More Help w/Cynoches

[LLW]

Hi!
You were all great help with my new Cynoches that my husband bought me for Christmas. The good news is it is still alive and appears to be growing. It has put out a little "stalk" for lack of a better description next to the largest bulb. This stalk is about 2.5 inches tall with what looks like leaves at the top. I have been just misting the potting mix about once a week. Now what? This plant is in a tiny 2-3 inch pot with a strange mix of bark and clay aggregate and it seems a bit big for the pot because there is not much room for it to grow any bigger. I have most of my orchids potted in the semi-hydro type clay aggregate and they love it. Should I repot the cynoches? If so, how big should the pot be? Lashelle

[dennis]

if you are doing semi hydroponics i think the 4 inch pot would do fine

[kmarch]

Is this new growth coming form the base of the bulb or out from the side?

[jerrymeola]

I like hydroponic rock for many orchids but refrain from putting my Cycnoches in Hydro.

Cycnoches are perennials and need a lot of water and fertilizer for the rapid growth to full size and flowering in only 5-6 months. Hydroponics is too sterile for my tastes on a plant like this. I use it extensively on Cattleya, but like a more decomposing medium to hold water and fertilize for these.

You might try to increase the fertilizer for hydroponic rock to make up the difference, but salts have a tendency to accumulate fast on hydro.

I prefer bark and remove all the bark when it is hibernating each winter and start afresh in the spring after growth starts.

[LLW]

Wow Thanks Jerry! That is really what I needed to know. I was wondering because the Cynoches came in such a strange mix. I like the semi hydro so far, but I am new to it. My Phals just love it and are blooming their heads off right now and my Catts are putting on new growth like crazy, but I was not sure with the Cynoches. I will say I don't have too much of a salt/mineral buildup, but that may be because I flush them out with clear water every two weeks or so.

You seem to be saying that it grows quit a bit so what size of pot should I go to? Like I said it came in a really tiny one. Lashelle

[jerrymeola]

The pots can stay quite small for a long time.

Most grow in an unuual way in that they only get leaves and flowers on one stem at a time (the youngesst). Most should be split to at most two stems because the third oldest stem often dies. It is the plants nature.

[arleneg]

I hope Jerry doesn't mind me chiming in here.

Put your Cycnoches in a 4-inch pot. The most canes you will have is anywhere from 1 to 3 at one time. If there are three, the oldest cane will dry/die off when the new growth comes in.

Mine came in a 4-inch pot, and I'm still using the same pot to grow it in. The only thing that need be done is replacing the potting mix when there's evidence of new growth (one a year).

[LLW]

You all are such help! I just happen to have a 4" pot handy so that is where my new baby will go! Now let's hope I can keep it going. Lashelle