L. anceps - min temp to water

[rbarata]

Hello, my friends

I'm still trying, after almost a year, to grow it properly and I think I'm doing something wrong.
After two new growths and a very small dry sheath, this spring, now that the cooler season is starting it should be spiking... But no, it's growing new roots.

As far as I know, for anceps cool temps and water don't combine so I really don' t know what to do.

Temps are now in the low 20°C and it has been raining which increased the HR inside to the 40%.

I would appreciate some guidance.

[marcmaubert]

I've never grown L. anceps, but I know they grow in southern Mexico. Maybe this will help? Climate Santa Catarina Juquila: Temperature, Climograph, Climate table for Santa Catarina Juquila - Climate-Data.org

[rbarata]

The problem is that the plant seems to be confused, since it's growing in the cool season.

[WhiteRabbit]

So - it seems 20 Celsius is about 68 F ... ? Day or night temps?
I would have NO concerns with watering. Mine grow outdoors in zone 9 (and where I live, night temps in summer are often in the upper 50s, low 60s), I only hold off if night temps are/will be in the 30s or lower. And if there's an extended period of upper 30s, I'd probably still use a sprayer to give it a bit of water. (Mine is potted in quite coarse mix)

L anceps may be called 'warm to hot' growers, but are well known for cold tolerance. Just now, I see a lot of care sheets saying they want a dry winter rest ... hmm ... mine's usually growing spikes at that time, so probably why I don't let it be too dry. I just water more sparingly with the lower temps ...

[rbarata]

So - it seems 20 Celsius is about 68 F ... ? Day or night temps?

Those are day temps. By night must be something around 12º C (low 50's F).
I see your climate is like mine, although in summer night temps are not so lower as yours.

L anceps may be called 'warm to hot' growers, but are well known for cold tolerance. Just now, I see a lot of care sheets saying they want a dry winter rest ... hmm ... mine's usually growing spikes at that time, so probably why I don't let it be too dry.

From what I've read they spike during the coll and dry season, in our case somewhere in late fall/winter.
From my interpretation the spikes take a long time to develop, I think they start to show still during the warm season.

Maybe I'm being too carefull, some benign neglect might be better.

[Ray]

I found that when I heated the water to 75F (24C), all of my plants were much happier.

Also, don't forget that a winter rest is as much (or more) about no nitrogen, as it is about no water.

[Roberta]

I grow my L. anceps outside (winter night temperatures can get close to freezing, summer high temperatures can get near 100 deg F (38 deg C). In winter they might get watered every two days, in summer they get it every day. They are essentially all mounted or in baskets... they hate pots... so they dry out fast. Nearly full sun. I have found that they start rooting soon after spiking. If a particular plant isn't going to bloom, it roots even earlier (Rooting can start as early as November, before cool weather even starts, and hits its stride in mid-winter) No tender loving care needed for these.

[rbarata]

In winter they might get watered every two days...

Yours are mounted. Can you estimate the watering frequency under your conditions but in a pot?

If a particular plant isn't going to bloom, it roots even earlier (Rooting can start as early as November, before cool weather even starts, and hits its stride in mid-winter)

I think that's what's happening with mine. It's rooting now and no spikes in sight.

No tender loving care needed for these.

That's what I'm starting to think now.
I was always concerned about this watering thing in cool weather. I believe I went overboard with it to the point of not giving it enough water to bloom.

[Roberta]

This would be a good time to get it out of that pot... heading into the time of maximum rooting. I have found that they grow very slowly and reluctantly until they hit the edge of the pot, and then they take off. They even aren't that happy in baskets with too much media - again when they hit the edge is when they really start to grow. So I put small ones on mounts. When they outgrow the mount, I put the whole thing (mount and all) in wooden basket with a small amount of the largest bark I can find... think of the basket as a three-dimensional mount. They don't seem to care how often they're watered, as long as the roots can dry out within hours after watering.

[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.