Accidental orchid haul: seven new for me orchids including one particularly hard to find type!!

Yes Plant Lovers, a sales day held by my local Species Orchid Society lead me into ALL sorts of shopping trouble! I wasn't going to go as I've JUST had covid and had as much energy as a dead orchid in the compost bin...I wasn't going to buy anything...I ended up with seven new plants! But what a FUN morning it was meeting wonderful local growers, learning how they grow their plants in similar conditions to mine, and meeting a few channel watchers! I'll go through the plants one by one and they are timestamped below if you want to cut to the chase of a particular plant!
And I mention my collaborative video with Rachael from Gardening in Douentza which you can see here: • Top 5 favourite Orchid...
0:00 introduction to the Orchid Species Society of Victoria plant sale
3:31 Disa draconis
6:58 Dendrobium yukidaruma 'King'
9:13 Epicattleya 'Lilac'
10:56 Oncidium montanum X crispum
12:32 Cattleya purpurata
14:14 Dendrobium subclausum v subclausum
16:58 Dracula bella

[@trishsmith2811]

Get well soon Mathew! I do so enjoy your channel because of all the information you provide! Even when you aren’t feeling 100%, you still keep me laughing out loud! And who doesn’t need a laugh? Sewer… hahah. Priceless! Can’t wait to see your new babies bloom!

[@helloplantlovers]

Thanks for watching!

[@elaine6705]

Your climate is similar to Cape Town's climate. I live in Pretoria which has a harsher climate - which is why your channel is so helpful. Similar conditions. Happy you are better.

[@wandashaw3551]

Hello Matthew, so happy to hear that you are recovering, and I am certain that your seven beauties made you feel even better! They all look so lush and healthy, and I am looking forward to watching them grow and bloom. Take care and take things easy. Happy Growing.

[@helloplantlovers]

Thanks Wanda!

[@sandiesorchids9387]

Very nice selection of orchids. Take care of yourself.

[@helloplantlovers]

Thanks for watching!

[@masondanshortyfaddoul2596]

Nice orchids matthew, glad u recovered and doing well after covid,

[@helloplantlovers]

Thank you - yes!

[@PC-zg3eo]

Lovely plants. You had me laughing when you talked about the names.

[@helloplantlovers]

Thanks for watching!

[@kiwikimmyd]

Take care Matthew. Glad you are okay. Growing a subclausum myself which was given to me as a division from my local orchid society. In the states they like to say they look like candy corns (a halloween candy). Mine is wee-one inch pot with just two rangy strings. I am looking forward to seeing it bloom one day. I love the density of the flower buds. Imagine it will be years though before it is as big as yours. Maybe a decade. Lol.

[@helloplantlovers]

Well.....I get the feeling it's a fairly vigorous grower so you might not have to wait THAT long! Good luck with it!

[@newmanmansell760]

It's no accidental haul😅🙌💞It's the way we explain our desire to accumulate beautiful orchids😌🙏That dendrobium yukidaruma has beautiful flowers🥰I'm interested in that dendrobium subclausum💖Wow! it's interesting! I just acquired a Vanda falcata today. It's a cutting, a monster multiheaded vanda native to here in Japan. There are Vanda falcata that are outdoors in full sun all year with 10/-8℃ dry Sunny Winters and a rather dry Spring that goes into a monsoon June and July where temperatures get no more than 20℃ and then the killer August that exceeds 35℃ almost daily.

[@helloplantlovers]

Interesting those cold tolerant falcatas! Thank for watching!

[@BC-fh3jt]

Nice haul, feel happy for you to have these lovely plants. Btw, take care dude :)

[@helloplantlovers]

Thank you - will do!

[@deedeeblooms7896]

Love your new orchids! I had to forgive myself for buying 2 Phal celebensis. No excuse…I have a full inventory. I just didn’t look. 😂 Lesson learned. Glad you are doing well after having Covid and I hope you will let us know your count when you are ready. I’ll be happy to share mine. 👍🏻

[@helloplantlovers]

Well that's a beauty to double up on! And I will reveal the final number!

[@MattbyNature]

Love a nice haul and I don't think you can have too many Laelia purpuratas

[@helloplantlovers]

True!

[@heathersgoinnuts]

I just bought the same Dendrobium yukidaruma 'King'. except mine is variegated. It will be here tomorrow. I ordered online off of Etsy. I am hoping it grows well for me.

[@helloplantlovers]

Oh interesting! Good luck with yours!

[@carolesykes7955]

Hi Matthew, I'm sorry to hear you've been feeling poorly. The buying of orchids probably cheered you up but now you've got the work of repotting them 🙄😊. Can I just ask a question about your repotting technique please.. when you use micorrhizol fungi do you eventually see evidence of any mycelium growing through the media? I wonder if I would mistake that for rotting bark or moss?

[@helloplantlovers]

Hi Carole, yes, you can sometimes see the evidence of the mycelium network - it can look white and fibrous. But it won't smell. If the medium is decomposing you'd have a definite slightly acidic smell.

[@suemitchell8864]

Hi Matthew, I noticed that Keva at Mallee Phallies has flasks of different disa orchids for sale on his website. (Just might have to wait a while for flowers). Sue

[@helloplantlovers]

Oh WOW! Thank you - that might just be a Pandora's box! I'll look now!

[@helloplantlovers]

...well that genie is WELL and truly out of the bottle!!! So many choices! Thank you so much for the heads up Sue - I think I'll have to get a flask - quite an investment though!

[@suemitchell8864]

Hello Plant Lovers! I have found Keva very helpful. He does at times have seedlings as well so it may be worth contacting him directly if you are looking for something in particular.