Ghost Orchid Advice PLEASE!!!! Anything helps .. (Dendrophylax Lindenii)

[hcastil3]

take a lot of pictures while you can and enjoy every bit of it. I read that the scent only gets strong at dusk or so.

I can't wait for mine to get that point.


Great Job!! !!!!

[aaronsaxton]

Just make sure it is big enough to take the energy hit the plant will take in producing the flower. I had another flower spike and I killed it to ensure the plant put its energy towards only this bloom, orchids can produce enough flowers to kill themselves if forced to.

I will probably not re-bloom this orchid again until I get about 50" linear added of root length, and then I can enjoy 3 flowers or so.

I am driving myself crazy checking on it every 60 mins, looking for the smallest of changes, but it did pay off because I was there when the petals "popped", so I am using that as now my fulltime excuse to check on every minute I can.

I hope the flower lasts a while, I am unsure of how long they are meant to survive, but I hope mine gives me 4-6 weeks of pleasure.

[flhiker]

To bad you don't have a go pro. They are night scented but it will linger in the morning. I describe the scent as a clean soapy scent. Like a mild B. Nodosa

[hcastil3]

I did read somewhere that it will be in bloom for a little while. However, I also read that the bloom will look in full bloom and then drop within hours when they are done. According to the article i read it happens the same day and it goes back to its normal growing pattern. however, don't count on this info because the the articles were not scientific papers just articles I found.

[aaronsaxton]

So can anyone here tell me generally how long the flower will last?

Now I am very curious.

[hcastil3]

Hey Aaron according to to this article they last for up to two weeks..

here you go take a look

Florida Native Plant Society Blog: Plant Profile: the Ghost Orchid

[flhiker]

10 days in the wild is the longest I've seen. Of course it was never pollinated. I'm sorry to say that the last photo you posted, to me looks a little under developed. the legs of the flower look short and still green. but with many orchids, the first flower can be that way. can you post a photo of the flower straight on instead of the side shot?

[hcastil3]

Molecular phylogenetics of Vandeae (Orchidaceae) and the evolution of leaflessness


you guys might have read this but I thought just in case

[aaronsaxton]

I forgot to remove my hidden Ethylene Absorbers that were there to prevent the flower bud loss - but this can cause the failure of the flower to "ripen" so I have removed them, hopefully the ethylene concentration will rise to properly "ripen" the flower and then I will add them back to prevent the flower from dropping off.

A fairly major oversight on my part.

One reason why having things in a set-up "hidden" for aesthetic reasons is not always a practical idea.

[aaronsaxton]

It seems that the Flower did not properly form - some slight under development. It never fully opened.

This was disappointing, though my fiancee still got a ghost orchid flower, the gift was not exactly as intended.

I have cut the flower off, and according to my theory of how to grow the Ghost Orchid, I should be able to turn the dormant terminal bud into a flower, and get it 100% right this time.

So I am executing the environmental conditions to perform this, and I hope in 2-3 weeks to show a new flower bud that is better formed and robust.

It's like getting a walk in baseball - I didn't hit the ball properly, will have to do better this month!