In My Bushhouse July 2019

So this strange ‘winter’ continues. I just came in from my bushhouse where it has rained overnight and the forecast today is for scattered showers but with a temperature of up to 19 degrees. The overnight temperature was 11 degrees and this is predicted for the rest of the week thru Sunday.

So what does this mean for the plants, well they are still growing strongly with new growths on some Dockrillias, speciosum, adae and tetragonum. Strong root activity is seen on all these plants, along with buds forming. The only plants that seem to be waiting are my Dendrobium falcorostrum, I wonder if they are waiting for snow😋. They always seem to be a little later though. I have had one Sarcochilus flower this month but for the rest they, as usual, have the racemes there with buds but will wait for later in the year to do their flowering, apart that is for the northern Queensland versions that still seem to flower in July-August each year. I wonder if they have a different pollinator.

My Den. speciosums outside the bushhouse variety capricornicum and pedunculatum have racemes well on the way to have a flowering in August, while those inside are still tucked away in their sheaths. Den. cacatua will flower soon as their buds are swollen whereas the other varieties of tetragonum, melaleucaphilum and capitisyork, all exhibit buds but are well away from flowering yet, hopefully. Den. aemulum and gracilicaule all have little stalks with pinheads on top so looks like a good year for them.

Den. tetragonum 'Jess' (George Oehm collection)

I have still seen the odd aphids and some mealy bug on barely a couple of plants and very little of the little grey coddling moth that in the past has done some damage so that looks good.

Keep up the fertilising and at the start of each month, last week, I continue to spray with Azamax (Neem extract) 3ml/l and EcoOil at 5ml/l and plants look good. For optimum use you should be doing this every 14 days or until the problem pests go away.

So with premium flowering time now only 4-8 weeks away clean up around them get rid of any weeds, stake up pseudobulbs, and turn the plants with racemes coming to face north. By facing the plants north as the racemes fully extend they tend not to twist following the sun. Their natural reaction when we have sun is to follow from east to west in a reduced arc.

Anyway that is enough to digest for now. Have some hot soup and toast or a roast and glass of red and think of the flowering and shows to come. Good growing.