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SARCOCHILUS

Sarcochilus are a different type of plant to the Dendrobiums in that they do

not have canes but grow more like a garden plant with leaves all the way up the stem, this means they do not have a place to store water as in the canes of the Dendrobiums so the placing of the plants in full sun and little water in

winter does not apply. In winter they will not need as much water as in

summer but should not be allowed to dry out. Sarcochilus like a little more shade than

Dendrobiums, If you already grow the common orchid, the Cymbidium the

an ideal place to keep your Sarc ( as they are referred to by growers) is between the Cymbidium`s pots where they get shade from the leaves. The

Sarcochilus have a different flower to the Dendrobium but are just as pretty and a delightful plant when in flower.

Dendrobium flowers come in a huge range of colours from white through

yellow to pink, red and purple with some of these colours on the one flower.

Sarcochilus colours are not as varied but still have a large range from white through yellow and pink with spots of pink and red arranged over white and yellow. The hybridists are now getting a very large range of these colours and the future could see colours and styles that we have not even thought of yet.

Potting and fertilising of Sarcs is the same as for Dendrobiums but if possible use a

shallower pot even to a fairly flat earthenware dish with only 2.5cm of depth with extra holes in the bottom and let the roots wander (because they will no matter what type of pot you use) I think Sarcs do best in an earthenware pot as they dry out quicker but you must not let them stay dry for too long. As

for Dendrobiums, if worried about your plant, bring it to our workshop in

October.

Happy Growing. Neville Risbey