Orchid Post Mortem: Polystachya
Orchid pros sometimes say that you’re not an orchid expert until you’ve killed your weight in orchids. Since I started growing them 20 years ago, I believe I’ve passed that benchmark, and here’s another for the scales. This African orchid, a Polystachya, looked fine in these 2006 photos. I bought this unusual specimen years ago at an orchid show, and even though it bloomed for me several times, it recently bit the dust.
It’s frustrating enough to kill an orchid, but it’s more frustrating when I can’t figure out what went wrong. Mine started going downhill a couple years ago, when its annual cycle of new leaves pooped out. The old leaves and pseudobulbs stayed green until recently, but then gave out without producing any healthy new growth. Photos show the interesting yellow flowers which face downward.
Since I’d been able to provide adequate conditions for blooming in the past, I’m left to wonder what changed. It’s possible that it acquired a plant virus during a pest invasion, and declined over time. It may have been that our foggy summers, which have been extra cool for the past couple years, didn’t offer it enough warmth to continue. In its native range from South Africa to Tanzania, it’s undoubtedly used to warm conditions. Maybe some unidentified problem popped up, and some future orchid trivia will jar loose an explanation. Its cause of death may elude me, but at least its photos live on.
anything, I’m not learning anything. It’s frustrating enough
to kill an orchid, but it can be frustrating when I can’t
figure out what went wrong.
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January 14th, 2011 at 8:57 am
That’s too bad, sorry about your loss. Beautiful photos, though!
January 19th, 2011 at 1:46 pm
Couldnt agree more with that, very attractive article
January 20th, 2011 at 3:00 am
I enjoyed to c that thinks. Great informative and helpful article.
January 21st, 2011 at 6:55 pm
Hi, First of all I care for the quality of your photos and your post. That was interesting to read article. And Im lookin’ forward to see your next thanks.
January 31st, 2011 at 9:42 am
thanks for the wunderful pictures!