WINDOWSILL ORCHIDS Contributors: Chris Welch; <950110152921_4585562@aol.com> Stephen Weissmann ;<01HLPW4CYJDU8Y5BPJ@psc.plymouth.edu> Sally Pecor; sgp93@acs.org (Sally Pecor) Roak Citroen; <950122064546_75504.3066_GHJ36-1@CompuServe.COM> The following list of plants grow well indoors for these growers. Some are summered outside. -Ascontrum ampullaceum -Ascocentrum miniatum -Ascocentrum miniatum, in spike with four spikes -Barkeria chinensis, inside all year, nice bloomer, but sort of frightening life cycle-has done well for a few years-now completely dormant (beginning of the end?) -Baptistonia echinata -Brassavola nodosa-inside, or summered out, better blooms when summered out (I've also got a Brassavola nodosa x cordata -summer out, which is extremely vigorous, and blooms better than my nodosa) -Brassvola nodosa, great frangrance. Tolerates poor temperature control. -Brassia hybrids summer out-I've got one which has never flowered, although huge. Another regularly flowers, despite relatively small size-nice fragrance, though flowers sort of short lived. -Cattleya bowringiana and misc. hybrids require summer out for blooming. I do better with the ones which bloom in Fall and Winter-Sometimes the spring bloomers blast buds in my dry home winter conditions-not always though. In general, these Cattleya types have always grown well, but only started to bloom when I began summering out. Cattleya hybrids: -Lc Tiny Trick -Lc Tangerine Imp -Slc Hazel Boyd 'Mikabbi' -Slc Hazel Boyd 'Elizabeth' -Slc(?) Fire Dance 'Patricia -Lc. and Slc. mini-cats, which I'm just starting out with but have had some success with. Tolerates poor temperature control. -Minicat hybrid - excellent growth, won't bloom -Coelogyne cristata -Coelogyne lawrenceana, both are new but seem to do well, they were rejects from other growers. -Cymbidium Peepers 'Santa Barbara' -Dendrobium - formosum type -Dendrobium Livinstone 'Mishima' (antelope type) -Dendrobium oligophyllum -Dendrobium Vashon pride -Encyclia cochlea, which is in constant bloom in my kitchen, Tolerates poor temperature control. -Eria fragrans (Eria javanicum?) summer out, very vigorous grower (unkillable) prolific bloomer, nice fragrance, but relatively short-lived flowers. -Laelia anceps summer out, Bud blast can be a problem, but not if given very good summer growth. -Laelia lundii, summer out, nice mini -Leptotes bicolor inside all year, Thrives, grown for years. (Last summer I took two identical clones of Leptotes bicolor and place one outside, left the other on the windowsill. I was surprised to find that the windowsill plant put on better growth, and has earlier and more robust spikes than the outside plant!) -Masdavallia floribunda - inside all year/vigorous/faithful bloomer -Masdavallia infracta - inside all year vigorous -Masdavallia strobelii - nice, fragrant, seems to be EZ, but haven't had it very long. -Miltonia Connie Warne -Neohelmannia porpax, summer out-vigorous growth, OK bloomer so far -Notylia xiphorous (I know it's been renamed, but can't remeber what) -Ornithophora radicans, inside all year, good grower, vigorous bloomer. -Oncidium (Equitant) hybrids, summers out faithful bloomers -Oncidiums Equidant [sp?] (the little guys, with the terete leaves). Tolerates poor indoor temperature control. -Oncidium ornithorhyncum summer out, blooms like crazy, up to 4 spikes per new growth, fragrant. -Oncidium papillio 'Butterfly' -Oncidium ornithorhynchum -Oncidium varicosum -Oncidium reflexum -Oncidium william thornston, in spike. -Paphiopedilum sukakullii and callosum (also Maudiae) inside all year faithful bloomers but mine grow slowly. (Do you think summering out is a good idea? I've been a little worried about bugs and water catching in the fans). -Paphiopedilum in the Brachy" and Parvis sections grow and bloom in a window under lights -Paphiopedilum malipoense, seems reluctant to stay alive in a window under lights. -Pescoranthes Painted Lady summer out, A Klehm hybrid reputed to be rapid grower and prolific bloomer-it is, gets about 4-5 nice long lasting flowers for each new growth. -Phalenopsis hybrids inside all year EZ bloomers -Phalenopsis aphrodite inside all year EZ bloomer -Phalenopsis equestris -Phalenopsis hybrids: Babette 'Hawaii', Dawn Hunter 'Vanessa' -Phalenopsis hybrids, whites and pinks especially, do well [just an aside: unless a Phal is infected with a bacteria it's basically in the "plant- that-wouldn't-die" catagory] Tolerates poor inside temperature control. -Phragmipedium court jester, division, growing great in window under lights. -Phragmipedium sedinii, seedling, growing well -Pleurothallis grobyii, inside all year, vigorous grower and good bloomer, interesting mini. -Pleurothallis gheisbregtiana, inside all year, fragrant-short lived flowers. -Vanda rothschildiana Note: I've got a lot of other species, many acquired as seedlings, which are growing well, but haven't bloomed yet, or which I haven't bloomed repeatedly. Roak described his regime as follows: All plants are misted each and every day, regardless, at 7.45 am. All plants are watered every wednesday and sunday in the am, before noon. Fertilizer at 1/4 strength every second watering. Each plant is taken to the sink, watered and inspected twice a week. Light tubes in the stand are one growlux and one cool white, these are changed every six months to maintain the strongest levels of light. I also regularly mist with seaweed solutions to prevent spider mites, this seems to work very well for me, some growers think I'm nuts, but when it works who cares.