Chilochista's in the Winter

[martinvermillion]

How much water do they need and how long is winter time where they grow in the wild?

[s.kallima]

Which species do you have. They may not all need the same winter rest...
But for C.unseoides for example, the dry winter can last 3 to 5 months, with very little rain (8-10 mm in december vs 700 mm in august !!!). For this species, it is recommended to spray it every other day just enough to prevent it from drying too much.
I have C. parishii and treat it the same way.

[Undergrounder]

Oops.. lol i didn't know they had to have a dry winter, i just kept watering mine. But now that you mention it, the one i moved into my bathroom and only misted daily, grew a flower spike! I guess that must have been it!

[martinvermillion]

The only Chilo. species I have is the lunifera. They are currently being watered like you are saying. I spray every other day except slightly more if the sun is good. My problem has been too much water that has in turn cause them trouble with rot,fungus etc..
How long should they stay on this current system? Spring is a long time away in the mountains of WV.
Thought of lights to bring them around early if necessary? Thanks for all the advice on this matter!!

[s.kallima]

Make sure the mount dries up before you water again. The roots of Chilo. dry pretty quickly, in a few hours for me (I have them under T5 fluorescent), but the mount keep moisture for at least one or 2 days. It is better to have them on the dryer side. It grows with higher humidity, but it blooms for me after more than 2 very dry months (I would keep it 6 inches under the T5)