This one orchid reminds of a beautifully cut piece of clothing from a more romantic era, stunning with vivid pink and white, not too much, not too sweet but just enough to take one's breath away for a moment or two.
And beware, it's not for the faint hearted.
This type of orchid, since it's a odontoglossum type, can suffer easily from heat stress, and if you cannot keep the plants cool enough in summer, try putting them out of doors in a well shaded place where they can be kept moist and humid. If placed in too much light, the leaves will quickly turn a reddish hue. If not overdone, this is an acceptable colour that will return to green when the sun looses it's power. However, if the exposure is excessive, the whole leaf surface will become dark red and the leaf will die.
Remember that if the orchid looses too many leaves at one time it will go into decline and may die if not re-potted quickly and the leafless pseudobulbs should be removed to avoid straining the plants strength.
The cross is a intermediate, rather cool-growing and prefers the temperatures below 25 degrees Celcius, although it can take higher if treated well, kept moist and with a good circulation of colder air to cool it down.
As a odontoglossum type it prefers moister environment, this means you need to make sure that the potting medium is never bone dry and occasional misting or spraying especially in the morning will only benefit the health of the orchid.
Apply feed all year round, with breaks to flush the built up of salts from the potting mix. Make sure to switch from a normal fertilizer to a bloom booster when the first sings of a flower spike show.
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The best medium to grow is a mixture of bark, perhaps charcoal and sphagnum moss, I mix this up with a handful of hydroton as the clay balls are really good in aerating the medium but also help to hold the moisture. Also they mimic in a way stones that happen in real environment, and perhaps make the orchid feel better.
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This cross was breed to flower freely all year round so the flowers may appear at any time. On occasion, a mature plant will produce a very tall, well-flowered spike that is more than it can support. As the buds develop to opening stage, the plant will suddenly badly shrivel, which is an indication that the flowers are sapping it's strength and it cannot support them and live. This doesn't happen too often, and it's more possible to happen in a plant that is already weak and in decline, as a form of last resort to try and propagate even with the cost of it's own life. However it its the only best way to remove the flower spike and repot the plant as soon as possible as this will encourage new growth and production of new roots and will allow for the recovery to begin.
The best chance to get this orchid is to look in nurseries, as it doesn't have a official name you are most lucky to look by the cross description. On-line you can find it at a great price at RayCreek Orchids or on Orchideen-Wichmann.
There are also other nurseries and garden stores which may supply it.
And beware, it's not for the faint hearted.
This odontoglossum hybrid has a very mixed parenthood, no official registered name - as far as I can see anywhere - and different names depending on official materials.
However this beautiful plant has been created by crossing a Vuylstekeara (Burrageara) Yokara Perfection and Oncidium Leucochilum, and depending on the clone there will be a slight difference between some of the flower characteristics, in example some of the plants may have narrower petals, or more white than purple markings or the other way around. But remember this is not a bad thing! Never, never ever think that since your flowers don't look exactly like the ones on the internet they are ugly! It's totally the opposite, especially with crosses this type. It only makes your plant more individual and beautiful. After all it mean nobody else in the world will have flowers as you do.
Remember that if the orchid looses too many leaves at one time it will go into decline and may die if not re-potted quickly and the leafless pseudobulbs should be removed to avoid straining the plants strength.
The cross is a intermediate, rather cool-growing and prefers the temperatures below 25 degrees Celcius, although it can take higher if treated well, kept moist and with a good circulation of colder air to cool it down.
As a odontoglossum type it prefers moister environment, this means you need to make sure that the potting medium is never bone dry and occasional misting or spraying especially in the morning will only benefit the health of the orchid.
Apply feed all year round, with breaks to flush the built up of salts from the potting mix. Make sure to switch from a normal fertilizer to a bloom booster when the first sings of a flower spike show.
The best medium to grow is a mixture of bark, perhaps charcoal and sphagnum moss, I mix this up with a handful of hydroton as the clay balls are really good in aerating the medium but also help to hold the moisture. Also they mimic in a way stones that happen in real environment, and perhaps make the orchid feel better.
This cross was breed to flower freely all year round so the flowers may appear at any time. On occasion, a mature plant will produce a very tall, well-flowered spike that is more than it can support. As the buds develop to opening stage, the plant will suddenly badly shrivel, which is an indication that the flowers are sapping it's strength and it cannot support them and live. This doesn't happen too often, and it's more possible to happen in a plant that is already weak and in decline, as a form of last resort to try and propagate even with the cost of it's own life. However it its the only best way to remove the flower spike and repot the plant as soon as possible as this will encourage new growth and production of new roots and will allow for the recovery to begin.
The best chance to get this orchid is to look in nurseries, as it doesn't have a official name you are most lucky to look by the cross description. On-line you can find it at a great price at RayCreek Orchids or on Orchideen-Wichmann.
There are also other nurseries and garden stores which may supply it.
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Some pictures presented in this article may not belong to me and are a property of their respectable owners.
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