More Habenarias

[Roberta]

I did get flowers from Ponerorchis though the plants didn't look great. (Amitostigma not so much... ) In a month or two, when things cool off and all go dormant, I'll unpot and see what I actually got in the way of tubers for next year. These may not need as severe chill as I gave them last year (in the 'fridge) There's a Newport Harbor OS member who grows these well, and just left them outside, sheltered from excessive rain. His looked better than mine. (Pecteilis radiata that I got the same time, barely hanging on . I think those do need the cold treatment, or maybe that one just won't work at my house... I do like to push boundaries, sometimes fail)

Along with Hab,. dentata (which I originally thought wanted to be cool in winter, but my "accidental" plant did so well with the warm treatment that its pot-mate Hab. carnea got, that it will go into the GH this winter along with most of the other Habenarias.
If you want another white one, Hab. medusa is also gorgeous - and I have found to be easy with a warm indoor winter.

[Polypodiaceae]

Originally Posted by Roberta

They can do fine in group pots until it gets too crowded. Here, I thought that I had purchased 2 of the same kind so put them in the same pot - but they turned out to be different species, so they'll get separate pots. I do like to repot every two years or so, just to see what I have... can put them back into the same medium, no harm there.

So it sounds like you don't necessarily need to repot every year? The AOS culture sheet says annually, but it's not getting fresh medium etc. yearly in the wild.

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by Polypodiaceae

So it sounds like you don't necessarily need to repot every year? The AOS culture sheet says annually, but it's not getting fresh medium etc. yearly in the wild.

I don't see any reason for annual repot other than curiosity. You're quite right, Mother Nature doesn't repot every year. She also doesn't particularly dry them out either. (Forest floors tend to stay a little damp even with no rain) As long as it's an airy medium (so the tubers don't rot) they should be fine left alone.

[Polypodiaceae]

I bought my medusa in bloom in early Jan. The flowers are long spent, but the plant has not shown any signs of going dormant. I've stopped watering for maybe the last 3, maybe 4 weeks. My previous reading indicated you typically repot in spring. Curious if you have experienced this, any insight, etc.

[Roberta]

I never had mine in bloom in January... Been dormant since October/Novermber-ish. I don't completely dry my Habenarias when dormant, just cut back on the water. I'm starting to water more, by next month I'll probably see growth and increase it more. Your plant may have experienced greenhouse conditions to mess with its blooming cycle. I'd water lightly, wait untl next year (or end of this year, after it really goes dormant) to repot. Give it a chance to "reset its clock".