New User question, Sudamerlycasta locusta: How big does it need to be to bloom?

[IowaOrchidGrower]

Hello,

I'm new here but have grown orchids fro some time. Started when I was 19 but had give it up during grad school. Grew a few intermittently in the 90s and early 2000s, and since retiring am getting into it as there is simply more time. The collection is small and is mixed genera (Paphs, Encyclias, Brassia, Ocidiums, Oncostele, Bassavola, a couple Yamamoto Dendrobiums, Epicyclia, some Dendrobium Ise hybrids and others. I mention these as I have bloomed all successfully and is relevant to the question of blooming the S. locusta. I grow them outdoors in summer and indoors in winter, most under lights, some in a south facing windows. Use RO water (a couple cups city water to a gallon of RO).

I acquired Sudamerlycasta locusta a couple years ago. It looked a bit rough when it arrived; perhaps wild collected considering the lack of roots and the rough shape the psuedobulbs were in.

It has grown very well for two seasons but has not bloomed.

How large must the psuedobulbs be to bloom? My plant's psuedobulbs are 2.5" tall.

Does it need full sun? I ask since the north tip of Peru is at the equator and Iowa is definitely not Peru. As mentioned, I've bloomed all the plants mentioned above - some for years. Last summer it was under 40% shade cloth, but this summer I had it under 20% shade cloth (Epicyclia Laura Meyer and Encyclia Shinfong Smile - both purchased at the same time - bloomed for the first time this year as a result of the increased light).

Orchidspecies.com states that Ida locusta it is a "large sized" orchid, yet online photos don't seem to support that. The photos aren't captioned with the size of pot, but many photos look like the plants are blooming in 5" to 6" pots.

The largest psuedobulbs are the size of an AAA battery, so 2" tall. (Had a photo showing that comparison, but apparently the tools do not allow the posting of photos in the body of a message.)

And perhaps I just need to be more patient.

Thanks,

Phil

[estación seca]

I haven't grown this. Day length may matter. Your winter days are very short compared to northern Peru.

[Roberta]

I suspect that you just need patience... the plant is still rather small. I don't grow that particular one , but the members of the genus that I do grow, have p-bulbs around 3 inches high and around 1-1.5 inches in diameter... not small. (Leaves around 15-18 inches) Also, if your plant came from a South American grower, it has had to deal with flipping seasons. So I'd expect that it could still take another year (or 2 or 3) to fully adjust, especially if it had to grow a new root system.

I grow mine rather shady. I don't particularly dry it out in winter though I cut back water somewhat on everything since in cool weather they don't dry out as fast. Another thought - temperature. This is a rather high-elevation species that may want cool nights to trigger blooming. It would be a candidate for being close to the window so that it gets some chill at night.

[vanda2020]

Plant requirements. Looks like it like shady with only a little sun. IOSPE PHOTOS

---------- Post added at 10:58 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:54 AM ----------

I have bloomed many orchids under LED lights. Closer to a window for temp changes and LED lights might trigger it.