How to care for Rhyncostilis

[Acharn]

I've got two plants I think are Rhyncostilis gigantea (see attachments). One I've had for a year. Last year I overexposed it to sunlight and it's not very healthy. In December (our Cold Season, or Winter) it lost the three or four bottommost leaves. I'm hoping the remaining leaves will stay, and a new leaf is emerging which I hope will be healthier. That one has the lighter flowers, which are almost exactly like the picture at IOSP. It finally bloomed in the middle of February, the first time since I bought it. The other one was given me by a niece this year, middle of February. Even though the blooms are much more purple, I think it's the same species.

The sheet at the American Orchid Society site recommends less sun for Rhyncostilis, about the same as for Phalaenopsis, and frequent watering. OK, I learned my lesson last year. I water them both daily; they're in baskets with no potting material, so the roots dry quickly.

I would like to know how I can encourage new root growth. My Vandas have sprouted new aerial roots that all have healthy green (well, one has purplish) tips that I understand are active in photosynthesis. I'd feel better about these if they also had growing tips.

[WhiteRabbit]

[OkiFred]

Well I am sorry not to be able to help you more, but at least you are not alone. I mounted mine on a treefern with some sphagnum to help with humidity. It lost quite some leafs at the beginning but developed nice roots so now I removed the net I used to attach it to the tree fern. I also water this one almost daily. About new roots, I believe they will come with warming weather, especially if you keep a nice humidity. Of course my climate (Okinawa) is much colder than Thailand in winter, but I believe that if you see a new leaf coming, then new roots are not far away... Sorry not to be of more help...

[Acharn]

Well, thanks for the encouragement, OkiFred. I sometimes feel discouraged because this is the only one that I bought over the last year that has bloomed. I felt really hopeful when the Vandas started growing new roots, but none of them have bloomed even though I feel they are getting enough sun. Not even the Dendrobiums have bloomed. Very discouraging.

[OkiFred]

Certainly don't feel discouraged by not flowering orchids. Every orchid is challenging. I have a Liparis that took 5 years to finally bloom. It is just more exciting when finally they bloom. I am not familiar with the Thai climate, but I think some of my orchids that are reluctant to flower are so because I take too much care of them so they don't have enough "hard" time during the rest period. Especially I don't have experience with Vanda.

[Wathepleela]

I’m currently in Thailand also and got a bunch of elephants (thai name for rhys). From experience (since Xmas) they don’t/can’t take too much (direct) sun. Now that we’re just gone off winter (cold season) here they are sprouting leaves and roots and rootlets like crazy. I dunk them in their bathtub twice daily. However direct sun has blotched a few of the leaves and stunted the growth of one baby leaf, so you’d do well to keep them out of the harsh sun.

Re blooming I concur with OkiFred. I recently read somewhere that orchids or plants in general bloom when they are distressed. So if we baby them too much they would behave like couch potatoes, “I’m so content I’d just sit and do nothing.” Case in point, two weeks ago I had to leave town for almost a week, I fretted and asked advice on this board, as a result I put them all in my bathroom and left two plastic basins on the floor full of water with one big towel dunk in each. When I got back, they all seemed happy (NOT because I’m back) but because they’d had the run of the house so to speak while I was away. New rootlets shot up everywhere I couldn’t even keep count. Even my hybrid vanda (which members on this board lament for the fact that they would put out one leaf for the whole year, and that a maybe) sprouted a whole new baby.

Lesson learned: I now cut back on their bath schedule, but one can’t help it you know. I keep fretting and still give them bath at least once a day. So if they don’t bloom, we’ll all know whose fault it is

[Acharn]

OkiFred: The Thai climate actually seems fairly moderate to me, but I've been here over thirty years, so I'm used to it. Right now is the beginning of the Hot Dry Season and daytime temperatures often get above 40°C here at Nakhon Sawan. It isn't all that humid, though. I find the Rainy Season best. It doesn't rain every day but there's usually a high haze that reduces the sunshine and keeps it from getting as hot as this season. The Cold Season is nice, but I find that when the temperature goes below 20°C I feel cold.

Wathepleela: Thanks for the encouragement. I haven't seen the Thai name written, so I wasn't sure if it was really "elephant" or not. the IOSPE uses the Latin alphabet (naturally) and gives the name as "Chang dam - Chang kra." From your handle I would guess you're Thai, so I can take your word for it. Last year I was dunking them every day. This year I've purposely missed some days. I began to suspect I might be coddling them too much. Maybe I should skip watering them for two weeks, but the air isn't very humid here so I'm scared to. I started watering the Cattleyas only once a week, as the American Orchid Society advises, and that seems to be working well. The Vandas are doing OK, except they aren't flowering. Well, there's a market on weekends at the Army base on the other side of the river and I plan to have my niece take me next month, so I can talk to some of the growers.

[Wathepleela]

Actually it was my orchid seller who gave the “elephant” definition, indicating the way the roots sticking out resemble elephant tusks (my Thai unfortunately is still at the age 3+ level). And local folks also more or less say the same when I show them the photos, so I take their word for it. I am wondering now that it is the plants’ growth season, should I “starve” them a bit? This should have been done right during their winter rest period (post-blooming) when it is most effective. At the present time I think the once a week schedule can be applied. Regardless of the air humidity (and it is always humid here in Bangkok) I routinely check on their health by looking and feeling the leaves, if they look lumpy or start to limp, then I’ll fret.

I have the feeling that yes, your coddling the plants too much (look who’s talking) might have not given them the stress (read anxiety) they need to produce flower spikes. I’m still learning – like I mentioned before I’ve only got into orchids world since last Xmas so I’m still going through trials and errors. Right now my big project is resuscitating a beautiful mature den that I have more or less killed from my heavy handling of it.

Hope you get more plants when you get to the other side of the river next month. And show us more pics of your rhys in their environment. Sawatdee krap

[Acharn]

I think their growth season is January and February. Looking at the dates on my photos, the lighter colored one bloomed at the end of January, and the blooms lasted until after my niece gave me the newer on in the middle of February. I was disappointed that there were so few blossoms this time.

Oh, I have no doubt I'll be able to buy some lovely Dendrobiums, and maybe a Cattleya of two. The problem is they're so lovely I want to buy more, but we go by motorcycle because of the limited parking and I can only carry three or four on the way back. If my niece's boy-friend isn't working that day we might take the pick-up truck, because he's a lot better at parking than she is.

I'm a little reluctant to show more of my "front yard" because it's not very attractive, but I can post some pictures of the whole plants. Some other day.

[Plodde]

Originally Posted by Wathepleela

I’m currently in Thailand also and got a bunch of elephants (thai name for rhys). From experience (since Xmas) they don’t/can’t take too much (direct) sun. Now that we’re just gone off winter (cold season) here they are sprouting leaves and roots and rootlets like crazy. I dunk them in their bathtub twice daily. However direct sun has blotched a few of the leaves and stunted the growth of one baby leaf, so you’d do well to keep them out of the harsh sun.Attachment 110532

Re blooming I concur with OkiFred. I recently read somewhere that orchids or plants in general bloom when they are distressed. So if we baby them too much they would behave like couch potatoes, “I’m so content I’d just sit and do nothing.” Case in point, two weeks ago I had to leave town for almost a week, I fretted and asked advice on this board, as a result I put them all in my bathroom and left two plastic basins on the floor full of water with one big towel dunk in each. When I got back, they all seemed happy (NOT because I’m back) but because they’d had the run of the house so to speak while I was away. New rootlets shot up everywhere I couldn’t even keep count. Even my hybrid vanda (which members on this board lament for the fact that they would put out one leaf for the whole year, and that a maybe) sprouted a whole new baby.

Lesson learned: I now cut back on their bath schedule, but one can’t help it you know. I keep fretting and still give them bath at least once a day. So if they don’t bloom, we’ll all know whose fault it is

I am so happy I came across your post! It is so true. I have been watching my rhynochostylis retusas spikes like a hawk and handling them with kid gloves. Then I leave for LA for 4 days and come back to find my spikes have doubled in size. I can definitely tell they were happy while I was gone. Now I'm thinking I should neglect them more often.