Help with Zygopatelum

[Celcat]

Hello to everyone,

I have got few orchids (around 20) but only one Zygopatelum. I am not very lucky with this one. I have it for 3 years now and she only flowered once and one flower only
I know that the Zygo is supposed to be a very easy one, but it doesn't look like this to me. I would say it is the most capricious one.
At the moment, it is on the side of a south orientated window, it never gets direct sunlight.
I should say that it grows to a point that I have to divide it. It gives new bulbs and roots but no flower

Any help will be very appreciated,

Celcat

[kmarch]

Where are you?

Here in Australia Zygos are popular. Many, even here in the cooler regions of the south part of the country grow them outdoors year-round. Kept fairly moist year round,but especially when in active growth, they also get a pretty cool spell (as low as 40F) in winter. We grow them in fairly bright indirect light so it sounds like your on track there.

How's your temps?

Don't divide, that won't make an orchid bloom.

"Capricious"? Doesn't that mean "prone to sudden change without apparent reason?"

[Celcat]

I am in UK and live in a flat. In a winter, during night time, the temperature is around 53F & 59F. So maybe I should move her in the corridor where the temperature is even cooler, but in that case it will be on a big window north orientated.
I said capricious because I am not in control of her and she doesn't do what I want her to do... yes, I have got the definition wrong, but what I can say... this is me.

I have attached one pic when she flowered again (last year march) and one after division (i took this pic today). I have divided the plant few months ago already. Maybe she needs more water, but she doesn't have platted leave.
I do remember that last year when she gave a flower, I did give by error some fertiliser for flowering instead for growth.

[patticake]

Maybe some fertilizer for blooming is a good thing? It's a beauty, good luck with it.

[Hummer344]

I have found that there are two basic reason for my orchids not to re-bloom. Water & Light. This can be said for most plants of course. If your plant is watered correctly & the growing medium is not broken down, then I would venture to say its the lighting. I have one Zygo and it reblooms for me. In the winter it stays in a room where it might get a LITTLE direct sun in the early morning or late afternoon. The rest of the day it stays very lite. In the summer it goes outside where it gets strong filtered light until mid afternoon, then shade
Hope that helps

[kmarch]

I find for my orchids the main culprits of not blooming are light and temperature.

[Ellen]

If the plant bloomed last March, then maybe it will bloom again this spring. Don't expect your Zygo to bloom more than once a year.

[flowerchild]

I received a zygopetalum from our society raffle table, it did not do so well!!! I was left with one small bulb, so I did the spag and bag method and put it in my aquarium orchid hospital with the fish light. It now has about two or three small roots and leaves it actually looks like a baby orchid!!!! Anybody have any idea when I should take it out of the bag and actually put it in a pot?

[Celcat]

Thank you for your advices. I moved my zygo to a different spot, she is back to the spot of last year. I will give her some fertiliser and I will wait and see.

I see, I am not the only one having problem with the zygopatelum. Good luck Flowerchild.

[Celcat]

Few days ago, I have asked for your help and followed your advice. I did move my zygo to the same spot than last year and see what is happening a week after I moved my orchid If I am not wrong, I will have a flower in one or two months...

[patticake]

Yay!! Way to go- The bloom stalk was probably forming already and the move into better light gave it a "kick". Keep us posted!

[Vivienne]

Now I'm thinking I should move mine! I did find a new growth happening, but no spike yet.

Good going celcat!!

[Celcat]

I will definitively keep you posted. As soon as the flower has opened, I will post a beautiful pic

[Celcat]

My zygo is in bloom ok only one flower, but it is my second time that I manage to get to bloom and I did divide it late last year, so I am very happy. I am not very good with taking picture, I will read some advice on the subject but meantime, here a pic

[articuno75]

That Zygo is Gorgeous!!! Now see, that's the second Zygo that I have seen that's been a different color variation other than the norm of bold green and purple. And of the two that were different, both were from out of the United States. I believe Sanja had the other one. (Her's was pastel) Is this something that is common in other countries?

[Stitz]

I wonder if that is a hybrid with Zygosepalum and not Zygopetalum? Zygosepalum has similar colors. It is a much warmer grower than Zygopetalum.

--Stitz--

[patticake]

CELCAT!!! How pretty! I love the blossom! Thank you for posting the picture, and thanks for growing such a great Zygo!

[solay]

I'm glad things worked out and now you got yourself blooms coming in. Congrats! I think it's very pretty.

[Celcat]

Thank you Solay. I am quite pleased. As I have divided that zygo few months before flowering time, I am hoping that next year the 2 zygo will bloom. With good care, I may even get more than 1 flower per plant :-)