Stanhopea wardii

[mrobert]

I have this Stanhopea wardii:


...hanging outside under a willow tree. Now that it has bloomed and the flowers have fallen off I don't know what to do with it. I understand that some stanhopea need a rest period, but I'm having trouble getting information on how to "rest" it. We're experiencing nightly lows ~40F and have rain perhaps once or twice per week. Are these conditions suitable? This is my first winter with this orchid.
-Mateo

[mrobert]

Subjected to subfreezing (night) temperatures, minimal damage. Moved to warmer location.

[Frdemetr]

Mateo,

Stan wardii demands a resting period in the winter; I didn't found any infos about the time lenght or temps wardii needs (in Barney Greer's and Rudolf Jenny's books); I'm trying about four months w/o any water in media, only occasional sprays in the leaves, but here the temps are not enough low in the winter, and this year wardii doesn't bloom; I guess "low temps" in their habitat would be something about 15ºC, seldom 12ºC; 40ºF (~4ºC) is too much low! My average temps in the winter is ~18ºC (only a few days below 10ºC, never below 6ºC), but unfortunatelly it's "too hot" to bloom wardiis!