Babys of January

Once again I must say, spring really is on its way and I have a reason to walk/talk you through every new baby on my windowsills. Hopefully this will be an interesting overview.

First of all, Encyclia ciliare that, for a little while, did nothing at all. But now she has delighted me, and perhaps you also, with three rapid-growing babies.

Promenaea. Generally in a sad state and looks shabby but still has a new growth, which gives me great joy of course. Nevertheless, it seems that she might be having the same problem as my (now dead) paphiopedilum primulinum. I hope not, but we must wait and see. I am hoping to get a healthier Promenaea in the spring.

The Psychopsis baby seems to be growing even if you take your eyes off it for just a minute. It seems that the tale of psychopsis’ extra slow growth does not apply to new growths. Well obviously, it will still take time for the baby to grow as big as the biggest leaf but I can allow that.

Fake-colmanara aka a “regular” yellow oncidium #2. I am not entirely sure if you see these small, tiny, near microscopic bud but I do. They emerged yesterday during watering. And even though I already repotted this particular Oncidium in autumn, I may have to repot it again in the spring. I really can not stand not seeing what is going on in the pot. Same applies for the encyclia and a few others.

The big cattleya has grown two additional growths. Hopefully we’ll also get to see more blooms near autumn. She’s got a gorgeous bloom that smells like roses.

As you can see, the biggest growth is the same size as the old bulb (bulb+leaf).

Small cattleya seems to be on growing stand-by. The only thing growing is the root visible in the first picture – that’s better than nothing, though, I suppose. I did notice however, that we have another tiny growth coming. It’s small, yes, but it is coming :)

Tiny thing between the bulb and the supportive stick..

Another one currently on stand-by is Oncidium Sotoanum. I really can’t bother doing anything with her at the moment but let’s hope that when the days get longer again her babies will also grow. Oncidium is actually quite a fast-growing one.

In this shamefully foggy picture, you can see a Colmanara 'Jungle Monarch' who has grown a secret baby and I only noticed it yesterday. What a little sneak, that one.

A dendrobium nobile baby has grown a baby of its own. I am still not quite certain that thse friends will survive (even though they have been living in this pot for half a year + almost half a year in moss)

A little bit also about the cymbidiums. The big tsümbiidium has grown four growths, no stalks, though. But I am still grateful for the babies, for if there are no growths, there are no stalks. The flowers will come in their own time.

The small cymbidium is extremely slow in her growth but again, that’s better than nothing. There is hopw for anouther growth and hopefully we’ll see even more in spring.

The Catasetum is giving me headaches by now. In January, when she should be giving me new growths, she just dries up her leaves, doesn’t even pretend to look like she’s trying to make a growth. I seriously can’t take a stand on this. Let’s just hope that the growths come some time later. It’s not like I can do anything anyway, she is the orchid here and does her orchid things the way she sees fit.

I can’t say whether I can call the Zygos’ growths babies anymore because they are the size of proper plants already, the bubls haven’t come along yet, though. The one in the red pot could possibly still be called a baby but the ones in the orange pot are all grown up.

And to wrap it up, tolumnia who has reached her growing speed and the autumn growth is pretty big by now. The “upside-down growth” is still upside-down and I hope that when I get around to setting it in a clay pot in a month or two, I can turn her over and she can grow on … not upside-down.

Happy orchid growing!