# Lycaste aromatica, bright light in winter



## DukeBoxer (Jul 4, 2007)

Is there anyone that knows if L. aromatica needs bright light during the winter rest period? I would imagine that because it has no leaves there would be very little photosynthesis going on, but then again, thats just my way of thinking. Anyone? Also I heard that if it's potted in s/h, then just keep watering all year round, but no fertilizer in the winter.


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## Ron-NY (Jul 4, 2007)

I leave it in bright light but I don't water it once the leaves drop. I haven't done this one in S/H but the ones that need a winter dry rest that I have in S/H I stop watering


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## DukeBoxer (Jul 4, 2007)

Ron, do you monitor them carefully to see if they need any water or just check every month or so? Also, are they in a high humidity environment like a greenhouse or under lights. I am asking because I am building my own wardian case (if you could only see the wood frame so far...I'm not a carpenter for sure!) and I want to know what I should leave in it over the winter and what I should winter over under lights in my basement.


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## Greenpaph (Jul 4, 2007)

The most important thing is the dry rest period.


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## DukeBoxer (Jul 4, 2007)

One more thing, does it need to have cooler temps, I was thinking yes.


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## smartie2000 (Jul 4, 2007)

I don't remember reading about cooler temps...Anyway temps in the house tend to be slightly cooler in the winter
just dryness or it will rot. I plant on putting mine off to the side so it won't get the maximum light it is getting right now. I'll probably run into space issues when it is winter...


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## Eric Muehlbauer (Jul 4, 2007)

I take it out of the light after the leaves drop. Gives me more space for plants that need it...I used to keep it cold over the winter, this year I kept it warmer, its covered with buds at the moment, so I guess it doesn't really matter. Take care, Eric


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## Ron-NY (Jul 4, 2007)

DukeBoxer said:


> Ron, do you monitor them carefully to see if they need any water or just check every month or so? Also, are they in a high humidity environment like a greenhouse or under lights. I am asking because I am building my own wardian case (if you could only see the wood frame so far...I'm not a carpenter for sure!) and I want to know what I should leave in it over the winter and what I should winter over under lights in my basement.


Mine is in a greenhouse so humidity is good. All the plants that are deciduous and don't get watered in the winter are kept together. The p-bulbs will look desiccated and wrinkled before their dry rest is over. Don't be tempted to water them. I have one Lycaste hybrid that doesn't drop it's leaves and I continue to water that one.


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## DukeBoxer (Jul 5, 2007)

Ron, good call. If mine looked really bad I would have watered it a little bit. I won't even touch it...my wife on the other hand will e at me day and night to water it, I'll have to show her this.

Eric M, covered with buds???? Mine went out of bloom about 3 or 4 weeks ago.


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## Ron-NY (Jul 5, 2007)

mine blooms in April...guess blooming on this can be variable.


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## Eric Muehlbauer (Jul 5, 2007)

The first blooms opened today. The plant is labelled L. aromatica, bought it in Chinatown (the Centre St store, back when it was just off Canal..) But I am sure its a hybrid. I'd take a pic, but my preferred digital camera is out in LI now...it looks just like aromatica, and smells great, but its highly doubtful that its what its labelled. I had a correspondence a while back with a big grower, name slips me at the moment (age? or beer......) ....Oh! Bill Bergstrom.........about the most likely hybrid it could be. Got the most likely culprit......Of course I didn't write any of it down.....Take care, Eric


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## DukeBoxer (Sep 3, 2007)

I have to bring this topic up again because in the time since I have posted this I have read maybe in 3 or 4 different places, including this months AOS with Dr. Neptune that people only dry theirs out for 4 weeks and then start to water again. Eric M and Ron, what do you guys think about this? Do you start to water again when you see new growth or just go the 4 weeks?


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## Eric Muehlbauer (Sep 3, 2007)

I grow by convenience, not the plants growth cycle (another reason for why its a great plant). I shove it aside when the leaves fade, and ignore it. In the spring, as plants get moved around and more space is made by moving plants outdoors (in NYC, z7, I start moving plants outdoors the beginning of April), I start to water it and move it outdoors when the weather gets warmer. I guess that growth begins sometime in April. I treat it in exactly the same way that I treat Bifrenaria harrisonia(?), except that Bifrenaria gets light, as it never loses its leaves. Oh...and I found this year that La doesn't need cold winter temps. I give it a dormant period of 3-4 months, not weeks. However, that is for my convenience....I'm sure that growers with more space could easily cut out the extra months of dormancy that I use. Take care, Eric


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