Coelogyne Orchid Upkeep;

COELOGYNE ORCHIDS

Information provided by the American Orchid Society

LIGHT:

Light requirements vary. Most species require light conditions of 21,500-43,000 lumens (2000 to 4000 foot-candles). More light should be provided during dormancy, as in nature, the plants become more exposed to direct sun. O’Dowd’s Orchids summarizes that indirect bright light is best, East windows have the best indirect bright light.

TEMPERATURE:

Temperature for the evergreen species should be fairly constant and not be hot. Nights of 60F (16C) and days of 70F to 80F (21C-27C) are desirable. Deciduous species can tolerate a wider range, up to 95F (35C) during the day and down to 50F during the day and down to 50F (10C) at night when dormant in winter. If keeping plants cool, also keep them drier to prevent rot.

When thinking about these plants’ water needs, think about the environments that they come from – mostly seasonally wet savannah or equatorial. That means that these plants should not dry out during active growth. If insufficient water is given, or there is too much time between waterings, the plants will exhibit ‘accordion’ growth. Regardless of whether it is growing indoors or in a greenhouse, water should be liberally applied (though we do not recommend these plants for indoor growing.)  Potting mix should be perpetually moist and dry slightly between waterings. Plants should not dry out completely, or if they do, water needs to be immediately applied when the media hits dryness. Deciduous species should be allowed to hit dryness during dormancy, but still watered as soon as they dry out. Water should be kept off the leaves and especially out of the new growths to prevent rot or leaf spotting, which disfigure otherwise handsome plants. O’Dowd’s Orchids recommend that we in the U.S. do not have very many equatorial states and so growing inside is a must for winters. You can replicate their normal growing areas with heating inside, keeping the temperature cooler during nights, and warmer during the days. One master grower has his Coelogyne’s in a wired pot with lots of air and a little sphagnum moss, hanging near windows and feeds them from the top.

HUMIDITY:

Humidity should be maintained at 40%-60%. Deciduous species need less humidity when dormant. Brisk air circulation will help prevent damage to leaves by leaf-pot fungi. O’Dowd’s uses a warm air humidifier that can last up to 12 hours. Some people grow their Coelogynes in the bathroom where there are windows and lots of humidity from showers and baths.

FERTILIZE:

Fertilize regularly and heavily when the plants are actively growing. A higher nitrogen formulation (such as 30-10-10) is recommended during active growth. In autumn, or as growths mature and pseudobulbs are produced, fertilizer should be reduced or switched to a high-phosphorus (such as 10-30-20) formulation to stimulate flower production.  

POTTING:

Potting is best when new growth starts, usually in the spring. A fine grade potting medium is often used; fir bark and perlite are common, fast-draining mix, though some species are planted in 100% sphagnum moss. If planting in sphagnum, the pot should be a netted pot. If using bark, the pot should be plastic. Always pot these orchids in hanging baskets, as some species flower downwards. When repotting, split plants into no less than two pseudobulbs per pot and choose a container to allow for two years of growth. The plant should be positioned in the pot so that the newest growths are farthest away from the edge of the pot, allowing maximum number of new growths without crowding the pot. Spread the roots over a cone of potting medium and fill in around the roots and pseudobulbs. Push the medium firmly around the roots and water after repotting. Keep the humidity high and the potting medium on the semi-dry side until new roots form.

INFORMATION PROVIDED BY O’DOWDS ORCHIDS

We use all natural products for our orchids. They work great and we rarely have problems. One of the best preventative methods is to take one tablespoon of Dawn dish soap in a gallon of water and shake it up. Use this to water your plants. Let the soapy water count as a watering for the week. This soapy mixture helps keep bugs and disease away. I do it once per month. You can do it when you see any bugs or illness.

During winter you water less. You also should have one watering per month where you run warm water through your orchids to get rid of buildup in the pot of  chemicals and salts.