For this week’s Six on Saturday, I focused on my orchids and palms.
Weather: We’ve not had any rain again this week, but the humidity is high, and areas of the back terrace that do not enjoy the sun remain wet all day. The nighttime temperatures have dipped to around 3C, and even in the sun during the day, where temperatures have reached around 19C by midday, the icy breeze has made it feel a lot colder in less sheltered areas of the garden.
Dendrobium Golden Blossom Orchid
I bought this orchid on the 6th December. Unusual, yes? Unfortunately within days of getting it home the leaves started to go yellow and the flowers dropped off. The last photograph is what it looks like now. I hold my breath to see if decides to live.
Cymbidium Orchids
I also bought this Cymbidium Orchid on the same day. It lives outside in a sheltered position on the terrace. Today’s photograph is much the same as when I first bought it. At 12.99 euros, it was a good bargain and cheaper than a bouquet of flowers.
I repotted the Cymbidium Orchid (below) last year. Brown marks appeared at the plant’s crown and it started to die. I am pleased to say that after I removed it from the pot and left the plant to rest and dry out in the garage for a few days. I repotted again, but in a much smaller pot, so the roots were more snug, and stopped watering for a couple of weeks. As you can see, the brown marks disappeared, but there is no sign of any flowers.
See here https://pigletinportugal.com/2024/11/23/sos-gardening-challenges/
Indoor Orchid
This is situated on a North-facing windowsill in the kitchen, which is not ideal, but it seems happy enough.
Cyclamen
After admiring Cyclamen on several Six on Saturday blogs, I decided to buy one. Much to my surprise, it is still alive and has flowered continuously since August. It lives in a sheltered position on the front terrace, so it has sun in the summer and shade in the winter. It tells me when it is thirsty as the flower stems start to wilt. I put the pot in a tray of water for a few hours to let the roots soak up moisture. I feed every few waterings with nettle or manure fertilizer. Fingers crossed, it continues to flower. I am now on a mission to buy another.
Sago Palm – Cycas revoluta
When a strange fern-like being started to develop in the middle of the sago palm, I excitedly waited for a beautiful flower, not something resembling alien eggs.
Mystery Palm
This palm produces berries which the birds LOVE. I tried to take a photograph with my phone but the image was too blurry. A shame because the blackbird even posed! So what’s with the yellow arrow? This is where I am going to try and grow aeroplanes. When the weather is a little warmer I will order some online.
That’s it for this week folks. Happy gardening. Do pop over to Jim’s blog to check our more gardening blogs.
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Piglet in Portugal 
Nice orchids. I struggle with them as houseplants. I think that is the female flower on the cycad.
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Hi SQ, I am so curious as to how the eggs will hatch. Orchids are a challenge. I’m surprised this one is flower for a scond time
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The eggs are seeds. I have cycads here that do that.. they break up with the help of beetles here. Very poisonous
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Wow, thanks for the tip. Have you ever planted any to see if they grow?
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no, I expected seedlings because there were so many seeds, but nothing..
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Thank you for showing us your orchids and other plants. You have SO many wonderful plants!
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Thanks, Maria. I am a plantaholic. IT’s lucky we live many miles away from anwhere that sells plants. I am addicted.
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Wow to the Sago Palm flower ‐ it does look rather alien-egg like. Weird! That indoor Orchid is a beauty though.
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Thanks, trowel. I am yet to see what hatches from the alien eggs LOL. THe indoor orchid, this is the second flush of flowers since I had it.
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Beautiful orchids. I love the cymbidium colors.
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Yes, the moment I saw it I had to have it 🙂
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This morning I went to a flower show and they had those same colored cymbidium and I wanted it so bad but it was very expensive…I couldn’t bring myself to pay that today. I might go back next week.
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They are always SO expensive at shows and garden centre. I was so lucky to get mine at the supermarket. It’s difficult to let go of the idea of a plant once it takes root in your mind
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I was gifted a dendrobium. Nearly killed it and it is sulking and refuses to bloom. I took quite a few orchid pictures on my greenhouse field trip, so those will appear in a future SOS while my world is not even winter white, these days, but brown crisp cold. My former boss loved orchids and had many lovely plants, even some that thrived in Seattle outdoors. Fun plants for those with the knack!
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I look forward to seeing your orchid pictures. Sometimes on SoS we have to improvise 🙂
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Outdoor orchids are tricky creatures, unless you live in Madeira, I think. Fancy a move? Cyclamen are easier. We don’t have one currently but have kept them with reasonable success here.
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Hi Jo, I am beginning to understand the secret with outdoor orchids is keep them in the deep shade in summer so they are cool and sun during the winter months and as I learned, dont overwater or repot in a much bigger pot.
Cylamen, I am a virgin.
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xxxx
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What a shame about the dendrobium! I am utterly useless at getting orchids to reflower, I have had a number of them over the years and just given up in the end.
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HElen, it might be worth trying the watering method Fred has suggested. It’s so frustrating when they don’t reflower.
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I kept a dendrobium orchid for a long time without it reflowering, but for 2 years now, by regularly respecting the method of watering from below (soaking for 10 minutes every week with rainwater), little by little all my orchids are reflowering. This is my technique, but I don’t know if it will work for you: fingers crossed.
The cycas is superb with this light!
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Thanks, Fred. I used to water my orchids from above and drench the soil but I think you are right. Allowing them to soak from below is better. And you were right about the other orchid. I had overwatered it. Do post a picture of your orchid next time it flowers. Will the stem regrow leaves?
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For watering, in fact I bathe the plants more than I water them. A small bath with rainwater at lukewarm temperature is ideal for soaking all the plants for 10 minutes every week in summer and every 15 days in winter. (for here in Normandy)
For the dendrobium, you have 2 ways, either you cut above the highest leaf (let the wound heal with cinnamon) It should give a keiki (baby) which will be a new plant to separate from the mother after seeing roots. But otherwise it’s from the foot that new floral shoots will arrive. After flowering, don’t keep the plant warm for a month (about 15°) and water it anyway. This will help the plant to produce new things later.
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I love orchids, and have read two very interesting and entertaining books about them. If you haven’t read them, I’d highly recommended “The Orchid Thief” by Susan Orlean, and “Orchid Fever” by Eric Hansen. Your specimens are lovely, Carole. I hope the one that lost the flowers comes back. Your entire yard is a total oasis. We’re experiencing similar overnight low temps here in South Texas right now. I look forward to when it warms up.
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thanks for the recommendations, Terry. I’ll check them out. I love orchids and wish I had room for more. I confess my yard takes a lot of work but I enjoy it. I am a plantaholic!
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