Bulbophyllum medusae spiking

[DirtyCoconuts]

very excited to see this pop out and I will continue to share its development

Buds n stuff by J Solo, on Flickr

[Roberta]

Yessss. These are beyond cool!

[neophyte]

congratulations - super exciting!

there's a few B. medusae at the local orchid nursery and i'm wondering if it's worth the investment. could you please describe your growing conditions so i can see whether i can actually keep them alive or not? thanks lol

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by neophyte

congratulations - super exciting!

there's a few B. medusae at the local orchid nursery and i'm wondering if it's worth the investment. could you please describe your growing conditions so i can see whether i can actually keep them alive or not? thanks lol

DC can get away with growing those outside... South Florida is pretty tropical. I have to grow them in the greenhouse. They don't need much light, so they would also be OK in the house. Basically, Phalaenopsis conditions.

[neophyte]

is high humidity a requirement?

[DirtyCoconuts]

It is but there are ways to cheat.

I use coir lined baskets and then add really really loose, think, dropped loosely on top, sphag Moss. I add a few large chunks of charcoal and bark so I can basically ignore them unless it has been particularly dry.

I think if you used a similar idea, basket with coir and then sphag but really loose, you could get away with indoor growth.

Here is a huge caveat. You have to be able to let it drip. I helped a relative modify an entryway boot mat to go under her vandas and allow her to spray and drip to her hearts content.

---------- Post added at 09:56 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:54 PM ----------

Originally Posted by Roberta

DC can get away with growing those outside... South Florida is pretty tropical. I have to grow them in the greenhouse. They don't need much light, so they would also be OK in the house. Basically, Phalaenopsis conditions.

100% agree. I find mine like more light than a phal typically gets and it crawls and reaches really far with each new bulb in the shade but in a mount I have in more sun it is much more closely bunched. Small sample size I admit lol

[neophyte]

i just read a short blog post by someone else about this plant and it seems you are definitely right in that the rhizome noticeably varies in length depending on lighting.

---------- Post added at 10:06 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:58 PM ----------

ps what temps is your plant getting normally?

[DirtyCoconuts]

Hmm well is this a political discussion?? Lol

Ranging from hot as hell and very wet (we call it summer, average is low 90/high 80 with 70-80 percent humidity and rain every day for some amount of time.

....to slightly less hot and slightly less wet. 70-80 temps with 40-60 humidity and rain a few times a few for an hour

I have just moved these to the lath house but they have always lived outside, formerly in my patio. I say these because I have divided this plant (a beauty from brook side orchids a few years back) into three now
Feel free to ask any more questions about my area but I recognize I live in an orchid vivarium and I am mostly getting by on luck and good advice

[SaraJean]

Tell me your secrets, lol. I have had one of these for years. It grows extremely well, but never once has it bloomed. Low light, medium light, I even put it with my Cattleyas the past two years... nothing. It’s super healthy and hydrated but refuses to bloom and I refuse to trash it

[DirtyCoconuts]

Never trash it!!

What are you growing it in? Container and medium? How about fert?