My Sarcochilus Australian orchids are all in bloom! Time for a basic care refresh!

All my Sarcochilus orchids managed to be open at around the same time so we're able to check in with my old faithful species orchid Sarcochilus hartmannii, a hybrid called Sarcochilus Elegant Hart that is in full bloom for the first time and the red Sarcochilus I re-potted a few months ago that has three fabulous spikes of velvety red blooms! There's also two seedlings to check in on and a new species addition Sarcochilus ceciliae which I only seem to read of people struggling with endlessly...! We'll see how I go! Also an answer to a viewers question about Sarcochilus orchid leaves turning yellow! Buckle up and get a snack cos it make take some time!
0:00 my Sarcochilus orchids introduction
1:05 Sarcochilus hartmannii
2:21 native habitat
3:04 general light requirements
3:48 temperature
4:54 Sarcochilus hybrid 'Elegant Hart'
5:18 slug & snail damage!
6:24 no name red hybrid Sarcochilus
7:51 growth habit
8:56 watering and fertilising
10:21 new Sarcochilus seedlings
11:44 Sarcochilus ceciliae - a tricky species!
14:55 answering a viewers question about yellowing leaves on Sarcochilus

[@costadenae4692]

Hello, thanks for this update. I was so looking forward to it, just love this orchid!! how beautiful are the red blooms with the beautiful mottled backs, what a lovely surprise. happy growing

[@helloplantlovers]

Thank you - I was delighted with it too!

[@irisgadermaier5313]

Stunning! I live in Austria, Europe and had two of them. I killed both :( So sad! Your video is the reason I just ordert more online to try again. Wish my luck ;-)

[@helloplantlovers]

Oh good luck! I feel 2022 is your year of Sarcochilus success! Don't over water...plenty of light...off you go!

[@Bulbophyllum69]

The pronunciation is Ale - sa. Ale as in the alcohol beverage. I look forward to seeing the flowers as that was my mother's name. 💕

[@helloplantlovers]

I'll certainly make a video when they're all in bloom!

[@anniebrent7616]

I live in Sydney, my sarcochilus are sweetly scented. Like you, I have white, pink and red from last year's purchase, very happy they all have flower spikes this year. Would love to purchase some more this year. Thank you for your video.

[@helloplantlovers]

Thanks for watching - must admit I've been looking at a few more too!

[@PC-zg3eo]

Very nice! I didn’t realize that they could take such high temperatures. Thanks for doing this very informative video.

[@helloplantlovers]

Thanks for watching - occasional high temps! They are tough and pretty resilient.

[@SVKLOrchids]

Really great blooms! The plants look super healthy too.

[@helloplantlovers]

Thanks for watching - very happy with this years blooms!

[@annavoeggia816]

Wow! What spectacular blooms! Love your Sarcochilus collection! I'm struggling with the two that I have. Thanks for sharing your care tips.

[@helloplantlovers]

Thanks for watching - good luck with yours!

[@wandashaw3551]

Hello Matthew, they are beautiful! I'm going to add that red bloomer to my spring wish list! 💓💓😍😍

[@helloplantlovers]

It is a stunner!

[@cherryz.1419]

so enchanting to watch this video in the morning!

[@helloplantlovers]

Thank you for watching it!

[@zula6436]

Hi,Matthew 👋😀 What a fantastic collection you have 👏 😍. The red one is just sooo beautiful 🥰. All your Sorcochilus 🌱are ,but red is my favorite color, so 😉 😄 . Oh,my I can only imagine how gorgeous yellow one will be. Thank you for sharing. This is very interesting and informative 💚. Hopefully one day I will have this orchid in my collection 🤞. Take care and have a great weekend 🤗🍁🍂.

[@helloplantlovers]

Thanks for watching! They are a beautiful group of orchids.

[@zula6436]

@@helloplantlovers ❤

[@renealee]

Just ordered my first one- a red one. I think with your tips I should be able to keep it alive. Thanks!

[@helloplantlovers]

Good luck! They are relatively easy!

[@Gobolino7]

Such a wonderful orchid, and so similar to phalaenopsis (in looks and care), such a shame that this orchid is so rare in European growers/breeders market, and shipping from Australia would cost an arm and a leg

[@helloplantlovers]

Thanks for watching - I'm surprised it's not more readily available in Europe as it's an easy care orchid and matures quite quickly.

[@gromit9322]

Akerene Orchids in Belgium kzbin.info/www/bejne/jXK4YqZ6aa2egtU

[@annatoporkova3467]

Great video, as always! Do you keep them all under cover during Melbourne winter? Just worried about the amount of rain we get in Victoria during winter time.

[@helloplantlovers]

Thanks for watching! In different houses they've have different amounts of protection. At the moment they are undercover so never get rained on. But I've had them on city balconies under the dappled protection of larger leafed plants and not in saucers and on a pierced metal surface so they free drained very quickly. As long as they can drain quickly, and don't stay soggy, they should be fine - under a tree is great!

[@vivaciousjo]

I got a sarc a little over a year ago and it didn't flower. It also didn't seem to like the bark in my conditions. It gets plenty of light, but I repotted it in a stalite/bark mix and it's close to the window to help it get the cool down it needs for winter since I'm in Florida, US. 🤞I can get it to bloom this spring.

[@helloplantlovers]

Oh good luck!

[@andreianifourcault2245]

Oh my god what a collection. I love them but I don't manage to make them thrive.

[@helloplantlovers]

Oh that's a shame! They love my caring neglect here in Melbourne!

[@christinenorton2510]

For a rank amateur your blooming good I'm a bit jealous. Well done.

[@helloplantlovers]

Thank you! I almost feel I can take NO credit for them! They just do their own thing outside!

[@OrchidsLover5889]

Hi Matthew, The Sarcochilus are beautiful. Thanks for sharing. Could I please ask what fertiliser has been used at earlier spring when flower sparkes appear please? If it is flowing fertiliser or flowering fertiliser? Thanks!

[@helloplantlovers]

Hi there Wendy - thanks for watching. I use a general all purpose slow release fertiliser on all my plants in spring. You can see my 'which fertiliser do I use?' video here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nZqaioKVeZpmaNU Sarcochilus come from pretty harsh environments so they are not a heavy feeding group. And I did make this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pnfYYZqKrcaUn6s about spring tasks which includes some Sarcochilus observations!

[@OrchidsLover5889]

Hi Matthew, many thanks for your information!

[@keithyomi8889]

Hi Matthew! Do you think these are good beginner native orchids that can be mounted? I was hoping to add a few into my uni dorm to liven up the space

[@helloplantlovers]

Hi there - I don't grow these mounted so couldn't say. If mounting is your thing though perhaps try the native Dendrobium kingianum which certainly can do well mounted and are an easy starter orchid. Good luck!

[@andreianifourcault2245]

Yes they are fragrant at least mine.

[@helloplantlovers]

Oh!! Lucky you! None of my three in bloom have a scent! I presume yours is a hybrid - what's it called? Keen to look it up and see if it's available here. I'd love a fragrant one!

[@andreianifourcault2245]

@@helloplantlovers The productor says that all of his plants are fragrant! I bought 2 last year and they bloomed one in two weeks (it had a spike started already) and the other about a moth later.Tis one bloomed at home : Sarcochilus Hiccup 'Big Marble Late' x Kulnura Intensity 'Red'. This one arrived with a spike : Sarcochilus Kulnura Kaleidescope 'Chesell' x Amber 'Gold' but it was supposed to be yellow and it was white with red splashes!!! They have a very nice frangrant like oncidium sotoanum but more light

[@helloplantlovers]

@@andreianifourcault2245 Oh interesting! A lot of the crosses for sale here are all un-bloomed seedlings so no one can really be sure what the flower will look like. And funny you should mention the fragrance being like sotoanum....because my sotoanum isn't fragrant at ALL!!! And I just went out to smell ALL my Sarcochilus again in case I'm missing something - no! Perhaps I'm cursed to have smell-less Sarcochilus!!! But it is a very good reason to keep buying more!

[@andreianifourcault2245]

They have a delicate fragrance early in the morning like the neofonetias ...strange because Australia is their homeland.

[@elizabethcuevas-neunder6158]

I'm in Florida, how can I get spices from Australia?

[@helloplantlovers]

You might try growers in California who I think have it? Good luck!

[@paty4611]

How long does the bloom last?

[@helloplantlovers]

Not that long - 2-3 weeks.

[@daisyflower4105]

40 degrees C is 104 degrees F not 110