I had a C. cristata, that bloomed prolifically around January. Smelled mildly of cat pee. I finally lost it to the summer heat (South Carolina). The distantly related Bletilla striata (especially the white form) looks very similar to coelogynes. It can grow in the ground all year. I get my coelygne fix (for now) from it.
Very good information. It's quite stunning how quickly you were able to nail down what type of environmental factors Cristata likes and then transcribing similar conditions to a very different part of the world. Proof is in the pudding!. I don't know much about orchids but I have been growing Cristatas for a very long time. Learned a few things from your video! I live near San Francisco in the US and leave them out all year long, mostly in hanging baskets. Reliable blooms and some plants a very large, too large to carry. Record setting wet winter and there was still a great bloom. Use to try to keep dry in winter but doesn't seem to matter. These plants always live outside, hanging under a medium size deciduous tree, which will provide protection from the dreaded but infrequent 90+ degree, hot, dry days, where they get more shade and watered daily. Inland, a grower would need more care, but near the Bay, they grow just fine. My pseudo bulbs are generally more shriveled (especially the large specimen plants that are beginning to lose a lot of bark media and aren't retaining enough moisture for the roots.). Probably due to inconsistent humidity and lower moisture than optimum, they look leggy. In a bright, high humidity environment they grew fast and plump. But that's just too much commitment and work. The best time for detecting the fragrance was a very warm day, the flowers were in a mass. They were getting a bit more sun too, IIRC, afternoon. A number of people commented. Didn't notice much fragrance this year, but weather was much cooler. About repotting, have multiples, so when one plant is mad, there are still others to bloom. Here's one observation about the roots. The first Cristata was given to me by an old women, who didn't know its name or speak English, but she kept them hanging with moss, under a plastic roofed sunlight patio, with morning sun. When I asked her for some cuttings, I noticed an orphaned plant, huge pseudo bulbs, growing out in the sun in a waste area, in very large pot full of soil, it was obviously given the bare minimum. When I went to dig up the large but neglected plant, I followed a hairy root down, what must have been a foot and a half+, which was very surprising. So, Coelogyne Cristata has a delicate and potentially small number roots for seeking out critical water supply , especially with reduced humidity. Damage the plants access to moisture and it's no wonder why growth stalls. I see the sprawling and spreading nature of the, plant, as always looking to find a a more optimum location to grow, even if it's just a few inches at a time. Cuttings seem to root faster when I covered the top of the bark with Sphagnum moss. The Himalayan foothill cloud forests, where this orchid originates, are covered in moss. Makes sense.
Your plant looks awesome. Beautiful fat pseudobulbs. Mine is about toe bloom from 6 spikes. As yours the pseudobulbs are still beautiful, well hydrated. I'm located in the Northern hemisphere. Grew this plant outdoors until it started freezing, the took it indoors. Growing in the windowsill. Super easy plant for me.
Thankyou ,thankyou I live in Tasmania, where I live I'm on the wrong side of the hill so to speak,Cristina Tha i have had for years and has not done a thing ,I've tried all sorts,but having listened to your post,I am I spired to try again,you have given me lots of information to try out,keep your fingers crossed,ciao.
@@helloplantlovers sorry for the bad spellings and mistakes,I was sitting on the couch with the dog,she's a nudger,rare breed of total attention hound,your interpretation skills are awesome,you obviously read hieroglyph, thanks once again.👍
I got my first Coelogyne Cristata today. I will be keeping it indoors all year. Usually I have 23*C but in summer it gets to a maximum of 38-39*C. That was my main worry about it, cause it's supposed to be a cool grower. I have around 60-70% humidity all the time. The only cool grower orchids I have grown so far are Burragearas.
What a beautiful orchid! Even though I am in zone 5b-6a here in Denver…I may have to give this beauty a go. Growing it inside. Hmm maybe outside during the spring/summer? Something to consider for sure…. 🌸
Definitely! It could easily be an inside/outside plant based on the seasons. Have a look at Rachel's video about growing it in Ireland: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-LfTg2RO45cA.html
Recently purchased a denphal from ebay us and the health of it was incredible, gorgeous but ...she told me she used "worm juice" . The proof seems to be in the pudding so i purchased worm casting, an aquarium pump and have used the juice once and could tell within a day that some orchids were greener. Wondering if you had ever heard of this type fertilizer.
Yes - though it's not a fertilizer per se - more of a tonic. It's full of beneficial things that improve the health of plants. I dilute it to about one part per ten. I made a video about fertlizing and tonics which includes it here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-gi7YO_D532s.html
Hi again Matthew. I enjoyed this thank you and agree with carrying on the watering, at least when growing indoors like myself. I tried keeping my intermedia and ochracea dryer but they shrivelled, didn't flower weren't happy at all. Luckily they picked up after adding more moss and keeping more moist all year 🤷♀️ Can I just ask you again about the micorrhizol fungi? I started using it when potting up a few months back and today have noticed a few tiny white fluffy balls. I looked under the microscope and there are mycelium growing too over the media. Now I occasionally used to get Botrytis on old damp media but to me it was more grey and not such dense 'balls'. How do find the good fungi differ from what you don't want?
Oh wow - I'm no scientist I'm afraid! But I would say white fungi is good. Mycelium will grow throughout the medium and link to the plant roots, it will also go traveling if the pot is standing on soil - it wants to link to friends in the neighbourhood! Funnily enough I'm trying to find a good 'soil health' expert to make a film with about it. I would say though that if your plant is happy - don't worry! Botrytis will show up quite quickly as a negative in effected leaves & flowers.
@@helloplantlovers It would be great to have a video about it. I have taken a photo of it so if you're ever interested just let me know how to get it to you.
Hello from India... Recently I have purchased a some Choelogyne saplings while I was on vacation... Don't know the exact variety but till I came home it is completely dry and crispy... What should I do to revive it. If it's possible to revive it kindly share some tips.
Hmm...if its dead its dead alas! But what you could do is pot the cutting in moist sphagnum moss and keep it in a bright, moist, humid environment and hope for the best! Good luck!
So beautiful! I have Coelogyne Flaccida with just one flower spike in northern NSW. Maybe I needed to water more during the winter. Do you think that the care is similar?
Yes - I water mine basically the same - but cristata does get a bit more in winter than flaccida. My flaccida has one spike per season - it's still a small plant. Once it bulks up you'll get more if yours is still relatively small?
I get very jealous of your coelogyne. I got one and its died on me. I live in Queensland in the winter can be fine cold 🥶 in the summer its very hot 🔥 I don't know if I am going to get another one.
@@loanle3410 It's a cold/cool grower. Depends how cold you get! It might not survive constant cold and short days. It's very happy in Melbourne outside all year.
wonderful episode😌🙏💖I got 3 coelogynes as a gift and have them outdoors, but winter might be too cold here -8℃, but we get a warm Summer, and monsoon June. and July and a super hot August. The owner I got them from keeps them indoors over winter and quite dry, we have a dry winter here. I'm looking forward to growing them immensely💞I use ammonium sulphate to make my tap water ph5. I will keep my eyes peeled on the root growth and growth of the leaves. I know that alkaline water kills moss and soil microbes and we need those, even better is rainwater. Oh, you use mycorrhizal fungi. That's a great idea☝️I enjoyed watching🙏😌
