Lycaste aromatica, bright light in winter

[DukeBoxer]

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.

 

[Ron-NY]

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

 

[DukeBoxer]

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.

 

[Greenpaph]

The most important thing is the dry rest period.

 

[DukeBoxer]

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

 

[smartie2000]

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...

 

[Eric Muehlbauer]

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

 

[Ron-NY]

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.

 

[DukeBoxer]

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.

 

[Ron-NY]

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

 

[Eric Muehlbauer]

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

 

[DukeBoxer]

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?

 

[Eric Muehlbauer]

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