Cycnoches lehmanii

[jclarks]

I have a sulking Cycnoches lehmanii. I took it out from it's media and the roots that grew initially do not appear happy. They're not penatrating the media and not as plump and healthy as the Ctsm pileatum. I keep them in similar conditions though the Cyc gets very bright light, it does not get direct sun exposure, both are very well fed on regular basis (during the growing season), and are kept moist (though not wet) and are in 70% humidity. The Ctsm is growing by leaps and bounds, probably the healthiest plant that I own, the Cyc, is sulking. What am I doing wrong?

[mp414moma]

think. Just look at some of the primary intergeneric hybrids... ick.
I'm not the best grower of cycnoches, although I do have a dozen or so of the species in between bouts of spider mite infestation in my basement. I would bring yours back into a lower light environment, and maybe cut back on the watering a bit until those roots take off. You can rot out a dormant cycnoches pretty easily. I don't count them as growing until the roots get an inch or two long, and the growths are similar. Before that stage I water less frequently.

Your humidity sounds excellent, but probably what is happening is that it is getting too much light. Or it is too hot. Or both... That will stress out the plant, and your root growth will suffer. It can probably take the kind of light you are giving it, but only after it gets more of this years root development out of the way. I grow most of my cycnoches under paph light conditions, and they seem to do OK.

Just my $0.02. My lehmanii sulk a bit too... It always seems to be a little slower than most of the other species to get established every year.