Hardy Calanthe Blooms

[stonedragonfarms]

I wait every spring to see these bloom; they're putting on enough size now that they really pack a punch--both color-wise and with their sweet aromas. If you can bloom standard Cymbidiums, you can grow these

[estación seca]

Wow!

Would you please describe how you care for them through the year?

Are those pots approximately 8"-10"/20-25cm diameter?

[stonedragonfarms]

Originally Posted by estación seca

Wow!

Would you please describe how you care for them through the year?

Are those pots approximately 8"-10"/20-25cm diameter?

The aristulifera is in a 7" slotted azalea pot; the others are in 8-10" asian cymbidium pots [ie about 1.5x the diameter measurement in height]
I used to move these outdoors for the summer months, but have seen more robust growth [ie sturdier leaves, higher vegetative vigor] when I leave them in the greenhouse year round--I'm betting it has to do with stable humidity in the overnight hours and very consistent watering [ie I don't water my outdoor growing area, whereas I have mounted Laelia anceps in the greenhouse, so everything gets watered daily spring-mid autumn]
They are growing in the same media that I use for Jensoa section cymbidiums; equal parts, by volume, of chopped coir fibre & crushed pumice, with a top dressing of about 1/2" of straight pumice. I repot into fresh media every other year. Plants get an application of Nutricote time-released fertilizer in mid March, and then are put on the feeding regime I use for Cymbidiums & Aussie Natives--ie every 6 weeks from mid March-mid October, they are also fed blood meal, hoof meal, garden lime & crushed oyster shell--pick 2 and apply per label instructions for pot size. I also regularly water with fish emulsion & K-Lite; in other words, feed, feed, feed
After mid October, through to mid March of the following year, they are watered with straight water only. Temps in the greenhouse are usually into the low 80s during the day, though there were 2 days during the heat event last summer where temps were about 105f. Winter temps can get into the mid 30s; my greenhouse is earth-sheltered, about 5' below grade, so even if it's in the 20s outside, it rarely approaches the freezing mark inside.
I've not measured the light, but these grown under racks of Den. kingianum, with a south-facing aspect, the light is sufficient for blooming Laelia anceps, so likely somewhere in the 1500fc range.