Leptotes bicolor in bloom - Orchid Board

camille1585 · #1 04-15-2021, 04:09 PM

This is one of my favorite orchids, and after having killed 3 of these (all mounted) I decided to give it one last go, and managed to find a potted plant. To my surprise, it was potted in sphag, and to my even greater surprise, it really really likes sphag! The plant has more than tripled in size in the 2 years I've had it, and is a root producing machine. It has completely outgrown the sphag and the lower half of the pot is just bare roots, and is slowly pushing the entire plant out of the pot.

The fragrance is really nice, but can only be detected before sunrise. ('Luckily' I get up at 6am so go have a sniff before breakfast).

SouthPark · #2 04-15-2021, 04:57 PM

Absolutely beautiful display. Super healthy too. Probably can't get more healthy than that! Absolutely - it goes to show that workable conditions result in good/great outcomes. This is a great and beautiful result.

The white and pink combination with the green leaf surroundings is very nice.

neophyte · #3 04-15-2021, 05:02 PM

Wow, great growing!! It's nice to know they can grow well potted too.

SADE2020 · #4 04-15-2021, 05:16 PM

❤️❤️❤️😘

rbarata · #5 04-15-2021, 05:19 PM

Beautiful plant (and superb photos).
It remainds me of Laelia lundii.

Roberta · #6 04-15-2021, 06:31 PM

A beautiful display! I have never been able to grow them potted... but this one certainly has worked well for you!

DeaC · #7 04-16-2021, 10:56 AM

Mounted has not worked for me either. Seeing yours has been an epiphany. TY Camille.

Paphluvr · #8 04-16-2021, 07:25 PM

Great job, Camille. I haven't had this species in a long time but when I did I grew it mounted. However, my humidity was 65%+ with great air movement. And the fragrance of these is wonderful.

Keysguy · #9 04-16-2021, 10:05 PM

I have one mounted that I treat as a vanda but I never seem to get any more than 1 flower at a time. Any thoughts? The plant seems to be growing just fine.

And BTW Camille, that plant is gorgeous. Nicely done!

camille1585 · #10 04-17-2021, 05:52 AM

Thanks for the nice comments!

I hope thqt seeing it potted will encourage some to give this plant another go. Based on my plant, I would suggest that it's potted in a way that allows it to dry fast, but with frequent watering to keep it always a bit moist. It should never fully dry out, but not be soggy either.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keysguy

I have one mounted that I treat as a vanda but I never seem to get any more than 1 flower at a time. Any thoughts? The plant seems to be growing just fine.

And BTW Camille, that plant is gorgeous. Nicely done!

That's odd! Is this one of your plants down in the keys? Mine gets Cattleya light or slightly higher, and somewhat cool temps in the winter (17-20C). I think papayj also grows it cool-ish in the winter and gets amazing blooms, but I have no idea if this is a requirement for good blooming.
Leptotes bicolor bud watch