OK. This is an issue of marital bliss.
My tracyanum did not bloom this year. No surprise since I divided it last Spring because it was becoming too large for indoor culture during Winter. It turns out that my partner, who considers orchids to the extent of "pretty flowers", values tracyanum as one of his favorite orchids!
Oh, how I've failed!!
At dinner tonight, he told me that he's willing to give up space in his garden window so that tracyanum will bloom next year. Truly, no small concession. While acknowledging his generous offer, I reminded him of tracyanum's general size, e.g. leaf length, and of the light requirements, never mind the space necessary to accommodate the flower spike. Nevertheless, he brought out the tape measure to ascertain how large of a plant his garden window can hold--clear demonstration to the seriousness of his offer. There are also concerns (on my part) about one of our cats foraging upon tracyanum's leaves if I should let the plant be housed in that window. She's demonstrated the behavior once before, many years past. But, we can manage her instincts pre-emptively.
It's one thing to push myself to get plants to bloom. After all, this is MY hobby. But, do any of you have your significant others raising the bar?
Are there any compact tracyanums out there? Kobsukh's new hybrid (madidum x tracyanum) will be the next, best alternative.
11 years ago
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2 comments:
Hey Kev,
What a generous partner you have! Mine has the nickname of Natural Born Plant Killer! I didn't come up with that name, it was self imposed.
Have you tried C. Ken Siew? It is a primary hybrid of C. tracyanum and C. erythraeum. It is a much smaller plant with thinner leaves. It will bloom well in a 6" pot. The flowers are smaller than C. tracyanum but they are highly fragrant. They also last longer.
Maybe we need to start working on miniature C. tracyanum hybrids?
Cheers,
Chuckie
Chuckie,
Hopefully Cym. Ken Siew and Cym. Madison Falls are fertile, as hybridizing between them can help to create a floriferous, fragrant mini tracy.
Do you have a particularly red form of tracyanum to cross with suave? It'd be a follow-along cross per Madison Falls, but might also improve floriferousness of the mini tracies.
Kevin
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