[Guest]

I am just curious. I bought a orchid from Home depot and it was in bloom at the time. When I took it out of the pot I was able to break it apart (at least I think that it was one plant to break apart) into three good size plants. One of the pieces that I got is now in bloom. I am wondering if these are actually two different plants or did my compact fluorescent light make that much of a difference in the flower color?
I don't have a good close up of the first bloom and I just can't tell if it is the same type. Can anyone else tell?
Thanks
Rhonda

 

[jhupp]

Maybe, maybe not. Last fall I purchased a pair of Phals in a pot, one was un-bloomed and the other was producing small shrivelled green flowers. I thought they looked cool, the grower was not impressed by them. So, anyway I took them home and split them up, repotted them and fertilized them. From that point on the one with the little green flowers started producing large very atractive white flowers and hasn't stoped blooming since last August. The other one instantly set spike and statred producing even large flowers then the first.

Point is there is really no practical way to tell if they are same or not. The situation was probably something like mine where they are the first runs of a cross and there was more then one plant in the pot. They may have come from the same parents they or may not have. Or they could be clones of the same plant and the color difference is the result of some mirco nutrient defficency in the first flowering. Either way good job getting three plants out of one pot.

 

[Homer]

My guess is that your first pics are of flowers that are well past their prime, while the second pics are of flowers just coming into bloom. Flower color will change as the flowers open, then peak, then begin to quiesce.

I can't see much other than the bloom. Is it a Phal type Dendrobium, or is it an actual Phalaenopsis? I'm guessing that if you could break it up, you have a Dendrobium. I've had very good luck with these in the terrarium as long as the terrarium is large enough to accomodate the full grown size of the hybrid you have. Very nice pics.

 

[Moe]

What type of compacts are you running?

M.N

 

[Guest]

Thanks everyone for your responses.
Actually Homer I had those flowers when I bought it but there were also buds that opened up after it was home and they were the same color from beginning to end. I have no idea what kind it is. It has a very long kind of fat or broad leaf. You can see a full shot of it on my web site. The leaves on the piece that now has the pink flowers is also long but more narrow.

It is going to be interesting to see, the main plant that originally had the first flowers has buds all over it and I am anxious to see what those look like.

Moe,
I am using the 36" 1x96W Coralife FRESHWATER Aqualight, 1x 6,700K, -Square Pin for that particular tank.

I now have them on all my tanks and will never go back to regular lights. I love them. It has done wonders for my firebelly tank. I have gotten all of mine at hellolights.com

Thanks again.
Rhonda

 

[Homer]

Rhonda,

After I looked at the pics more closely last night, I also noticed that the lips on the flowers were completely different in coloration. I will retract my ridiculous notion that I fronted earlier.

I think you've had some much better explanations above, and I really can't offer any other ideas. I looked on your site, but couldn't find any other pics of this plant that showed me whether the plant has canes or basal leaves. Guessing from the proximity of leaves to the flowers, I'd make a wild guess that it is a Dendrobium (typically called a Phalaenopsis type Dendrobium because of the flower type). I've had very good luck with these in a terrarium.

How do you like your 96 watt light setup? I just ordered a bulb like yours, and I need to buy one of the 4 square prong light connectors to get it going. I bought 20 ballasts for these lights, and I'm planning on trying this bad boy out on a long tank that I have yet to build. I guess I need to get busy!

 

[Guest]

http://hellolights.com/201xcoaqpcho.html

a 1X96 watt thats 20 inches long? Is that what you are running? If so any complaints or should i stick with the ahsupply kit i was planning on ordering?

 

[Homer]

The 20" quad tube 96 watt bulbs are not very common, and usually come in a limited number of light colors (the one you list is a 50/50 bulb). I'd stick with the more common 36" 96 watter personally, but everyone has their preferences. A 2 x 55 hood might be more practical and nearly equivalent.

 

[Guest]

and usually come in a limited number of light colors (the one you list is a 50/50 bulb).

HelloLights 96W QUAD 6,700K -Square Pin #31-20013 (+$37)

That is a bulb option. Sure is pricey after second thought....

 

[Guest]

Homer,
I love my lights. I have a 48" Coral Life Freshwater on my Firebelly tank and it made a huge difference. I just put a 24" Coral Life Freshwater on my tinc tank. It is amazing to me how much better everything looks including the frog's colors.
Rhonda

 

[Guest]

Many orchid wholesalers are putting more than one plant in a pot now. At the wholesale level it is less than a dollar for them and it increases their sales making up the diffence in cost rather quickly. Especially if the plant came unnamed...Your phalaenopsis is clearly two different plants. Not only is color different but form and shape of lip is different.

Randy Young

American Orchid Society Judge.

 

[TimStout]

Orchid flower color is affected by level of light and light quality.
So by placing your orchid from Home Depot which has not seen much light at all in an environment with brighter light and better quality light does make a difference. I have seen flowers color-up and I have also seen diferent flower color on different plants of the same Identical clone.Cattleya's are famous for this and you can even see lighter colored flowers hiding under the leaves vs. flowers held above the leaves.

 

[Guest]

Update

This is the new photo with both plants in bloom. They are different in several ways. This was a quicky shot right before I left. Right now the entire stalk of the white is in full bloom. So I guess I got a bonus buying this one
Thanks for all your responses
Rhonda

 

[addam4208283]

nice tank. how long has it been together for? i like all the different plants there; i want to do that for my imitator tank.
ADAM

 

[kyle1745]

Re: Update

Very nice tank!

 

[Ryan]

love the plant selection in there, gives alot of different colors.

 

[Guest]

Thanks so much Adam, Kyle and Ryan I really appreciate your comments.

Adam I have had this set up since the beginning of February. You can see the entire tank on my website. Just go to galleries and then to poison dart frogs.

Thanks again.
Rhonda