Matured growth is?

[Dollythehun]

I am sheepishly asking...what constitutes mature growth? Re: reduce watering when growth has matured. When you bring them in for the winter? When no new leaves are forming? I'm sure experience teaches this quickly but, I'm working in new tertitory here. A couple of posts started me thinking about this.

[Roberta]

Can you tell us what sort of orchid this is? Different types have very different needs. Any orchid needs to be brought inside before frost hits, of course, but even there the rules vary - A Cymbidium can go down to 29 deg F for a few hours without damage, a Phalaenopsis is unhappy below 62 deg F (perhaps a week or so of 55 to induce blooming but not more) So if you can give a bit more information, perhaps a photo if you don't know what kind it is, you can get help on its ID, and get advice that is accurate for that particular orchid.

[PaphMadMan]

It varies depending on the type of orchid, but it refers to a sympodial orchid like a Cattleya, Dendrobium, Oncidium, Catasetum, etc. where each new pseudobulb comes from the base of the plant. When the pseudobulb and leaves have reached full size and stop growing, often get a harder texture, or in a deciduous type like Catasetum the leaves are ready to die back, the growth is mature. There may still be root growth or spike development, but the growth will no longer get bigger. That is mature growth.

With a monopodial orchid like Phalaenopsis or Vanda that adds new leaves at the top every year it doesn't really apply. If you can tell us what type of orchid it may he possible to be more specific.

[Dollythehun]

Sure. When I am reading back posts, it often raises questions. I was thinking of Den. Pierinni. And you answered it in that the leaf texture changes. The leaves on mine still look tender...if that makes sense. The other plant is Epi. Radicans. I read on the board it blooms when the new growth is finished...which looks to me like that might be never.

I have a culture sheet that says consider witholding water and esp. Fertilizer from Halloween to Easter, maybe I'll try that.

[Roberta]

The advice to "not water between Halloween and Easter" - or even Valentine's Day, I have found to be an excellent way to kill a plant. Reduced water, yes. Perhaps once a week or 10 days. But plants with that advice come from areas that get heavy dew during seasons when there is no rain. That's really different than growing in a greenhouse, or especially a house with low humidity due to heating. Reducing or eliminating fertilizer makes sense when a plant is not doing much, or any growing. But the "water" advice needs to be tempered by reality. About the only things that really do need "no water" are the Catasetinae, that go totally dormant. And for those, the watering schedule should be based on the growth, not the calendar.

[PaphMadMan]

Epi. radicans will grow like a weed, and bloom at the same time on different growths. If you're sure your plant is big enough to bloom and it hasn't, more light and less fertilizer.

[Dollythehun]

Originally Posted by Roberta

The advice to "not water between Halloween and Easter" - or even Valentine's Day, I have found to be an excellent way to kill a plant. Reduced water, yes. Perhaps once a week or 10 days. But plants with that advice come from areas that get heavy dew during seasons when there is no rain. That's really different than growing in a greenhouse, or especially a house with low humidity due to heating. Reducing or eliminating fertilizer makes sense when a plant is not doing much, or any growing. But the "water" advice needs to be tempered by reality. About the only things that really do need "no water" are the Catasetinae, that go totally dormant. And for those, the watering schedule should be based on the growth, not the calendar.

Makes perfect sense, Roberta. Thank you...common sense prevails.

---------- Post added at 06:13 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:08 PM ----------

Originally Posted by PaphMadMan

Epi. radicans will grow like a weed, and bloom at the same time on different growths. If you're sure your plant is big enough to bloom and it hasn't, more light and less fertilizer.

I got it in bloom. It was in a hanging plastic basket in my supoliers greenhouse. It was blooming its heart out! However, unless I put in my greenhouse, no way I have thst much sun.

Currrntly, it is on tbe deck in as much sun as I can give it. Full sun for a few hours then brihght light..So far..nothing.

[bil]

On Den nobiles. when the top leaf produced is a single one, the cane has finished growing.

Winter rest there is described as low water no fertiliser, but even onn a strict diet like that mine still were producing lots of keikis and few flowers.

Personally, I think it is most important to get the temps down as low as you dare to initiate flower growth.