Galeandra baueri bloomed

[kavanaru]

They are basically anything between your plant and my plant... Normally more on the side of yours...

My plant is not bigger than yours and his is the first time it blooms... I received it in November last year... From Schwerter if I recall it correctly... For Picture, you will need to wait until the weekend... Currently on business trip...

[Daenerys]

Really cool orchid!

[nenella]

UPDATE !!!!!
This is really a plant I would really recommend .. since the first flowering of 4 blooms it bloomed again in sept/october with 5 blooms... and here I was thinking of now starting to keep it a bit drier and guess what??? it has another 4 buds!!!!!!!!
I like this!!!!

[nenella]

So for the experts out there....
am I right in thinking to keep up the watering until these have bloomed and then lessen the watering? I would appreciate a reply as I leave for a 6 weeks holiday in 2 weeks and need to give my carers a 'what to water and when?' care sheet.....
Many thanks in advance

[nenella]

I went away in december and came back about a week ago. ..and it now has 3 more new buds so I'm still watering. Is this normal?

[euplusia]

Great success, Nenella. Thanks for updating. It is normal for a Galeandra spike to bloom several times, so don't cut it off. And my plants like it better if water is not withdrawn completely during the rest period. I just reduce it. In nature Galeandras are often found close to water, for example a pond or lake, where humidity is higher.

[nenella]

Phew!! I'm doing the right thing then:d.
Thanks VERY much for your response euplusia. I will therefore keep it moist. Do I take it that the little growth it has will eventually this year grow? and in your experience will this only happen once this growth has dried up? I am on a full learning curve with this species.

[ronaldhanko]

Beautifully grown and flowered.

[nenella]

Thanks Ron! I hope to continue except I am not getting s/forward replies to my questions.... so just 'swimming in the dark' as far as this is concerned....

[kavanaru]

Nenella, as already said, it is normal for Galeandra to produce several sequential blooms on the same spike. sometimes even with pause between blooming "rushes"...
the plant is however, in a sort of vegetative dormancy, therefore water should be withhold, but it should not be completely dry for long periods.. a little watering once in a while is ok (do not keep the medium too wet!), especially if air humidity is not too high... it is not true that Galeandra bauerii grows veyr close to water bodies (this is true for other Galeandra species not for the majority!) This species grows in deciduous forest (often gallery forest along rivers) and is exposed to LOTS of water during approx 6-8 months of the year, but then it is exposed to very high temps, lots of sunlight (most trees looses all leaves in this kind of forest - imagine a winter forest in Europe, but dry and with over 35°C!) and very dry environment during the rest of the time.. However, during the night temps decreases and they are exposed to some condensation...
Treat the plant just like a standard Catasetum and you will be doing fine... Same as for Catasetum, you can force the dormancy if the plant decided not to go dormant, or you can adapt to its will and continue growing (which I would not recommend for more than one cycle!)