Angraecum culture

Just opened an orchid order that included an Angraecum magdalenae. I'm so happy to finally have one of these -- I've been wanting one for a while but I'm cautious about taking on new genera. So it came, and it's a nice-sized plant, and then I saw --

http://www.rv-orchidworks.com/orchid...ache/22624.png

What's that down at the base? I don't think I ordered a spiking plant, that would have cost more. Huh.

http://www.rv-orchidworks.com/orchid...ache/22625.png

Why. That's an entirely unanticipated flower spike, is what that is!

My question is, what should I do to keep this plant happy to make sure it'll bloom for me? Anything in particular? I have a general sense of the culture but I would love advice/experience from those of you who've grown these.

Thats a flower bud you lucky thing!! This Ang, is the slowest growing one that I know of. Repot it up a size or 2 after flowering, keep it warm with good but indirect light. Don't over water it, it doesn't like it, for me anyway. An open well draining mix is best.

I am with Roy on the culture, but as far as potting up, if you think it needs repotted I would give it a rest after it finishes blooming before repotting. Looks kinda like the media is breaking down. One trick I use is to catch the water that comes out the bottom of the pot when you water. If it appears there is coffee grounds in the water - that is broken down media and a repot is overdue.

Both Roy and Don offer excellent advice. :) I just wanted to throw in a "LUCKY YOU"! That never happens to me. hahah...

Cheers,
BD :D

Yeah, the medium looks pretty old -- that was my first worry, was that I might need to repot it right away. The leaves look maybe a little dehydrated & I wonder if it has root loss down in that decaying bark. But if you think I'll be good letting it bloom (eeeee!) first, I so will.

But I know, super lucky! Plus the main reason I made the order was for this particular plant, so it's definitely orchid magic. :D

Thank you all!!!!!

It looks like there may be a new root emerging just to the right of that spike. If it develops then I would be comfortable repotting as soon as the bloom is done. This is not going to happen overnight - waiting for a spike to open is torture, especially when you first notice it this early.

I would also suggest that when you repot, use a medium that does not break down as fast as bark. Angs really don't like having their roots disturbed and kind of resent repoting. I grow mine in a coconut husk mix so they don't need fresh medium for a couple of years at a time.

You are really lucky !! These guys are really slow, I got a small sesquipedale, and it grew vigourously, so I thought ok, lets lets a small magdalene, and after 1.5 years it has just 4 new leaves LOL !

That's about what I've heard! At first I was going to get a cheaper one from a different grower, in a 2.5" pot, but I said, man, at that size, it'd be so long before it bloomed it'd be ridiculous.

Thanks for the tip on medium, Stephen. I don't have any coco husk but I know where to get it for when I'm ready to repot (which will be. . . months from now). I was describing to a friend today how slow most orchids grow and he was clearly amused that anyone would ever enjoy growing them. Little do these people know, huh? ;)

[QUOTE=Germinatorman;231449]I am with Roy on the culture, but as far as potting up, if you think it needs repotted I would give it a rest after it finishes blooming before repotting. Looks kinda like the media is breaking down. One trick I use is to catch the water that comes out the bottom of the pot when you water.

Well spotted - that was my first thought - looks like 20th century compost...way, way, overdue for replacement. No wonder it's spiking - it thinks itts last days have come !

As to the tick of looking to see if the drainage water looks like pale coffee or whatever, I go one further ; I use an EC/pH meter to adjust my nutrients etc, and from time-to-time I collect the last 3 or 4 teaspoons of water draining out of a pot and check to see what readings I get. If they are wildly different froim the readings of what I have just poured in - then it is time ( overdue ! ) for a repot. I have seen pH 3.5.... I have seen EC 1999 - and my meter doesn't read any higher ....wow- that was a[plant I just rescued !

So, my awesome freebie/early bud blasted -- I think the plant got cold, because my orchid collection is next to a window that I open when it's nice. . . but nice for me may not be the same as nice for Madagascaran orchids. BOO. I did repot the plant, though, and a couple months later, now, the new leaf has grown some, but the rest the leaves look just a little more dehydrated, compared to how they were when I got it. I know Angs can take a while to adjust once their roots have been disturbed, so I'm wondering whether it's most likely just that trait, or if I'm not watering it enough. Advice from those of you who've grown these longer?

I just bought a Angraecum Leonis myself this April and I have watered it ones a week since then but my plant looks a little wrinkled on the leaves, should I water less or more often? Any tips?

I mist my magdalenae daily and water it for real once a week -- that's more or less what I do with all my orchids, and I put the more water-dependent ones in the front and the drier-culture ones toward the back. My Ang is in the very back and it seems happy, and has been growing a new leaf. Different species, but I'd say, yep, yours probably needs a little more water/humidity.

Thank you for your notes, I appreciate it.