Psychopsis Mendenhall 'Hildos'

[gardengirl13]

Oh I'm so jealous!!! I want a spike!!!! I got two new leaves recently, but no damn spikes!! sigh.

[Bud]

Be patient....this is a seven year old orchid plant....you too will have your spike soon=just follow the culture religiously.

[hanzy08]

I have always wanted a psychopsis but the long spikes will not fit my indoor growing space but i found a dwarf psychopsis in orchids.com that i am thinking of considering. Nice plant by the way!!

[Bud]

Thank You, Hanzy!

A three feet spike is just right on a standard apartment window....and I face the spike inwards at an angle.....although I have seen taller spikes than this....

[gardengirl13]

Originally Posted by Bud

Be patient....this is a seven year old orchid plant....you too will have your spike soon=just follow the culture religiously.

Yeah but it's a 7 year old plant that's flowering for the third year for you. pout! ha ha!! I've had mine for 3 years this fall, and he was at least 1 1/2-2 years old when I got him. I assume, by his size. I did put him in the imperial oncidium mix from repotme so in doing so I might have pushed him into yet another waiting period for blooms. But this mix will last him a long while I think. I have him in the mix, and in a dish with rocks that I fill with my water (rain/snow sometimes just distilled) when he gets dryish in the bottom I water. I sometimes spritz him a bit with the spray bottle too. I went two months of only feeding him 2 times a month instead of weekly weakly. I have a lovely new leaf and another leaf coming in in the last month and a half. Lots of roots. So he's happy, just not happy enough to throw up a spike for me.

[Bud]

between now and next year your plant will definitely spike....this kind of orchid plant sulks if you disturb its very fine thin roots....yet replanting it gave you new sprouts that will surely give you spikes....your plant by now have established itself on the imperial Oncidium mix.