(/udb)

Thanks for all the compliments! This is a really cool little plant and I hope you guys and gals can all pick one up!

Jenn,
To avoid rot, do not give any water at all during dormancy. Mine literally hasnt seen a drop of water since November! During the growing season give plenty of water and fertilizer but ensure a media with rapid drying powers!! The nubbins are pretty tough to tell as to their designation until they get older, but hopefully its new growth for the new year!! :goodluck:

I have had a very tough time this year trying to determine when to stop watering. I had gotten one good growth that started in late spring or so last year, then out of nowhere, around October, a new growth started. I wasn't sure what to do, so I kept watering for this one to mature, then when I started seeing rot, I decided to stop and just try to save the good mature bulbs and the back blubs. Good choice, because this morning, I confirmed that the two nubbins have little baby roots starting on them. THat means I should withold water until roots are like 3-4 inches long, correct? Someone, plese let me know if you can. Thanks.

Were you watering your plant as often in the fall as you were in the summer? This may account for the rot, as these guys are pretty heavy feeders when growing. Lower temps require less water. I generally stop watering my plants when I see a second leaf begin to turn yellow. As soon as that happens, BAM!! No water!! lol It works though!

As for your new growth, I would wait for the roots to get several inches long, just as you mentioned. Then slowly start watering, increasing in frequency as the temperature slowly increases. :goodluck:

Mine is blooming, too, and finally! I've been describing the scent as peppermint, juicyfruit and a hint of fermented pineapple. Sweet!

Very nice!! I love how the smell wafts into my living room from outside. This might be my favorite orchid scent!! Even better than any of the Catts, Dend anosmum and Ryn. gigantea.

Hey Steve - All of the Catasetinae that I have smelled have really good/interesting scent combinations (they don't smell like all the other flowers, for sure).
Anosmum - good. Rhyn. gigantea, to me, smells like citrusy cat spray. Lots of people like it, though. Must be one of those 'personal chemistry' issues.
This Clowesia, I agree, has a wonderful fragrance.
Cheers - Nancy

It took me a while to figure out that smell. At first I drew back but then on the car ride home with my first Ryn (last year) the smell sort of grew on me. Each day I smelled it, the more I liked it!! Weird, huh?

Thanks again for your help, Steve. I went ahead and repotted mine and removed the one bulb that had some rot. My plant is pretty pathetic now, with only one mature pbulb, one second bulb that never quite matured because it started growing so much later in the season, and the two new growths that are starting off of the mature pbulb. I have not been watering, so hopefully the two new ones will mature and keep my plant alive.

Nancy, yours looks really pretty. I thought mine had a cinnamon scent, so hopefully one day I can have it bloom again! Good job on yours!

Beautiful flowers on your plants, Steve and Nancy. Congratulations.

Susanne, did you get any feedback regarding your inquiry about Clown Alley (and yes, I'm being too lazy to go check out that thread at the moment)? I got a few plants from them last year, but they were cattleya species, not clowesias. All were (and still are!) nice plants and I was happy with their service. In fact, I'm hoping that the C. guttata I got from them (which I got at a bargain basement price since it got damaged by whatever hurricane went through Texas last year) might bloom this summer. So go ahead and give in to temptation. :-)

Steve