Kagawara 'Sandy Gold'

Oodles of 6cm flowers open on upright spikes throughout summer. The blooms last a long time and are a stunning blend of rich gold with a pink to red blush and features. The strappy leaves grow outwards along a central stem a v shaped fan formation. It is stocked in a 5cm pot and will take two to three years to flower, but is worth the wait and they will bring you joy for decades to come. The stem will grow around 5-10cm a year.

This warm growing orchid grows in similar conditions to the Vanda group, though faster and are quicker to bloom. The keys to success are: warm temperatures, bright light, good air flow and high humidity.

In ideal conditions, you can expect numerous floral spikes in a year season. They hail from S.E. Asia and are thus warm growing Orchids. The flowers are extremely showy and last well.

Grow in bright, filtered light. In cool climates they should be grown in a hot house. They don't like the temperature to drop below 10C for too long and tend to become dormant if they do. On the other end of the spectrum if it gets too hot for them (35C plus), the colour is not as vibrant. Allow good air flow between the plants and aim for a humidity of around 80%.

Because of their aerial roots and growing conditions, they need a lot of water. Water well throughout the growing season, allowing them to become relatively dry over winter. The plants have a clever trick to let you know when to water; when they are white they are thirsty, when they are green, they have enough water. It is best to water the in the morning as they don't like it cold and wet.