Encyclia citrina

[flexdc]

Nat,
This plant is very amenable to our climate here in Southern California. I actually left this plant under the care of a friend. I don't think he watered it much during the two years it was with him. I think with more care, it would have produced more blooms.
This plant definitely thrives on neglect. I think people may have found it difficult in the past because they doted on their plants too much?
Andrew

[isurus79]

Originally Posted by flexdc

I can never manage to grow this plant very big. It is mounted on a 4" x 6" plague.

Originally Posted by gnathaniel

Steve, the biggest growth on mine so far has a pseudobulb about 1.75-2" long with leaves about 10" long, but since the plant is mounted and pendant it takes up very little space. It has a reputation for being difficult but it's never given me any trouble and I'm honestly a pretty low-skill orchid grower.

--Nat

Shucks, thats a bit too big for my small place. Oh well, I'll just have to keep it on 'the list' until I get a larger apartment.

As for being a difficult grower, that just happens to be my specialty!! If its got a troublesome reputation, it just makes me want to grow it that much more!!

[got ants]

I had one few years back, and like yours, never fully opened. I think this is the norm for them.

I lost it when we had the hard freezes a few years back, followed by black rot the really culled my collection. Lesson learned, if you are going to bring plants inside for a freeze, don't water them. It wasn't the freeze that killed them, well, some, but mostly the black rot.

[RosieC]

Love that colour!

[gnathaniel]

Originally Posted by isurus79

Shucks, thats a bit too big for my small place. Oh well, I'll just have to keep it on 'the list' until I get a larger apartment.

As for being a difficult grower, that just happens to be my specialty!! If its got a troublesome reputation, it just makes me want to grow it that much more!!

Okay, back home now and actually looked at my plant instead of just imagining it... It's quite a bit smaller than what I described, the biggest pbulb is about 1" around (almost spherical) with leaves more like 7". It's mounted and happy on a 4" x 4" piece of cork, though I'll probably attach something a little bigger soon to give the roots more play. As I've found before, my imagination can be prone to exaggeration!

--Nat

[isurus79]

Originally Posted by gnathaniel

Okay, back home now and actually looked at my plant instead of just imagining it... It's quite a bit smaller than what I described, the biggest pbulb is about 1" around (almost spherical) with leaves more like 7". It's mounted and happy on a 4" x 4" piece of cork, though I'll probably attach something a little bigger soon to give the roots more play. As I've found before, my imagination can be prone to exaggeration!

--Nat

Thanks for the info! Maybe I'll just have to clear some space.....

[flexdc]

Also, I think this plant needs cool nights in winter. I let it out in the winter to temps down to the upper 40s.

[smweaver]

That's a beautiful bloom--and it is completely open. Euchile (formerly Encyclia) citrina's blooms do remain rather cupped when they're mature. Congratulations on your plant and flowers. This is a wonderful species.