Kingianum culture

[calvin_orchidL]

Hi everyone

Just a question to those growing this awesome species. I get tips from people to withdraw water, keep cool and bright during the winter months. Since the weather here can't seem to decide whether it's still winter or spring, I've decided I'm just going to take cues from the plant itself.

It's my first time with one of these so I don't know whether it's growth pattern is regular for this time of year (especially since I see posts about people's kingianums blooming right now). Mine is putting out and maturing six or seven new growths right now - for those of you who have experience in observing this one's growth habit, should I keep watering, warmth and light up while these are maturing and throughout the summer, and then in winter reduce water? Is this the normal 'active growth' period of this plant? Or is mine totally out of wack with the seasons?

Any advice would be appreciated!

[Don Perusse]

Hi Calvin - Remember that you are in Canada and I am in the deep south. SW Georgia. Maybe your blooming cycle will be a little later than here. I alway reduce watering in winter say, 7-10 days but don't with hold completely. Dens. in general, for me at least, don't like bright light like the Cats. do. All my dens. are on the north side of the G/H, and on a lower shelf not hanging high to the ceiling. I agree with your first para., take clues from the plant itself. Happy growing.

[calvin_orchidL]

Thanks the reply! So do yours typically flower as the new growth is maturing, or do they flower after the growth has matured for a season already?

[Don Perusse]

May not be what you want to hear but, after the growth has matured.

[calvin_orchidL]

Hey at least that's good to know Maybe these new growths will bloom NEXT spring after a winter's chilling...I'm hoping my plant hasn't got the seasons flipped backwards since we're just entering spring now....so if it expects me to keep it cool and bright throughout June, July and August, it can keep dreaming cause it ain't happening! It'll just have to suck it up and knock itself out of this weird seasonal jet-lag it seems to be undergoing.

[shakkai]

Calvin, I don't know about everyone else's, but my kingianum and other Aussie hybrids just started putting on their new cane growth last month. Mine are about an inch high now. They started the new growth after they had finished flowering. Mine flower in December, January, February... then start vegetative growth in Spring, which matures during the summer, then blooms the following winter.

I think your's are perfectly normal.

[calvin_orchidL]

Originally Posted by shakkai

Calvin, I don't know about everyone else's, but my kingianum and other Aussie hybrids just started putting on their new cane growth last month. Mine are about an inch high now. They started the new growth after they had finished flowering. Mine flower in December, January, February... then start vegetative growth in Spring, which matures during the summer, then blooms the following winter.

I think your's are perfectly normal.

Thanks for the reassurance! I'm glad this is normal - yeah mine are possibly a little further down the line but definitely not mature yet...so I'll pop them outside during the summer and try to get some blooms next year!

[shakkai]

Looking forward to seeing your spectacular display this autumn/winter!!!

[Toddybear]

Calvin, mine often put on several flushes of growth from now until September. Being in Toronto, you should have a similar cycle to mine. My house cools down in the fall naturally and the plants then stop growing. By November, I move it to the basement for 2-3 months of being nearly bone-dry (water every 3 weeks or so) and 10 C...they bud like crazy by December. I then move it to a bit warmer...15 C to bloom. I once moved it from 10 C to 20 C and the buds blasted, so for me, a gradual warm-up seems best.