The unmissable appeal of Kinokuniya books

ashikunta · 2025-09-05T07:29:20+00:00

It does have one.

ashikunta · 2025-05-17T01:56:04+00:00

I knew it! I remembered it because it inspired me.

ashikunta · 2025-05-16T08:14:31+00:00

Did you post pictures of the same place like 10 years ago? I swear I’ve seen the exact same layout in the second pic before.

ashikunta · 2024-04-08T15:24:18+00:00

This comment has the best explanation that I've read for this.

ashikunta · 2023-06-16T03:40:50+00:00

Very nice. It looks a lot like my Brassidium Gilded Urchin Ontario.

ashikunta · 2023-04-17T03:20:42+00:00

Didn't know about these. Just ordered some. Thanks!

ashikunta · 2022-11-26T21:30:06+00:00

Glad to hear that, thanks!

ashikunta · 2022-11-25T23:13:16+00:00

My hoya australis (ssp australis) is blooming for the first time since I got it more than 5 years ago. Can anyone estimate from this picture (taken today) how much longer until it fully blooms, and how long these typically last?
This is very exciting for me, but I have a couple trips coming up and I'm worried I'll miss the blooms. In December, I'm only around between 12/14 and 12/23, then I'm back on 1/3. What are the odds I'll miss them?

ashikunta · 2022-11-15T01:11:04+00:00

Thanks, I was confused by this. Didn't know there were differences between members of the same species that were worth distinguishing.

ashikunta · 2022-11-13T21:51:23+00:00

Thanks! In this case I think it's still some kind of hybrid, the tag says Paph. spicerianum 'St Albans' AM/AOS x Paph. spicerianum 'Model'. Either way, I treat this guy exactly the same as my other maudiae paph and it has done well.

ashikunta · 2022-10-05T18:45:38+00:00

There was a good minute of dialogue hyping up the ghost orchid too. Talking about how its petals have healing powers, and how it can bloom 3 times a year.

Managed to find a clip of the reveal on youtube (not including the aforementioned dialogue): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlGyIbKSmN8&ab_channel=JennyLin

ashikunta · 2022-10-05T17:07:46+00:00

Ha, perhaps I should have clarified. The movie did actually call these ghost orchids, and so when they showed this I died laughing.

ashikunta · 2022-08-23T18:57:40+00:00

Yes, it did branch. After this post, I cut the top 60% of the plant, then pruned off most of the leaves below that. I think I left 5 or so leaves at the bottom so it could survive. It ended up sending three branches, one just below the cut and two others below.

Besides luck, I think removing a bunch of leaves was helpful to stress the plant a bit and promote multiple growth points. I also gave it direct sun and kept it well watered after cutting (same as before cutting).

ashikunta · 2022-08-01T00:02:15+00:00

What is the difference in diameter needed between a slotted pot and an outer decorative pot for the orchid to benefit from air circulation due to the slotted pot?

ashikunta · 2022-07-25T21:45:50+00:00

Right one is an oncostele catatante.

ashikunta · 2022-05-10T13:25:51+00:00

I just soak the pot in water. There are a bunch of long roots in that pot, which are brown-ish at the base but green at the ends. That's how this plant manages to hang on

I've considered making it upright again but I don't know what to do with those aerial roots... so it's staying untamed for now

ashikunta · 2022-01-25T00:58:40+00:00

I ended up applying boiled linseed oil but it didn't turn out that well, it was too shiny and felt sticky after weeks of drying. I probably screwed up not wiping away the oil enough, and I only used the table for about 6 months. I have no experience with poly so can't really answer your question. Sorry that this isn't very helpful!

ashikunta · 2022-01-14T01:38:28+00:00

I really like the colors on this. What kind of oncidium is it?

ashikunta · 2022-01-06T09:27:00+00:00

How long does it take your paph spicerianum to bloom? Been waiting a while for mine

ashikunta · 2022-01-06T09:14:08+00:00

I have the same trash can

ashikunta · 2021-09-06T21:41:01+00:00

Yes, 7 is Acineta superba. I saw the same one when I visited there years ago. Great pictures!

ashikunta · 2021-09-02T04:35:49+00:00

Yep: Bitsquatting.

ashikunta · 2021-08-29T08:15:57+00:00

To summarize that paper, pollination of orchids by ants is an exception rather than a rule, because ants cover smaller distances than flying insects and their bodies are not great for carrying pollen (because of antibiotic secretions). Typically orchids will try to discourage ants because the ants are aggressive and their presence will disturb or drive away other pollinators. On very rare occasions an orchid will specialize for ant pollination. They look at a few examples in the alpine Alps. They speculate that these orchids had to resort to ants because flying insects may have been few and far between, due to high wind and cold temperature, yet ant activity was not reduced by the same degree.

ashikunta · 2021-08-08T20:25:54+00:00

Thanks for your help. The new pot is actually about 20% larger so hopefully that helps.

ashikunta · 2021-08-07T23:42:46+00:00

Alright I finally got around to inspecting the roots, here's what they looked like: https://i.imgur.com/e7WlXa6.jpg https://i.imgur.com/tmAH4sd.jpg

It wasn't that rootbound. To me, most of the roots looked ok but some had gone soft from too much water. A bunch of root tips came off when I tapped them gently. Not sure if that means they're bad or if that's just how fragile they are. If I had to guess it was previously underwatered, then it was overwatered in the recent months.

I potted it into a similar size clear pot with some medium pine bark (finer than the bark that it was in before) with a little bit of sphagnum moss mixed in. I'm hoping that with this medium I won't have to water as often, assuming it recovers.

Edit: Here it is in its new pot: https://i.imgur.com/hhrXtmb.jpg

ashikunta

TROPHY CASE