Stitz, how big is your plant? Do you ever experience some of the spikes dying off before the flowers bloom?
I have an Ida fimbriata (yeah, I know the genus name changed, but "Suda-whatever-it's-called" is a bit more of a mouthful than the nice and simple "Ida"), and although it's bloomed now for the last two years that I've had it, I experience a lot of dying off of the spikes. One of the pseudobulbs that's currently producing two new growths is also getting ready to bloom. There are two spikes left, out of an original group of nine that were initiated. I don't know whether they're susceptible to rotting off from water, but I thought that since this species is from the Andes it would appreciate regular waterings (unlike the yellow Mexican lycastes that I know better than to water at this time of year). My temperatures are fine, with days in the high 60's and nights in the low 50's, and the humidity levels fluctuate between 55 and 65 percent. So I think, from process of elimination of the other factors, I've narrowed the problem down to watering.
I think that in the future I might just set the plant in a saucer of water rather than watering from above, just to see if that will keep the spikes from rotting off. At least the two spikes that are left are healthy and continuing to grow strongly. But it would be nice to see that wall of flowers that I know this species is capable of producing, instead of the one or two blooms that I'm actually able to coax into opening each winter.
If you have had a similar experience with any of your plants from this genus, I would appreciate learning what you may have done as far as the plants' culture is concerned. Thanks!
Steve
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