Pleurothallis restrepioides Lindl.

[Rosim_in_BR]

I have been growing this species for more than 6 years (It was an adult plant when I acquired it). All that it did was to grow, grow and grow. The sheaths, instead of producing flowers, produced new plants. It was funny, because it came the occasion when I had a three-floor plant: a stem, which had produced a new plant on the top and the new plant supporting a third seedling on the top... I made countless pots with these seedlings and gave away.
After several years without any blooms I gave up and hang the pots together with my Draculas, just to free space on the bench. There it continued to produce seedlings from the sheaths instead of blooms. What was my surprise a few weeks ago when I saw two (two!!!!) blooming stems arising!!!
By the way, it was not only I. I never knew of any blooms from any of my friends who also have this plant until this year, when their plants also bloomed.

[Epiphile]

Hi Mauro,

What do you think changed about the growing conditions when you moved it? I've had this one for a while and I know what you mean about the plantlets instead of flowers. I'd love to have this one bloom for me one day, so any advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks,
Aaron

[Rosim_in_BR]

Originally Posted by Epiphile

Hi Mauro,

What do you think changed about the growing conditions when you moved it? I've had this one for a while and I know what you mean about the plantlets instead of flowers. I'd love to have this one bloom for me one day, so any advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks,
Aaron

The only thing that changed in all these years was that we had and abnormally wet, very, very rainy winter this year. Winters here are very dry. Normally, it doesn't rain for months, the air humidity drops very often to almost desert-like 20%, wildfires are frequent and so on. Nothing of these happened this year. So, I suspect that it was the constant high humidity that triggered the blooming mechanism!

[Epiphile]

...And I forgot to mention that yours looks terrific, and that you've flattered it with a well-taken photo.

Aaron

[Epiphile]

Good to know- thanks. I guess in it's native range it wouldn't get as pronounced a dry season. I guess I'll just have to keep watering and waiting...

Aaron

[kinknstein]

Great pics Mauro!

[Rosim_in_BR]

Originally Posted by kinknstein

Great pics Mauro!

Thanks, Nick!

[nenella]

Very nice photos & interesting thread-thanks

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Originally Posted by Rosim_in_BR

I have been growing this species for more than 6 years (It was an adult plant when I acquired it). All that it did was to grow, grow and grow. The sheaths, instead of producing flowers, produced new plants. It was funny, because it came the occasion when I had a three-floor plant: a stem, which had produced a new plant on the top and the new plant supporting a third seedling on the top... I made countless pots with these seedlings and gave away.
After several years without any blooms I gave up and hang the pots together with my Draculas, just to free space on the bench. There it continued to produce seedlings from the sheaths instead of blooms. What was my surprise a few weeks ago when I saw two (two!!!!) blooming stems arising!!!
By the way, it was not only I. I never knew of any blooms from any of my friends who also have this plant until this year, when their plants also bloomed.

Wow...

Here I thought I was the only one who had that annoying problem with these.

Originally Posted by Epiphile

Hi Mauro,

What do you think changed about the growing conditions when you moved it? I've had this one for a while and I know what you mean about the plantlets instead of flowers. I'd love to have this one bloom for me one day, so any advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks,
Aaron

Yeah, I was about to ask the same question. Thanks for bringing it up.

Unfortunately, my Plths restrepioides passed on, had too many personal issues that led to me neglecting my collection.

I'll definitely try again when I get a chance to.

Originally Posted by Rosim_in_BR

The only thing that changed in all these years was that we had and abnormally wet, very, very rainy winter this year. Winters here are very dry. Normally, it doesn't rain for months, the air humidity drops very often to almost desert-like 20%, wildfires are frequent and so on. Nothing of these happened this year. So, I suspect that it was the constant high humidity that triggered the blooming mechanism!

I only bloomed this guy once, and like you said, it was during a heavy rainy season. I grew this outdoors all year round btw. Did great, but I got bored of it when there were more plants than flowers.

I strongly believe that kheikis on an orchid is a stress response to improper cultivation/environmental factors that don't suit the plant, but won't outright kill them either. Not always, but it mostly appears to be.

For example, many people who grow Den kingianum report having this plant kheiki all the time. Mine never has. And it's growing very well. I believe it has something to do with the type of media used and the temperatures (they seem to kheiki when they're grown warm all year round, I grow them outdoors here where it gets cool in the fall and spring, but cold in the winters). I also use diatomite from Australia.

Thanks for this post.

And nice pics.

Part of the reason I was drawn to this Pleuro was because it looked like a bunch of mini red spotted dragon eggs (at least to me they did ).

[RosieC]

Wow, great pics. As Aaron said you've really flattered it with these pics.

Interesting about it not usually flowering. You may have hit on something with the humidity issue, great so see if flowering anyway.