In My Bushhouse (Oct. 2017)

Standing in my bushhouse writing some notes after just watering all the plants. My tank has run dry! I have never experienced this in over 20 years. Ah well just as well the dams are full as I will now have to rely on Sydney water, which is the best in the world. All things considering the plants are doing well if not a little shrivelled. Part of this is the effort taken out because of flowering and part because of the lack of humidity and water and that damned wind that keeps on blowing.

I have removed all the old racemes from all the Den. speciosum and notice that many have started to put out new roots and growths. So get stuck into your repotting or breaking up plants NOW. I hope to have mine completed by end of November, at least that is the plan.

I have broken some up and settled into new pots and topped up with slow release and blood and bone. I am also giving a small layer of fine (10mm) bark this year and will let you know how that goes. 50 down and hundreds and hundreds to go! The slow part is making up bags and bags of bark but strangely quiet and rewarding!

Some late flowering plants of Dendrobium monophyllum, Dockrilla pugioniforme, Dockrilla schoenina and well as Plectorrhiza tridentata whose perfume is wafting through the bushhouse. Plants of Den. kingianum and Sarcochilus falcatus are in various stages of flowering.

All of a sudden the plants of hybrid and species Sarcochilus hartmannii and Sarcochilus fitzgeraldii are coming into bloom and the variety of colour is amazing.

Be prepared to keep the water up to your plants while this condition of dry and low humidity lasts. The poor plants in the bush are not faring too well as there is a huge amount of leaf drop from the trees as they scale back to survive this current dry spell.

I haven’t seen any Dendrobium beetles yet but won’t be long to keep a lookout.

Also the one pest that has arrived are aphids so be prepared. Either use Pirimor® or similar for Aphids as they will multiply rapidly as one female can give birth to 100 live young overnight and then the trouble expands exponentially.

Also beware of fungal conditions as the winds subside and the humidity increases so be prepared to spray as a preventative Eco fungicide and Eco oil are available as safe and effective sprays.

Good growing and hope the rain comes soon.

Bill Dobson

(Dockrilla schoenina photo: Australian Orchid Nursery)