Dracula lotax humidity issue..bell jar?

[Sekhmet]

Hey All,

I have a D. lotax that I have been growing in a sphag/small bark mix on a cool, east-facing window for about a year. It is growing leaves like gang-busters, and a few weeks ago, it started to put out 3 flower-stalks.

Unfortunately, after the flower stalks reached about an inch in length, the tips dried up and the stalks died back. I am assuming this is due to too low of humidity (I am in seattle, which usually is 80-90% humid in winter, but we had a very dry cold snap for the last few weeks).

I am consider getting a bell-jar to just drop over the top of it to keep local humidity up. I don't have the space or resources to buy/make an orchidarium. Do you think this will work, or does anyone have a better suggestion?

I am pretty depressed, as it looks like I am probably going to have to wait until next winter to get it flowering for me! This is, I think, hands down my favorite species of orchid, and I am glad it is thriving, but I want to see those darn flowers!

[ronaldhanko]

This is very typical of Draculas. Even under the most optimum conditions a very small change in humidity or position will often cause them to abort their flowers, so don't feel badly about this. Perhaps a bell jar would help keep the humidity up, but I would be worried about air movement. Have you ever seen Harry from Andy's Orchids give his demonstration of how to set up a small aquarium with a small fan and a fogger? Maybe something like that is your answer.