Lycaste crinita in permanent hibernation

[orchid_ninja101]

Hello my fellow enthousiasts,


I have a Lycaste crinita which went into hibernation somewhere in December 2016 and has been like this ever since.

We are about six/seven months later now and its still leafless and does not make any attempt of growing. The bulbs are fine, fat and green.

I also have a small family of catasetinea and they all got out of hibernation and are putting out new shoots.

What can I do to get it out of its hibernation? Is it waiting for me to start watering regularly again? or maybe give it a higher or lower temperature?

I am sure that I am doing something wrong, this is my first Lycaste and have little experience with this family.

Any advice is welcome!

[DeaC]

Leo's Splash might help. Read where he mentions deciduous lycaste.

[Roberta]

I suspect that it is waiting for the "rain" to come. I grow quite a few Lycaste species that have a definite "leaf-decduous-bloom-leaf" cycle, and I don't stop watering them at all. In winter, I water less because things dry out more slowly when it is cool, but I water these like I water everything else. (Catasetinae I don't water at all until they start growing, different behavior but they're warm all winter, Lycastes get cool) Where the Catasetinae grow in anticipation of water, I would suspect that the Lycastes grow in response to it.

I would also guess that the Lycates would respond to a seasonal temperature change. Our conditions are different (I grow them outdoors because I have frost-free winters) but they get cool winters and do their growing and blooming as the weather warms up (lots of action now)

[katrina]

Was it a recent division when you got it? How much light have you been giving it?

If it was divided late last year, when in leaf, it's possible that it could just be sulking right now. I've had divisions that sat for a year before making new growths.

As for the light...this is a group that needs just as much light while dormant as they do when in leaf. Without sufficient light they can be set back.

Lastly, have you checked the roots since you got it? If the roots were compromised before the dormancy...this could also cause sulking and it might not do anything for awhile.

Like Phillip, I never completely withhold water during dormancy. I water far less but they still get a "sip" every week or two.

[orchid_ninja101]

Thanks for the reactions so far, yes it was a "recent" acquisition form around July last year, so a division and the root system appeared damages to me.
It has two pseudo bulbs now, the "elderly" and the one from the growth from last year.

It seems to respond to watering (its now every 1 - 2 weeks, to prevent rot), it makes the shrivelling disappear so I assume its still alive.

I have heard that it does not like changes such as repotting but this surprises me.