Anyone growing Laelia harpophylla? Info needed
 

Hello, my friends

Got myself one of these.
I have a couple questions...

1 - How much light does it need? Like a Catt? From what I've read it doesn't need that much.

2 - When it's its growing season? I want to repot it but at the best time (unless you tell me it isn't fussy about it, which I suspect you won't :biggrin:)

Thank you

A photo :)

https://i.postimg.cc/4NCzLrjg/20181230-190523.jpg

Have not done well on this species, probably time to try again, but yours looks quite healthy. The potting season is "whenever new roots show". Don't know what time of year that is, probably spring but the only way to be sure is to just catch them in the act. I have several Catt species that are starting to root right now, so could be soon.

Any idea what went wrong, Roberta?

I think I didn't get the temperature right... it is warmer-growing than most of its relatives, may have gotten too cold, but then it didn't like the greenhouse either. Also could have been the plant, the bare-root imports that seem to come my way are uneven in quality and vigor... can be something as simple as "was it a new shipment or is this its second show??". That's why I think I'll try again... my conditions have gotten better. May try for an established one that somebody else has gotten through the "establishing" stage.

Maybe it was the plant...they are warm growing but in winter they live in temps of 14-15°C by night, which in my case is lower than what I usually have as the lower temp.
Your lower were bellow these values?

Outside it gets colder than that. The greenhouse minimum is around 15 deg C. Plant may have been stressed by getting too cold before moving to the GH... or may have come bare root with poor roots and not been ready to grow new ones. Been awhile, so memory is fuzzy.

Orchidwiz even mentions lower temps of 13ºC in Jan-Feb in the habitat.
I'm putting this plant in the same category of my tenebrosa. The habitat is roughly the same (especially in the Serra do Mar, a higer altitude range with higher humidity due to its proximity to the sea and incoming winds. This means they need higher HR than usual.

Do you remember your watering scheme?

Hmmm.. L. tenebrosa actually does decently outside for me. Not quite as durable as purpurata, but survives and blooms. I suspect that L. harpophylla, being smaller, is also a bit more sensitive on the low end of the temperature range. Also may prefer higher RH.

I'm comparing these two with my other Catts that are thriving with my actual conditions.
I have my tenebrosa indoors...my lower temps outside now are near 6ºC and will go lower in the next two months.

That's pretty chilly. (Though my night temperatures have been around 5 deg C ... 40 deg F lately too) Days have actually been on the cool side as well, 17-18 deg C (65 deg F) but quite dry, and that helps.