Failure to flower
Helen
You have been so helpful in the past, I was hoping you could give me a
little more advice and/or reassurance. If you remember, I wrote to
you a year ago for advice about care of two orchids I had just
acquired, an oncidium and a dendrobium. Thanks to your suggestions,
they seem to be doing well, except that neither has flowered.
Both have grown new leaves, roots and pseudobulbs, although the
oncidium has far more new growth than the dendrobium. The roots look
healthy to me, white, plump and abundant, and they seem fine except
neither one has shown any sign of flowering. I figure they should
have done so, since I've had them for a year.
Any ideas? Are they perhaps needing extra time to adjust to the
change in home, or should I perhaps make some changes in their light
or care? My little Masdevallia Floribunda has just started to bloom
again, and it gets the same conditions and care as the others.
I took some photos to show you, but I don't see a way to post them
here!
Thank you in advance for your help and advice.
Helen
orchid doctor
Thanks for reminding me that you are in the Guatemala highlands. I
went back and refreshed my memory from your earlier posts. When
acquiring bare root orchids, it is not a surety that they will flower
within a year, especially if their last flowering season was spent
getting established and re-rooting. Or perhaps the plants are not yet
flowering size. Additionally (and this pertains more to the
Dendrobium) there may be a hard dormancy requirement involved in
flowering. A number of Dendrobiums need to be dried off completely (or
nearly so)during winter in order to flower properly. These plants
often drop one or two year lod leaves before flowering on the bare
canes. Some Oncidiums need a marked decrease in watering frequency.
The specific names (as opposed to just the genus) would have been very
helpful in knowing this, too bad you don't have them.
There is also the issue of light. Most Dendrobiums and Oncidiums
require a higher light intensity than Masedvallias do. While that
lower light intensity may have been ideal for the production of roots
and top growth by minimizing stress, it might not be enough to allow
the plants to bloom. At this point some pictures would be very helpful
for me to try and see if the plants show the effects of growing in
suboptimal light.
You can easily upload pictures to this group by going to the Gallery
(click the link on the upper right of the page). At the gallery page
look for the "upload" button and just follow the instructions. Either
rename your files so they will be easy to find (names like
"helensoncidium01.jpg") or send me a list of the file names you
upload.
Sincerely,
Dennis
Helen
Sorry to send you so many messages! I thought I should tell you that
I did greatly reduce watering around this time last year, per your
advice, to every two weeks or so unitl I started to see new growth.
The masdevallia seems to grow most of the year so I kept watering that
one.
Helen
Helen
with names that begin with helens. I appreciate any help you can give
me. I should remind you that they live outside, and I was not that
consistent last year about bringing them in at night when we get
frost. I did it regularly after you told me that cold damage can me
gradual and difficult to detect. We've been getting cold again this
week and I have brought them inside. Other than having rapidly killed
a grocery store orchid many years ago in the US, this is my first
experience with orchids, so I am glad to have your help!
Helen
per your instructions.
orchid doctor
I wish you had sent pictures a long time ago! I hate to be the bearer
of odd tidings, but your plants (except for the Masdevallia) are not
what they say they are. The plant labeled Dendrobium is most likely a
Rossioglossum, and the plant labeled Oncidium is an Encyclia. The
Masdevallia is in fact M. floribunda, and is looking pretty good.
Rossioglossum is a genus of Oncidium relatives native to Central
America and Mexico, usually with spectacular flowers in yellow and
brown accented with red. They are intermediate to cool growers that do
appreciate reduced watering in the winter. They want bright light, but
not too much direct sun. Though your plant has bloomed in the past,
the most recent growths are too small to bloom, so you will have to
grow it on. I think (from looking at the roots) it would be happier on
a bark slab with a small amount of moss over the roots, or potted in
fine bark. Rossioglossum grande, the most spectacular member of the
genus is native to Guatemala.
Encyclia is a big genus found from Mexico down into South America.
Most are warm or intermediate growers that love intense light and hot
days, even if they tolerate cool winter nights. They need to get
pretty dry between watering during the growing season, and to stay dry
for several days between watering while they rest in the winter. Your
plant looks like it may well bloom next spring or summer on the
growths it has produced this year. There are a number of Encyclia
species native to Guatemela. Dendrobiums are only found in the old
world.
Neither of these plants should be exposed to temperatures below 45,
Ideally not below 50.
Happy Holidays,
Dennis
Helen
I wish I had sent the pictures before too! I didn't know it was
possible. I can't blame the plants for not knowing their names; the
woman who sold them to me in the market had no idea. In retrospect,
it's possible she went into the rainforest to yank them and sell them
to me (I hope not!). She claimed she had them growing at her house,
and had me go back to the market and get them the next day (I was
traveling when I bought them). I tried to identify them from the
leaves and pseudobulbs and from her description of the flowers. I may
have them backwards, since it was over a year ago, but as I recalled
the one I thought was an Oncidium she said has yellow flowers that
look like dolls, and the othe one has large, round pink flowers,
according to her. Thanks for clearing it up for me!
Do you think I should just leave them inside in my large, south facing
picture window over a sink full of water until we stop getting frost
(that's where I keep them on cold nights)? It stays quite warm in
that part of my apartment during the day, but it's in the 70's
outside, too! Right now I can bring them back outside as soon as it
warms up in the morning, but when I go back to work in January I will
have to leave them inside until midday because it's still too cold
when I leave for work at 6 AM for them to go out. In the window, they
get sun on the back of the baskets as they hang in the window.
Can I mount them on a piece of firewood, or does it have to be special
bark? Fortunately, this is the time of year they sell moss in the
market, so that's not a problem! Should I move the Encyclia to a
sunnier spot? Where they now hang outside they get direct sun from
about 6 to 9 AM this time of year (more like 7 to 10 in the summer).
Any other suggestions for TLC for them? I am more eager than ever to
keep them happy now that I know they are local treasures!
Also, I forgot to ask you something about the Masdevallia - last year,
its flowers had a lovely, spicy smell, though I had to get quite close
to detect it. I don't get the scent on the first two flowers it has
this year! Is this a bad sign?
Thank you so much for your help. I truly appreciate it and I hope I
can provide a good home for these beauties! Even without flowers, I
love them.
Happy Holidays to you too!
Helen
orchid doctor
It is not uncommon for the rural people in the tropics to gather
orchids in the wild to grow themselves. And of course some have a
natural affinity for it. It is quite common for locals to gather
orchid flowers for sale to other locals, and to gather whole plants
for sale to foreigners or city dwellers. So though the plants you
purchased may have been divisions of the vendor's plant, they
certainly originated in the local forest. I have seen in the wild
plants whose forward growths have been collected many times, with
enough left behind each time so that the plant could be harvested
again in a few years. Some people apparently know what they are doing!
If your day temperatures reliably get to around 70 every day, your
plants may be left outdoors as soon as the night temps are staying
above 45. So long as they are kept on the dry side they should be
fine. Otherwise they should spend the nights (or all 24 hours)
indoors.
Orchids prefer to be mounted on bark, not on the actual wood. They
prefer rough bark, and for the most part the bark of broad leafed
trees rather than conifers. Oak bark is generally very good. So if you
can get oak firewood, strip off a sheet of bark and use that. Slabs of
tree fern "bark" also work well. If you are getting live moss I'd say
put the moss on the bark, place the orchid on top of the moss with the
roots spread out over it and tie it firmly in place (but not so firmly
that you destroy the roots). A hole at the top of the piece of bark,
with a wire hook through it will enable you to hang the mounted orchid
in an appropriate spot.
The Encyclia should be able to tolerate sun till around noon, the
Rossioglossum will want a bit less.
Flowers often do not begin to release their fragrance until they have
been open for several days (at least orchid flowers). Some flowers are
also only fragrant at certain times of the day or under certain
circumstances. So keep sniffing!
Sincerely,
Dennis
Helen
the firewood pile. And I appreciate the reassurance about the orchid
harvesting techniques!
You were right about the Masdevallia; it is full of flowers now (many
more than I got last year) and they smell lovely like before,
especially once they warm up. It is a beauty!
I'll let you know if (or should I say when?) the others flower.
Helen