ooh can't wait! - Orchid Board

geogeo21 · #1 12-12-2014, 05:17 PM

i got a bunch of lycatse back bulbs that i bought as a surprise orchid package. can't wait to see what happens. hoping for some big flowering skinneri types. what do you guys think it'll take two years to flower? i have to wait for it to push out this year's growth. then i know the new growth will probably be a small and form a small psedubulb. then the following new year's growth will be bigger and that's when it should be big enough to bloom. i can't wait!

King_of_orchid_growing:) · #2 12-12-2014, 10:06 PM

Realistically…I'd say about 3 - 5 yrs in the best case scenario. You're trying to grow a blooming sized orchid from 1 backbulb; it'll take some time, particularly since some Lycastes have a distinct dormancy period. This timeframe is provided you don't mess up. If you mess up without killing the plant entirely and delay things, it could potentially take 7 - 10 yrs to bloom.

If you wanted to see flowers within a short timeframe, just save up and get a nice blooming sized plant. They're not that expensive.

geogeo21 · #3 12-13-2014, 02:15 PM

as a teenager in high school, i was given a lycaste macrophylla that i had for two years and nothing ever happened. but i followed the plant's regime. i kept it in the back amongst my mother's plants. forgetting about it. i remember after two years of having the plant, and watering the plants. this lycatse that i shoved in the back was littered with tons of flowers. i was so ecxited! that was such a long time ago. i wish i had a picture of it. then the house caught on fire and everything was lost. it's hard to come by lycatse orchids in the seattle area. and when i do, they are of the lassioglossa or macrophyla types. and they become great winter chew snacks for my two kitties. i've been on the hunt for any kind of skinneri hybrids.

King_of_orchid_growing:) · #4 12-13-2014, 08:01 PM

Andy's has a Lycaste skinneri species. It's not the lavender one that a lot of people scramble for, but it is considered a variant of Lycaste skinneri.

How many bulbs did your Lycaste macrophylla have when you first received it?

geogeo21 · #5 12-14-2014, 10:49 AM

that was 12 yrs ago probably about 20 flowers i'm guessing

King_of_orchid_growing:) · #6 12-14-2014, 11:40 AM

Sorry, I should be clearer with my phrasing. I meant how many pseudobulbs?

geogeo21 · #7 12-15-2014, 03:38 PM

i read your previous reply very fast without even noticing you did say 'bulbs'. i really don't remember. i just remembered i got it in a 4'' pot repot it into a bigger terra cotta pot and forgot about it. it got watered and everything. since it didn't bloom for me, i didn't really notice it till it was littered with flowers. that's all i can say. the other thing with back bulbs. i know with all back bulbs with orchids, there should be live dormant eyes correct? i looked and looked at the lycatse back bulbs, and i don't know if im blind or not but it didn't really seem like there were any dormant eyes. we'll just have to wait and see. i'm hoping i am blind when it comes to that and that they are there. otherwise it's a waste of time

geogeo21 · #8 03-25-2015, 02:39 PM

so it's been about 4 months yet. the bulbs are still green. the eyes are finally swelling like as if they want push something out. im hoping by mid april something happens and i can take a photo to share their progress. but man this is a long wait

lotis146 · #9 03-25-2015, 07:11 PM

Good job, keep it up!

As you may see I just posted about my Zns. Bluebirds that hasn't done anything in 6 months since it got attacked by a chipmunk at the end of last summer. The chipmunk did a number on the only pbulb AND bit off the one little new growth it had. Finally it has a new growth. So, I feel your pain.