Blooming hippodamia... enough light for others?

[medge00]

Hello,

I just got my bc hippodamia to bloom (yay), and am eyeing other orchids. Its my understanding that orchids will only bloom if they have enough light. Would I be ok to assume that in my conditions I could likely get others to bloom?

I have a cattleya I got on sale from lowes around the same time I got the hippodamia, and a dendrobium phalaenopsis type that has new cane that is nearly as big as the original. I'm south Alabama, growing on porch, bringing them in only when its too cold at night.

thanks

M

[katrina]

When did you get the catt? If you got it a year or more ago then yes, that means you bloomed it. However, if you got it more recently then the bloom is more due to the previous growers conditions than yours.

If the plant blooms only once a year then it's the entire year prior that set up the bloom...not just a couple of weeks or even months. Plants that bloom a couple/few times a year are on a faster schedule but, still, the entire cycle of the growth maturation sets the plant up for bloom so it needs the proper conditions (light) during the majority of that entire cycle. [I hope that made sense.]

So...when did you get the plant? In AL you certainly could have enough light to bloom any orchid but w/out a bit more details...it's hard to know for sure.

What direction does the porch face?
Is there any direct sun or is it shaded?
If any direct...when and for how long?

[medge00]

I got it in July. It started putting new growth out in September and just bloomed this week. The porch faces East and gets some direct sun. I'll see if I ever get a second bloom before I buy anything else.

[katrina]

It's possible...it could be enough light for some catts....especially if it's really bright most of the day.

If you're hesitant to buy more high light one for now...you could always pick up a couple of lower light orchids...like phals. Those would be very happy on an East facing porch.

[Optimist]

I think you need to research any kind of orchid that you think of buying, because they all have different needs. A Brassia might like Alabama nights in the winter, but it might not be able to stand the tempratures during the hottest part of summer. I am in New Mexico in the desert and they are just fine with the winter, but in the summer I need to have fans on them and need them sheltered inside the house. Temprature, humidity, light, feeding (fertilizer), and whatever potting arrangements you have all have to do with wether a plant is happy or not. Many of these folks (not saying all) who seem to have zillions of orchids may live in a nice zone 7, overcast humid or rainy place that never gets too hot or cold-- for instance, Vancouver British Columbia, or Washington State, or Japan, or any of those nice nearly warm humid places that are somewhat "tropical" other people have to research the orchids that can be happy with minor changes, or else you end up having to have everything in a greenhouse at great expense. In my area, a lot of orchids may grow but they need to be in a house, under artificial situations most of the time or they will burn up.

If there is an Orchid Club in your area, maybe you can think of meeting some members there and talking "specifically" about your growing area. (Many states have several different growing zones, Houston, Texas is totally different from Lubbock, Texas)