Angraecum sesquipedale finally bloomed after 3 years!

[Jeff214]

Congrats on the first bloom!

How large did yours get before it bloomed? I keep reading on the forum that this plant requires good air circulation for it to thrive. Been reluctant to get one...

Anyway, beautiful bloom!

[PaphLover]

Originally Posted by Jeff214

Congrats on the first bloom!

How large did yours get before it bloomed? I keep reading on the forum that this plant requires good air circulation for it to thrive. Been reluctant to get one...

Anyway, beautiful bloom!

Hi Jeff,

I'll attach a photo of full plant.

I've found the sesquipedale to be quite easy to grow. It just kept chugging along without incident. I'm a windowsill grower, so it just has to live in my temps. Mine is in semi-hydro. I would say, go ahead and get one. I think the wait has been worth it.

I've tried to grow magdalenae a couple of times, but both faltered and failed pretty quickly on me. And they're supposed to be super easy to grow. Still, I'd try again.

I did all sorts of things with the sesquipedale that they're not supposed to like. For instance, it was repotted twice this year (and that's supposed to really set them sulking).

Orchids just seem to have a mind of their own.

[Jeff214]

Originally Posted by PaphLover

Hi Jeff,

I'll attach a photo of full plant.

I've found the sesquipedale to be quite easy to grow. It just kept chugging along without incident. I'm a windowsill grower, so it just has to live in my temps. Mine is in semi-hydro. I would say, go ahead and get one. I think the wait has been worth it.

I've tried to grow magdalenae a couple of times, but both faltered and failed pretty quickly on me. And they're supposed to be super easy to grow. Still, I'd try again.

I did all sorts of things with the sesquipedale that they're not supposed to like. For instance, it was repotted twice this year (and that's supposed to really set them sulking).

Orchids just seem to have a mind of their own.

Thanks for the photo of the entire plant. I'm surprised that it flowered on a small plant! I've seen so many huge sesquipedales that I assumed it had to be fairly large to flower. Now I'm a little mad with myself for not getting one last year... a nursery in Hawaii was selling volcano ash damaged ones for a nice discount...

This will be on my list for 2020.

[Orchidking]

Originally Posted by Jeff214

Congrats on the first bloom!

How large did yours get before it bloomed? I keep reading on the forum that this plant requires good air circulation for it to thrive. Been reluctant to get one...

Anyway, beautiful bloom!

Firstly in nature there is plenty of air circulation, secondly a lot of times when a grower asks the community what ails their plant and nobody has the right answer they will still try to help by reciting all good orchid practices which for big nurseries includes good air circulation which leads to a lot of people thinking lack of ventilation is the cause of all their problems.

I have by now grown all of my plants for several months with no ventilation to see how it would affect them and they have all done fine.

What they cannot tolerate on the other hand is lack of temperature and lack of humidity.

Air circulation mainly affects how fast or slow your medium dries out. Sometimes you need lots in a humid environment to help dry out the roots but my general approach is always to start with minimal ventilation and increase it as and when I think I need to, not the other way round and decide the plant needs ventilation so force it on it - full stop.

If that is what is putting you off getting this plant, it won't be what decides whether it will do well or not, more the time you can have to dedicate to it. If you are experienced you will be able to look after it on auto pilot, if not then you will need to work out how much to feed it, how much to water it, what temperatures it likes and how much light, what medium suits it best, those things are the important things.