Stupid stupid stupid! Yes, I live in a climate that is HOT and DRY several months of the year, and I couldn't stop myself from wanting to see and have a Burrageara Nelly Isler. I kept looking for her, then telling myself no, it won't live here, then it popped up at Seattle Orchids, and I bought it. I wanted to try to keep orchids who like the heat, but lets face it, every orchid has requirements that are not provided in my climate the whole year around.
She just arrived in pleasant weather, and with 3 spikes. I have the air conditioner on, and she sits with a humidifier. So far we've only gotten to 83 degrees, mostly we're in the mid 70s.
She came in sphagnum moss tightly packed, and I was NOT about to repot her as I don't want to mess up the possibly one and only time I'll see this bloom. But I couldn't resist putting her into a ceramic pot a bit bigger lightly packed with additional moss so she can spread out a bit if she likes...
So how do I keep her alive? She is under lights right now, as I don't have good window locations. How high do you think she can take it, it gets above 90 in the house in the heat of summer, 110+ outside and our airconditioner is just a wall unit, so it gets overworked. Will my Nelly live through this summer? Additionally, will she live long enough to bloom? Only one spike has broken into buds, the others are still in tight formation. if they'll at least bloom in the next month, there is a possiblility, if June gloom goes well into July, that I can actually witness these blooms
I really want to keep her alive, so any advice is welcome, thanks