Cycnoches Golden Showers

[katrina]

Originally Posted by catwalker808

Yes, once a flower blooms & you can distinguish the sex, it will not change.

As I indicate above, the BUD needs to be only 1/4 or 1/3 mature (still in early development stage) for the change to occur. We saw this first in catasetums almost 30 years ago, before we started growing cycnoches a few years later.

Female flowers of catasetums are REALLY homely & have no scent. Female flowers of cycnoches are not as homely as catasetum females, but not as showy as the male cycnoches flowers. And I believe the female cycnoches flowers have a light scent.

Sorry...I didn't catch the 1/4-1/3...thanks. Again...this is a totally new thing for me...I've been growing Ctsm for several years and I've never seen anything like it. Very interesting. Thanks for taking the time to explain.

[isurus79]

Originally Posted by katrina

Interesting...I have never had this happen. And I have moved from bright to shadier and visa versa. Once I can see that they are male (or female) I've never seen them change.

Are you saying this would work on all Ctsm or just Cycnoches/Cycnodes?

Katrina,
When I lived in Hawaii (about 20 minutes by car to catwalker808's place), I would grow all my Catasetinae (and all my plants) under very bright conditions to maximize growth. On my more mature Catasetinae, I would often lightly put tinfoil around the buds to block the light and get male flowers. It always worked, except on my Cat. tenebrosum which always gave me female flowers! I couldn't get male flowers from that monstrous plant no matter what I did! Anyway, I used to do this to because of the principles previously discussed by Harry (catwalker808).

[katrina]

Originally Posted by isurus79

Katrina,
When I lived in Hawaii (about 20 minutes by car to catwalker808's place), I would grow all my Catasetinae (and all my plants) under very bright conditions to maximize growth. On my more mature Catasetinae, I would often lightly put tinfoil around the buds to block the light and get male flowers. It always worked, except on my Cat. tenebrosum which always gave me female flowers! I couldn't get male flowers from that monstrous plant no matter what I did! Anyway, I used to do this to because of the principles previously discussed by Harry (catwalker808).

Thanks Steve! I'm definitely going to be giving this a try. Especially since so far I am 5 for 5 w/female flowers this season. Or is it 6 for 6? Well, no matter...all these females = B-oooooooooo-ring.

Thanks to both of you (catwalker and steve) for teaching me yet one more thing I didn't know about orchids.