Growing Guides from Santa Barbara Orchid Estate

Catalog:

Beginner
~ Cymbidiums
~ Indoor
~ Outdoor
~ Windowsill

Botanicals
~ August
~ Bulbophyllum
~ Encyclias
~ July
~ Masdevallias (cool)
~ Masdevallias (warm)
~ May
~ Miltonias
~ Oncidiums
~ Sarcochilus
~ September
~ Sobralias
~ Stanhopeas
~ Zygopetalums

Cattleyas
~ August
~ Blues
~ Classic
~ Cold Hardy
~ Favorites
~ Fragrant
~ Holiday
~ intermedia
~ July
~ June
~ May
~ October
~ September
~ Species
~ Splash Petal

Dendrobiums
~ Aussie hybrids
~ kingianum
~ speciosum

Gifts
~ Cut flowers
~ Plants

Laelias
~ anceps
~ hadrolaelias
~ Mexican
~ pumilas
~ purpuratas
~ Species

Open House
~ Fall Open House

Specimens
~ Specimens

Supplies
~ Bark & potting
~ Books
~ Fertilizer

<--Back to Growing Guides

Dwarf Laelias

Within the genus Laelia, Section Hadrolaelia comprises some of the loveliest miniature Cattleya-type species; their flowers large and showy relative to their small plant size. Laelia pumila is the most representive of the group, and is found in several color forms; lavender (the most typical form), semi-alba, alba, coerulea, and delicata. Hadrolaelias have made major contributions to the development of hybrid mini-catts, and are recognized for producing specimens of high horticultural value.

The Hadrolaelias are temperature-tolerant, epiphytic species from eastern Brazil; their blooming season is mainly late summer and early fall. They are unusual in that the inflorescence lacks a floral sheath; the buds emerge as the newest leaf-blade unfolds and flattens to produce one, or sometimes two, flowers per inflorescence.

Temperature

With few exceptions (L. alaorii), the Dwarf Laelias are a temperature tolerant group; we grow them outside in our Santa Barbara climate, where we expet them to withstand temperatures ranging 27-100F. They may also be grown in a greenhouse and possibly indoors, provided adequate air movement and light.

Light

The Dwarf Laelias share typical Cattleya or Cymbidium conditions; bright filtered light, as under a 50-60% shadecloth, greenhouse roof, light shade tree, or window with southern exposure and some light shading. A plants that is lush and green but won’t bloom is often the result of not getting enough light; a plant with scorched, extremely yellowed leaves may be getting too much light.

Water

Watering should be done as needed, according to climatic conditions. It is best to water thouroughly, saturating the bark, but being sure that plants drain well and do not sit in water. Plants should be allowed to nearly dry before watering again; this may average more or less than once a week.

Fertilizer

We recommend a balanced fertilizer (Dyna-Gro 7-9-5, or 7-7-7 for example) dilute in the water each time one waters.

Potting

The Dwarf Laelias may be grown in pots, mounted, or in hanging baskets. Rather than potting up from small pots or baskets, we typically set a small plant overgrowing its original pot into empty, larger pots; as the plant grows over the edges, the aerial roots travel through the air space between pots. Plants in hanging pots or baskets may be allowed to engulf the pot and grown into great specimens that bloom by the dozens, late summer and into fall.

SBOE@SBORCHID.COM ~ (800) 553-3387
1250 Orchid Drive, Santa Barbara, CA 93111 ~ (805) 967-1284 ~ FAX: (805) 683-3405

© 2024 Santa Barbara Orchid Estate
All images and text herein these pages are copyright protected. Personal use of them and links to our page are permitted, but none should be reproduced in other websites or in any other forms of publication without our permission.

NOTE ON PICTURES:
Although we try to represent the flower color as accurately as possible, due the inconsistant nature of computer monitors, and the various difficulties of digital photography, the colors represented on our website are not always exact. Please consider these pictures approximations, and give us a call if you would like a verbal description of the flower.

Select a Genus:

Ada
Aeranthes
Aerides
Angraecum
Ansellia
Arpophylum
Aspasia
Barkeria
Beallara
Bletilla
Book
Brassanthe
Brassavola
Brassia
Brassidium
Brassocattleya
Brassolaelia
Brassolaeliocattleya
Broughtonia
Bulbophyllum
Burrageara
Calanthe
Campylocentrum
Cattleya
Cattleytonia
Cattlianthe
Catyclia
Cirrhaea
Cirrhopetalum
Cleisostoma
Cochleanthes
Cochlioda
Coelia
Coelogyne
Colmanara
Cuitlauzina
Cyclopogon
Cymbidium
Cyrtochilum
Cyrtorchis
Degarmoara
Dendrobium
Dendrochilum
Dialaelia
Dialaeliocattleya
Dichaea
Dockrillia
Doritaenopsis
Doritis
Dryadella
Encyclia
Epicatanthe
Epicattleya
Epidendrum
Epilaelia
Epipactis
Epiphronitis
Eria
Eulophia
Fall Open House
Felis
Fertilizer
Gomesa
Gongora
Guarianthe
Guaricatophila
Hamelwellsara
Helcia
Isochilus
Iwanagara
Jumellea
Kefersteinia
Laelia
Laeliocatanthe
Laeliocatonia
Laeliocattleya
Leochilus
Leptotes
Liparis
Lockhartia
Lycaste
Lyonara
Masdevallia
Maxillaria
Megaclinium
Miltassia
Miltoncidostele
Miltonia
Miltonidium
Mormolyca
Myoxanthus
Myrmecocattleya
Myrmecophila
Mystacidium
Nageliella
Neofinetia
Neopabstopetalum
Notylia
Odontioda
Odontocidium
Oerstedella
Oncidioda
Oncidium
Orchid Fair
Orchid Fair T Shirt
Ornithocephalus
Ornithophora
Osmoglossum
Otaara
Paphiopedilum
Pelatantheria
Pescatorea
Phaiocymbidium
Phaius
Phalaenopsis
Physosiphon
Platystele
Pleione
Pleurothallis
Polystachya
Potinara
Promenaea
Propabstopetalum
Prosthechea
Psychopsis
Psygmorchis
Rangaeris
Recchara
Renanetia
Renantanda
Renanthera
Restrepia
Restrepiella
Rhyncattleanthe
Rhyncholaelia
Rhyncholaeliocattleya
Rhynchostele
Rhynchostylis
Rodricidium
Rodriguezia
Rossioglossum
Sarcochilus
Sarconopsis
Scaphosepalum
Schoenorchis
Schombolaelia
Schomburgkia
Scuticaria
Sobralia
Sophrocattleya
Sophrolaelia
Sophrolaeliocattleya
Sophronitella
Specimen
Spiranthes
Spring Open house
Stanhopea
Stelis
Stenia
Stenoglottis
Stenorrhynchus
Summer Open House
Supplies
Tolumnia
Trichocentrum
Trichopilia
Trichosalpinx
Vanda
Vanilla
Vuylstekeara
Zygopabstia
Zygopetalum
Zygostates