Sophronitis cernua (Project 14 - Spring 2012) - Page 96 - Orchid Board

Leafmite · #**951** 10-30-2012, 03:57 PM

Rowangreen, these do great mounted. Mine is bare-root mounted and does fine. When we had 35'C (and very dry) weather, it was perfectly fine in high light even though I forgot to water it (small mount and I missed it). This amazing toughness won me over (I prefer fragrant blooms, especially if I see them more than once a year). I think it is even planning to bloom! Now, with winter and cooler conditions, I soak it once every five to six days for a few minutes. My temps are ~17'C during the winter and I have humidity from other plants. I hope this helps. It attaches very quickly to the mount, so that is cool, too.

Daenerys · #**952** 10-31-2012, 03:23 PM

My single flower is opening today :-)

camille1585 · #**953** 10-31-2012, 03:26 PM

No blooms for me.

Either it's a winter bloomer, or it's still too young. It was sold to me as being about a year from blooming, so this season may still be too early for it.

bethmarie · #**954** 10-31-2012, 09:31 PM

What kind of light, water and care is your beauty getting? Your leaves look much happier than mine, and I'm not sure whether to suspect too much light, too much heat, or what!

Daenerys · #**955** 11-01-2012, 10:02 PM

My cernua bloomed today after exactly 4 weeks of bud maturation.

The pictures accurately show the color, which is closer to red than orange. I expect that the recent chill (my orchid shelves are near an open window) and the high proximity to the light source combined to intensify the red.

There's also a bright yellow hue at the center of the lip, while the column tip is intensely purple.

The flower is exactly 1" across at its widest point.

Based on pictures if C. cernua I've seen online, there seems to be variation in all these features. There also seems to be variation in the width of the petals, with many pictures showing elongated petals while mine are rather round. Not sure if that's more an effect of light/temp conditions, or a genetic variation.

I think after a year or so (once more people have gotten blooms) it would be great to compile all our bloom pictures side by side, so that we can see the variation between all our project plants.

bethmarie · #**956** 11-02-2012, 12:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leafmite

Rowangreen, these do great mounted. Mine is bare-root mounted and does fine. When we had 35'C (and very dry) weather, it was perfectly fine in high light even though I forgot to water it Now, with winter and cooler conditions, I soak it once every five to six days for a few minutes. My temps are ~17'C during the winter and I have humidity from other plants. I hope this helps. It attaches very quickly to the mount, so that is cool, too.

Leafmite, can you post a picture of your cernua? I'd love to see it.

Rowangreen · #**957** 11-04-2012, 10:37 AM

Mine was just re-potted. The seedling mix I'd used was really broken down (hmmm, few more plants I've got in that to re-pot I think...) and the roots were not pretty: it's only got a couple of good ones left. It's now been re-potted in bark with just a little perlite. It still has fat leaves and bulbs so I'm hoping it will send out some new roots soon and they'll like this medium more!

orchidsarefun · #**958** 11-04-2012, 01:13 PM

I think we can safely say that these love to be mounted. Why don't you try it ? Cork works well. No way roots will rot, and mine is mounted without any sphagnum backing.

Paul Mc · #**959** 11-14-2012, 08:38 AM

WOW, we all went silent, lol...

Well, mine finally decided to produce two new leaves! So maybe I'll get flowers off of them yet?! All my plants tend to be behind others here anyway, lol...

On a side note, I was talking to one person who said she used to grow hers warm but it really didn't take off until she moved it to her temperate greenhouse. It was then that it really took off! I'm thinking I may have stunted mine by leaving it outside through the weeks of over 100F. Oops...

Leafmite · #**960** 11-14-2012, 09:38 AM

I might just be getting leaves. I keep studying the little guy to see what it will do. The growth gets larger and larger but the leaves haven't popped yet. Mine seems to be lagging, too. It only has one new growth since summer but I attributed this to the need to adjust to a mount. Who knows? I am just happy it is alive. Being mounted bare, this wasn't the best summer (very hot and dry) for it to come to live with me.