Encyclia gracilis

[TheBlazingAugust]

SHANNARA!!! I NEED YOUR ENCYCLIA EXPERTISE!!! Okay, so earlier this summer I bought an Enc. gracilis that was in sphag, and it had three new leads on it. I was making sure that the sphag was drying thoroughly before watering, but somehow the smallest ended up rotting! So, now, a couple months later, the largest lead is getting plump, and has started sending out new roots, but this morning I noticed that the tip of one of them has begun to rot, so I quickly trimmed it. This got me thinking if I should begin to start withholding water? I am pretty sure most Encyclias need a winter rest, but I am not sure when I should start it, how little water I should give it, and when to start watering it again! I do plan on mounting it on a slab of Epiweb come Sunday after I buy it at my OS, so that will surely help it dry better, but I still don't know how often it should be getting watered. I grow under lights, with humidity at 60% and days right now at about 24C* and nights around 19C*. Any help would be appreciated, as I found little info on the internet, and I really want to see this guy bloom, as I really want to do breeding with it! Thanks a TON!!!

[orchids4me]

Sounds like a bacterial issue... You have culture notes for this one ??
Try googling the baker and baker culture sheets they have some free ones on the site see if this ones listed. You might need to PM shann she's not around much these days I wish I could help more I seek shann out also I'm still learning the encyclias and epi's my self....
Good luck!!

[TheBlazingAugust]

Thanks, I will get around to that. I was thinking it must have been bacterial or something, as I remember when I mounted my C. forbesii, the actively growing root tips did the exact same thing: they got brownish and soft right behind the growing green point. I am thinking that it must be too much watering.

[Leafmite]

I think mounting the encyclia is a perfect plan. I have three, all doing well in large lava rock and plastic net pots. I was told that they need fast drainage and lots of air flow around the roots. Good luck!
Leafmite