Ansellia africana rest and temperatures

[MateoinLosAngeles]

Hey all!

Does Ansellia africana need a winter dry rest? If so, any suggestions on how long should it last or what signs to look for? This is my first winter with my Ansellia!

Also, is anyone growing it indoors in zone 10b? Would nights be too cold for it? I'm in Los Angeles, CA, and want to place the plant outdoors now that it has gotten too big for my grow shelves.

[Roberta]

I grow Ansellia africana outdoors. Never tried to grow them any other way. (Anything that tolerates outdoors gets outdoors, GH space is very limited but yard is big) This last year blooming was not as good as it has been in the past, it was so wet all winter and spring. Laurens Grobler (Afri-orchids) suggests keeping them dry in winter, but humidity is a lot higher where he lives in South Africa than it is in southern California. Mine get normal watering along with everything else, at a lower frequency in winter just because things don't dry out as fast in cool weather. In "normal" years (infrequent rain) blooming is fine. In fact, I have one in bloom now. (A bit early, that one usually blooms in February/March) Looks like we are back to a dry winter pattern.

[Keysguy]

I have 2 and they are having a wetter and cooler winter than "normal" here in the Keys so far this year. Time will tell if that matters.

[Louis_W]

My go-to rule for cattleya (I know.it isn't a cattleya but I think it still applies) is, If they stop growing for a while after a growth matures, go easy on water and fert (or even just fertilizer). If they start growing again immediately just keep on watering them.

"If it's growing, water it" seems to be a pretty reliable rule and it means you observe and follow the plants cues. I love this philosophy because plants react differently to everyone's culture styles.

[MateoinLosAngeles]

Originally Posted by Louis_W

My go-to rule for cattleya (I know.it isn't a cattleya but I think it still applies) is, If they stop growing for a while after a growth matures, go easy on water and fert (or even just fertilizer). If they start growing again immediately just keep on watering them.

"If it's growing, water it" seems to be a pretty reliable rule and it means you observe and follow the plants cues. I love this philosophy because plants react differently to everyone's culture styles.

I agree with this, but some weeks, I need to water very robotically/mechanically; I completely trance out at over 100 plants, orchids, aroids, mosses, etc.; it's just so easy to miss things. An example, Cattleya schilleriana responds very well to summer and winter dry rests, and I believe it's the only orchid in my collection that likes a summer dry rest, I need to schedule it otherwise I genuinely forget. It might not be completely in sync with the plant, but it usually works.

[avian]

I live in the San Gabriel valley area and both of mine are outdoors. They were indoors at first but weren't doing anything and once I moved them outside they started to put out new growth. Neither have bloomed for me yet but I'm hoping they will at some point in the near future. I have never given them a winter rest but I do water them a little bit less in the winter.

[isurus79]

I have found mine won't bloom without a significantly drier winter. It doesn't need to be bone dry like Catasetums, but much drier than most of the other "resting" orchids during the cold months.