Coelogyne babies, a year later…

In January 2009 I took some photos of hundreds if not thousands of Coelogyne rochussenii (common name Necklace Orchid) seedlings germinating after I scattered the seeds there just a few weeks before. They grew slowly but steadily, the numbers thinning out naturally. It’s now December and some have developed little pseudobulbs and putting out new growths.

 

Technically, it should be 11 months later but that’s almost a year anyway. :D

 

Here are the latest photos (click for larger size):

 

 

 

 

From tiny 1-2mm seedlings they have grown into small coelogyne plants with tiny p-bulbs. The larger ones are about 4cm long from base to leaf tip. There are other tiny new seedlings on this mount, I do not know what they are, could be Dendrobium crumenatum.

 

And here are photos taken in August, 09:

 

 

Compare the above with photos from January 09 when the seedlings first germinated:

 

In the right photo, that is a standard green twister wire for tying plants etc. so one gets an idea of just how small these seedlings are.

 

The tiny, crowded seedlings naturally thinned out over time, with the strongest and healthiest ones overtaking the weaker ones and eventually “snuffing” them out. Survival of the fittest.

 

I think they would have grown at a much faster rate had I watered them more frequently and gave them some orchid food, like a highly diluted growth fertilizer.

 

Coelogyne rochussenii seeds are the easiest to germinate among the coelogynes in my collection. I have never had this many baby plants from the other species such as C. asperata. Here’s hoping they grow well into nice healthy plants with many p-bulbs by next Christmas!

 

Oh and MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! HAVE A NICE HOLIDAY!!