Hi You made the first error of orchid selection lol. Be sure you know the variety and if it's a hybrid. There are thousand of kinds growing in almost any environment you can name so culture VARIES wildly. My guess would be a hybrid Spathoglottis plicata mainly due to the growth habit and flower color. I'd bet 3 to one it was GH cultured so check with the nursery that supplid it to HD. Most carry extensive websites and you'll get a positive I.D. at least to the genus. At least you'll be able to eliminate that which it is not. You can bet that it's not something the nursury is not growing>lol I use this method a lot when shopping at the box stores. Love the tags that say "6 inch tropical" or "Delightful house plant",don't bother asking the clerks they have enough problem with the price.lol If you get into orchids be SURE to get a positive I.D on any purchase . This info is essential when researching and if you decide to show. Way more important than other families due to the MANY kinds. gary

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

The mystery of why your plant had so many leaves is solved! You have two plants growing. They look healthy, roots look good, one appears to be getting more light - size of leaf and color is lighter. Whether you separate them is up to you. I would leave them, increase light and hopefully you will get spikes this fall. I see you live in Oregon, it is possible the plants are not receiving enough light and you might want to supplement with a CFL bulb to increase your chance of spiking. Your plants should be making new leaves and roots over summer and with a temp drop in Sept. you should see spikes beginning. Jane

I have the Anacacho orchid tree (Bauhinia lunarioides) that I bought last year, believe at the Desert Botanical Garden spring plant sale. I initially planted it in a 12" wide, 18" deep ceramic pot where it has thrived to the point it's tall enough that I think it needs to be in the soil. I am in the process of transplanting it to a nearby area where it will receive morning sun and afternoon/evening shade... The DBG's spring plant sale is going on thru tomorrow (Sunday 3/17). You might call them to see if they have any. I believe there are several of these trees planted in the xeriscaped area around the Glendale Main Library. There is a volunteer group of gardeners that maintain that area and they might know of somewhere in the Valley where you can find them