jenischiana back bulbs
 

Learning to grow orchids by taking over the care of a collection in very bad shape is like learning to swim by being thrown in the deep end of the pool. I have a 6"basket of stan jenischiana with a large group of leafless,rootless pseudobulbs clustered to one side. It's been in my care 2 years or so now and has been putting on new growth slowly for those two years. I don't know if these back bulbs are still helping the plant. It has about 8 leaves(some old, some just starting). I had a lycaste with one leaf and 4 back bulbs. I cut off the last two back bulbs and set them in the media a couple of inches from the leafed bulb. They sprouted easily, both sections have grown well and now I have a decent looking pot of lycaste. I am tempted to do the same with the stanhopea. Any thoughts? Thanks.
Laurel

I wouldn't do it. My jenishiana sulked for a while too until it got huge and I remember one grower telling me that they often won't bloom until they get large. They also really need a good dry winter (for a Stan) to bloom well in the summer. Try not watering it or watering a lot less and let the bulbs shrivel up this winter. When new growth starts in the spring, start a normal watering schedule again.

Talk about tough love! I have been gradually reducing water, but I would never have thought to do it to that extent. By the way, my basket is actually 12". At least 1/4 of the space is back bulbs.Attached to the plant, will they ever parent a new growth? If I would rather grow the plant and not worry about flowering for another year or two, how would you recommend watering? Thanks
Laurel

Keep it big in order to get flowers this year and/or next year. And the tough love is more about nature than nurture. This species sees relatively drier winters in nature than many other Stans. Tigrina is another species that needs a drier winter in order to bloom well.

I don't know what media your plant is growing in and what conditions you are providing, so I can't make a recommendation on watering. Just let it dry out a lot more than how you normally grow it.