Zygopetalum help

[Cranly]

My zygopetalum just finished blooming, so I figure now is the time to get it some help.

First - the lead bulb is right up against the side of the container (pic 1), so we will need to get a repot
- do i need to divide at all? in addition to the lead bulb, it looks like I have 5+1 tiny one. I think i read you want 3 in addition to the lead bulb. I have no desire for a second plant and would just as soon leave the whole thing whole, unless you think separation would help.
Just a bigger container? or try to shift the whole thing within the container?

Second - black spots on the leaves. (pic 2)
Early on I wasn't careful with my watering and would get it on the leaves. Lately I take more care and don't get it on them, but I still have some black spots. I probably don't have a ton of air movement in the room, so that might be causing it? but let me know if you have thoughts otherwise, or any solutions.

I feel like overall the plant looks a bit dry, but if anything I often feel like i'm overwatering the plant. Maybe I'm wrong. It gets at least 1 watering a week; it's been rather humid the last several months.

Thanks for any advice

[bethmarie]

I haven't grown a zygo that didn't get black spots on its leaves. I asked local orchid greenhouse manager Paul Feaver about it a few years ago. He told me the only person he knew with spot free zygos was a guy who employed near gale force winds in his greenhouse.

Naturally, I had to test this method at home. I bought a fan from the industrial selection at home depot, planning, since my grow room is maybe 10x12, to run it on the first setting. I plugged it in, turned it on low, and spent the next little while picking plants, pot shards and glass up from the floor. The glass was from a picture that was blown off the wall.
My experiment lasted several seconds, but there was no discernible impact on my Zygo. I returned the fan and decided, since the spots were not fungal or harmful, to live with them.

For what it's worth, I wouldn't divide it, and would check out quantity and quality of the roots before choosing a new pot size. Zygos in bark can take 2 waterings per week in my indoor growing conditions. They don't like to stay soggy, but don't want to be dry long either.

[Dollythehun]

Mine is in chopped sphag and bark. I water roughly twice a week. There is a fan in that window which runs year round. Few spots, 4 spikes. I'd just bump it up a size.

[nogreenthumbs]

Originally Posted by Cranly

First - the lead bulb is right up against the side of the container (pic 1), so we will need to get a repot

definitely, you want to get that pbulb out into the center of the pot (or more near it) and get the oldest bulb up against an edge (or near it).

in addition to the lead bulb, it looks like I have 5+1 tiny one. I think i read you want 3 in addition to the lead bulb.

I'm not a zygo expert (or any sort of orchid expert), but I strongly believe that when you read about 3 bulbs, that was probably a minimum. IE, if you want to divide, then you need a minimum of 6 bulbs so you end up with 3/3. I would be shocked if anyone actually recommended removing bulbs if you have more than 3.

Bulbs are like a back-up generator, or fuel tanks for the orchid. If in nature, the orchid has a couple of week dry spell or gets torn from most of it's roots and only has a few to take up new water or ..., then the orchid uses the water and nutrients stored in it's pbulbs.

On some species, the old pbulbs stop growing leaves and blooms, but are still important to leave attached as they then pretty much only act as storage cells for water and nutrients for the rest of the plant.

[Roberta]

I would suggest leaving it intact - let it draw energy from the old p-bulbs. One strong plant is better than two weak ones) Go up a size on the pot... you can put oldest, smallest p-bulbs against the side of the pot, and then you'd want an inch (or two at most) between the lead (new) p-bulb and the side of the pot, so that it has room for about two years' new growth. Zygos don't want to dry out - I think that you need to increase the watering to twice a week or if hot and dry, even more. Use small bark, again to help keep the moisture level up. Don't worry about the spots... Zygos pretty much all have them. They also lose leaves from the oldest p-bulbs.

[rbarata]

They also lose leaves from the oldest p-bulbs.

That's something I didn't know that happened to mine.
Do they always lose them of can keep them too?

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by rbarata

That's something I didn't know that happened to mine.
Do they always lose them of can keep them too?

Mine eventually lose leaves on older growths. Perhaps under better cultural conditions they could keep them, but mine do shed leaves after a year or two. They bloom from new growth; I find that spikes often emerge as the new growths are just forming. Don't be in a rush to remove back bulbs... those are the reserves for new growth.

[estación seca]

No orchid ever needs to be divided. People do so when they get too big, or they want to propagate them.

Your plant also looks like it hasn't been getting enough water. At a lecture to our orchid society, Alan Koch of Gold Country Orchids said Zygos have fewer spots with very pure water, very cool temperatures and very high humidity.

[Dollythehun]

While I copied those notes to my memo pad, it might be helpful for you to link others to that very informative thread.

[lizj]

I have had surprisingly good luck with zygopetulum hybrids in my humid terrarium (with fan). No spotted leaves at all. Before I put them in there,under my grow lights, they were covered with spots.