Decreasing pseudobulb size Bulbophyllum Jersey - Orchid Board

Kaykay · #1 10-23-2010, 07:28 AM

Can anyone give me a hint of what I'm doing wrong? This is my only Bulbo. I bought it around this time last year as a young plant, and since then it has put out 3 new growths (there was a 4th but the bud rotted off). Humidity and water are good (hight) I'm feeding it with my same feeding regime as my other orchids (20 20 20 weekly weakly) Can't give you a precise light reading, but it has been outside with a very happy Oncidium for the summer, and is currently indoors for the winter living among my happy blooming phals (so intermediate end of warm temps and reasonable light) The pbulbs are only smaller than the newest of the ones before I started looking after the plant- ie they aren't getting smaller than each other, merely smaller than the peak size of pbulb. My one cultural concern I have about it other than the growth one is that there is consistently a thin layer of algae on the medium which I just don't seem able to get rid of. Maybe it's not such a bad thing.
Any insights please? I'd desperately love to see blooms on this plant next year!
Kay
x

CTB · #2 10-23-2010, 04:55 PM

What is the media? Did you repot?

Kaykay · #3 10-23-2010, 07:52 PM

Carol,
Thanks for the reply. No, I haven't repotted, and it's in the media from the nursery- a fine seedling bark/ shredded sphag mix it looks like to me. The plant looks otherwise healthy and pbulbs are v.plump so roots are good I'm assuming!
Any ideas what it might be?
Kay
x

BikerDoc5968 · #4 10-23-2010, 08:05 PM

How old are the newest pseudo bulbs? It takes some time for them to "bulk up." And sometimes you can have small pseudo bulbs... they aren't necessarily like a Lycaste where one would expect newer growth to be larger. Also, changing location tends to slow down maturation... at least for me. The cooler temps in the greenhouse have all but stopped new growth.

CTB · #5 10-24-2010, 06:29 AM

I would get it out of any spag, it tends to keep everything too wet. They tend to grow well with the roots exposed some.. Try using some rock or large bark chips. If you have had it a year sounds like it's time to repot. Maybe a smaller pot if it's has gotten that much smaller.

AHAB · #6 10-30-2010, 06:40 PM

I have to disagree on the sphagnum.
I have quite a lot in sphagnum and they are growing like crazy.
You can always adjust the frequency of watering.
Read up on Bill Thoms book on Bulbophyllums.