First of all, nobiles in nature, and in the care of most growers, flower the second year on pseudobulbs after they have matured. Due to a drop in temp in their habitat, the canes stop growing and do not mature until the end of the growing season the second year. Prior, during, or after flowering the cane starts a new growth, but again, this will not flower 'til the second year. Many have seen Yamamoto hybrids for sale with flowers on one mature cane, and wonder how this can be done: Simple. He grows them at sea level in HI, where it is warm, to maturity, and THEN takes them to another nursery in the mountains where it is cold, and cuts out one year of waiting for flowers. It is not unusual for a second year growth to continue growing upward, and at flowering the lower part which grew last year will flower, but the upper new growth will not flower until the following year. Most flowering canes will flower a second time on the third year of growth, but these tall ones will now flower three times, on the fourth year of growth. I am enclosing a piece which I have found to be of help in fowering ANY dendrobium: Most orchid growers are aware of the large number of species in the genus dendrobium, and the diverse cultural requirements for their management. Likewise, in reading books on their classification one is soon overwhelmed. I believe this represents the easiest way to classify this group, and in particular have a reasonable understanding of the cultural requirements for any specific species. Date: Thu, 09 Jan 1997 16:20:19 +0000 (UT) From: "Richard R. Trussell" Subject: [11941] Dendrobiums Our interest in Dendrobiums has led us to understand the difficulties many newcomers have in learning how to tackle their culture. Reading the Willis Dair lists suggests to us that these difficulties extend to both sides of the Atlantic. Although Dendrobiums occur naturally only in a well defined geographical area - from India to Australia - there is within this area a very big range of climatic and environmental variation. Understanding this geography is an important part of understanding the necessary conditions for successful growing. A good atlas, or better still a good globe can be as valuable as a textbook! We have put together the following notes for the British Orchid Growers Association "Growers and Buyers Guide, 1996-97" and offer them as possible assistance to those tackling their first plants of this fascinating and important genus. Dendrobiums come from South East Asia in an area that stretches from Northern India to the islands off the East coast of New Guinea and Australia , and to Polynesia. The latitude where they grow is important. The Equator runs through the middle of the territory, and here it is always hot at sea level witout any seasonal variation. However the plants from north of the Tropic of Cancer and south of the Tropic of Capricorn are used to a much greater range of climate, with colder drier winters and warmer wet summers. It is important therefore to know where every plant comes from. For convenience we consider cultural advice under three headings, 1. Nobile (pronounced no-bill-ay) type, or Himalayan plants. 2. New Guinea plants . 3. Australian plants. 1. Nobile Dendrobiums These are some of the easiest to grow, but can be a little difficult to bloom regularly. Their flowers are showy with colours ranging from white through pink to purple, and the lip is often beautifully marked in contrasting colours. They make magnificent specimen plants. Others are yellow or brown, while the recently introduced Yamamoto hybrids have all the colours of the rainbow. The Himalayan climate is not unlike a warmer Switzerland, with bright, cold but dry winters. Culture. November to February: day time temperatures can drop to 40-45F, during this time you should not water or feed, but provide plenty of light and air movement. March to May or June, warmer and moister conditions; buds and flowers develop and new growths appear. Water sparingly until the new growths have developed good roots. June to November corresponds to the Monsoon period, warm and very wet. Give a low strength, high nitrogen feed in April and May, then feed weekly with a balanced fertilizer during maximum growth. Change to high potash for the last month, October. Note - if you do not dry and cool the plants during winter you won't get flowers! Himalayan Dendrobiums from lower altitudes need a less harsh winter, but still dry. 2. New Guinea Dendrobiums . The climate varies with altitude and in the mountainous areas there are cool, wet misty nights and mornings followed by warmer bright days. The exquisite cool and intermediate miniatures like D. cuthbertsonii grow here. Never allow them to dry out completely, and feed often with dilute fertilizer. The river valleys between the mountain ranges are warmer and wetter, and home to some of the most exotic of New Guinea orchids, e.g. D. lasianthera from the Sepik River basin, and many latouria types with long lasting flowers. All these need generous feeding and watering. The southern plains resemble Queensland, Australia, but are wetter and very warm all year through. There is seasonal rainfall variation with a wetter summer and drier winter. Two of the outstanding species from this area, (which are also found in Queensland ) are D. bigibbum (D. phalaenopsis) and D. canaliculatum, the former often found growing on rocks, the latter on the trunks of paperbark trees. The easiest New Guinea plants for beginners are D. aberrans (cool conditions); D. lawesii or D. antennatum (intermediate), and D. atroviolaceum or D. bigibbum (warm). 3. Australian Dendrobiums D. kingianum and near relatives are the easiest to grow. The pseudobulbs or canes can be any length from 5-30cm tall, and are thin and often spindly and tough. The leaves are narrowly oval, with two to four at the top of each cane. The flowers appear in late winter or early spring in loose sprays at the tops of both old and new canes. New plantlets or keikis may sometimes appear instead. These can be removed and potted separately after they have developed good roots or left on the parent plant where they will eventually flower also. There are two to ten flowers on a spray, each measuring 1-3cm across in shades of pink or purple. Other plants in this group may be taller and have cream or white flowers. For their culture give intermediate temperatures and drier conditions than other Dendrobiums. Spray once a week, and water generously in the spring and autumn with dilute feed. A few cold weeks, down to 45F, will encourage flowering. Potting - Dendrobiums like to be in small pots with their roots confined. Bark, perlag and charcoal make up an open mix which drains easily. Repot either when the compost becomes acid and soggy, or when the pot is full of roots. This often means every year. Plants from the mountainss of New Guinea like a little mosss mixed with the bark, or they can be grown on slabs of bark or treefern on a mossy bed. Such slabs need daily misting for most of the year. Dendrobium hybrids. These are almost always derived from species within one group, either Himalayan, New Guinea or Australian. Surprisingly, most of the 'Singapore' orchids, although developed there, are derived from species of New Guinea and the adjacent islands, and need much the same culture as the River Valley New Guinea species. So - when you buy a Dendrobium, ask which group it belongs to, and where it comes from - and we don't mean which nursery! >From Richard and Ann Trussell, Devon EX15 3NP, U.K. whitmoor@msn.com

Bumblebee, Sent mine out today. Watch out for the Bee on the package. I couldn't get him off. =) Figured he may enjoy the ride! I'll send you the tracking info in just a little bit. It says it should be there on the 17th. I was surprised. I put 6 stamps on it, then thought... I better run it by and see if that's enough. The lady said $2.50 would do the job. At the same time taking that stamper and making sure every single stamp got the ink. I mean, I think she actually hit it 6 times. Got sticklers here, lol! I put $4.00 in the package. If anyone comes short and there's enough left - you can put it towards theirs. I know it's not much, but it adds up.

Westminister Nursery on Westminster Rd. in West Hempstead. They have lots of herbs, veggies, and a large collection of peppers every year. Most of their herbs are from Gilberties, which I find hardier than where other places source their transplants and seedlings (bought some from Hicks that didn't seem as hardy or large). It's open later hours during the growing season and they have half off sales once or twice a year. Hick's I'll only visit if I can't get it at Westminster. It's just okay. They seem to have not that much of selection of growing medium for orchids and the more exotic plants, definitely less than some years ago which is disappointing. They do half off on their veg and herbs in the summer but it just comes to nearly the same price at Westminster anyway. For more exotic veg and herbs, I have picked up Tulsi plant seedlings in Bellerose/Glen Oaks on Hillside Avenue at the small grocery stores. I saw small pots of Curry plants at the Maharaja supermarket near the corner of Hillside Avenue and New Hyde Park Rd. in New Hyde Park. Very rarely I will stop by the farm in Malverne to check out what they have. All the herbs and veg there are organic and most of them are grown in coconut coir. Nothing too unusual and the prices are higher there but I did pick up some nice lemon thyme. In the same vein, I sometimes stop by the Queens County Farm and see what they have for sale in their greenhouse, I picked up some regular English thyme there. I've had the most horrible customer experiences at the Walmart in Westbury, I will never return there (although I did pick up a terribly abused orchid from the clearance section for about $7). The Lowe's in Garden City is nothing special, they carry mostly "Bonnie" herbs and plants and they are pricer than Westminster's herb flats and don't look that hardy. This post was edited by PurpleLotus88 on Sun, Jun 30, 13 at 17:50

Long Island Orchid Festival 2015 May 29 - 31, 2015 Planting Fields Arboretum State Historic Park 9 AM to 5 PM The Long Island Orchid Society will be holding its Third Annual Long Island Orchid Festival on May 29 through 31, 2015 at Planting Fields Arboretum State Historic Park. The festival will host numerous orchid vendors from around the world and include lectures from advanced orchid growers. Admission to the Long Island Orchid Festival is FREE, (Planting Fields Arboretum Parking $8 per car.) Participating Vendors Dragon Agro Ecuagenera (Deadline for preorders May 6) Kelley’s Korner Orchid Supplies Mac’s Orchids Orchidphile Parkside Orchid Nursery Artist and LIOS Member Nancy Wernersbach Artist & LIOS Member Nancy Wernersbach will give an orchid painting demo from 10 am to 2 pm on Sunday May 31st and the finished painting will be raffled. You could be the winner of an original piece of orchid art! New This Year Orchids, Flowers and Gardens Art Exhibit by LIOS members and local artists. Enjoy fine art and photography that captures the beauty of flowers as seen through the artists' eyes. Event Lecture times and dates To Be Announced Planting Fields Arboretum State Historic Park is Long Island’s premier public arboretum and historic site located in Oyster Bay, New York. A former Gold Coast estate, the arboretum is comprised of 409 acres of greenhouses, rolling lawns, formal gardens, woodland paths, and outstanding plant collections. The original historic estate buildings remain including the 65 room Tudor Revival mansion, Coe Hall, which is open for tours spring through fall. The grounds, landscaped by the Olmsted Brothers of Brookline, Massachusetts, are spectacularly beautiful year round. We hope to see you there!