L. anceps - min temp to water

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by rbarata

My plant is not that small.

I've repoted it less than a month ago. The rhizome is already out of the pot, as well as some of the new roots.
I have two large cork slabs (24x12 in) that I could use to mount it but I can't see where to put it where it can be protected from winter rain.

I could mount it horizontally, btw it seems to be it's natural position.

The part out of the pot is the happiest part. Mine receive no protection from the rain (and get overhead watering when it's not raining). They really need to "ramble". They'll grow horizontally or vertically, don't even seem to need to grab on to anything although they are happy to do so if they find something they like... they just want to escape confinement.

Here are two of my L. anceps. In both cases, they were in plastic baskets that they outgrew. One, I just placed in a square basket. The new growths are sending roots into the basket on two sides (I'm hoping that they'll continue to do that, so that the plant does not expand so much) The other, I dropped the basket into a shallow plastic bulb pan with a few pieces of bark to the basket in place. It then grew over the edge of the bulb pan. I placed the whole thing in a wood basket, and propped up the base of the bulb pan to encourage the plant to grow upward. The roots are growing around the bottom of the bulb pan and into the wood of the basket, so again I'm hoping that I have at least controlled the expansion. But the plants are happy, with multiple new growths - the smaller one has 4 spikes and the bigger one has 2 or 3)

[rbarata]

I might repot it again into a shallow rectangular basket.
Or more practical (I need to do my own baskets), I could find one of those clay plates to put under the pots and mount it there.

Now I remembered...I have a piece of clay in my freezer.

[Maryanne]

Hola rbarata:

I agree with Roberta! My L. anceps is mounted on a piece of oak branch about 15 inches in length and about 2.5 to 3 inches in diameter. I don't have a meter stick handy to give you the measurements in metric form. : -( I bought it 10 years ago on this same stick for $10. Now it engulfs the stick. Patience.

They seem to really want air around their roots. It takes near full sun all day, and close to freezing temperature. In summer give it all the water and fertilizer you can apply. In the fall and winter don't give any fertilizer, but allow some water - maybe by misting if you don't have a greenhouse to keep humidity high. But, it does not seem to mind a drier climate either.

If you had yours only a year, it may still be in "shock." I've noticed that some orchids "know" they have been moved to a new location, and they take a year or more it acclimate to the new place. Patience.

Also, try L. autumnalis, L. albida on a big stick and L. gouldiana, which is the only one I find that wants a slotted clay pot. They each do well for me.

I'm sending good wishes to your plant and you! I love Espana! Wish I could be there.

Happy growing
Maryanne in Massachusetts

---------- Post added at 01:12 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:04 PM ----------

oops. My sincere apologies, rbarata, you are in Portugal! I've met several lovely people from there. I'm putting that destination on my "bucket" list.
Best wishes
Maryanne

	Mistking Looking for a misting system? Look no further. Automated misting systems from MistKing are used by multitude of plant enthusiasts and are perfect for Orchids. Systems feature run dry pumps, ZipDrip valve, adjustable black nozzles, per second control! Automatically mist one growing shelf or a greenhouse full of Orchids. See MistKing testimonials

[Roberta]

I have found that L. gouldiana is really happier mounted too... I figure that if any of these don't do much until they get to the edge of the pot and escape, they really didn't want to be in one.

For winter rest, the only L. anceps that may find that useful is the guerrero variety. But i general, they're growing roots like crazy and starting new growth in the winter, and as long as they are reasonably warm during the day (so that they can dry out) I don't see any reason to cut back water. (Mine get fertilized with everything else all winter too... I tend to cut back somewhat just because I don't feel so much like spending a lot of time outside when it's cold... by California standards...)

[estación seca]

Back to your original question... your current temperatures, humidity and rain are just what the plant experiences in the spring at home. It thinks it's time to grow. I would definitely water it while it's making new growth. When it cools down I suspect it will spike.

[rbarata]

Originally Posted by estación seca

Back to your original question... your current temperatures, humidity and rain are just what the plant experiences in the spring at home. It thinks it's time to grow. I would definitely water it while it's making new growth. When it cools down I suspect it will spike.

Temps are now in the low 20's °C day time with clear sky which in full sun (how it is) goes up to 25°C.
By night outside it has been cool, in the 5°C and inside around 12°C.
I've been watering when it's sunny every two days and it's growing roots like crazy. I'll post photos later.

[rbarata]

Here are some photos. The sunny warm (by day) weather will continue for 2 weeks so I'l keep watering every two days.

When it cools down I suspect it will spike.

I've read somewhere that the spikes take a long time to grow and they start to show up during summer. Is this true?

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by rbarata

Here are some photos. The sunny warm (by day) weather will continue for 2 weeks so I'l keep watering every two days.

I've read somewhere that the spikes take a long time to grow and they start to show up during summer. Is this true?

My spikes usually start showing in August (sometimes even a bit earlier). They do take a long time to develop. (I have one or two that will possibly bloom by the end of the month but the late ones may not open until January) But if you don't have a spike at least starting, I think it will wait until next year. Those roots look great. Lots of roots = strong plant and strong plant = flowers

If you have danger of frost, then best to not water. If it rains, clouds tend to keep the temperature out of the danger zone so rain isn't a problem. As long as night temperatures are above freezing, they laugh at the cold.

[rbarata]

I suspect it won't bloom this year since I don't have any signs of spikes.

If you have danger of frost, then best to not water. If it rains, clouds tend to keep the temperature out of the danger zone so rain isn't a problem. As long as night temperatures are above freezing, they laugh at the cold.

I have it inside. The climate here is the opposite of their habitat in Mexico: when it's colder (usually slightly above the freezing point) that's when it rains the most. For that reason I'm keeping it inside.
We have heavy frosts here but mainly in the lower lands, where fog is king. Luckily I don't have frost in my balconies so I could try to put it outside...

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by rbarata

I suspect it won't bloom this year since I don't have any signs of spikes.



I have it inside. The climate here is the opposite of their habitat in Mexico: when it's colder (usually slightly above the freezing point) that's when it rains the most. For that reason I'm keeping it inside.
We have heavy frosts here but mainly in the lower lands, where fog is king. Luckily I don't have frost in my balconies so I could try to put it outside...

If it has been inside, then this is not a good time to put it out. Mine grow outside all the time, so that they time to acclimate to the changing seasons.

Put it out in the spring, and then just leave it out unless it gets very cold. I suspect that it is not getting sufficient light to bloom inside (these like nearly full sun) My temperature range for them is from about 38 deg C (100 deg F)(they can handle even more) down to about 1 deg C (34 deg F)., full sun and no rain protection (it rains mostly in winter here, in summer of course I have to water a lot). But that is all they have ever known, so they are well acclimated to the extremes.