Acacallis cyanae x Otostylis brachystalix

[xristie9]

Acacallis cyanae x Otostylis brachystalix

Does somebody grow this one without any difficulties? I heard this cross is not very willing to grow because of the Acacallis part of the cross. What conditions does it need?

Photo: Not mine! :
saslik | Acacallis Rhein Blue Baby ? rajce.net

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

I'm not familiar with the Otostylis part of the cross.

I am familiar with Acacallis cyanea.

Acacallis is definitely not a beginner's orchid. Acacallis grows in an area that gets seasonally flooded by seasonally heavy rains.

The "drier season" is not really dry. It's moist. It doesn't appreciate a true dry spell. When researching the rainy seasons, I remind you (and others) that we are in the northern hemisphere, and the plants originate from an equatorial region or the southern hemisphere, so the seasons are flipped (our summers are their winters and vice versa).

Special note:

Equatorial regions are particularly tricky to research in terms of rainy seasons. They don't always abide by what people in the northern hemisphere or southern hemisphere recognize as seasons.

The plant should dry out between waterings.

Humidity plays a greater role. Humidity must be maintained at roughly 70% to 80%, with the lowest being 60% - no lower. In the wild, this is the humidity that they experience on a regular basis, with very little variation in the humidity levels throughout the year.

Acacallis cyanea grows in bright shade to moderately bright (think Oncidium) conditions.

They are from the lower Amazon basin growing on "trees" - more like palms.

Intermediate to warm growing (65 F to 95 F), without much seasonal temperature variation throughout the year. Night and day temperatures only drop on average about 10 to 20 degrees F.

So far that I know of, there is only one bad photo of them growing in the wild on the palm it's attached to, that might still be available on the web (you can easily see the palm, but you can't make out the Acacallis cyanea on it, and the edges of the objects in the photo are somewhat hazy).

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Oh yeah, I forgot...

Although there are reports (particularly from Charles and Margaret Baker's culture sheets - which I believe for this species is free), that Acacallis cyanea can be seen growing submerged in the wild, I don't recommend growing them submerged in water during their supposed designated rainy/flood season.

I have a funny feeling that these floods don't last for days on end, and that these areas don't always flood. I think they only last for 3 days max, before the water drains out to the ocean.

Again, this is a hunch. I've never been to the Amazon Rain Forest, but I know the Amazon River drains out to the Atlantic Ocean.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Additional note:

It is easy to damp off the new shoots on Acacallis cyanea due to over watering.

[xristie9]

Thanks! That are great informations
The standard temperature would be a problem, since I grow my orchids during summer in a shade house where the night temperature drop is very significant, 10Celsius is normal.

I looked up that Otostylis brachystalix is a synonym to Zygopetalum brachystalix and looking for more.
But I have the feeling the growing conditions will be similar to Acacallis, perhaps not so complicated.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Zygopetalum tends to mild things out a bit in a cross.

The hybrid you're speaking of may not be overly difficult to grow.

It might be closer to being an intermediate level plant rather than an advanced level plant.

Of course, it doesn't hurt to be cautious.

I understand how the temperatures can be problematic. Most people live in areas where the fluctuation in temperature between night and day is large and the seasonal temperatures are not so close to each other in value.

During the spring/summers Acacallis cyanea experiences days in the mid to high 80's F to mid to high 90's F, and the nights are somewhere in the 70's F.

In the fall/winter, the temperatures are somewhere in the mid to high 70's F to mid to high 80's F during the day, and nights are in the mid to high 60's F to the low to mid 70's F range.

I'm sure the Baker's culture sheet will be more specific about these than I ever could be.

Good luck.