Egypt4u

This is my weekly update on

SUPERSTAR




MINERVA (hardly moving and looks like leave tip with no sign of a flower bud)


The big pink/red Christmas Cactus is starting to bud but only just a few buds




Both my orchids. They are definitely healthy enough little plants and each has produced one more leaf and the odd aerial root but no sign of a flower bract at all.

Your Orchids certainly look healthy enough
Can I suggest that you get a slightly wider outer pot? they do like to get light down to the roots that should be growing between the two pots (outer and inner)

No problemo - I have pots and do I have pots! They ARE doing well in that they're healthy and looking good however they're just sitting as you see them. Will try a larger pot.

I have often seen orchids grown in clear plastic pots and assumed that as the naturally grown in the crevices and forks of trees, that some light on the roots might be natural/desirable?

PS Have you tried ice cubes?

They are grown and sold in clear pots and that is why you need a larger outer pot so that the light can get to the roots. Here you can see two kinds of roots on my plants, one kind is seen growing inside the clear pot and the others are aerial roots that grow between the outer and the inner pot and there are also plenty of aerial roots on the outside of the two pots.

Almost a disaster this morning, the first Tesco bulb which I put in the kitchen window because it was roaring away far to fast had all the leaves collapsed at 90 degrees to the bulb. Fortunately they had not broken and so I leant them against the window pane to support them, after a few hours they were straight again but looking very vulnerable. So I have put a stick in between the inner and outer pot and tied up the leaves although the flower spike is still unsupported at about 7” tall but the leaves are over 19” long, we live in hope. At the moment I have my neighbours wife’s car parked under my kitchen window as they are away for the weekend and with a 28 foot caravan, a 4x4 like my own, plus his brother in laws car parked in his own drive he was running out of parking space, so being a good neighbour.


The Monster is still doing very well and looks so much sturdier, the flower spikes are now 16” tall with the leaves about 11”. Overall it looks to be a better proportioned plant and the flower buds are quite large at around 4” long so I am hoping that the flowers will be at least 6” in diameter.
The Amazon bulb is growing nice and slowly with two very nice parallel flower spikes, the longest at about 13” tall, but no leaves although there is the tip of one just about showing. The flower buds are half the size at about 2.5” long so as I suspected I think they will be a small flower of maybe 4” to 4.5” diameter.


The second Tesco bulb (The Grandad) has just started to show a leaf tip.

Hurray! Everything in motion.

I'll try to get photos of mine up this afternoon. I had put them in a bigger pot and then put that into the china original as a Goes-sunder, not a good move as the pot doesn't sit straight and makes number one look as if it's leaning, when it is actually compensating. I will give then new outers this afternoon.

Very dull here today, this is the best I can do with my shaky hands

For comparison of size they are in 6inch pots.


Monte Carlo the tall one is now 10inches from the bulb to tip of bud.

Apple Blossom and Red Lion just have their nose up.

Minerva and the other Red Lion haven't moved at all.

Note the pastel pots are from Poundland, I've had them in all sizes for several seasons. They are strong, don't seem to be affected by sunlight outside cheap and cheerful. The 6 inch pots are the largest so far and cost £1 for two, Smaller sizes obviously you get more for your £1. They don't have drainage holes as such - the holes are covered with a thin layer of plastic, removed in moments with a pointed knife. I like terracotta for choice but these chaps do the job well, they come in pastel shades of green, pink and blue plus recently White. Thoroughly recommend them.

Tell me folks - what do you do if you are planting indoor bulbs etc. in pots that don't have drainage holes in the bottom?

Ruby Slippers wrote:Tell me folks - what do you do if you are planting indoor bulbs etc. in pots that don't have drainage holes in the bottom?

Make sure there is a good bit of grit or broken pot at the bottom before planting and water sparingly, just keep the compost damp.

I have absolutely no comment to make on this topic.

I will only say that I wouldn't plant any bulbs directly into a pot with without drainage holes ..............again.

I am not quite sure how to break the news to Grandad, but when tidying up in my garden today I noticed that my Daffs were breaking through the soil already.

I have a beautiful blue campanula just a few months old growing well and in full in flower - it's self sown in a crack in the concrete of my garden path. Thus proving any results good or bad that I have - are not my responsibility.

Horus wrote:I am not quite sure how to break the news to Grandad, but when tidying up in my garden today I noticed that my Daffs were breaking through the soil already.

Plastic ones no doubt

"Mock ye not" Grandad I will soon be posting pictures of my Amaryllis in full flower
Mind you I only planted those daffs 2 years ago and last year I had loads of leaves and not a single flower on any of them

My second Red Lion is just showing this morning, but no signs yet from Minerva. This bulb is very narrow across the neck and the withered leaf bases and the top of the bulb show no sign of green or swelling.

The tall Monte Carlo is very responsive to light, I have to turn it several times a day even though I've now got it against the biggest window in the kitchen with no venetian blinds.

I am predicting that The Monster will have an open flower within the next week

It's going to be very interesting to see how long each one takes from planting to first flowers opening. My Monte Carlo is about 18/19 days behind the Monster I think and I would guess two more weeks for mine, so not so far behind.

It is quite amazing how quickly these bulbs develop and then flower. (except for Grandads)