Ansellia africana

[Keysguy]

I'm not going to worry about blooming until it proves to me it wants to live.

[Fairorchids]

Originally Posted by isurus79

That's interesting, why don't you let them dry out, especially during winter?

Most orchids need much more water than most growers provide. I do give a winter rest to my Australian Dendrobiums (and true decideous Calanthes), but nothing else.

The Cattleya 'rule' (= should dry out between waterings) is patently false. It dates back to a time when people overwatered and killed the roots.

I keep seedlings and NBS plants consistently moist. Mature plants are potted in clay pots, with a bark/charcoal/perlite mix (2:1:1), where bark & charcoal nuggets are +/-1/2" size. This allows water to drain quickly, so I water 3 times a week in summer (and 1-2 times a week in winter, depending upon how much sun we have). With this approach, plants grow far better than what I see in other nurseries.

[isurus79]

Originally Posted by Fairorchids

The Cattleya 'rule' (= should dry out between waterings) is patently false. It dates back to a time when people overwatered and killed the roots.

Yes, I agree. In fact, I've made many videos saying as much!

That said, Lourens Grobler does say a drier period (not bone dry) is beneficial to Ansellia blooming. I was wondering if you had some experience with the species indicating otherwise.