Hi Magnus! Thank you for that- Good to hear from someone up North like me: we share similar challenges. Well now: humidity is never below 65% (usually at least 70%) though May-Sept it is not as steady as in the cooler months. However perhaps I am a bit too "CAREFUL" (mean) with my watering in the cooler months for fear of fungus, so it could be that the buds can safely fave more to drink. Hmm, a puzzle... see what Yew writes!
It is also odd that all my Encyclias open out as flat as you like- being related and in the same growing conditions. Except E vitellina which produces orange tubes instead of orange stars!!!
Thank you for letting me know I am not alone with this phenomenon!
Quote Originally Posted by Magnus A View Post
How about humidity and the shape of the flower?
My experience from the former Sophronitis is that less humidity during flower development give less good flowers. "Defect" in the way you descibe.

I have also found that if the plant is held dry and not watered during the days the flower open I often get curved petals that do not form the usually flat surface.

/M