Psychopsis*Mendenhall*var.*alba*'Yellow*Butterfly' - Page 2 - Orchid Board

PaphMadMan · #11 10-01-2009, 10:30 PM

Culture for the alba forms is the same as any other Psychopsis, perhaps just a little less light since they don't have the spotting pigmentation in the leaves that the others do.

Donald · #12 10-04-2009, 09:37 AM

I have the exact same one as you AuGrower. It's in a slatted wooden orchid basket planted in sphagnum. I let it just about get dry and then I water. It's been in bloom for the past 3 years.

Grandma M · #13 10-04-2009, 12:30 PM

I'm always amazed at the different methods used to grow these guys and they always seem to survive and bloom. They must be very determined little rascals. I bought my first one about a year ago. Because I like growing in S/H, I put mine in it on arrival. Since then I have bought several more varieties and they all go directly into S/H. Not one has ever missed a beat, even if they are in bloom when I transplant them. I didn't really know what I was doing, or if a Psy. would adjust to S/H, but that was my choice of growing method.

Because they get so tall, they have a 'make do' home between two lighted carts. They get some light from the two carts and I also have a florescent goose neck desk lamp shining on the foliage. They must be happy there because I always have 5 or 6 blooms, or more, at any given time. As you can see, center right, Mendenhall 'Papa's Dream' AM/AOS X papillio 'Giant' FCC/AOS has three blooms on one stalk. I assume he is happy with the 'make do' treatment he is getting. Marpisis 'Green Valley' var. alba has always produced double blooms since I have had it.

Sorry, I didn't get the bloom on the very tall one in the picture (left corner), only one small bud...guess he was shy that day.

Marilyn

Bird Song Farm · #14 10-05-2009, 04:10 AM

Marilyn,
Just wanted to butt in here for a quick thank you. At your suggestion and urging I put my Psychopsis (have 4 now) in Passive Hydro and they took off. My oldest one is now putting out its 4th spike.
Thanks,
Al

kavanaru · #15 10-05-2009, 06:15 AM

hhhmmm.. ok, I jump in with a question about these guys... I have 3 Psychopsis, and all of them growing very well in S/H (they seem to love it!)... however, I do not get them to produce any new spikes...

Any tipps to induce spike production? Plants are growing under T5 fluorescent tubes and also get lots of sunlight in the morning (grow together with Cattleyas - Even Bc Maikai has started to bloom next to them, which means they receive a lot of light!). In teh past I had them growing under less light, as it was suggested in order to induce blooming: grow low light and then change to high light... no success...

The only one blooming (non-stop) is Psychopsis papilio alba, but I bought it with a spike already...

camille1585 · #16 10-05-2009, 06:37 AM

Ramon, I may not be of much help since I just got a Psychopsis papilio only this Saturday. I spoke to the vendor about culture, and he told me give it a lot of light (like Catts) and most importantly (in his opinion) they like it warm. He told me to shoot for 27-28°C during the day, and around 18°C at night. (which is also what I have found on Orchidwiz) Don't know if that's what they need to bloom, but in any case that's how I intend to grow it, even though it's still 1-2 years from blooming size. Going to buy a seedling heat mat to give it the day temp it needs.

Bird Song Farm · #17 10-05-2009, 10:18 AM

Ramón, I wish I could give you a magic answer but I honestly don't know. My first one died, I believe from over-watering. When I got a second I let it get dry before watering. Now that they are in Passive Hydro I don't worry about the water.
Camille says she was told to grow them warm. I can't do that so they grow cool to cold with the exception of the summer months.
Maybe it's the temp. change??
I grow them in front of my phals and just behind the Catts/Oncs.
They do like bright light and can take some driect sun. The pseudobulb has to be mature before spiking,ramble, ramble, ramble...........
Still no answer for you.
Al

camille1585 · #18 10-05-2009, 10:36 AM

I also read in the Baker sheets (on Orchidwiz) that pot size *might* be part of the problem. They've had a personal experience with Psychopsis in small pots blooming better than ones in large pots, which almost never bloom. Could be a coincidence of course. They say that professional growers say the same thing, but at the same time there are many awarded plants that are in large pots!
How confusing!

PaphMadMan · #19 10-05-2009, 06:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by camille1585

I also read in the Baker sheets (on Orchidwiz) that pot size *might* be part of the problem. They've had a personal experience with Psychopsis in small pots blooming better than ones in large pots, which almost never bloom. Could be a coincidence of course. They say that professional growers say the same thing, but at the same time there are many awarded plants that are in large pots!
How confusing!

The way I've heard it, it isn't necessarily pot size but it needs to be a bit crowded in the pot before it wants to bloom rather than grow.