My first little flower spikes are starting to emerge! There's only four so far (last year it had 8), but they're so tiny right now, I'm sure it's just getting started and more will follow. I would have posted a picture, but they really are too small to get a good, clear pic.

I think I'll leave it outside until the spikes are a couple inches long (it seems like in the past they have started to blast at about 3 or 4 inches), then I'll bring it inside and see if they flowers will develop in the cooler air. If that doesn't work, I have a whole year to figure out what to do with it next year haha.

Have you been watering more than once a day in this heat wave? I’ve left my 2 outside in the shade and hose them down every morning, but I think I may need to water them more than once a day.

I water at least twice a day. Morning and early evening. Occasionally if the day is especially hot, I'll water them a third time in the heat of the afternoon.

Please note, I am not a Stanhopea expert. Everything I know about these plants has come from trial and error and tips from other members, all regarding this one, single plant. My entire body of Stanhopea knowledge comes from one plant. I have learned so much from members here, and my plant grows great and seems to be flourishing, but in three years I have yet to successful bloom it, so keep that mind if I give you any advice haha.

Even indoors in the Huntington Gardens orchid greenhouse curator Brandon Tam has the Stanhopeas watered twice daily with an automatic drip system. They are planted in sphagnum moss in baskets.

Yeah, it’s been quite brutal here with the heat index hitting 115 some days. Mine have been growing well enough and I’m quite certain they are blooming size - but no sign of any blooms.

Haha hey Jinh, I just noticed we both live in DFW, so we have about the same weather and growing conditions

That heat is nasty! I looked up the award for 'Predator' - it was grown somewhat inland (about 10 miles) so warmer that where I live but summer temps not hitting triple digits all that often. And the award was given near the end of June (so nights still cool and days fairly temperate) I did see it that evening, really impressive! Interesting, I have a fairly small (recovering and growing but when I got it fairly pathetic) division of the mother plant, and a couple of selfings of it, and mine always bloom in mid- to late July. But again, I'm closer to the coast so more temperate, typical days rarely hitting 90 F and nights typically in the mid-to-high 60's F. At the Huntington (farther inland) days are hot, triple digits F not uncommon, but even there nights do cool off. Nothing like Texas summer, unfit for man or beast or orchid especially this year.

I’m actually in Arlington! So we are probably just on opposite sides of 360. I had noticed you were over in Grand Prairie, so I’d thought I’d ask about how you had been growing yours.



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Even our nightly lows have been breaking records. 😭😭😭 The past week pretty much hasn’t been dropping below 80 at night with 80% RH. Quite stifling.

We typically keep our house cool at night, like 64. I wonder if it would be worth bringing them in at night or if that would just be more stressful. I have terrible lighting in my house and with as hot as it is, I really don’t want to turn on grow lights to add to the heat.

I'd be inclined to just bring it in. Less-than-ideal light for a relatively short time isn't likely to be a problem. I'd worry more about temperature. These are fairly low-light plants. Andy Phillips grows Stans in a shady, even dark, area. Low light over an extended time might slow it down a bit, but those temperatures have the potential to do serious damage fairly quickly.

[QUOTE=Jinh;1005398]I’m actually in Arlington! So we are probably just on opposite sides of 360. I had noticed you were over in Grand Prairie, so I’d thought I’d ask about how you had been growing yours.

[COLOR="Silver"]

---------- Post added at 05:45 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:41 PM ----------

Yes, I live just on the Grand Prairie side of 360. I can be in Arlington is 5 minutes or less haha. Good to know there's someone here close enough to experience the same weather patters as I do, so we can compare notes about what works for us in our tiny part of the world, and what doesn't work.

Did you end up getting any blooms?

[QUOTE=JScott;1005403]

Wow! I see why they call it 'The Predator.' Hope it showed out good for you :)

I think we're gonna make it this year!
 

As soon as the flower spikes began to emerge, I moved the plant indoors, because by then it was in the high 80s during the day. If you keep up with Texas weather, you know recently we have had some days as hot as 108.

Anyway, I brought it in. It had six spikes. The littlest one turned yellow and died, and I freaked out, thinking it was starting again and they were all going to die, but they didn't. Just that one. So it has 5 spikes now, and they are growing and getting fat. I have two that I think might bloom in the next couple weeks, if not sooner.

I've included a pic so you can see how far along they are.

I'm so excited! I've been waiting for this for five years. I was about to give up on it and just give it to somebody here if it didn't bloom this year, but bringing it inside seems like it did the trick. I am SO EXCITED!

I'll post a bloom pic when they open. Thanks for all the help and suggestions. I never could have done it without all the great people at Orchid Board. I would like to thank every one of you who has kept up with thread for all these year, and those who have given advice and made suggestion. You guys helped me made this happen. Thank you so much.

The plant is way huge overgrown in a 12 inch basket. I would love to keep it whole, but I just don't have the space to accommodate a plant that big. I'm giving very serious thought to repotting it and splitting it up later this summer or early fall when the new growths are well on their way. If I do this, I will have divisions. If you would like a division this fall, I'd be happy to give you one once they get established. PM me if you might be interested, and I'll put on the list.

Although I am not charging for these (wildly expensive plants), I would welcome a trade. If you have nothing to trade or nothing I want, I'll still send you a plant if you pay shipping.

Very cool! Can't wait to see the open flowers!

I can't wait to see this sucker finally bloom! Good grief it's grown. Anyone, how long do the flowers actually last once they open? I'm tempted to try one.

3 or 4 days, but they often have sequential bloom spikes opening at different intervals

Oh yesssss! It could be just a few more days. Mine teased me for almost a week, buds getting bigger and spreading apart until one morning the open flowers were there to greet me. I find flowers are at their best for about a day (I take lots of pictures), then segments sort of roll up but continue to emit perfume for maybe 2 more. Then it's done. This is a "don't go on vacation or you'll miss the show" plant. This is the year!

Mine has five spikes. The two biggest ones look like they will bloom at the same time in the next two or three days, but the others are smaller and in different stages of development, and a ways from blooming, so I think the bloom season will be extended a little as the smaller spikes mature and bloom.



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It's actually funny that you said that. My dad invited me yesterday to spend a week at our lake house in Eufaula, Oklahoma. The buds are so close to opening, I declined the offer because I didn't want to be gone when they bloom and miss the whole thing hahahahaha

Maybe take bets? In the photo, the most open spike I give 3 days, the one closer to the camera I give 5-6. So the show will be extended nicely.

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I speak from sad experience. July is a big time for vacations. And prime time for Stan. tigrina. Has happened to me more than once. :((

I often spend all summer in Brazil from June first until right before I have to report to school in early August, so yes, I have missed blooms before lol

Stanhopeas are especially frustrating with their short bloom and variable timing. Never mind months, a 1 week trip can happen just at the wrong time so that the buds are looking promising at departure , finish just before one's return. Just 1 or 2 days difference in opening can lead to a hit or a miss. And often trips are planned months in advance, so not possible to work around the idiosyncrasies which can't be predicted anyway. Time for a staycation.

Yeah, I didn't go to Brazil this year because I had a job change (a better job, but it still set me back for a couple months), so I can't afford to go.

\

And

They will taunt you... Get bigger and bigger, then separate to almost horizontal stems between the two. And then BINGO! The anticipation leads to an even bigger thrill. :)

LOLOL sorry about the post from Will whatever. My roommate was signed on to his account, and I didn't check and didn't realize he was still logged in hahaha. But anyway, that message was supposed to be me lol

They'll taunt you too... :biggrin:

I'm a high school teacher. I'm immune.



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Not yet, but it worked, and I should have blooms in the next couple days.

[QUOTE=Jinh;1006314]Did you end up getting any blooms?



---------- Post added at 01:00 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:59 PM ----------

Not yet, but it worked, and I should have blooms in the next couple days.

[QUOTE=Jinh;1006314]Did you end up getting any blooms?

i often miss the blooming of my plants for one reason or another. it sucks but i take solace in the fact that if it bloomed then it is living wiht an acceptable set of parameters and i can just be patient and i should get the timing right eventually.


the ones that seem to never flower.....they mock me

I once had a plant that i got from Rogue Orchids (same place I got my 'Predator') and it was a new hybrid between tigrina 'Glory of Mexico' and a related genus, the name of which I no longer remember

It grew like crazy non-stop. I bought it in a two inch pot, and within a couple years, it was overgrown in an 8 inch basket...but it never bloomed. Not once. No flower spikes, no blooms. It was so frustrating. I had the plant around 8 years before I gave up and gave it away, so yes, Coconuts, I totally get you. I know the frustration of plants that will not bloom no matter what you do.



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Wait a bit, and I've got a division with your name on it.

i have four plants from Rogue. i killed one, completely my fault. the other three are great plants. one is a cool bulbo hybrid who's name is escaping me that looks like a cobra....i am a fan of Rogue from my limited experience

I love Rogue. I have several from them.

Usually I would only select plants that will be happy in the conditions I am able to provide (I am in love with miltoniopsis intergenerics, and I tried them, but I just cannot keep them cool enough no matter what I do, so I gave up), but that Stanhopea tigrina nigroviolacea 'The Predator' just spoke to me and I had to have it. Yes, it has been a challenge to figure how to coax into blooming, but I think I have figured it out, and all in all, it was worth the trouble. If I had chance to go back and reconsider before I bought it, I sill would have made the same decision.

Those of you in hot climates who have trouble getting Stan tigrina to bloom, maybe look into some of the warmer-growing species. Stan tigrina is a fairly high-elevation plant, 1200 m or more. Conversely, I have a Stan embreei that bloomed for the first time for me after 9 years of sitting there and making leaves, last year. It's marginal where I live, Baker gives the habitat low of 50 F and high of 93 F, around 500 m. There are other species that I don't know at all since I focus on the cooler-growing ones. So look around for the lower-elevation members of the genus and it may not be such a battle.

I really appreciate everybody's advice. Obviously most of you know a lot more about Stanhopea than I do, and I love the suggestions. However, there's only one Stanhopea I'm really that interested and that is the one that I have. I doubt very much I'll ever have another Stanhopea.

Yes, it has been a struggle to find out what I have to do to get it to bloom, but bringing it inside once the spikes start to show isn't really any trouble. It took me a while to figure this out, and I had several years of aborted spikes before I figure it out, and that was madly frustrating, but now that I've found out what little additional care it needs, I'm finally going to get it to bloom. This is a triumph, and I don't mind having to baby it a little to get it to do what it's supposed to do. No, it's not suited for my climate, and I normally wouldn't purchase such a plant, but coiled deep within my soul has always been the need to know if I could grow this plant.

I don't mean to sound defensive or dismissive of other people's advice, I'm just explaining the thought process that led me to buy this plant.

Of course! Enjoy it! A spectacular species, glad you have found the "formula"!

Is Rogue still around? The owner used to post here on OB.

The website (rogueorchids.com) appears to be inactive.

Probably gone rogue... :rofl:

#dead :rofl:

The first one finally opened! It's everything i hoped for. The struggle was worth it.

Very cool!