Ansellia cultivation

[estación seca]

Rather than hijack

another thread with great photos of Ansellia africana in bloom,

I'll start another with my questions. I had asked there

Originally Posted by estación seca

Does Ansellia africana bloom on new growth, or on older growths as the new growth is developing?

and Roberta replied

Originally Posted by Roberta

It blooms on developed growths. It can be developing a new growth at the same time. I have one that sometimes blooms twice a year, because the new growth that is developing while the older one is blooming matures a few months later and puts out a spike. Another super-vigorous, adaptable species.

[So on to my questions...]

Roberta, your Web site shows you grow it outside all year. Do you water it in the winter, or does it get only rain? Do you fertilize it in the winter, or only when it's growing?

I got one, blooming size, from Seattle Orchids in early December 2015. It went into my sunroom because there was the risk of overnight frost outside, even in my carport. (I lost a variegated pineapple there although the other 6 non-variegated varieties were undamaged.) I've watered the Ansellia about once every 2 weeks, and it's had night minimums 60 F / 15C. I decided we won't see frost for a while, maybe not again this winter, so I went to put it outside yesterday, and I saw it has a new lead.

My instinct is to water and fertilize, and move back to warmth, but what should I do now to maximize my chances of this thing flowering?

[Roberta]

I grow them outside all year, and give them the same watering as the general population - now, when it is cold, every 3 or 4 days. If they get rained on , they get wet (so no particular protection there) Maybe they could benefit from overhead protection if there were lots of rain without break, but that's not happening. They don't seem to be particularly fussy about media, as long as well drained. I have a couple of them in those long-form Chinese Cymbidium pots, and they seem to really like it - they have long roots, the pots accommodate that without a lot of bulk that can stay too wet in the middle. (the inverted small-pot trick to take up space in the middle can work too) Once the mature canes have bloomed, they shed leaves but stay firm for a long time. When repotting, I leave quite a few of those old canes for energy. Maybe not pretty, but I think that the plant benefits (and they provide plenty of energy for those newly-developing growths0 . I am seeing new growth too. Not fertilizing anything a lot these days... too cold to want to spend a lot of time out in the back yard. But I think no worries on temperature, they probably benefit from the diurnal variation.

[sam1147]

I fully agree with R but on winters I prefer to put it under shade to prevent the rains on cold nights . I fertilize K lite all year .

[Fairorchids]

The word from the NY Botanical Garden is: HIGH light.

[estación seca]

Thanks! I also found a page on this at PlantZAfrica, a site run by the South African National Biodiversity Institute intended for RSA home gardeners using native plants in the landscape.

Ansellia africana: PlantZAfrica

I didn't think to look there. PlantZAfrica is really useful for people growing other African plants. They have a number of pages on other orchids, as well.