orchids

[catweazle1962]

hi i am new at growing orchids and have bought a promenare limelight xp xanthina and a beallare rich heart , we have noticed that both plants are getting yellows leaves and we have had them about 2 months we was advised on when to water and when to feed at the moment both plants are in the kitchen , is this the best place for them , and can you explaine when and how you know when to re pot the plants the xanthina is just coming on to flower at the moment thankyou

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

First thing's first - getting to know your orchids' names.

Your Promenaea hybrid is properly written out like so:

Promenaea Limelight x Promenaea xanthina

Also, as a note, your tag is written out incorrectly. The abbreviation of the genus name "Promenaea" is not written out as "P."

The correct abbreviation for the genus name Promenaea is "Prom."

So properly abbreviated, your tag should read like so:

Prom. Limelight x Prom. xanthina

The Promenaea you own is a complex man-made hybrid that comprises of 3 different species of Promenaea.

They are as follows:

1.) Promenaea ovatiloba
2.) Promenaea stapelioides
3.) Promenaea xanthina

To further break it down so you understand where the 3 species in its genome come from, here it is:

Promenaea Limelight is a man-made primary hybrid. A man-made primary hybrid is a hybrid that is made by humans between 2 different species of orchids, in this case.

Take note that the name "Limelight" is capitalized. This is not a species name of a species orchid. It is the hybrid name of a hybrid orchid, hence why it is always capitalized.

Promenaea Limelight is a hybrid between 2 different Promenaea species. Namely:

1.) Prom. ovatiloba
2.) Prom. stapelioides

In other words:

Prom. Limelight = Prom. ovatiloba x Prom. stapelioides

I want to call to your attention the "x" in these names. Said out loud, it is not pronounced the letter "x". The "x" is a symbol for the word "cross"; meaning a cross pollination between 2 plants/flowers/different species.

If I write it all out in long form, you'll see where the 3 different species comes in:

Prom. (ovatiloba x stapelioides) x Prom. xanthina

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

The second orchid you own is also a complex man-made hybrid. The intergeneric name, (for the sake of simplicity, intergeneric means there are several natural genus names that are involved in this hybrid), is actually spelled out:

Beallara

The intergeneric hybrid comprises of plants from the natural genera:

Brassia
Miltonia
Cochlioda
Odontoglossum

These plants are all in the Oncidium subtribe.

The intergeneric name is properly abbreviated as:

Bllra

Beyond this I can't help you, because the other part of your plant's name is not something I recognize. You may want to check that it really is "Rich Heart".

It could be Bllra Marfitch '____'

I will say that the Bllra should be the easier of the 2 orchids you own to grow.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Promenaea is not a genus of orchids I would direct a total newbie to. They are tricky to understand if you don't have a more than solid understanding of orchids - particularly those in the Maxillaria subtribe that are allied to the plants in the genus Zygopetalum.

Most people don't readily grasp the watering seasonal cycle these guys go through.

With that said, they are cool - intermediate growers. They naturally come from areas that are 50 F - 85 F (10 C - 29.4 C).

They like it moist all year round.

However, this is the catch...

They don't like too much moisture occurring during the fall and winter seasons. They still need to be watered, but not as much as the spring and summer seasons, when it rains buckets in the wild.

They grow in shady areas as an epiphyte on moss covered trees in environments with moderate to high humidity.

They also appreciate some good air circulation because of the amount of moisture they need so they don't rot out.

When your orchid needs repotting depends on how badly the potting media has decomposed and/or how many roots start crawling out of the pot, not how many leaves or pseudobulbs or flowers it has.

I will say this in regards to repotting Promenaea...

If you must repot the orchid while it is in bloom, the likelihood of you losing the blooms is very high. These group of orchids are kinda touchy to major changes.

Another reason I wouldn't recommend Promenaea to a beginner is because they can be prone to bacterial or fungal infections that can be difficult for newcomers to handle and overcome.

With regards to the yellowing leaves, I need to see your plant in order to tell what's going on. Please post a pic of your plant for further diagnosis.

[lily99]

Hi, welcome to orchid board! I do not have any experiece with Promenaea, but I do have a couple oncidium intergeneric hybrids. They seem to like a lot of water, humidity and cool temps. If the leaves are pleated they may need more water and humidity. Also, check the roots for rot, as rotten roots can not absorb water. Some pictures would be helpful.

[catweazle1962]

thankyou for all your helpfull advice i have attached some pictures for your comments

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

I wouldn't worry about the yellow leaf on the Promenaea. It is an old leaf. It will eventually drop.

I can't see the roots to the Promenaea. I suspect the root system may not be terribly large and haven't yet filled into the pot. At this point, I wouldn't touch it.

From what I see, the potting media for both plants appear fresh. If you weren't sure what the potting media was, it's CHC (coconut husk chips). You don't need to repot either orchid.

Without having to see what the actual root mass looks like, I'd have to assume that the size pot that the Promenaea is currently in may be a little too big, imo. However, like I said prior, I wouldn't repot it quite yet. I'd probably wait a bit until it is settled in more before I do that. In the meantime, be watchful of the moisture level inside the pot.

The Beallara has a good set of roots, so, you don't need to worry about it much for now. The pot size is perfect for the plant as well. By winter, the roots may eventually fill in the pot quite well.

[catweazle1962]

thankyou for your advice how can you tell if a leaf is old , is chc the same as orchid compost
we was advise to water once a week and feed every 3 weeks is this to much
what sort of pots would be suitable for these plants and where should i keep them , as we did have a orchid before in the kitchen but cannot remember the name of it and it was ok one minute and then it died for some reason but glad that we found this forum thankyou

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Originally Posted by catweazle1962

thankyou for your advice how can you tell if a leaf is old?

I can tell because I currently have a Promenaea xanthina in my collection, and I've grown orchids for many years, so I can see what happens in the development of new shoots.

New shoots emerge from the bottom of the Promenaea's pseudobulbs. When the young shoots first emerge they look triangular. When new leafy growths come out of the young shoot, they form bracts instead of what traditionally looks like leaves. After a short while of forming bracts, they form what traditionally can be recognized as a leaf, but it's rather small. Another new leaf appears shortly thereafter, but again, it is small. The next leaf grows larger. Then immediately after, another leaf of similar size will grow out. Along the way, the bracts may or may not die back. This will continue for however many times the shoot grows, until finally, the largest leaves will emerge from the shoot. After a long while, the shoot will no longer continue to grow leaves, but rather concentrate its energy into having its stem, (which is obscured amongst the folds of the leaves), swell up to form a water and nutrient storage/passage system called a pseudobulb. After the pseudobulb matures, the mature shoot will appear to not grow. The older leaves then start to die back.

That is the life cycle of a young shoot to a mature shoot for many epiphytical orchids.

Originally Posted by catweazle1962

Is chc the same as orchid compost?

Orchid compost is a term not many people use. Hobbyists generally don't call orchid potting media "compost", because they are not necessarily composted materials.

CHC is not a composted material. It may be treated, but to my knowledge, it is not necessarily composted.

Originally Posted by catweazle1962

we were advised to water once a week and feed every 3 weeks is this too much?

The answer depends on the kind of orchids you have, the potting media they're being grown in, and the environment you have them growing in.

Being that CHC retains water very well, it would probably not be a good idea to be watering your orchids everyday with this potting material. Especially when you live in an area where it is rather cool.

There are no easy answers to this question, and it is just a matter of knowing your orchids. Watering once a week is a guideline. Think of it as a pair of crutches, you are eventually supposed to walk without them.

Since Promenaea like lots of moisture, depending on how moist the potting media stays in a week, you may end up having to water more than just once a week. Again, you gotta pay close attention to your orchid. As a general rule, it is better to have an orchid suffer from being under watered than over watered. If the orchid is dehydrated, all you have to do is catch it in time and water a little more often than you did before until you get it right. If you over water, you will rot the plant's roots out and the plant may not recover from such severe damage.

Originally Posted by catweazle1962

What sort of pots would be suitable for these plants and where should i keep them...?

If you're asking whether you should be using a clear plastic pot versus an opaque plastic pot versus a terra-cotta/clay pot, the real answer is - it doesn't matter that much.

There are inherent advantages/disadvantages to using certain types of pots over others, but generally speaking, it really doesn't matter.

Although...

Most epiphytical orchids do have roots that are fully capable of photosynthesis, and that is why I like the clear plastic pots.

My thought of late has been, if the plant has more of a surface area to photosynthesize, the more likely the plant is able to grow a bit stronger than one that doesn't utilize its roots in photosynthesis. In some cases, the surface area of the root mass of some epiphytical orchids has the ability to far exceed the surface area of the stems and leaves of the plant combined!

The added advantage of a clear plastic pot over an opaque pot is that you can also see what's going on with the root system, for the most part.

Clay/terra-cotta pots, have the ability to keep the root zone of your orchids cool, but they have the disadvantage of drying out much faster than a plastic pot does.

Since Promenaea like water, I would recommend a plastic one over a terra-cotta/clay one.

[catweazle1962]

thankyou for your helpfull advice i was woundering how you can tell when to water the orchids i was advised to stick my finger in the top to see if it was moist is there another way , i was also advised to when watering the orchids to soak them and wait untill it needs watering again is this way correct , with the orchid compost i only said that because it says it on the bag is it the correct thing to use or should i use chc thanks again for your help