This was one of the first orchids I bought and it is blooming for me, It wasnt expected to bloom till summer but if you keep the conditions on the warm side and give it plenty of food and water it blooms early. It is a terrestrial orchid that is found naturally in North India, Burma, and Thailand. It is deciduous in winter with the leaves turning golden yellow before falling, it has a dry winters rest until the new cane is about an inch and a half long then watering can commence for the spring and summer months, it is best off giving it a little water from the bottom to start with then increasing the watering until you are giving it frequent waterings and generous amounts of feed. This is one of the few orchids you can propogate from cuttings, you can cut the old canes between the node and lay them on damp sphagnum moss and cover in a shady place and they will grow new plants, these new plants will not flower for around 3 years though. Thunia Alba ( photo / image / picture from playtime8978's Garden )
Thank you Eileen it hasnt opened fully yet and it has more buds to open on the stem I will add pics as they open. I forgot to say it does not flower from old canes so each year you need new growth to get flowers and they can produce up to 10 flowers per cane. It is fast becoming my favourite orchid it is so easy to grow so long as you respect the winter rest period.
That is a beautiful flower. I checked out your Garden to see your other orchids -- really pretty. If I get my guts up to try an orchid, I know who to come to for advice!
Thank you everyone, Orchids are now a passion of mine and I have many I will try and upload more pics as the different ones flower I think I have around 40, plus babies (which wont flower for a few years), each is so different I hope that I will be able to share more flowers with you over the coming months.
Playtime I think your orchid is beautiful.I have no place to keep them at the right temps.I will just admire your beauties.
So pretty and delicate looking. You must have given it just the right conditions. Don't forget to show us photos of it when all the buds open, hopefully they will be open at the same time.
Thank you, Yes I am hoping that the other buds open whilst this on eis open I am thinking I will have 4 flowers this year looking at the bud. I need to try stake it as it is getting too top heavy and the cane is bending too much all the petals have unfurled now but they are close to the lip so hoping by the morning they will have spread and I will try catch another photo there is a second bud on its way out but the others look quite firmly closed just now.
Here is the Thunia flower fully open, the angle makes it a little difficult to photograph but thats my fault for not staking the cane ( photo / image / picture from playtime8978's Garden ) thunia open ( photo / image / picture from playtime8978's Garden )
and two more photos today thunia lip ( photo / image / picture from playtime8978's Garden ) thunia 27th ( photo / image / picture from playtime8978's Garden )
