In My Bush House October 2018

It’s a great time in the bush house at the moment after the rain, although it did tend to mark some flowers. This year we would all agree has been strange with late flowers for almost all growers and we have not been excluded. Some plants missed the shows but flowered superbly, while some other plants failed to flower at all.

This year was a great one for Dockrillia species and hybrids, I do have a few, but my-oh-my the species flowering this year can only be described as superb. At the moment we have the following plants in flower Dockrillia, calamiformis, nugentae, schoenina, pugioniformis, striolata and racemosa. Multiple plants of these and flowering beautifully. I love going into the bush house at the moment the scent is wafting from the northern end where most of these flowering plants are.

Other plants include Dendrobium kingianum, adae, falcorostrum, and tetragonum var. giganteum. Sarcochilus falcatus and olivaceous have started to bloom and more plants are opening daily. Plectorrhiza tridentata sends out its perfume as soon the sun peaks its head out and the scent is intoxicating. Bulbophyllum wadsworthii is in bloom a month after we saw it in full bloom on Mt. Baldy in far North Queensland.

Dendrobium kingianum

Plants in bud include Dendrobium jonesii var. magnificum and Dendrobium fleckeri these should be truly magnificent when out, but we will have to wait for this event.

The rain has brought problems with a few fungal attacks on flowers so you need to get out some Mancozeb or Eco fungicide and spray all your plants. Don’t forget to keep a lookout for aphids and surprise surprise, I killed a couple of grasshoppers. I have become adept to finding where these buggers hide during the daylight hours and these two are now deceased and adding to the fertilizer organically. Keep a watch out for Dendrobium beetle as soon as the sun starts to warm us up they will be out and about.

New growths are starting to appear and if you are splitting up now watch them. I have been potting on and splitting up and with this rain the roots are starting to move. While temperatures are relatively low now is the time, so get into it.

Make sure that you have implements on hand and Tricleanium for cleaning them. Have plenty of bark or potting mix available along with pots, hangers and labels. Don’t run out or you might tend to stop and put it off.

A great time in and around the bush house now, so this is all from me as that is where I am heading.

Good Growing

Bill Dobson