Gongora Chocoensis 'Columbia' Water/Humidity Question

[Dalton]

Hey everyone,

I'm at work and I'll get the pictures I know you'll all request this afternoon.

I acquired a Gongora Chocoensis 'Columbia' that has very pretty flowers. I'll try to include pictures of those too, as I took a pic while in bloom at the home of the guy I purchased it from.

To save me money and to keep some for himself, he kindly divided it and sold me some of it. Surprising to me, since most of mine bloom infrequently, it very soon started putting out what I took to be an air root. It wasn't. By the time I determined that it was a flower stem, it had started dying and drying up.

Low-and-behold, but it's started doing it again a short time later. I'd really like to not loose it this time.

Current growing conditions are as follows. It's in tightly packed bark, with possibly some of those packing peanut type things at the bottom, based on what else I've seen from the original grower. The pot is ~6". I was watering it once a week, which I now know to be too infrequent for this plant. The leaves have gotten a slight wave to them. I've upped it to twice a week. I don't know if this is often enough or not. It does have pseudo bulbs, which is why I'm posting it here. (Let me know if this isn't the correct section.) However, the pseudo bulbs are a naturally corrugated type. I think it's cool, but it's really hard for me, with no experience with them to know when they're drying out.

It has moderately bright light for most of the day between two lamps (6700k) and a window 3' away. Humidity is between 35-45% and temp is around 73 deg. (Edit: I set my humidity/temp meter back up and it's been reading between 74-84deg and humidity is averaging about 44-55%)

If anyone can tell me if just watering it more frequently will keep this stem from dying I'd appreciate it. I could potentially mist it with a water bottle, but I know that only messes with the humidity for a short period of time. I can't run a humidifier in the room it's in because I have a lot of books and I don't want to damage them. Thanks for any help you can provide.

Also, you can see what appear to be a couple of new psuedobulbs forming. Oh yeah, and I've never used them, but after reading about it on here, I've bought some wooden bbq skewers and I've inserted one into the middle of the pot. I'll wait 30min before checking it and water when it's almost dry. The bark looks dry in the picture, but I watered it last night and it's slightly damp to the touch on the surface.

Here are the pictures I promised

[WhiteRabbit]

Looks like a nice plant! I have very limited experience with Gongora (just have one, not bloom size yet), so I'll leave your questions for others with more experience to answer - I'm moving this thread to the 'Catasetum and Stanhopea' (where Gongora belongs) so that those with experience with them will more likely see your post

[Dalton]

Thanks. I appreciate that. I wasn't sure if I was in the correct forum, but I figured with the pseudo bulbs, I'd take a shot in the dark.

[WhiteRabbit]

Originally Posted by Dalton

Thanks. I appreciate that. I wasn't sure if I was in the correct forum, but I figured with the pseudo bulbs, I'd take a shot in the dark.

I can relate to that!

[Subrosa]

I keep a couple Gongora, although not chocoensis. I keep them in hanging baskets in lfs. I keep the sphagnum moist at all times. Two of mine are 50F plants, one is a 60F plant. This means that as long as night time lows are above 50F and 60F respectively the plants are outside. I keep the Gongora in the backyard under the canopy of trees there. They do catch a bit of sun very early but are in shade most of the day.

[Dalton]

I really like this plant and haven't been able to find one like it anywhere else, so I've very reluctant to put it outside. I've been burned in the past (pun intended), but putting an orchid outside. It was only out for a short time, but it severely burnt it and it took it a long time to recover. It's taken me even longer to where it's grown out enough to remove the damaged psuedobulbs.

So I'm reluctant to risk putting this one outside. I'd be willing to try it once it gets big enough to split. Then I'd have one to keep safe and one to experiment with.

It was probably my fault with the first orchid. I probably didn't acclimate it well enough. I'd put it on a porch with some morning sun, then shaded the rest of the day, but that was too much for it. I've divided that plant for the first time ever and have new growth on both the divisions, so I'm hopeful about trying to move it outside again. We'll see.

However, with the Gongora, while it may be excellent advice, I just can't bring myself to risk it till I have a division. I'd rather sacrifice the flowers till then, than loose the plant.

Thanks for the info, though, I'll definitely write it down for when I can try to put it outside.

Oh, and an FYI for my outside conditions, I live in upper SC. We have humidity anywhere from 40%-90%+. The temperatures will get down in the mid-upper 80's during the day, but usually they're in the 90s and sometimes (more than I'd like) break the 100 degree mark.

[Subrosa]

First step in acclimating a plant to outside is a place where it gets no direct sun whatsoever, particularly if it's a plant that prefers lower light in the first place. Fwiw I like to over pot Gongora. More media equals slower drying.

[Dalton]

That spot has the least amount of sun of anywhere I have outside without putting it in the woods. It gets some morning sun and none throughout the rest of the day.

[isurus79]

FYI- The corrugated shape of the bulbs is because the plant is VERY dehydrated. These guys grow fairly wet and the bulbs should be pretty smooth.

[Subrosa]

Is there a reason you wouldn't want to put plants in the woods?