In My Bush House - January 2019

So here we are in 2019 and in my bush house all things are growing with new shoots coming on all plants. I have spent some time cleaning up under the benches and removing old leaves. I have applied Blood and Bone to most potted plants and am proceeding with adding Confidor pills to all the potted plants. I have yet to start on the outdoor plants but we continue on.

I am fertilising each week as usual with Peters Excel Finisher at 1.5 grams per litre and this week added 60ml/100litres of Auxinone (Auxinone is a blend of root hormone stimulants and vitamins used to increase early root initiation in plants). Not if you feed your plant more than once a week divide this application by the number of times fed.

I have encountered Dendrobium beetles and have treated plants with Carbaryl (Bugmaster) 2ml/l and EcoOil 10ml/l and applied to new growths only will treat again in 2-3 weeks and continue until the growths have hardened off.

Inside the bushhouse there are aphids around so watch and spray I use Pirimor which is the best available but only available in bulk. Get together and share.

I have treated another load of bark; I do 100 litres at a time. I’m still using Ausgrow bark after 20 years it doesn’t suit everybody but when you’re on a good thing stick to it. I sieve it wash it to stop the composting process, and then add the secret ingredients mainly lime, dolomite, superphosphate, and hoof and horn. Rates are here:

• 2270 gms Hoof and horn or blood meal.

• 115 gms Potassium sulphate.

• 1135 gms Single super phosphate.

• 3400 gms Dolomite lime.

• 1135 gms Calcium carbonate lime

Sprinkle over the bark when wet and mix in. Anyway I have just split up a large plant that was potted on since 2010 and the bark in the centre was still hard nuggets. There are other barks available and other mixes as well you will have to decide what suits your area and microclimate.

So just to keep an interest some plants are flowering now; Dendrobium prenticei, Dockrillia wassellii, Bulbophyllum johnsonii, Bulbophyllum lageniforme, Plectorrhiza tridentata, Cadetia taylori, Sarcochilus ceciliae, Sarcochilus setosus, Liparis nugentae, Liparis coelogynoides.

Bulbophyllum lageniforme Sarcochilus setosus

I walked past the Liparis and had to go back down to the bush house and have another look. I don’t know why we don’t see more of these on the benches as both are really beautiful and we grow Bulbophyllum which pretty much all smell like rotting meat so come- on grow some Liparis and put on the benches.

Well that’s it from me; I hope that it’s the best growing and flowering year for you.