Bulbophyllum lasiochilum care and blooming

[Talila6]

I was given a tray with a healthy looking Bulbophyllum lasiochilum . When does it bloom? What would trigger blooming? I am confused as to how to water it. It is planted in a plastic berry tray(yes) with some live moss. I am at loss on how to keep this plant happy. It sends nice white roots from the pbulbs. Anybody has experience with this plant?

[WhiteRabbit]

[Brooke]

I do have experience with it. I grow it in Catt light and keep it wet. Before it circled its basket, I grew it sitting in a tray of water. It gets watered every other day now that it has to hang.

It starts blooming in late August/early September and when big enough will bloom for months. It will produce two new growths from the old growth.


Bulb lasiochilum JCL_0172 by kentucky4, on Flickr

You will love this plant.

Brooke

[Talila6]

I was told it grew in shade. By your description it needs lots more light. I will move it closer to my t8 grow light. As for watering. I water it every other day. But sitting in a tray of water really? I am going on vacation for two weeks. I need someone to care for this plant! As you could see from my picture it is doing ok. The moss has some brown tip growth. Once in a while I get a new green tip within the moss.I have been misting it too. Some of pbulb look a little shriveled. maybe i am not watering it enough. Thanks for the help. It will look really 'strange' but what the heck... It is an orchid after all!

Thank you for taking the time to respond. I found some description of this plant in the book : Bulbophyllums and their allies. By Emily S. Siegerist. the condition for growing this plant note bright shade? .

I am fascinated by this plant. Should I try to put it in a basket? Potting date jan 2011.

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[Talila6]

What is MSU fertilizer?

[Brooke]

MSU is Michigan State University - they developed the formula. You can get it in tap water or RO water formula.

I can only tell you how I grow this Bulbo. I didn't find bright shade to be bright enough. Now it grows hanging above my Catts.

It can grow very very close to your T8's because a new tube in the middle of a 4' hood only produces 1000 fc's. At the end of the tubes it is 600-700 fc's. The older the tubes, the less fc output.

Brooke

[Talila6]

I do have some of that fertilizer! Thank you.

[Gold3nku5h]

are the leaves about 2 inches in length on the darker variety as well as the pbulbs being about 1 inch in length? i ask because i recently attended an orchid fair and bought one of the dark variety of B. lasiochilum. i had owned one before (dont know if it were the dark variety) but its leaves were just barely an inch in length, as well as the pbulbs being about a half inch or so in length. i have a feeling i have an unidentified bulbophyllum that was at some point mistakenly id'ed.

i also repoted it because they had styrofoam, charcoal, sphagnum moss, then pine bark in layers, and figured id stick it in what ive always done about 50/50 pine bark and sphagnum. and it turned out there were 4 sparate plants, so i guess thats kind of a good thing, at least 3 are already actively growing, or showing signs of it.

thanks, eron.

[Talila6]

My bulbophyllum has the shorter leaves and the half inch pseudobulb.. It was labelled as bulbophyllum lasiochilum. i got it from the secretary of my orchid society. There are about three or four plants in one pot. It is planted in a shallow plastic fruit tray with a lot of holes along the side. I have not repotted it. I read that this species does not like to be repotted often. I keep mine in another flat tray where there there is always a little bit of water. The bulpophyllum seems to like this treatment and it is growing nice shiny leaves and roots. I am quite happy with the way it is growing. I am looking forward to blossoming later in the summer. I understand this species like a lot of warmth.. It will like my humid, and hot summer here in milwaukee Wisconsin .

[DirtyCoconuts]

Grave DIGGER!!!

I am resurrecting this ancient thread bc it is a good reference and I like to keep threads going when relevant.

I have and enjoy this plant. Both the red and the normal. Great and under appreciated bulbophyllum

I am now experimenting with a five bulb cutting in my terrarium. It will be way at the top and I expect quite happy but I was thinking I’d ask if anyone else is growing this plant and how and what your thoughts are

None of the above posters appear active anymore so maybe new thoughts