Terrestrial Orchids

[MattA]

Joel, me remind you or you remind me

For anyone interested in tracking down hard to get species http://www.westernorchids.com.au/ Kevin & Helen are THE experts in the germination of native orchids. If your able to collect seed from a plant they can do the germination or provide a full kit for DIY. I used them a couple of times in the late 80's with varying success (not for fault of the kit). Last i looked the catalogue of flasks was mainly clones of select forms or hybrids, hybrid & species seedlings. They may well have what your looking but not have it listed.

[MattA]

A couple of weeks on & the stalk is starting to extend.

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This is life size, it is important I return it to the bench with the same original alignment.

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The accent is also strongly oriented to the sun, collected as a small lichen in the midst of a moss patch, it has grown 50 fold over the last 18months. I can spend hours lost in this forest.

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The colours change dramatically on the south side, as does the understorey.

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The dead spot on the eastern end is where a break away segment of lichen took hold & grew out over the side until it uprooted itself into the gravel tray below.

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The western end reminds me of a fat cumulus cloud passing over a highspot in the forest.

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Unfortunately attempts to germinate last years seed was unsuccessful, heres hoping she seeds again this year

[craigw60]

Heres my pterostylis as promised, there is one with really big flowers which is just starting to show buds but these 2 are nearly out
Craigw

[MattA]

Hey Craig,
They are certainly well established Most orchid growers would probably tell you to split them up, I just want them in a decent pot so they can be displayed on the bench during the season. If you can get some clear pics of an open flower from various angles I will see if I can help with ID (if someone else here doesnt beat me to it)
Matt

[Joel]

Very well grown Craig! What is your mix?

Joel

[craigw60]

Thanks Joel, its spent bonsai mix so diatomite and well rotted pine park. They grow in the polytunnel and I stop watering them as soon as the leaves die off and don't resume watering until they start to surface in the late autumn so they are completely dry over summer. Every time I move tubers I take a good lot of potting mix with them to transfer the mycorrhiza.
Craigw

[Joel]

Cool thanks Craig!

I'm growing a few species myself. None of mine look that healthy though! I'll post shots of some of mine when in flower (soon). Next season I plan to put some P. concinna into an accent pot. It is one of the smaller species.

Joel

[MattA]

Pot by Masami Watanabe - Tokonoma, pic from http://www.poterie-du-monde.com/pots-ja ... ,2,361.cfm. I figure as its a sales pic it is in the public domain & blah blah blah. Very quick dirty virt

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Would something like this be deep enough for them to be healthy?

[MattA]

Joel,
It would be great to see some of your terrestrials if you feel like taking some pics for us?
Matt

[shibui]

Craigs Pterostylis.
first pic is probably P. pedunculata but I will need to check the flowers as they open. This guess based on the brown top to the flower, upright stance and colony forming. also very common and widespread and in your area.
I guess your id of the second one as P. nutans is correct - nothing else like it. Confirm it when the flowers open and bend over.
A wild guess on the large flowered ones would be P. curta. This guess based on it also being a very common and widespread species that should be in your area and also easy to grow. A photo of the front of the flower when it opens showing the labellum will confirn (or not) this.

[craigw60]

Joel, will be interested to see some of your orchids such an interesting group of plants
Matt I reckon that pot has not been divided for quite a few years so the depth must be fine, nice pot for an old pine
Thanks Neil I suspect you are correct, I got the tubers through the ANOS tuber bank many years ago and would have picked out local species which increase freely.
Craigw

[chrisatrocky]

Here's a little orchid we have as an accent 'Dendrochilum tenellum'

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the flowers

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the size of the flower

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we have a couple of other miniture orchids which we are going to do up as accents later this year.

chris

[MattA]

The first of several flowers has fully opened

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[Joel]

That's really cool Matt! Might have to get some from ANOS.

Here are some of my Pterostylis that are in flower now.

Enjoy!

[shibui]

Nice pics Joel. Yours are way ahead of mine.
For victorians who might like to grow some of these fascinating natives Australian Native Orchid Society (Vic) has sales at the spring show.

Come and join with us on 29th-30th September at the Mount Waverley Community Centre and experience first hand the wonders of these amazing plants.

see detailshttp://anosvic.org.au/ANOS_Vic_Spring_Show.html

ANOS also operates a 'tuber bank'. Members with surplus plants offer excess tubers to the tuber bank. Other members can request tubers from the tuber bank. Detailshttp://anosvic.org.au/ANOS_Vic_Tuber_Bank.html

I assume that branches in other states operate similar systems???

Another commercial source is Nsbitts orchids in SA - Nesbitts Orchids - Australian Deciduous Terrestrial Orchids - PO Box 72, Walkerville, South Australia 5081 (Ph (08) 8261 1550 Fax (08) 8266 0372) Email: lesn@adam.com.au