Fifteen flowers this year compared to last year's nine. Not 100% open yet, but couldn't resist posting. Last photo is next to a fading Cyc. Fire Embers, which is only 16% cooperi.
Cycnoches cooperi
- Thread starter My Green Pets
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CarlG
Well-Known Member
It is a great species. I had one, but failed to do right by it, alas.
Gorgeous flowers! And I love the photos, especially the fourth one.
mrhappyrotter
Grand Chupacabra
Sorry if I overlooked it in another comment, but did you ever detect any fragrance from these flowers?
Yes, there is a soft, warm, sweet, pervasive fragrance of chocolate-scented rubber.
The red tones cooperis are stunning! Well done.
Your plant is just stunning! It looks like a baroque work of art.
I agree! So intricate and ornate!
Paphman910
Well-Known Member
One of my favorite species! You are great at growing this species along with your rex.
Again William, these flowers are pure artwork, very special and these copper tone colouration are the icing on the cake. 
It's that time of year again...
... I'm thinking full bloom by the end of the month? Looks like 20+ this year
... I'm thinking full bloom by the end of the month? Looks like 20+ this year
I can’t wait to see this beauty in full bloom again!
22 flowers, just amazing.
Unfortunately the plant has mites, I'm trying to combat with predatory mites and wiping the leaves with alcohol solution for now. When the blooms are gone, I'll try neem, insecticidal soap, hydrogen peroxide, more predators...
Unfortunately the plant has mites, I'm trying to combat with predatory mites and wiping the leaves with alcohol solution for now. When the blooms are gone, I'll try neem, insecticidal soap, hydrogen peroxide, more predators...
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Congratulations on another year of spectacular beauty! Your pictures of this plant last year encouraged me to try a few cycnoches and catasetinae myself.
Sorry to hear that you’re having to wrestle with mites, but boy oh boy if there was ever a plant that was worth it!
Absolutely gorgeous! Thanks so much for sharing it
Sorry to hear that you’re having to wrestle with mites, but boy oh boy if there was ever a plant that was worth it!
Absolutely gorgeous! Thanks so much for sharing it
That is stunning William!
mrhappyrotter
Grand Chupacabra
I just lost my most cherished Phalaenopsis due to neem damage. I should have learned my lesson from past mistakes using neem on Phals, but I used a weaker than suggested formulation thinking that would minimize any risk. I was wrong and it hurts.
Anyway, I know a lot of folks don't like to use synthetic chemicals (I certainly prefer to avoid them when possible) but a combo of IGR and Avid seems to work flawlessly for me against several different types of mites.
Having said that, I have to presume that Catasetum alliance plants handle neem treatments pretty well? And even if not, it's probably no big deal since they're going to drop their leaves in the fall anyway, right?
Cychnoches cooperi has such gorgeous flower color to it. Looks like it's really happy in your care.
Anyway, I know a lot of folks don't like to use synthetic chemicals (I certainly prefer to avoid them when possible) but a combo of IGR and Avid seems to work flawlessly for me against several different types of mites.
Having said that, I have to presume that Catasetum alliance plants handle neem treatments pretty well? And even if not, it's probably no big deal since they're going to drop their leaves in the fall anyway, right?
Cychnoches cooperi has such gorgeous flower color to it. Looks like it's really happy in your care.
Right, in a few months these plants will be bald again.
I have found that a solution of neem and soap works ok, but it will deform the flowers. The buds seem to break early, and the petals come out smaller and twisted. So, since the flowers are what I'm trying to save, I'm hoping the predators will at least knock down the pest mite numbers. I started out with 2,000 Neoseiulus californicus last week, and I'll add 500 Neoseiulus fallacis next week.
Before the beneficial mites were introduced, I was also giving the budding plants a daily dousing in the shower to knock off/slow down pests. I'm inspecting leaves daily with my 8x magnifying lens to monitor numbers.
With Cyc. cooperi right now, since the blooms are so delicate (the slightest bump causes them to shoot their pollen and wilt the next day), I'm just gently wiping their leaves and spraying the flowers with distilled water using an atomizer. They should last close to two weeks if all goes well.
mrhappyrotter
Grand Chupacabra
Two weeks sounds pretty good.
I just flowered the C. pentadactylon I got from SVO last year and the flowers were super short lived. Granted, it was outside in the greenhouse enduring extreme heat as well as attracting lots of attention from the wasps and other critters that come to visit. Some of the flowers only lasted a few days, the longest any lasted was about a week.
Also, I didn't realize or notice that the pollinia on these work like some of the other Catasetums. Do all Cychnoches do that as well? This is the first pure Cychnoches I've bloomed and it's not a feature I've looked into.
Not sure but i would guess so! Attention from bugs could very well have popped their pollen and caused them to wilt.
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