Backyard Finds

Though this post has nothing to do with orchids, I wanted to share with everyone some of the cool stuff that thrives in my backyard.  It's currently winter, so everything is either dead looking or overrun with clovers.  So during the spring, I'll take more pictures of our fruit trees, vines, and bushes.  This is just a preview.

A "misty blueberry" bush.  It's actually the name, and it's lived up to it.  California's Bay Area either has a wet season and a dry season.  My dad coined the term "wet Christmas" as a parody to the classic Christmas song "White Christmas".  Anyways, this is a beautiful picture of what frost does to the plants in my yard, and how the Bay Area's constant sunny skies does to the cycle of deciduous plants. BLUEBERRIES IN THE MIDDLE OF WINTER!!! weird....

I'm not quite sure what bug it is on this grapevine, but it's pretty.  Most grapevines stop growing and start dropping their leaves during the winter...well, this one is still growing strong though it's December.  Hopefully we can get some grapes this summer....

IT'S A CRICKET!....I think.

December Bloomers 2012!

It's been a while since I've updating anything, sorry.  It's currently winter break and I can finally squeeze in a little time in between studying for finals, the SATs, and AP Physics, AND AP STATS!  Gah...it's a miracle that I haven't died from exhaustion.  Anyways, with December comes...orchid bloomers!

Oh FYI, these pictures are taken with a Nikon D90 with a Nikon AF-S Micro Nikkor 40mm lens.

 This is a NOID cymbidium that has been growing all summer long, and has finally given me two spikes with 6 buds each with two or three more spikes on the way. I still can't tell the difference between a new growth or a new spike on a cymbidum...they just look too similar....
Mom has been trying to tell me that the blooms this year are not as pretty as last year...which sinks my heart a little.  Sigh...they're pretty to me.

*I need to figure out how to put emoticons on blogger.....

My potinara hoku gem "freckles" is bloom for first time since I bought in July.  The colors just keep changing...When I first bought it was lava red.  Now it's turning orange, red, yellow, and magenta....So weird.

My oncidium twinkle "fragrance fantasy".  It has four spikes with tens of flowers.  It's rumored to be extremely fragrant, but I haven't gotten the chance to smell it because either the rain of the Bay Area's winter blocks out the sun or I leave too early in the morning for school for the sun to intensify the scent.  Hopefully the clouds will clear up soon so I can smell it.



 My epicattleya rene marques "flamethrower" is in bloom for the third time this year.  The thing is that the spikes takes FOREVER to grow.  The new growth from the plant began to grow at the end of spring this year, and I saw the spike emerging around September, and It only started to form buds at the end of November.  This plant can really test your patience...but it's all worth it once you see the flowers.

Hydroponics

Brr. Nelly Isler "swiss beauty"

I have finally experimented with hydroponics....and it is the greatest thing that the orchid gods could have created.  I absolutely love the system.  It saves me time and money.  The orchids, after established in the system, begin to grow like weeds with new roots.  I use clear tupperware containers with holes that I drill for the reservoir about an inch from the bottom.  This system saves water and saves watering time. The only drawback is that you have to be careful with the type of water you use and flushing out the salts from fertilizers.  It is best to use rainwater or distilled rainwater, because bad water can lead to root rot.  I learned that the hard way...

I only change my orchids into the system when it is actively growing where new roots and new growth are emerging.  I remove all of its old potting medium and then pot it up again with the clay pellets like any other orchids.  Then I put into a makeshift greenhouse which is basically a plastic fish tank with a white opaque garbage bag covering the top to keep the humidity in.  I keep it in the environment until I see some new roots growing, which is usually about two weeks.  Then viola...done!

I have tried this system on four of my orchids and am going to change most of my orchids into the system once I find the appropriate pots.  Oh yeah, you know the pain the butt I which I have called my miltoniopsis...yeah. It's growing new roots and new shoots ever since I changed it into hydroponics.  I guess I can only grow miltoniopsis in hydroponics for now.

Mommy Milt. Maui Mist "Golden Gate"

Maxillaria Tenuifolia

Milt. Maui Mist "Golden Gate"

Paph. Napa Valley "maudie"