Rhynchovola David Sander Temps

[SaraJean]

Does anyone have this hybrid and keep it on the cooler side in the winter? Do lows of 40° or 45°F sound too chilly?

I have had this Rhynchovola (or Brassavola) David Sander since 2016 and it has always grown extremely well. It refuses to bloom though. I’m about 99% sure it’s a light issue, specifically, winter light. When I purchased it, a few others that were a similar size had spikes, this one did not but it was one of the healthiest looking of the bunch. Over the past two years, I have increased the light levels during the late spring through mid fall. It hangs in an exposed part of my balcony that gets direct sun for about 5-6 hours a day starting at 9am and dappled light after that. The small greenhouse where it has been living in the winter is much more filtered. It’s still bright, but definitely filtered, and also the duration is not the best. In order to keep the light high and the duration long, I would have to move it to a cooler spot out of the greenhouse where I can control how much water it receives. That area routinely sees night time lows in the 40°’s (occasionally high 30°s but I can move it for those few nights if needed). This is where I keep many of my resting Dens, rupicolous Laelias, and a few others. I only grow one of the David Sander parents- I have a young B. cucullata that stays pretty darn warm year round. I don’t have any experience with the Rhyncholaelia digbyana and the temps that one prefers.

First pic is shortly after I purchased and mounted it. The second pic is current.

[Roberta]

For Rl. digbyana it might prefer intermediate temperatures, but it will tolerate cold down to around 35 deg F (overhead protection from rain) B. cucullata I have learned from a friend who grows it outdoors (also coastal southern California) a lot better than I have grown it in greenhouse, that it can take cool temps too. So my guess is that it can tolerate the cool nights (dry when cold, but a mounted plant is likely dry anyway) and the longer light duration might be worth investigating.

[SaraJean]

Wow, I definitely didn’t see a notification for a response. Thanks for the help and this makes me feel a little better. We just had a random cold front move through that I wasn’t quite prepared for. Temps got down to 44°, I only got a chance to move my most cold sensitive types and seedlings into the house. Nights hadn’t gotten below 65° prior to that. Oh well...
That’s interesting about the B. cucalatta. I’ll have to see how it does once it grows up a bit more (it’s still a wee thing). I always assumed it was more of a warm grower and didn’t tolerate cold as well. Thanks again!

[Subrosa]

I keep mine in semi-hydroponic culture and group it with my 50°F plants. When it's outside it gets full sun most of the day, and during the winter it sits on a sunny windowsill which also gets some supplemental light from a grow light. It's currently budding for the first time.

[Ray]

I have grown that in baskets of Orchiata bark, hung up with-, and as warm as the vandas.