Project 2023 Spring Sarcochilus

[WaterWitchin]

Grabbed a couple pics today of my Sarcos from the 2023 project...





Aaaand, still patiently waiting. Probably at least for another year.

[Roberta]

Looking really healthy and happy! Next year...

[estación seca]

Repeating something Mr. Barrie told our society when he spoke to us: They water and fertilize their Sarcochilus hybrids 365 days out of each year. That means they water with fertilizer water every day. The growing area regularly gets down to nearly freezing on nights in the winter.

When I was able to keep a few alive for a while, I watered and fertilized every day. They grew a lot faster than what I'm seeing here. I couldn't keep up with the watering and they dried up and died.

The Barrita Orchids Web page is here:
Barrita Orchids, Kulnura – Barrita Orchids

There is a section on growing Sarcos. Here are extracts:

A Sarco should never dry out completely. To dry out will stop the growth of a plant and once it stops a period of "sulking" will follow. Sarcochilus need to have at least 6 weeks of nightly minimum below 13 degrees Celsius to initiate spikes.

13C = 55 F.

[Blueszz]

Originally Posted by WaterWitchin

Grabbed a couple pics today of my Sarcos from the 2023 project...





Aaaand, still patiently waiting. Probably at least for another year.

Here it will be December/January to see blooms again.

---------- Post added at 12:28 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:19 AM ----------

Originally Posted by estación seca

Repeating something Mr. Barrie told our society when he spoke to us: They water and fertilize their Sarcochilus hybrids 365 days out of each year. That means they water with fertilizer water every day. The growing area regularly gets down to nearly freezing on nights in the winter.

When I was able to keep a few alive for a while, I watered and fertilized every day. They grew a lot faster than what I'm seeing here. I couldn't keep up with the watering and they dried up and died.

The Barrita Orchids Web page is here:
Barrita Orchids, Kulnura – Barrita Orchids

There is a section on growing Sarcos. Here are extracts:


13C = 55 F.

I can confirm this. Learning that the hard way. I had my fitzgeraldii too dry, even leaf wrinkling. It is sulking for 9 months now. Luckily she is growing new keiki’s (?). Is keiki the correct name for the new growths?
I’m about to repot her again but in course bark with moss, as the others.

Indeed roots don’t rot if there is enough air. The course bark will help with that while the moss takes care of humidity.

The other three get watered almost like Paphiopedilums. Maybe even a bit wetter when I water them. They look healthy.

[Roberta]

For me, even later - more like April/May. Maybe its the outdoor growing so it's chilly for longer, everything at my house seems to bloom later than everybody else's not just the Sarcos.

I don't think of those basal growths as keikis (which are independent plants with their own root systems). Sarcos do that too, but the basal growths share a root system with the main plant. And even though they're monopodial like Vandas, they do tend to form clumps more than grow much vertically. Or course, those clumps can make GREAT displays.

[Blueszz]

Originally Posted by Roberta

For me, even later - more like April/May. Maybe its the outdoor growing so it's chilly for longer, everything at my house seems to bloom later than everybody else's not just the Sarcos.

That well could be. Almost all of my plants come indoors at 10C night temp, i know all of them can take a bit lower but I don’t want to take te risk.

That means the come indoors somewhere mid Oktober/ November. Sarco’s included.

[Roberta]

Life is tough in my back yard... but since frost is almost never (and only a few hours on those rare occasions and with warming during the day) , I can get away with it. So it affects the timing of flowering, but everything catches up eventually.

[WaterWitchin]

Originally Posted by Roberta

... I don't think of those basal growths as keikis (which are independent plants with their own root systems). Sarcos do that too, but the basal growths share a root system with the main plant. And even though they're monopodial like Vandas, they do tend to form clumps more than grow much vertically. Or course, those clumps can make GREAT displays.

I wondered about that. Getting several basal growths since the very get-go. So this is similar to paphs and phrags, if I understand correctly? Forming a colony like they do?

[Roberta]

Paphs and Phrags a bit different, since they grow along a stolon, sympodial growth. In the Vandaceous world, I think of Neof. falcata... definitely monopodial, but they don't grow upward very far, they make clumps instead.

[WaterWitchin]

Gracias Roberta. I really don't quite get the difference if they are still all connected to the main plant, but my botany skills are nil. I just knows how to grow stuff.