Coelogyne cristata new growth or flower spikes(turning brown)

[Spost83]

Hello my name is Stephanie and I live in Connecticut. I bought this cristata a few months ago at a orchid show ind it is putting out new “things”. I cannot tell if they are new leaves or flower spikes and they are turning brown. I have checked the roots and they are not mushy. There are 4 pseudobulbs that do not have leaves, what should I do with them?. I am fairly new to the orchid field but love it. Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated. TIA

[Orchid Whisperer]

How are you growing the plant (what conditions are you providing; temperature, water, growing medium, etc.)?

On the Coelgynes that I have (C. cristata and C. 'Unchained Melody') I sometimes see brown bracts, etc., including on growths that grow normally, and others that fail.

Don't worry too much if one or two growths fail as you are adjusting to caring for a plant and vice-versa. Coelogynes, IME, tend to produce many growths each year.

[Spost83]

It is growing in sphagnum moss, which is what it came in. The temperature is high 60s and I water it once a week to every two weeks depending on how dry it is. It is also under grow lights.

[SHelm]

Originally Posted by Spost83

Hello my name is Stephanie and I live in Connecticut. I bought this cristata a few months ago at a orchid show ind it is putting out new “things”. I cannot tell if they are new leaves or flower spikes and they are turning brown. I have checked the roots and they are not mushy. There are 4 pseudobulbs that do not have leaves, what should I do with them?. I am fairly new to the orchid field but love it. Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated. TIA

Hello Stephanie. I am new here.

I’ve been looking all over the web for someone having the same problem as I am with the Coelogyne cristata. My flower spike has also turned brown, looks exactly like your pictures.
What happened with it? Did the flowers fail or did any emerge?

Thank you.

[Spost83]

They ended up being new leaves. I will take pictures of them when I get home and post them.

[SHelm]

Ok, I look forward to seeing them.

This is mine as of today..



I don’t know why it uploaded upside down

[Spost83]

Here are the pictures

[SHelm]

Thanks.

Looks like mine will be the same. Did you ever figure out what caused the tips to turn brown?

[Spost83]

No I did not.

[Maryanne]

Folks:
It is repeated at our orchid society that Ceologynes hate too much fertilizer. If you have not been fertilizing, I'm not sure what the matter is. But if you have been fertilizing try a water flush - rain water if you have it- and perhaps some new sphagnum.

Points - they like to be somewhat damp all the time, so do not let them dry out.

Re-potting - they hate to be repotted so if your sphag is OK and does not smell musty or rotty let it alone. I found this the hard way by re-basketing my mature plant, and set it back. After a year, I set it in new sphag in a plastic pot and it is recuperating after the summer in dappled shade and frequent watering. (sigh)

Fertilizing: very very mild solution of standard powdered fertilizer Or- use a seaweed extract, fish emulsion sort of product, which seems to promote root growth.

Summer - warm, wet, feed mild solution and some sun with dappled shade at high noon. I place mine under a tree where the sun can peak in after 3 PM
Fall - hold back fertilizer, reduce watering by half but not entirely - or mist it frequently - keep it cool to induce flowering- Mine takes temps down to 40F.

Join you local orchid society ( the Connecticut folks are nice)
where you will get heaps of advice.

Crossing my fingers for you
Maryanne