My new psychopsis. any pointers?

[Wrebbitrocks]

hi y'all!

i just bought myself a new psychopsis mendenhall 'hildos' about two years from blooming in a 2.5 inch pot planted in bark. it has 2 bulbs and a new growth starting.

i've never tried this one and i just want to know what you guys all do to keep these guys alive. i did some researching but every place has different requirements. so far the most helpful ive read is that they dont like being disturbed. any ideas on how i can keep this plant alive to see it bloom in two years, maybe less

any pictures too on the setup.

[Oscarman]

Having only recently grown and killed (well they froze, so I had help in the killing) a few Psychopsis, I found that mounted culture works better for me.

Right now mine a on EpiWeb with a small pad of NZ moss underneath. It gets drenched with the faucet every day and sits in a shallow container that retains a bit of the moisture that the plant sucks up or it evaporates. It is grown in a very bright west window.

[jkofferdahl]

I have a couple of this hybrid and they're doing well. I get vigorous growth, flowers galore, etc. Mine are in clay pots with bark as the media. They're grown in the same area, and so same temperatures, as my Phals, but with brighter light; they get direct morning sun and are supplemented with artificial light. I've found that the most important this is the watering levels. When they aren't in active growth I let them stay pretty dry. Almost arid (except for the humidity, of course.) Once growth begins I water them more often but still allow them to thoroughly dry out between waterings. I fertilize lightly.

In my experience these are very tough plants. When I ordered mine the weather was cold (for Georgia in winter). I misaddressed (wrong zip code) the order and the USPS essentially lost the package for about 3-4 weeks. When the plants arrived they were quite dry, of course, but healthy. One of the two was in flower just about 2 months after arrival and now, 18 months later, the same spike is still actively producing. VERY tough plants.

[jrodpad]

Wrebbitrocks,

This is one of my favorite orchids - my Mendenhall started blooming this year and hasn't stopped! I've got a new but that has pushed itself free from the spike and is beefing up. You can already see the pattern of the flower through the edges of the bud. I posted a blooming sequence from the last flower here: Psychopsis in Springtime

The sequence goes from the first hint of a bud straight through to the open bloom.

With respect to growing conditions, it's in a medium blend of bark, pearlite and charcoal, in an east facing window with lots of sun. I augment the sunlight with an incandescent grow-light that's on for about 12 hours per day. I water it like my other oncs., once a week I flush with water and I fertilize every other week with a 1/2 strength 20-20-20. The temps go as high as 80f in the summer and as low as 65f in the winter. Humidity ranges from about 50% in the winter to around 60-65% in the summer. I mist the aerial roots almost every day. It's in a relatively small plastic pot (3.5-4") that sits on top of a humidity tray. There's a fan on during the day to keep air circulation up.

Hope this helps.

- J

[Grandma M]

Our growing methods vary according to our growing conditions.

I have had several for over 2 years. When they arrive I put them in S/H and they all bloom for me except one which is not blooming size yet. It takes away the guess work of watering and when they need up-potting I simply take the whole thing out of the pot and transfer it to a larger pot with some added S/H medium. No problem adjusting to the re-potting.

Marilyn

[Wrebbitrocks]

Originally Posted by Grandma M

Our growing methods vary according to our growing conditions.

I have had several for over 2 years. When they arrive I put them in S/H and they all bloom for me except one which is not blooming size yet. It takes away the guess work of watering and when they need up-potting I simply take the whole thing out of the pot and transfer it to a larger pot with some added S/H medium. No problem adjusting to the re-potting.

Marilyn

oh yes i know. i notice that its hard for me to keep anything alive using conventional insructions just because its suuuuper hot and dry in tucson (high desert). i want to join the orchid club here so i can learn how to successfully keep them alive here but its too far and theres no way i can go. as for the rest of you, thanks for all that advice . i have a rough estimate of how im gonna grow it.

[Wrebbitrocks]

WOW look at the little bugger grow. when i got it last week the new growth was barely there and now its almost as tall as the previous growth!!! I hope it grows like a weed all the time. I must be doing something right. I water around every 3-4 days since the pot is tiny and i just look at the bark thru the drainage holes to see if its dry. or i just estimate it. i play it safe by not watering often and forgetting about it rather than pampering it and killing it with love. i found lately that this method is better. Just forget about them, care for it when you remember them and they thrive. Its in a south window thats bright but not hot and i mist it when i remember to