Cycnodes - Orchid Board

plumania · #1 02-12-2014, 09:09 AM

Recently acquired a plant ( Cycnodes thailand gold or taiwan gold....something like that....will check the tag when I find it).
I am having trouble finding cultural requirements. Only thing I know, they need lots of water and fertilizer when growing and nothing during winter.
Can someone tell me how much light they need and do I need to pot it in fine bark or coarser material or something that would dry quickly.
Plant will be grown in a clay pot with several holes for ventilation, outdoors.
I am in a place that gets hot and very humid in summers and we have almost daily rains 2-3 months during summer.
Thanks.

The Orchid Boy · #2 02-12-2014, 08:37 PM

Research catasetum culture. They like cattleya light to vanda light. They want to be dry between waterings. If it will get rained on, pot it in something course. Slow down watering during fall. Stop watering when it starts to lose leaves. In late winter/early spring, new growth will start. Don't water until roots poke out a little ways.

plumania · #3 02-13-2014, 05:31 PM

Thanks. I read the culture sheets and also sticky here but none addressed the hybrid and vendor told me to keep it in shade, hence the confusion. This is my first orchid from catasetum class and I am really curious to see whether I can grow it.
Thanks .

NYCorchidman · #4 02-13-2014, 06:43 PM

I believe what you have is Taiwan Gold.
I saw one at a show and it was large and impressive with yellow flowers cascading down the spikes.

I have a similar one, but smaller. Golden Shower. Don't laugh at the name. lol

It was my very first plant in the catasetum group.
I bought it in bloom in the fall. Flowers lasted barely two weeks or less.
Mine took a while to "go to sleep", but eventually it did drop all the leaves one by one and the last one dropped off about two weeks ago.
It has been growing a brand new shoot since mid January, so I'm happy!
It is now about one inch tall and has four thick yellow roots.

While it is resting, obviously it is not growing so it does not need much water but you want to mist it a little so the main bulb stays plump.
I kept it dry for about two weeks and then it started to wrinkle a little, so that's when I watered it. water as in misting until the moss (mine came in straight sphagnum moss) just moistens instead of pouring water all over. I read doing so may rot out the whole plant during this period. so you dont' want to let it bone dry the whole winter.

Let the bulb be your guide and keep it plump by misting the potting mix a little.

Mine came right back being plump.

I wonder how much bigger that plant will grow this year. I have seen some big plants and they were nice!!!

---------- Post added at 06:43 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:38 PM ----------

Ok, I bought mine in bloom fairly recently, but based on what I read and heard from growers on this site and a local grower and members from my society who has lots of these plants, your conditions seems very good.

Once this plant starts to grow, you want to give it lots of light and water to encourage as much of growth as possible before the end of summer.

Local growers here expose them to nearly direct sun like cattleya condition or brighter. One vendor told me he grew his under slightly less light with good results.

I was told the amount of light (intensity) has to do with the sex of the flowers, but I don't have first hand experience.

I'm an indoor grower with large south facing windows by the way. with a sheer curtain.

AvantGardner · #5 02-13-2014, 09:33 PM

Cycnodes have perfect hermaphroditic flowers (both reproductive systems, pollen and column) so light intensity does not play a factor in the outcome of blooms. I have high night time humidity (85%+) and haven't had to water my my catasetinae once this winter. Keep your plant bright, moist, and warm when in active growth and it will reward you.

This group is surprisingly easy to care for once established provided you don't rot it in the winter by excessive watering (I learned by experience). Cycnodes mostly bloom in winter or fall after the leaves start to turn. Some bloom on leafless bulbs, and some bloom more than once a year. All of mine have been fragrant too, which is a major plus!

NYCorchidman · #6 02-14-2014, 01:46 AM

Oh, ok, so my Golden Shower will always bloom the same way regardless of the light intensity.

I posted mine in bloom last year and some people commented on the sex of the flower and I had no idea what they were talking about actually as I thought I was seeing both parts in each flower. lol

Mine had all the leaves on when in bloom in the fall. I saw many many of them. all in bloom with all the leaves green.
I guess different variety lose their leaves at different time.

plumania · #7 02-14-2014, 07:59 PM

Thanks everybody.

AvantGardner · #8 02-14-2014, 10:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NYCorchidman

Oh, ok, so my Golden Shower will always bloom the same way regardless of the light intensity.

I posted mine in bloom last year and some people commented on the sex of the flower and I had no idea what they were talking about actually as I thought I was seeing both parts in each flower. lol

Mine had all the leaves on when in bloom in the fall. I saw many many of them. all in bloom with all the leaves green.
I guess different variety lose their leaves at different time.

I believe Golden Showers is a cycnoches hybrid, not cycnodes, which is an intergenic cross between a mormodes and cycnoches. Cycnoches do have male and female flowers. The mormodes parent in the cycnodes cross carries the hermaphroditic trait to all of it's offspring, it is a dominant trait and one that prolongs flower life due to the loss of a triggering mechanism for pollen transfer from flower to pollinator.

So, double check the tag. Cycnoches are bisexual, having two different flower sexes, each one looking different from the other. Cycnodes are hermaphroditic, having both systems in one "perfect" flower that will always bloom the same way.

Hope I helped clear things up and didn't cause further confusion...

plumania · #9 02-15-2014, 05:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AvantGardner

I believe Golden Showers is a cycnoches hybrid, not cycnodes, which is an intergenic cross between a mormodes and cycnoches. Cycnoches do have male and female flowers. The mormodes parent in the cycnodes cross carries the hermaphroditic trait to all of it's offspring, it is a dominant trait and one that prolongs flower life due to the loss of a triggering mechanism for pollen transfer from flower to pollinator.

So, double check the tag. Cycnoches are bisexual, having two different flower sexes, each one looking different from the other. Cycnodes are hermaphroditic, having both systems in one "perfect" flower that will always bloom the same way.

Hope I helped clear things up and didn't cause further confusion...

Thanks, learned something new.

NYCorchidman · #10 02-15-2014, 12:33 PM

Golden Shower is a cycnodes.