In My Bush House April 2018
What has happened to Autumn I ask, as it seems that summer just rolls along? Yesterday on my deck, under cover, it was 39 degrees. So don’t look a gift horse in the mouth. The roots on all my plants are moving and growing – so fertilize and push them along while you can. Winter is coming, to paraphrase a TV show so move them along now. If you do this you will be rewarded in the spring.
Sarcochilus are moving well now so if you were going to re-pot now would be the time with the roots growing they would jump into new bark. Add some blood and bone and they will respond. Sarcochilus should be sending out their ’spikes’ now so feeding them is important as is watering.
If you have Sarcochilus falcatus for example they should have their little stubby spikes initiated by now but will not burst into flower until late spring, September-October. It should come as no surprise that this is one of my favourite orchids. They grow from below the Victorian border all the way up the Great Dividing Range to just short of Cooktown. The interesting thing is there are some large gaps in between and the further north you get the earlier the flowering. So some of the plants from the Windsor and Atherton Tablelands flower as early as mid-July. So even if they are brought down to Sydney the flowering time remains the same.
A lot of the Dendrobium growths are starting to finish their growth spurt and will be hardening off so look after them with water and fertilizing. This is essential for flowers this year and next.
With the hot weather still here I have caught a couple more grass hoppers, so keep an eye out as they will chomp on new growths. The best time I have found is to go out after dark with a bright torch and you can see their feelers. The light will temporally blind them and then you can grab them. Aphids are around so you have to be out and looking at your new growths as these can suck the life out of them. I use Pirimor which was made especially as an aphicide, but you can use Eco Oil which will smother them.
Keep the bush house clean, pick-up and dispose of old leaves and make sure you have plenty of room around plants that should flower this spring as you don’t want to be moving them about later.
Dendrobium prenticei, Cadetia taylori, Bulbophyllum schillerianum, are in flower as are some hybrid Sarcochilus. Oberonia titania are coming into flower with their delicate tresses. These plants are hardier than they look but do come from cloud forests or wet forested areas, so keep misted on the hot days.
Good Growing!
