Cycnoches chlorochilon
 

My Catasetinae are consistently blooming out the best I've ever seen this fall. The flower quality is just awesome. This season, I waited about two weeks past when I thought "I should start watering now" and *then* I started watering. Throughout the grow season, my motto was "wet, warm and fed." I watered almost daily, kept them in the warmest spot in our greenhouse and supplied MSU very regularly.

Apparently, they liked it. The bloom on this Cycnoches chlorochilon is the largest I've ever personally seen...

Love that one!!!

Congratulations and nice job growing a species I haven't really seen that much.

Looks like it did love the care you gave it! Congratulations on a successful bloom!

Amazing! Where did you get this one? I've bought both C. cooperi and warscewiczii from SVO this year but Cycnoches species are almost impossible to find like MGP said...

David

David,
This particular plant is from Gary Meyer at Colombian Orchid Imports. He brings in beautiful plants across a wide range of genera twice a year- spring and fall. Many are things that are tough if not almost impossible to get anywhere else. I highly recommend joining his list!

I so appreciate it - I just looked at his website and :whew his lists look amazing! Will definitely join the email list.

David

I'm glad you've found your stride with this group! The extra bit of dry season really is critical in getting the roots in a place where they create a monster plant with substantive blooms.

Stephen, I've watched some of your videos on Youtube (thanks for doing those BTW!) and want to inquire further - so, as a genus, you have noticed that Cycnoches require slightly longer until watering than other Catasetinae? I'm new to this entire alliance this year and would love to grow more Cycnoches, but this is the first time I'll overwinter/give them a dry season.

David

Cycnoches (in my experience) seem to be a bit more prone to rot in winter, but less tolerant to dry air. This is tricky since you don't want to water them unless necessary (do this on warm days, if needed), but you want to keep the humidity elevated as well. Fred seems to have found a good way around this: set your dry pot within a cup of water where the water stays below the bottom of the pot. That way, there's lots of humidity at the roots but no direct contact with water. PET pots have this same mechanism already built in, so just add a bit of water into the water well without getting the media wet.

My Cycnoches all weathered the completely bone dry rest just fine. We also kept them in the greenhouse though, which maintains RH at 70-80%, so that may have helped as well...

Thanks, both - I'm growing in a tent with humidity levels are usually above 80%. I did just see that cup of water trick on Fred's latest email, I may try that with a few and see how that goes.

David

High humidity is the the key!