My first bellina- is a 3" leafspan big enough?

[astrid]

Hey everyone!

I am looking to buy a phalaenopsis bellina from mid-pacific orchids due to their fabulous prices –*and the fact that big leaf orchids just sold out of all their affordable bellinas!!!
Phal. bellina x self 2" pot 3" leafspan

Anyway, it says the orchid is in a 2" pot with a 3" leafspan.

As this is a species, I just want to know- would this be challenging to grow from that size? I have heard they become relatively easy after they get a 5" leafspan.

My conditions are as follows:
Average yearly humidity: 40-60%
Seasons: cloudy dark winters, endlessly blue sunny skies in summer
Summer temps: from 80 to 100°F
winter temps: keep my house about 70°F
no grow light
I usually run a fan near my orchids

I can offer the 10°F temp change between daytime and night time to get the plant to bloom.

What is your advice? I really want to snap one of these up sometime this summer!

[dangerouseddy]

I've had a couple of bellina seedlings, they're all dead now though.

I think the main thing is to be very careful when watering them since the leaves are close together. your temps and humidity are fine afaik. they grow very slowly when small.

I gave up and was lucky to snag this one on ebay, it didn't cost much more than all the seedlings and just took a bit of patience and waiting to find.

hopefully somebody with more experience growing seedlings can help.

[astrid]

Originally Posted by dangerouseddy

I've had a couple of bellina seedlings, they're all dead now though.

I think the main thing is to be very careful when watering them since the leaves are close together. your temps and humidity are fine afaik. they grow very slowly when small.

I gave up and was lucky to snag this one on ebay, it didn't cost much more than all the seedlings and just took a bit of patience and waiting to find.

hopefully somebody with more experience growing seedlings can help.

Hmm... I wonder if I'd be better off having it potted in pure sphag. I keep all my paphs like that and they're pretty happy that way! Thanks for the tip!

[theloyalplum]

I am super curious about this too! I've been looking myself and Hausermann's has a budded one (and smaller sizes) at $30 bucks a pop. I inquired about leafspan just recently, so more info to come? Maybe? It may be an option depending on the shipping cost!

[swh265]

Try housermann. Phil species take for ever to grow. It's worth it to buy a bigger plant.

Orchids By Hausermann: Phal. (violacea var. borneo x violacea var borneo) [bellina]

[Brooke]

A 3" leafspan would probably give you blooms next year. All of your temps are fine, particularly the winter temp because they are warm growers. Mine do fine with 60 degrees but it would be much happier if I could run the winter temp higher.

This species does not need the temp differential in the fall, it knows to bloom when the temps raise in the spring. All summer and fall blooming species need the rise in temps, not a decline'

This species is not really that temperamental - warmer temps and constant moisture, not soggy wet all the time.

Brooke

[RosieC]

Mine had about a 4" leafspan when I first got it and took a while to get going but the new leaves that grew from it are all massive, some of the biggest of all my Phals (mostly NoIDs).

I find fine bark works well for me for this one. I grow most phals in lecca but this one just seems happy in the fine bark. It grows quite flat all the leaves very close together low against the medium, I always make sure and water in an area of the bark where there are no leaves so water doesn't sit between the leaves.

I grow this one brighter than my other Phals in a south-west facing window (behind a sheer curtain) while all the others are in west facing windows. It seems to appreciate the slightly higher light.

[theloyalplum]

So for anyone who is interested, Hausermann's finally got back to me about leafspans and I'll just copy and paste it here.

6.5" pot 15" plus
6" " 12"
4" " 10-12"
3.5" " 8-9"
3" " 6-7"
21/2" " 4"

The 3.5" is supposedly in spike/bud for reference's sake.

I think a 3" would do wonderfully as it seems past the touchy seedling stages!

[astrid]

Thanks so much! That is very helpful.

My birthday is in September, and I am going to ask my boyfriend for a bellina or for a cycnodes wine delight- and just request the other as a christmas present! hah!

And now I know what size to get from Hausermann!