Project 2023 Spring Sarcochilus

[Blueszz]

Originally Posted by qbie

All mine also outdoors on a NNE facing balcony but with nothing to shade except building structure on the south and east sides. Temps here usually about 10 degrees warmer than SF.

Seen a couple of leaves yellow but seems it’s because there's new growth elsewhere, roots or new fan/leaf, so I think nutrients are just being recycled elsewhere. They definitely grow much slower than Phals.

Plain tap water daily since April. No fertilizer.

What is your reason not to fertilize?

I don’t think they are heavy feeders but I think they certainly will benefit from it. They need their “vitamins” to grow, just like we do.

IMHO, in the end you’ll notice deficiencies.

[WaterWitchin]

Following comments on this topic have been moved to their own thread (by me). It's become a good conversation, but too generic for this thread. It will also be more seen by beginners than a specific plant project thread. New thread can be found To Fertilize or Not? - Orchid Board - Most Complete Orchid Forum on the web !

Please feel free to continue on the new thread site. Meanwhile, back to the Sarco 2023 project...

[ArronOB]

Originally Posted by Roberta

Wow, they ARE confused.

Looking at them now, I don’t think they are going to bloom till spring anyway. They’ll just stay pretty much as-is till then. Three of the 6 now have them - little growths that don’t look like roots.

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by ArronOB

Looking at them now, I don’t think they are going to bloom till spring anyway. They’ll just stay pretty much as-is till then.

They are just teasing you...

[qbie]

Originally Posted by Roberta

When you say "San Francisco Bay area" that covers a huge range of microclimates, so you do need to be a bit more specific with regard to what you experience in terms of temperature ranges.

My apologies. You're absolutely correct. I'm more bayside and a little further south on the peninsula than the grower was but still experience a moderate influence of the marine layer. Summer highs are usually high 60s-70s. Nighttime lows drop back to 50s. Heat waves like today bring temps into the 80s. If it's an extended wave, the 90s. I don't recall it reaching triple digits here. I believe that's more inland.

[Roberta]

Heat certainly isn't a problem for you. Not being fertilized I expect has slowed them down considerably. In winter you can water somewhat less than in summer (not "dry", though)