Ceratostylis rubra (or retisquama), new leaf and keiki.

This little wonderful orchid comes from the international exhibition of orchids in Esslingen I visited last September. It was my first purchase from Orchideen Lucke together with a young phalaenopsis lueddemanniana.
What caught my attention was the flower color, it´s orange with golden reflexes, glittering!
I read some information on the net about Ceratostylis rubra and I also asked the seller to be sure. Temperature and humidity in my mini orchidarium seem to be good for this plant, so here it is!

Ceratostylis rubra, orchid species,
potted in sphagnum moss, in the mini orchid tank
(picture of 5 April 2013)

Dendrobium phalaenopsis white flowers

Dendrobium phalaenopsis, orchid hybrid with white flowers

How to repot a Cattleya orchid in bark and sphagnum-moss

The basic steps of my repotting of a Cattleya orchid in bark and sphagnum moss:

1. rinse bark under hot running water;
2. soak it in osmosis water (or distilled or rain water) at least for one hour;
3. let drain off;
4. place a first compound layer in the pot;
5. place the plant;
6. fill the pot without pressing, leaving at least one visible root; 
7. free the holes at the bottom of the pot;
8. cover the exposed roots with some wet sphagnum;
9. water soak(or shower from above) when is dry;
10. fertilize at normal dose but only during active growing.

Cattleya orchid, repotting
in bark and sphagnum compound

The Cattleya plants are epiphytes in nature, as well as the Phalaenopsis, they grow suspended, stuck in the branches of trees with their strong and spongy roots ready to absorb every drop of rain water that flows through and dry out quickly on the light breeze of tropical forests . You can not play these exact conditions in a flat, so that every enthusiast is looking for a practical solution as much as possible good to growth, and maybe the blooming of these fascinating orchids. To convince a Cattleya that the best place to stretch its roots is the vessel that we provide we must try to make it airy but moist, never soggy or compact!

Blooming of my Odontoglossum hybrid (Cambria)

Odontoglossum hybrid (Cambria) from IKEA, in bloom 
after one year growing in pot with bark e sphagnum,
flower detail
(picture of 29 September 2012)

I bought this orchid for the beauty of the flower and the shape of the plant in general, but without having clear in mind her needs. The directions on the label were scarce, as for all plants of the Swedish multinational, the only certainty I had was on genetics, in fact, the commercial hybrids are usually like tanks, if they manage to survive into the store to get them stone dead there wants an atomic disaster! ;-)
This Cambria confirmed it for me.

Phalaenopsis (kingidium) chibae, repotting to be fixed

Phalaenopsis (ex kingidium) chibae, orchid botanical species,
growing in pot into the mini orchidarium 2
(picture of 14 December 2012)

This lovely Phalaenopsis chibae came from an auction on ebay at the end of August, the photos that were on the ad showed a fair amount of healthy roots outside the substrate so it tempted me so much...