Bulbophyllum culture

[BikerDoc5968]

Many of you have seen me posting here and while I don't think of myself as a newbie.... don't like the term "newbie"! Anyway, I seem to be having a problem with new growth rot on some of my Bulb/Cirrho. Specifically, Cirr. dentiferum seems to be extremely sensitive to water! Any cultural experience from those who aren't "newbies"? The new pseud bulbs begin to grow and then turn black.... a situation that is VERY upsetting to say the least!!!! I am trying my best to keep them dry but those little buggers get wet!

[boytjie]

Originally Posted by BikerDoc5968

Many of you have seen me posting here and while I don't think of myself as a newbie.... don't like the term "newbie"! Anyway, I seem to be having a problem with new growth rot on some of my Bulb/Cirrho. Specifically, Cirr. dentiferum seems to be extremely sensitive to water! Any cultural experience from those who aren't "newbies"? The new pseud bulbs begin to grow and then turn black.... a situation that is VERY upsetting to say the least!!!! I am trying my best to keep them dry but those little buggers get wet!

Hello Doc, I was having the same problem a lot of the time until I started to grow my Bulbos mounted. Problem largely solved, since the water runs off the new growths (thanks, gravity!) and the mounts/moss dry out pretty quickly after watering. No more pooled water around new growths. The few bigger ones that I still have potted are growing in open baskets in a very open and loose medium, 50/50 sphagnum moss/tree fern, which also helps with quick drying after watering.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

I mount all my Bulbos. There are no exceptions!

That will solve it partially.

But the deal sealer is to water often during spring/summer, then reduce (not eliminate) water in fall/winter.

Be careful of how much moss you put on the mount. Too much is not necessary.

Oh, and good air circulation.

...Yeah...Don't worry about the "newbie" label. It's too cutsie for me.

[Sandy4453]

Doc, these are one group of orchids that don't forgive you if you get the new, sprouting growth wet. It can get a little tricky if you've got them potted or even in open slit baskets. As you know, they find their way through these openings and is where a lot of new growth begins. I'll water these through the slots that are free of any new growth to avoid wetting them. If potted, they work best (for me) in very shallow pots with their rhizomes sitting on top of the medium, just slightly covered. Mine are soooo grown into their baskets that I wouldn't even attempt switching them over to mounts but, mounts are the best way to grow these.

[stefpix]

I have a Bulbo lobbii that seems to be growing fast. many new roots and a new small lead grew a really nice shiny leaf pretty quickly.
Seems to grow faster than anything I have except a Galeopetalum.

I potted it in a round net pot with tight coconut chips that i inserted into a 4" orchid clay pot and filled the gap with LECA and coco chips [the Bulbo seems to have rambling growth].

I made sure it is on top of the medium not inside the medium.
Things dry fast here in the winter.
A senior succesful grower that won some prizes at a show told me most people pot orchids in medium that is too loose and taht is not so good for roots that are used to grow on tree branches.

he compresses the medium with the handle of a hammer.

anyway probably if you get those issues probably you do not have enough air circulation or sun.

I mist the medium of my Bulbo once or twice a day and water it every few.
Seems one of the easiest plants to grow I have.
For sure less temperamental than most Phalaenopsis that easily lose some old leaf or grow slowly.

Try to put it in a brighter location where it can dry faster

[BikerDoc5968]

Originally Posted by Sandy4453

Doc, these are one group of orchids that don't forgive you if you get the new, sprouting growth wet. It can get a little tricky if you've got them potted or even in open slit baskets. As you know, they find their way through these openings and is where a lot of new growth begins. I'll water these through the slots that are free of any new growth to avoid wetting them. If potted, they work best (for me) in very shallow pots with their rhizomes sitting on top of the medium, just slightly covered. Mine are soooo grown into their baskets that I wouldn't even attempt switching them over to mounts but, mounts are the best way to grow these.

Tell me about it... unforgiving is an understatement... these guys are worse than my phals!!!!!
At least all of you have confirmed my own negligence and wil be more careful going forward. It's just I have them hanging from the rafters in the GH and I have to take each one down to water... but if I want nice plants I have to invest in some work....so what else is new!!!

Sandy, do you have many Bulbos and do they like Florida.... you're over by West Palm or further south????

[Kaykay]

(disclaimer) There are many more experienced bulbo growers here but...
My one Bulbo Jersey is doing great on a regime of 'semi-immersion' (ie immersing pot 2/3rds in water- medium gets damp, but no where near the surface like a full immersion watering) and a little bit of a rest over the winter- I think I left mine for about 6 weeks over Nov/ Dec with very little water at all. It's doing great. A large new, non-rotting growth which didn't run the risk of any moisture getting trapped between it and a pseudobulb.
For what my limited experience with Bulbos is worth, I hope that helps...
Kay
x

[gnathaniel]

I feel your pain, Doc! I just lost the first spike on my big plumatum to unknown causes. Not as bad as losing a new growth, but it still hurt! Luckily there seem to be 3-4 more in development...

Anyway, I would emphasize the advice about air movement in preventing rot of new growths. Mounting is definitely a good way to allow more air to circulate around the plant, though in my (limited) experience most bulbos grow better with more moisture than is typically available on a mount. That said, I do grow a number of species mounted for both aesthetic and space considerations.

Keeping temps very warm may be important for dentiferum, which I think is a lowland species. Make sure your water is warm, too, especially at this time of year.

Ditto to Sandy's advice about watering from the sides or bottom with baskets or net pots. And along the lines of Kaykay's partial immersion watering, I've been told by more than one experienced bulbo grower that many species will do great just sitting in a shallow dish of water that you replenish from time to time. Haven't worked up the nerve to try it myself yet, though...

One other thing to look out for: mechanical damage. The growing tips on many bulbos, especially the rambling ones, seem very sensitive to damage from even minor contact with another object. Unlike some other genera, even slight damage to the tip of a new lead may cause it to abort. I've lost a number of leads like this (I'm a little clumsy sometimes! ). Good luck!

--Nat

[Becca]

Well I am very new to bulbo's and I only have a few...or one or two! One is in moss in a shallow square pot that is slotted....kind of reminds me of a basket that strawberries or other berries would be sold in...lol. I keep it pretty moist...it's under the misters so it stays moist...I've only had it since late summer 2009 probably. I had a problem with it's first new growth for me...it had the rot problem, but the rest seemed to be okay after that. The other is potted in fine bark...the pot is one of those plastic steamer baskets you get from the healthy choice meals in the grocery store. I water it once a week (it is not under the misters) and usually a little of water catches in the second part of the pot. So far both are growing well...I think I need to up their lighting for them a tad...once I get the larger orchids out of the orchidarium I can move them up higher towards the lights!

Edit: Took a count on my bulbo's...thought I only had 2, but I really have about 6..lol. It's hard to keep up with so many orchids! Maybe I should finish my OrchidWiz log!

[Sandy4453]

Originally Posted by BikerDoc5968

Sandy, do you have many Bulbos and do they like Florida.... you're over by West Palm or further south????

Doc, I have about 10 now, had more but I found they're a lot more tempermental than I originally thought. One thing in particular that I've learned is, that although they like to be kept constantly moist and in high humidity, that doesn't mean they need to be kept constantly wet...a big difference.

I'm in South Palm Beach.