It's Growing! Angraecum didieri

[gravotrope]

I have been told, and I'm still not certain that this is true...but the Vandas grow thicker roots in drier environments, and that it potentially has NOTHING to do with a microbial association.

Also I wanted to add that photo periods can be very important for spiking and blooming plants. Meaning if it's night for your plants, it should stay night for your plants. They don't have to be in complete darkness, but anything brighter than a dim light for more than a minute or so should probably be avoided unless you are trying to test a plants bloom sensitivity to light. In my experience I've found that Phalaenopsis and Dendrobiums don't care so much about this, and that's one of the reasons why they are so widely cultivated on windowsills. But also I've had Angraecoids and Cattleyas drop blooms in as little as 2 weeks because they got too much light at night. Just something to keep in mind when doing windowsill culture.

I had a new bud on my didieri that I thought was going to be a bloom spike...but it turned out to be another plant. I separated them but haven't taken the one with the keiki off the mount yet...they seem to keep drying out but they also seem alright with that since there are still green tips on the roots...I guess I should put it on treefern like Brooke, though I have some phoenix palm bark I could use. I am asking what is best to use for this plant if I'm not able to water it EVERY day. Any ideas orchid people??

(My Jumellea on the other hand has a spike and a little green flower with a nectary forming )

[RosieC]

Looking really good

[SJF]

Thank you for the tip for the shampoo holders for the window. I put some up yesterday. It is such a help.

[GardenTheater]

Originally Posted by SJF

Thank you for the tip for the shampoo holders for the window. I put some up yesterday. It is such a help.

That's great!

[Leafmite]

It isn't uncommon for angraecum buds to just sit there and do nothing for a few months. The didieri tend to rest during the cooler months and bloom and grow during the warmer months in Madagascar.

[GardenTheater]

Originally Posted by Leafmite

It isn't uncommon for angraecum buds to just sit there and do nothing for a few months. The didieri tend to rest during the cooler months and bloom and grow during the warmer months in Madagascar.

My window does get cooler (60s night/70s day) in the winter and that gets spikes in the phals, but might put the Didieri on rest. I'm trying to confine my addiction to two windows and a small space outdoors. Time will tell if Didieri decides to keep growing during the winter in this window.

---------- Post added at 02:10 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:55 PM ----------

Originally Posted by Brooke

If you keep your didieri happy, it will bloom 3 or 4 times per year. I haven't found they have a season, the blooms must be triggered by growth on the plant. Mine is currently blooming and this pic was taken in May '12.


Angraecum didieri JCL_0797 by kentucky4, on Flickr

Brooke

WOW, that looks wonderful! Hope mine gets this happy! Did it do all those blooms off just 2 fans? Great growing! Would love to hear how you culture yours and light level. Thanks!!!

---------- Post added at 02:16 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:10 PM ----------

Originally Posted by RosieC

Looking really good

Thanks Rosie!

[ALToronto]

Brooke, what is yours mounted on? I've been thinking of mounting mine, but I don't know if it will prefer being mounted to being in a pot.

[Brooke]

ALToronto it is on a tree fern mount.

Garden I grow it in a g/h, temp never below 60, it grows among my Phal in very low light and it is watered every day and basically never dries out.

Yes it was only two growths but now I have multiple growths on it. It has been an easy species for me to bloom and to multiply. It is currently blooming on each growth and is getting ready for a second set of blooms. I love it blooms multiple times a year.

Brooke

[GardenTheater]

Originally Posted by Brooke

ALToronto it is on a tree fern mount.

Garden I grow it in a g/h, temp never below 60, it grows among my Phal in very low light and it is watered every day and basically never dries out.

Yes it was only two growths but now I have multiple growths on it. It has been an easy species for me to bloom and to multiply. It is currently blooming on each growth and is getting ready for a second set of blooms. I love it blooms multiple times a year.

Brooke

Thanks Brooke! That's encouraging news. Mine is with my Phals and temps are 60F and above too. Humidity in winter tends to be 50 to 70. It came on a different type off mount, but no point in disturbing a healthy plant. I do water every day too. I think I see a third bud plus it's putting out roots and leaves. Busy little thing.

---------- Post added at 03:53 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:42 PM ----------

Originally Posted by ALToronto

Is it not a high light plant? I always thought that narrow leaves = high light levels.

ALToronto, the Baker culture sheet indicated that some didieri plants bloomed well in low light...which implies that others do not. There is variation in seedlings. They gave light level at 1000 to 2000 FC which is slightly higher than typical Phal light, but lower than Catt light. Andy's offers a different opinion with 1500 to 2500 FC. I think of "high" as 3000 to 4000 FC and others have different definitions of what high is.

[ALToronto]

Is it not a high light plant? I always thought that narrow leaves = high light levels.