Lycaste bulbs not growing big

[katrina]

Your cross has an official name...it's Lycaste Goldschimidtiana and I used to have one...a great plant. Mine ended up testing positive for virus so I've since gotten rid of it but I have been keeping my eyes open for a replacement. The aromatica parent lends this one a LOT of wonderful fragrance. Most of the yellows smell awesome but that aromatica parent...WOW!...it's amazing.

If your light is sufficient and you are sure you're giving it enough water during it's active growth...then I would chalk it up to root disturbance. I have had recent divisions where there was a lot of root disturbance languish for a couple of years where I thought they might be dying but they usually bounce back, in time. W/good culture, most end up bouncing back but it does require some patience.

It's a challenging group...sometimes some of them seem very easy to grow but then there are those that are a lot fussier than the rest. Goldschmiditiana was one of my easier growers but I never had a lot of root disturbance...my original piece was a division from a friend but the division was done at a perfect time and it was a simple "cut down the middle" sort of division so the new roots were not messed with. If that makes sense.

Again, if you're sure your cultural conditions are optimal (cattleya level light, warmth, and plenty of water during active growth)...the plant should bounce back in time. I've had recent divisions sit leafless for a long time so that fact that you have new growth...that's a good sign, even if it's smaller than previous growths.

BTW - I grow all of mine in a nearly 50/50 mix of sphag and shredded redwood fiber (aka - gorilla hair) ...it retains a lot of moisture but is still very "airy" and open.