Brassovola Nodosa

(Lady Of The Night)

~ By Jus Kuntree ~

Lady of the Night, now doesn't that sound romantic! Well, actually we're talking about an orchid here, but you know, orchids are pretty romantic flowers anyhow. And this one gets it's name because of it's wonderful night time fragrance. As far as Brassavol nodosa go, there are actually several varieties.

This orchid is found from Mexico and the West Indies, down to Peru and Venezuela. They are often discovered growing  in the trees of lowland tropical forests, or on outcroppings of rocks and cliffs along the shoreline.

These orchids like to be warm, and have lots of light. They may bloom year round, particularly in the fall and winter months. The have both growing, and rest periods. While they're going through their growing stage, they do require lots of water. Once they transition into their resting stage however, water should be restricted.

Humidity is an important factor when growing these flowers. The setting they are placed in, is best kept at 80% humidity year round.

A good fertilizer that is mixed ¼ to ½ of it's usual strength, works well, and should be used weekly through the growth period. In the fall, you might want to use one that has less nitrogen, and more phosphate, which will help encourage better bloom during the next season. To prevent salt buildup, particularly when using fertilizing often, it's a good idea to leach the pots every few weeks.

So if you're up to the orchid challenge, this one is definitely one to think about.

         

All ideas, concepts, and content including text, content and graphics are owned by
The Garden of Friendship and its members unless otherwise noted and should not be
taken or duplicated without expressed written consent. © 2000 and beyond.
The Garden of Friendship