Kirchara Tropical Jewel (Sophrocattleya Tangerine Jewel x Epidendrum stamfordianum)
Photos below published by Orchidwiz.
The parents:
Soph. Tangerine Jewel
Epi. Stamfordianum
And finally Kir. Tropical Jewel
Care: Care for this orchid as if it was a cattleya.
Light Requirements:
2000 - 3300 footcandles
Out of all of the orchids commercially grown for sale, only Vandas surpass the Cattleya in light requirements to bloom abundantly. As a general rule, give plenty of bright light!
Temperature:
70 - 90 degrees F. daytime, 60 - 65 degrees F. night.
Humidity:
40 - 65 % relative humidity is ideal
Notes:
While Cattleyas adapt well to less than ideal conditions and therefore make good "beginner" orchids, their high light requirements are sometimes difficult to achieve in the home. Be sure to place them where they will receive abundant light with direct sun striking them only very early in the morning. Allow them to dry slightly between waterings.
Since a parent in this cross is an Epidendrum, feed as if caring for the Epi.
Epi. appreciate high amounts of fertilizer. Insufficient amounts of nutrients can lead to less dense flower spikes and fragile roots. Epidendrum orchids grown in environments where they receive a lot of light will need more nitrogen than those growing in a low-light environment, e.g. indoors in the northern part of the world. If you give your Epi. cross a fertilizer with too much nitrogen it can result in an elongated, unattractive growth habit.
Kirchara = Kir made with C x Epi x L x S see the RVO Orchid Genus List for more information.
Cheers,
BD
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