Ruth Volcano Blue ‘Volcano Queen’ (plant onky)
This plant, like 99.9% all of their plants, I have received are very healthy. And the blue with the darker throat should be beautiful. Can’t wait til they bloom. No sheaths yet but should be nice next summer. Might have gotten them this fall, but had to bring plants in in September this year as our nights started getting very cold so they have been low on light, very low humidity, not getting nights dips, etc. But this winter they will live in a grow tent with a large commercial LED light but still have to work up to 50% — anyway we are moving slow so no flowers expected until summer 2024. That’s okay they get more time to grow and will be stronger and ready to put blooms out next year. Good coloring, but take the light mine get (southwest most of the day) behind 50% shade cloth. Their roots are great on the vast majority and most with nice tips. Have not received any with disease — and there is no need to repot their plants right away as they in a large solid bark and still have room for growth. The ones I get most are ready to go into a larger pot and are hanging over in 6-12 month. In a pinus radiata type maybe Orchiata (I need to confirm) but with no other types of bark (oak, cedar, etc) nor sphagnum moss, perlite, or any organic type media that fails fast and would compromise the longer lasting bark. If you buy plants in the general market, most have bad roots, or are spotted with fungus, or should have repotted a year prior, etc. NEVER is that a problem with Akatsuka. Their plants are strong and good size based on genetics of the type of plant. They are healthy growing and usually with at least one new lead if not more. This was a plant only one which can be just not in bloom at the time or are coming for first bloom. But if you order blooming plants they arrive with either full sheaths, buds bursting out, or all out but not open yet. It’s pretty exciting. If they have plants which are damaged but have been fully treated but still healthy good growing plants — they are sold in their discount area and they fully disclose what the issue was, etc. They seem to try their best to sell only healthy plants and do a darn good job. It’s hard to go wrong with Akatsuka. And customer service has been super.
