Brassia Eternal Wind

This may not be the rarest or most difficult orchid, but it is very rewarding and blooms regularly. I grow this in a hanging pot and water thoroughly every two weeks. I find feed is best given in slow-release form twice a year. You can use any brand you like, doesn’t need to be orchid specific, just use rather less than it says on the packet because orchids are better left slightly underfed. Brassia like heat, light and water and fall into the intermediate to warm growing category. They can become difficult as houseplants during British winters when the combination of short days and cool temperatures can force them into dormancy, but a number of hybrids like “Eternal Wind” and “Chieftain” perform rather better than the species as houseplants. Brassia mostly resent having dormancy forced on them. With heat and a long photoperiod under lights they grow quickly, and do not usually rest for extended periods of time. Brassia Eternal Wind is a very easy to grow hybrid that stays compact (some Brassia can get very large with long droopy inflorescences – absolutely beautiful to look at but not very practical if you want to grow it as a houseplant) and flower spikes are nice and short, with flowers held just above the foliage. They can be prone to leaf spotting which is exacerbated by cool damp conditions but I have found under my controlled conditions this is kept to a minimum. They bloom best when left to outgrow their containers so when you pot them on, keep in mind that you want the plant to remain undisturbed for two or three years and don’t be too quick to divide them!

You might periodically find divisions of this hybrid in the shop!