Quote:
Originally Posted by cbuchman
Really nice flowers and excellent growing! Any secrets to your success? I'm always looking for pointers  |
For many years I had a very tough time growing this species. I had many dead plants to show for my efforts. Fortunately I've had pretty good success over the last couple of years. Here is what I've learned:
a. The plants need to be grown under cover (plastic or polycarbonate roof) protected from the rain. Fortunately we don't have snow in Hawaii.
b. The plant roots need exceptionally good drainage. They need to dry out and cannot stand "wet feet". Many of my equitants are in small 2-inch square wooden baskets with only the plants' root mass serving as the media.
c. I water my equitants about every 3 days. I'll skip watering a day or two if the roots look damp.
d. I fertilize once per week all year round with foliar fertilizer (1 teaspoon per gallon).
e. I constantly watch for thrips. They will attack the buds. Scales can also be a problem. I spray using a non-systemic insecticide.
f. I grow my equitants under light conditions similar to that for my Phalaenopsis.
These are the practices that work for me. Fortunately I live in a tropical climate where I don't have to worry about freezing temperatures.
Equitant in Bloom
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