Zygopetalum help

[sand_tiger86]

Can anyone help me with my new Zygo? I can't find a lot of info on them and what I can find is very contradictory from the next finding. Some sites say they like high light (3,000 or so fc) and some say medium/low light (a little above Phal levels). Some sites say they like a to dry slightly, while others say never let it dry. Also, why do some growths have pseudobulbs but some don't? It looks like the ones that dont have them are the same size as the ones that have them. Is anyone good at growing these? Any culture information is appreciated. I'm not sure if Texas is a suitable place to grow these but I'm gonna try.
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[cakedaddy]

Kelly, I've had one zygo and gave up on it. I think my days were just too hot. It declined just as weather started to heat up. I also think I was underwatering. I'm pretty sure they are intermediate growers that need good humidity and moist media . As far as light goes, I would assume high light short of burning.Posted via Mobile Device

[sand_tiger86]

Jason, that's what I figured. Damn. I hate these types that beg for high light but then keel over in warm temperatures. You can't always have your cake and eat it too! I'm looking at you, Odontoglossums and Zygos. I seem to be in this stupid rut where I feel like my light isn't quite high enough for true heavy hitters (Vandas, Catts, Dends...though they grow like weeds) and my temperatures aren't mild enough for the intermediate growers to stay alive. I hope I'm not stuck with Phals forever.

[cakedaddy]

There are tons of plants that would take your conditions...I don't know lots about vandas and catts. I do know that dendrobiums Are such a large genus that it's just about an impossibility that there isn't a group for you! Don't give up so quickly!
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[sand_tiger86]

Well, if I had given up I wouldn't be working on this Zygo! lol The only Dendrobiums I care for are the antelope type, and from what I understand they require the most light of all Dends. I really wish my place had south windows! All I have are western exposures which I feel are A) too hot and B) too short in the length of light received.

[stateless]

I grow mine like my catts, the only difference is the mix, for the zygo I use coconut chips ,charcoal and sponge rock, stays moist longer. Last year mine was way in the back of my growing area with phals, got 1 new growth and 2 bloom spikes. This year I moved it to my catt area and it is starting to put out 2 new growths, now. By the end of summer it looks a little unhappy, but perks back up when the weather starts to cool. It bloomed around Feb.,and has done nothing until the last couple weeks when I saw the 2 new growths. Hope this helps, good luck.

[leafmite]

I grow mine in lava rock/net pot with the net pot set in another pot. I keep it in bright shade (outside right now), moist, fertilize with orchid fertilizer and a suppliment. Each of the two growths has two new growths. We had temps in the nineties (even high nineties) for a while and the zygo didn't suffer at all. By growing in rock, I can keep it moist without the roots rotting. I think that how how you grow this will depend on your conditions. My house is colder in the winter and some summers we get quite a bit of rain so I need the open mix or I get root rot. I mount many orchids for the same reason. Good luck!
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[OrchidAddict]

Well, if I had given up I wouldn't be working on this Zygo! lol The only Dendrobiums I care for are the antelope type, and from what I understand they require the most light of all Dends. I really wish my place had south windows! All I have are western exposures which I feel are A) too hot and B) too short in the length of light received.

I'm not sure you need to worry about the heat with an antelope. I have an antelope that moves around with my vandas to get full sun in the morning in an Eastern window and full sun in the afternoon in a Western window. It is actually taking MORE heat than the vandas, and going crazy while at it, too.

My vandas are getting crinkly and we determined that the drapes were trapping the heat from the sun and essentially creating an "oven," which was drying out my vandas. However, my antelope is going bonkers under these same punishing conditions. I'm expecting it to spike soon.

You might do well with an antelope den in a hot window! Oh, I should probably mention that my antelope is a Dendrobium Goldenrod. Happy, happy dendrobium, and a tough cookie to boot. My kids have knocked it over several times...a couple of times it fell completely out of its pot, bark went everywhere, and a couple of roots got damaged. It didn't seem to bother the plant...it kept on growing like nothing had happened. This is definitely NOT a "fussy" plant. You just stick it in the sun and let it bake, and it's happy, happy, happy!

[coeruleo]

i've always been told that zygos do well in cymbidium conditions. both can take some heat, but like cool weather more. i was told to do phal light or lower, and my bolopetalum nearly died out. i've put it outside where it gets brighter light, like oncidiums and epidendrums, and it is growing much stronger. i accidently left it in full sun for like week once, and it got a little lighter in color, but pulled through with no lasting damage. the ones that have tiny little pbulbs are from stunting, usually from moving the plant suddenly, or not enough light and water. these fail pretty quickly without enough light. i say grow them like an oncidium... for me anyway it works best so far.

[TwoStems]

I give mine moderate light, moderate temps and make sure not to overwater (had a bout of brown rot recently). It should put out p-bulbs that produce new growths which look like more p-bulbs but are inflorecense. It's hard to tell at first which is which. Just wait for the bottom to get fat or not. I don't baby mine and it does much better than a lot of my other orchids.