With normal care the leaves stay on the pseudobulbs for some years, then drop off. The old pseudobulbs last a year or two after this, then die. Often when dying normally, they turn dark brown or black and mushy inside, which can be frightening for somebody accustomed to other kinds of orchids. This is just how this plant drops old pseudobulbs. The dead pseudobulbs dry to a tough hollow husk. Sometimes you can just pull this out with your hand, and other times you would need to cut it out.
With good care the plant makes two new growths from each previous pseudobulb. In this way they become large plants quite rapidly.
If underwatered, old pseudobulbs start dropping leaves. The plant may lose all its leaves, but the old pseudobulbs remain viable for a while. If neglected further, old pseudobulbs start dying. They die the usual way, which is to get mushy, and dark brown or black. At this point beginning growers often think the plant is rotting and cut back on water, which is just the wrong thing to do.
If the grower remembers to water a leafless Grammatophyllum, and there are some pseudobulbs alive, they will begin pushing new growth when weather is warm.
If the grower lets the plant dry out much at all while it is pushing new growth, the new growth will die quickly. It turns black or dark brown while it does this, which inexperienced growers ascribe to rot, and then they water even less. The plant will die rapidly if not watered properly when making new growths.
When first learning to grow these I read it is best to water them evenly all year. Let them get almost dry between waterings, but not dry. When they are pushing new growths or flower spikes, do not let them get very dry.
They will also be quite unhappy without enough light. Growers in Hawaii put the various species up next to the glass at the top of the greenhouses, or grow them in their brightest greenhouses. Grammatophyllum speciosum grows in full tropical sun, like bamboo, if it is watered enough.
|
Linear Mode
