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  #1  
Old 08-11-2023, 10:54 PM
Chlorophile Chlorophile is offline
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Default Laelia lucasiana Won’t Flower

I’ve had a L. lucasiana for several years now. It started off as just 3 pseudobulbs and is now 10 with 8 more on the way. I have it potted in sphagnum, in a terra cotta pot. It’s about 4 inches below some LED grow lights that are on 12 hours per day. I water it after it dries out and use dilute fertilizer every watering. It seems happy enough but it has yet to flower for me. Is there something I may be missing or should be doing?
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  #2  
Old 08-11-2023, 11:39 PM
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estación seca estación seca is offline
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This appears now to be called Cattleya longipes, but you can find information under both names. IOSPE lists it as Laelia l. and gives habitat information.

I haven't been to its habitat but have been to identical habitat elsewhere in Brasíl. These are granite domes fully exposed to the sun all day, with no soil and no large shrubs for shade. Various plants grow in tiny accumulations of organic matter that may stick to the rock. The underlying rock can't be seen because it is so wet there during the summer it is covered by a thin, very slippery layer of blue-green algae, giving the rock the appearance of being black. These algae fix nitrogen. Adjacent plants have much more nitrogen available than one would think from the habitat. Plants may be shaded by grasses or not. Laelias growing in such areas are red or yellow from the sun, with almost no green at all.

Summers are extremely wet constantly. The roots are exposed to air at all times because there is so little organic matter over them. Winters have no precipitation at all. There will be occasional dew in winter but not on many nights. Plants will be completely dry for many months while living on a black rock fully exposed to sun.

It can be very hot at the black rock surface in full sun all year, especially in summer. At that elevation there are distinct day-night temperature swings all year, much greater in winter.

The above IOSPE site mentions it needs a 6-month dry rest.

Is your plant green or red/yellow? It should get so much light it is mostly red. It doesn't grow right on the equator so I would suggest summer days of 12-14 hours and winter days of 10 hours. Many orchids need some variation in day length to flower well, so this might help your other plants, too, rather than leaving the timer set at 12 hours all winter.

Are you fertilizing heavily during the growing season?

Are you giving it a dry winter?

I don't know whether a day-night temperature change is necessary or helpful for flowering. If you can manage it that might help.

I wouldn't let any rupicolous Laelia dry completely during the growing season. That makes them stop growing, and may kill developing leads if it happens more than once or twice.

Growing in sphagnum you need to be careful to preserve air to the roots. Soaking sphagnum obliterates the air spaces until the roots can take up the water, or it evaporates. If you don't soak the sphagnum at each watering, you will be able to keep it evenly moist yet well aerated. Run water over the top of the pot for just one second. This will diffuse throughout the moss but leave plenty of air.

It is possible your plant uses enough water that soaking the sphagnum is the correct way to water, but it requires careful observation to determine that. Many rupicolous Laelias are that thirsty.
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  #3  
Old 08-12-2023, 05:39 PM
orchidman77 orchidman77 is offline
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ES, this is a very helpful guide on rupiculous laelias! I have several and they are a little more difficult to crack than many other of my plants. Fortunately, most seem to be doing well.
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Old 08-13-2023, 09:47 PM
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ES asked all the questions I would have! Seems like he wrote a pretty good guide to get some blooms.
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