, I wouldn't have bothered putting up last years pictures if I had thought it would re-bloom this year. As far as Phalaenopsis orchids go, I have mostly every other year bloomers, and never again bloomers, so this is new. Maybe I finally figured out how to keep Phalaenopsis consistently happy here.

Plant from the top

Still a small spike, but I can see it peeking

3.) Phalaenopsis stuartiana x sib. My only species Phal. :(

The whole plant

Close-up of the gorgeous leaf pattern

A tiny start of a spike.

4.) NOID Variegated Mini Phalaenopsis. This one's still got the spike from when I bought it, but I guess it decided to make a new spike anyway. I'm still not thrilled about these flowers, but thrilled that it's flowering, if that makes sense. You can see pictures from when I first got it in the beginning of August here: Finally Found a Variegated Phalaenopsis

On the right is the new leaf it's grown since I've had it.

Sorry, wouldn't focus so the pic is a little blurry, but is that a variegated spike?

5.) NOID Mini Phalaenopsis with solid purple blooms. I was just about to try and give this one away. I've got quite a few minis and I'd like to make room for species instead. It's a better gift in bloom anyway, so I still might if someone wants it. In fact, now that I think about it, this is another Phal I got years ago that hasn't bloomed in my care until now.

Sorry for the focus issues, my camera wasn't having it today

6.) Dtps. Kenneth Schubert is still flowering. One or two at a time, but we've been going since summer. Pictures from the start of this years flowering (July) here: Dtps. Kenneth Schubert

Spike's getting pretty long there...

Super difficult to try and get pictures of the bloom against a solid background with such a long spike.

So that's the entirety of my Phalaenopsis collection. If you like Phals, the next few months of this blog might be entertaining for you. If you hate them, you might want to not come back until the spring. However, I do have a couple other types of orchids getting prepared to bloom that I should be able to scatter in and keep orchid lovers entertained at least, (and the Nepenthes fans, I've always got pitchers going on.)

Finally found a variegated Phalaenopsis

Over the past year or so on my favorite forum, a number of people have posted about finding variegated miniature Phalaenopsis. This wouldn't be surprising except for the fact that they were found  at big box stores and supermarkets, (variegated orchids used to be super expensive and hard to find.)

We never get anything cool like that where I live, ever! It's aggravating when it seems like everywhere else gets shipments of interesting things from time to time and nothing ever shows up here. Lucky for me I was nowhere near home, in an A&P supermarket. Yay, a variegated mini Phal! It was the only one in what looked like a brand new shipment. This A&P also had Venus Fly Traps and Jade (Crassula ovata) plants too, very strange. What a wacky supermarket, and I've been in a ton of these, they're all over up here. (fun fact = my 1st job that wasn't "paid under the table" was as a floral designer in an A&P, they usually have cut flowers and someone to arrange them for you, a few potted plants seasonally, but that's about it.)

It was already in bloom when I got it. I'm not thrilled about the flowers, but I bought it for the leaves, really. I have to re-pot it, but I'm all out of the supplies I need so it'll have to deal.

It's currently jam packed into some algae covered long fibered sphagnum moss inside a plastic pot. I already squeezed that mess out of the larger ceramic pot with no drainage hole in the bottom when I took these pictures. It's no wonder people usually kill these and then throw them out. Not that there's anything wrong with growing in moss, but there's a specific way to water them when growing that way, and that's never on the instructions. I'm convinced being jammed into an ugly, hole-less, ceramic pot isn't done for the plant to look good and sell, but to kill it so people buy new ones when they stop blooming. The moss is usually left over from the plug it was growing in as a seedling back in Taiwan.

Not this one though, I'll pot it like I do the rest of my Phals; long fibered sphagnum moss, coco husk chips, and small grade Hydroton. Hopefully it'll live on and re-bloom next year, but until then I'm more than happy just enjoying the leaves.

The only flower in decent enough shape to take a picture of

Bonus Photo: Dtps. Kenneth Schubert today, still looking good.

Dtps. Kenneth Schubert

Doritaenopsis Kenneth Schubert

Doritaenopsis Kenneth Schubert is a primary hybrid between Doritaenopsis pulcherrima and Phalaenopsis violacea, registered back in 1963, (Hybrid Details.) It's a good one, I can see why it's still popular today. This one blooms 1 or 2 times for me every year since I've had it, without fail. It also smells very nice, light and perfume-y.

Last year I got two spikes with one of it's flowerings, which made for a really spectacular display from such a small orchid. I searched for a while to find more pictures, but all I could find were these dramatic ones my husband (then fiance) took. He likes to stage and light things where I prefer a more natural photo.

Drama!

This year it's blooming in the summer, just one spike but always pretty. Below are my pictures. I just wanted to take a few in case the older flowers started fading before the rest of the buds opened. Depending on the time of year this one blooms changes the saturation of the color and the strength of the scent of the flowers. That happens with a lot of orchids though, temperature and sunlight definitely effects the flower's appearance. This years summer blooming created much softer colored flowers than when it usually blooms in spring or fall, but they smell much stronger. I have it in my kitchen window over the sink and I can smell them every time I go to do dishes, (which is awesome). It's not overpowering but enough to scent that part of the room.

Don't look at orchids

"A watched orchid never blooms." I had heard this before, it's true. I look at my plants a lot.

In the winter I watch for proper dormancies, being careful who I water and when. I inspect everything for pests as some are prone to mealy bugs.

The rest of the year is also inspecting for pests, watering every so often in spring and fall. Summer almost everything is outdoors and needs to be watered every other day, at least.

I haven't been having a good year for orchids so far. I't might be the constant rain and clouds we had. I had a few get cold damage. I had given up on spring blooms entirely. I water everything, but mindlessly. So it was a surprise to see a spike on Doritaenopsis Kenneth Schubert.

So, orchids. Whenever I don't pay attention to them, they reward me. I literally just noticed this. I watered it 2 days ago and didn't notice a thing.