experimenting with new media combination

though from my previous post one may notice that i am not a sphag guy for catasetums, but recently i am experimenting by mixing some sphagnum moss in the charcoal media. but instead of packing a large ball of sphagnum moss in the media, i am actually laying the moss in lace pattern, alternating strands of moss with charcoal media and with charcoal as top finishing.

reason for doing this

1. moss embedded in the charcoal are protect from light and thus less problem with algae growth

2. by laying moss in strands rather than a big chunk, they dry faster and less rotting problem yet in the same time produce the additional moisture and fertilizer it adsorb during watering

i had been experimenting this for about two months, so far the results are encouraging, especially for weak bulbs, or those revived from very shrivel bulbs. they tend to recuperate faster.

i would also welcome any comments or those who wanted to share his/her experience with catasetum media cultivation.

Bublophyllum medusae

one of my top list favorite bulbo, the medusae.

almost about hundred of laces like sepals in a flower bud but manages to unwind itself to bloom into this wonderful flower. so far no scent detected and the length of the bloom is about 11 inches. the pics here showing the sequence of the bud development and the last pic is the close up of the flower. has anyone with a medusae counted how many flowers that made up the entire bloom?

catasetum denticulatum

After two months of repotting it, finally setting out the second spike. initially when in came, the roots (the numbers can be counted), four of them if my memory serves me correctly were soaked in sphagnum moss. it looks a little bit moldy to me and not much of root activity which is rather unusual for a developing pseudobulbs.

hence the decision to re pot it was right though initially i am having cold feet about repotting it after all the eerie story i heard about denticulatum cultivation.
was told that these are one of those miniature catasetums, the bulb would only grow to 4-6 inches in size but however, there could be about 20 inflorescence per spike! that would be my next target to achive!

phalenopsis violecea coerulae

this is something away from my norm, most of my post would be on catasetum but got to post this one as well cause it is such a beauty.

just something different to share.

26 November 2011, from the first post till current date, the plant had already developed from one to three spike.