Doritus awarded!

[Roth]

One of the parents came from OZ So I could see either of the above 2 scenarios plausible in this plant.

Then it would be a buyssoniana. The Orchid Zone did not breed many phals, and most of their motherplants were from Herb Hager, who had a very special interest in buyssoniana and making tetraploids. ( They released too an excellent strain of phalaenopsis maculata and equestris, of whom exceedingly few plants are alive today).

 

[Rick]

BTW, it is normal for doritis to turn reddish purple when exposed to bright light. I personally think it is one of the toughest orchids in existence, growing naturally as a lithophyte in direct sun, as can be seen here:

http://carnivorousockhom.blogspot.com/search?q=doritis

But if you look at these insitu pics growing in full sun on the rocks, they are green and not red/purple (at least nothing like what my plant looked like).

The next question to ask is where would the plant be getting any K since there should be next to none in the limestones that these plants generally grow on.

 

[biothanasis]

Fantastic colour!!! Congrats on the award!!!

 

[paphioboy]

In Dien Bien, there is a form with heavily mottled leaves ( now extinct in the wild) ...

I'm not sure about the 'extinct' status of that variety. I just saw a photo of what looks like that in another forum:

http://www.rv-orchidworks.com/orchi...y-meetings/17690-our-orchid-club-show-37.html

 

[Roth]

I'm not sure about the 'extinct' status of that variety. I just saw a photo of what looks like that in another forum:

http://www.rv-orchidworks.com/orchi...y-meetings/17690-our-orchid-club-show-37.html

Just extinct in the wild, but in culture there are still plants...

 

[cnycharles]

I have one of those mini-doritis pulcherrimas, which didn't seem at all to like my culture. It hasn't tried to put up leaves in quite a while (new ones black off) but the mass of roots seems to be alive (maybe). It never seemed very vigorous, and i'm at a loss as to what to do with it now?

 

[paphioboy]

I have one of those mini-doritis pulcherrimas, which didn't seem at all to like my culture. It hasn't tried to put up leaves in quite a while (new ones black off) but the mass of roots seems to be alive (maybe). It never seemed very vigorous, and i'm at a loss as to what to do with it now?

I think growing it drier and brighter (like phal cornu-cervi) can help...

 

[cnycharles]

It's been pretty dry for the most part, but when I read in roth's post about small doritis pulcherrima growing in amongst tree fern roots I didn't know if maybe I had the wrong media conditions/fertilizer for it. It doesn't look like it's tried to grow new leaves for a while, but the roots still look active. maybe it's deceased...

 

[jtrmd]

congrats

 

[emydura]

Well done Rick. Well deserved.

David

 

[JeanLux]

Congratulations Rick!!!! Jean

 

[FlowerFaerie]

Wow - stunning plant, and congratulations on the award. You have chosen a very fitting name, too.

 

[SlipperKing]

Congrats Rick on your award! It may have been ask already but is this your first award?

 

[toddybear]

Good on you! It's a beauty!

 

[Rick]

Congrats Rick on your award! It may have been ask already but is this your first award?

No. Two other AM's on Bulbophyllum species, and a CHM on a Malaxis sp.


But no AOS awards for slippers at this time

 

[John M]

No. Two other AM's on Bulbophyllum species, and a CHM on a Malaxis sp.


But no AOS awards for slippers at this time

Won't be long now. Your new feeding regimen and basket culture seems to be producing superior results. You're going to be bringing out the best in your plants over the next year or two.

I keep looking at this Doritis. It sure is stunning and well grown, well bloomed. Congrats again! :clap:

 

[abax]

The color is stunning, Rick.

I've had a few little problems with Doritis mixed in with
my mounted species Phal. collection and your suggestions
just might be very helpful. Aside from the gravel, what
else is in that basket besides marvelous roots?

 

[Rick]

I've had a few little problems with Doritis mixed in with
my mounted species Phal. collection and your suggestions
just might be very helpful. Aside from the gravel, what
else is in that basket besides marvelous roots?

The basket was lined with sphagnum before adding the plant and gravel. There's also some building sand (maybe a tablespoon) washed down into it as a top dress.

I got a big shift in this plant before going to the basket. Namely by dosing with epsom salts, and then "diluting" my fertilizer with calcium nitrate.

You may want to ckeck out some of the threads started on my nutrition changes, since they have been helping just about all my plants (I have a lot of mounted phals too).

 

[Pete]

congrats. a beautifully colored and well formed example of the species.

also roth and paphioboy-you guys talking about the tough growing conditions of this species reminds me of the superb photos a speaker at the recent WOC showed during his lecture 'orchids of laos'. he showed very similar photos to the ones shown here.

 

[SlipperFan]

I just saw this in the Atlanta OS newsletter. Congrats again, Rick!