jenischiana back bulbs

[weederwoman]

Learning to grow orchids by taking over the care of a collection in very bad shape is like learning to swim by being thrown in the deep end of the pool. I have a 6"basket of stan jenischiana with a large group of leafless,rootless pseudobulbs clustered to one side. It's been in my care 2 years or so now and has been putting on new growth slowly for those two years. I don't know if these back bulbs are still helping the plant. It has about 8 leaves(some old, some just starting). I had a lycaste with one leaf and 4 back bulbs. I cut off the last two back bulbs and set them in the media a couple of inches from the leafed bulb. They sprouted easily, both sections have grown well and now I have a decent looking pot of lycaste. I am tempted to do the same with the stanhopea. Any thoughts? Thanks.
Laurel

[isurus79]

I wouldn't do it. My jenishiana sulked for a while too until it got huge and I remember one grower telling me that they often won't bloom until they get large. They also really need a good dry winter (for a Stan) to bloom well in the summer. Try not watering it or watering a lot less and let the bulbs shrivel up this winter. When new growth starts in the spring, start a normal watering schedule again.

[weederwoman]

Talk about tough love! I have been gradually reducing water, but I would never have thought to do it to that extent. By the way, my basket is actually 12". At least 1/4 of the space is back bulbs.Attached to the plant, will they ever parent a new growth? If I would rather grow the plant and not worry about flowering for another year or two, how would you recommend watering? Thanks
Laurel

[isurus79]

Keep it big in order to get flowers this year and/or next year. And the tough love is more about nature than nurture. This species sees relatively drier winters in nature than many other Stans. Tigrina is another species that needs a drier winter in order to bloom well.

I don't know what media your plant is growing in and what conditions you are providing, so I can't make a recommendation on watering. Just let it dry out a lot more than how you normally grow it.