Leaf tips on Encyclia turning brown. What does this signify?

[cythaenopsis]

I see what you mean, stefano. If someone prefers not to leave the humdifier running 24/7, are there optimal times for running it? Is it OK for the plants to experience shifts in humidity across the day, or is consistency more important? Would you say that less humidity during the winter months is a good idea to reduce the chance of mold/fungus?

[stefpix]

it feels you are worrying about too many details.
if your humidity is really low increase it with a cheap vick's vaporizer. i assume it is better to have it run a bit than none. in the winter humidity for me is too low and the heat sometimes goes up to 85F. I can not control it.

some plants do well some don't.

here now is 79 F and 52 % or RH. it sunny with some clouds. I think it is really a good weather for many orchids. I would keep it outside. and you get breeze/air movement and humidity for free without paying con-ed.
tomorrow is going to be higher humidity. and rain water is nicer than tap water for watering plants, in general (unless rain is acid rain with too many pollutants)

7-Day Zone Forecast for Kings (Brooklyn)

[stefpix]

is this that you got? RARE Encyclia dickinsoniana Mexican SPECIES orchid | eBay

it is harder to grow small seedlings outside of a greenhouse. I have a 50/50 success rate. some are stronger some they go south.

I am not familiar with the size of your encyclia. but that seems tiny.

anyway my warm growing cattleyas and relatives are outside my window or on the roof.

I would put yours outdoors in bright shade/ dappled sunlight / morning sun.

IOSPE PHOTOS

Encyclia dickinsoniana - Cattleya Source

Encyclia guatemalensis - Orchids Wiki

[stefpix]

when I started I killed an Encyclia adenocaula that was a seedling of similar size. I wish I still had that after I saw a bunch in flower at the Montreal Botanical Gardens. It looks amazing and now it is hard to find or it is expensive. I wonder if yours is one piece or maybe 2. could divide it if it is at least 8 or 9 PBs and try different things. a piece mounted. Or if you have any friends with a greenhouse I would ask them to baby it for a bit until it grows larger. But this shouldn't be too hard to grow, as it grows in Mexico from sea level to up on hills and mountains, so probably it is adapted to different levels of humidity. you could make a mini greenhouse with a clear plastic 1 gallon or 1.5 gallon jug of water. if you put it outside i would poke many holes for ventilation.

[Wjs2nd]

If you get a humidifier you shouldn't run it at night because of mold. Plus orchids really don't need water or anything at night. I would just run it during the day and only for a bit. Put it on a timer and play ith it till you find what works best for you.

[cythaenopsis]

Originally Posted by stefpix

is this that you got? RARE Encyclia dickinsoniana Mexican SPECIES orchid | eBay

it is harder to grow small seedlings outside of a greenhouse. I have a 50/50 success rate. some are stronger some they go south.

I am not familiar with the size of your encyclia. but that seems tiny.

anyway my warm growing cattleyas and relatives are outside my window or on the roof.

I would put yours outdoors in bright shade/ dappled sunlight / morning sun.

Yes, that is indeed it. I actually bought it directly from JewelOrchids. And you're right, it is very small... they tell you the diameter of the pot but don't indicate the size of the plant (they should photograph it with something to scale nearby for reference). I realize it will be a long while before I see any flowering, maybe 2-3 years.

Anyway, they don't really have a return policy so I figured I'd just give it a go. Aside from the minor things I've mentioned, the plant is growing and appears generally healthy. Already a few leaves are more than 0.25" longer than they were at first. I'm definitely going to have a humidifier going once the cold season comes along and hopefully I'll give this little guy a fighting chance outside its favored environment.

Good to hear that you have nice success with treating your plants to outside living. I am a little leery of putting my orchids outside, for a couple of reasons: 1) I don't have a screened porch area available, 2) I left a non-orchid plant outside one season and after bringing it in, some bugs came along with it, and 3) the birds seem to enjoy themselves nibbling on whatever plants I put outside (I have to be very selective, putting robust ones out there that can deal with a little pecking/nibbling). But, I try to give the plants some open window time whenever the temperature is reasonable.

I like your idea about the gallon jug. It might be worth doing while it's still growing rather small. I'm just concerned about the moisture in the potting mix evaporating quickly if left outside. When I keep it by the window with a good breeze, the moss is completely dried out in 2 days. And I'm planning to switch to a bark mix which will require more frequent watering anyway... although I'm wondering if it might be a good idea to put a good layer of moss over the bark to help retain moisture?

Originally Posted by Wjs2nd

If you get a humidifier you shouldn't run it at night because of mold. Plus orchids really don't need water or anything at night. I would just run it during the day and only for a bit. Put it on a timer and play ith it till you find what works best for you.

That makes sense to me, more along the lines of what I was looking for. The timer idea is a great one. Thanks!

[Claire25]

Hi Cythaeopsis!

I think I remember when you got this seedling...I also have a dickinsoniana that I got from Jewell's right around the same time, so I've been wondering how you were making out with your new 'chids from them.

I think you've received a lot of good advice, so I'm just adding my two cents as a fellow grower of virtually the same plant.

I grow other Encyclias, and this one definitely has the thinnest leaves of any that I have, which could indeed mean that it is less tolerant of low humidity. Mine has, however, been outside since I got it and so I've not worried about this. It could be an issue for me this winter, when all my 'chids are indoors, but I will have to see. I agree with the others that a humidity tray is a waste of time--have tried them and they do virtually nothing. (Most orchids will adapt to lower humidity than optimal, in my experience. None that I grow receive additional humidity indoors and I don't anticipate giving this one any extra, either). Mine is doing fine, and the leaves have grown quite a bit longer than I expected them to at this point.

You might consider that a little bit of damage/stress could have ocurred to it during shipping that may be the root of your problems. Mine had a brown spot right after I unpacked it that I took to be a "bruise" of some sort. It has not spread. However, I tend to think that the main problem is that you're keeping it a little too dark...leaf yellowing might occur if the plant is really shocked at being moved from a sunny greenhouse environment to the dark indoors. Mine gets much more than "diffused" light...it actually receives full sun outdoors for several hours from mid-morning to ~2 p.m.

I also did not repot mine, feeling (as some have mentioned) that a larger pot would be too big and could invite root rot due to this.

Keep in mind that it WILL be a long time before you see flowers. I personally feel that one of the great joys of seedlings is watching them slowly mature in one's own loving care...it seems that you know you are in for a long wait, though, so I probably needn't say much more. It can be rewarding, especially when you get just as excited at the growth of a new leaf or root as you might at the bloom of a flower.

If I can be of any more help, please let me know. I'm definitely a beginner, too, but I do have a lot of experience growing seedlings under more or less adverse indoor conditions. Best of luck to you!

Claire

[Claire25]

PS you mentioned that you noticed the pot drying very quickly on your windowsill...thought I'd add that they do indeed dry very quickly...especially in full sun with high air movement! I find it necessary to water my seedlings in 2-inch clay pots (like this one) at least every couple of days, even though they are in moss. Keep in mind if you switch to bark they will dry even more rapidly...

[cythaenopsis]

Claire, thank you so much for your detailed reply on this. I didn't realize your Encyclia is a Dickensoniana too.

I'm definitely still an orchid newbie, although I'm learning a lot as each week goes by. I have been giving the plant plenty of ambient sunlight, so it's not very dark for it... but then, if it enjoys some direct sunlight then that would explain some things as I've avoided it as much as possible.

The tiny pot it came in was drying out so quickly, that I decided to repot it in one of the 3" pots that the others came in. That seems to be better, as I water it every 3-4 days. For weeks the leaves were doing just fine... but who knows, maybe a stretch of cloudy days stressed it out. I was also absent for a week at one point and I know that the pot dried out completely for a couple of days.

I do make sure to let the pot dry out, so that there's less chance for root rot to take place. Also, if I remember correctly, it has very thin roots that are spiraling around the upper wall of the pot, so it should be affected less by moist moss down below. I think for now I'll avoid repotting it with bark. Once it grows a little larger, I'll go for it... perhaps by next spring. Anyway, despite losing two baby leaves, the rest are doing well. Two of the leaves are getting quite long, compared to when I first got them. One is 4" and the other 3.25". How long are yours at this point?

So yes, it is certainly going to be a while before any flowering appears. What do you think, maybe 2 years? I can be patient. I'm used to non-flowering plants and can consider it that way, letting the flowering time in the future to be a big bonus for all the effort. The other two I picked up are doing fine. The Sierra Skies Leone is noticeably taller. The smallest Oncidium leaf is showing some good growth, but the others look almost as they did when the plant first arrived. At least there's no color change or any signs of problems--seem to be doing alright with it so far. I put those two orchids in clay pots and water them about every 3-4 days. I like the clay as you can feel the moisture through the walls. They're also light enough that you can sense the weight difference when the water is dried out.

Cheers,
Gary

[stefpix]

I think it will take 3 / 4 years before flowering. especially if the growing conditions are not optimal. I think what grows in a green house with high humidity and bright lights grows way faster than what grows in an apartment.
I donated 2 banyan Ficus saplings to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. I checked them there after a month or 2 and they had grown faster than what has been growing outside my window.
But I like growing seedlings. Some die but it is exciting to see them grow. But I think the margin of error is lower. if you lose some roots of a pseudobulb rots there is less chance of recovery.