Can someone explain why this happens? Is the color of the sheath any indication that it will actually produce an inflorescence? I'm getting a few of these and the one on my Lebaudyanum appears to be turning from dark purple to brown, now. I must say it takes some of the excitement and turns it to frustration.

Thanks!

Sometimes buds and sheaths die from lack of water and moisture but in your case, I have no idea. Plants in sheath and bud, I usually give them extra water especially during hot summer seasons. Sorry to hear about your Lebaud sheath! Mine is beginning to spike also, thanks for the div!

Sometimes buds and sheaths die from lack of water and moisture but in your case, I have no idea. Plants in sheath and bud, I usually give them extra water especially during hot summer seasons. Sorry to hear about your Lebaud sheath! Mine is beginning to spike also, thanks for the div!

Well, it has lots of nice fresh green roots growing, so I seriously doubt it is a lack of moisture. I also give my plants in sheath and bud extra water.

I just now checked my tigrinum and found it in the same state as the Lebaudyanum. I wonder if the weather has something to do with them all the sudden seeming to rot. It has been very warm and humid the last week, but hazy sunshine...:confused:

Is there anything I should do with them? Should I just leave them where they are?

I just now checked my tigrinum and found it in the same state as the Lebaudyanum. I wonder if the weather has something to do with them all the sudden seeming to rot. It has been very warm and humid the last week, but hazy sunshine...:confused:

Is there anything I should do with them? Should I just leave them where they are?

Getting water in the crowns? Yes, I know it is a stupid question, but you did mention rot. High temperatures and humidity would be a perfect condition for rot...

I think that must be what happened, although I am very careful, some spray could have fallen, definitely. The Leb. sheath was covered by a leaf above it and hard to access. But both of them going at the same time I think it must be the combination of me watering more and the higher temps. and humidity. I have four fans going above the plants, so I think there is adequate airflow.

So, my other question, why do we get empty sheaths in the first place?

I think that must be what happened, although I am very careful, some spray could have fallen, definitely. The Leb. sheath was covered by a leaf above it and hard to access. But both of them going at the same time I think it must be the combination of me watering more and the higher temps. and humidity. I have four fans going above the plants, so I think there is adequate airflow.

So, my other question, why do we get empty sheaths in the first place?

Dunno, I never get them. At least on paphs (cattleyas do it all the time). Or if I do, I have too many plants to notice. I usually don't notice a plant is in spike until the spikes are pretty tall.

If you were careful not to get water in the crowns, it probably wasn't rot. Are the sheathes actually soft and slimy? Or just brown? A lot of things might take them out. I bet since they are new growth they are more sensitive to sunburn than the older growths. Or the buds may have been initiated when conditions were perfect (a cool snap, or something), and by the time you noticed them the plant had decided to abort the mission. I'd think that would be an evolutionary advantage, it takes a lot of energy to flower, and if conditions aren't going to be right for pollination, it makes sense to save up energy for next time.

Look for insects, while you are at it. I'm thinking something small, like aphids or thrips. Mealybug wouldn't do that. I mention that because I just noticed that a lot of my oncidiums have aphids. For no real reason that I can tell, they were clean last week and I don't see any ants. Must have beamed in from space.

Nope, just brown, not wet nor slimy. None of that lovely fragrance either. I examined closely for insects also, nope, plant's clean.

Heather
Lots of specualtion, not much science. Rob had a good idea with the insects. Most of the bud blast I see, I would attribute to low humidity and airflow. Allot of the species have fairly regular seasons for blooming, and in my experiance I've seen more bud blast in out of season blooming attempts even when I could not pin down an environmental factor. The micranthums I've been playing with seem to be like this. i.e. they start later than normal, they put up a sheath and hold it all summer and then blast in the fall.


Empty sheaths seems to be a pretty big issue for the Cattleya folk, and have seen a thread or 2 on the OSF on that. They like to blame it on low light, or incorrect day/night cycling. Indoors you might be using the same light/dark schedule year round, and getting some help from the windowsill.

Tigrinum is one of the northern most paphs, and may appreaciate a more exagerated light schedule. :confused: It's also considered a cool grower and may not appreciate warm temps when in bud. (kinda like what Rob was saying).

Heather
Lots of specualtion, not much science. Rob had a good idea with the insects. Most of the bud blast I see, I would attribute to low humidity and airflow. Allot of the species have fairly regular seasons for blooming, and in my experiance I've seen more bud blast in out of season blooming attempts even when I could not pin down an environmental factor. The micranthums I've been playing with seem to be like this. i.e. they start later than normal, they put up a sheath and hold it all summer and then blast in the fall.


Empty sheaths seems to be a pretty big issue for the Cattleya folk, and have seen a thread or 2 on the OSF on that. They like to blame it on low light, or incorrect day/night cycling. Indoors you might be using the same light/dark schedule year round, and getting some help from the windowsill.

Tigrinum is one of the northern most paphs, and may appreaciate a more exagerated light schedule. :confused:

Yep, definitely no insects at least that I can see, none ever in the history of the plant in my care. Get's good light. Pete thought perhaps too MUCH airflow as this is on the same tray as my sands, so I do have a fan angled on the tray but it is not windy by any stretch, just the leaves wave a bit in the breeze. Not a lot!

However, the Leb, same issue, is not in quite the same breeziness. Both were fine a week ago - BEFORE my heat and humidity increased. THAT is the only variable to have changed since thes have been in sheath - the tig. since last November!

I'm perplexed!

I was just looking up what Cribb and Birk have on Tigrinum.

The range and elevation of tigrinum is almost the same as for armeniacum, and subsequently see almost the same weather paterns and temp ranges. One dif is that armeniacum is found in limestone hills (soil pH>7.0) while tigrinum is found in volcanic geology (soil pH <7.0). The flowering time for tigrinum (late spring early summer) is later than for armenicum (late winter early spring).

I thought it was kind of odd given the blast problems when watering tigrinum, that it's normal blooming period was at the beggining of the summer monsoon, when it could be rained on for "several days on end". How does it bloom succesfully in the wild while its getting drenched with rain???

Monsoons also come with BIG winds, and wet monsoons come with heavy cloud cover. Theoretically at this time of year it should be cloudy, windy, pouring rain, with day temps in the high 80's and low 90's (just the way it 's been outside here in TN for the last week. :confused:

I was just looking up what Cribb and Birk have on Tigrinum.

The range and elevation of tigrinum is almost the same as for armeniacum, and subsequently see almost the same weather paterns and temp ranges. One dif is that armeniacum is found in limestone hills (soil pH>7.0) while tigrinum is found in volcanic geology (soil pH <7.0). The flowering time for tigrinum (late spring early summer) is later than for armenicum (late winter early spring).

I thought it was kind of odd given the blast problems when watering tigrinum, that it's normal blooming period was at the beggining of the summer monsoon, when it could be rained on for "several days on end". How does it bloom succesfully in the wild while its getting drenched with rain???

Monsoons also come with BIG winds, and wet monsoons come with heavy cloud cover. Theoretically at this time of year it should be cloudy, windy, pouring rain, with day temps in the high 80's and low 90's (just the way it 's been outside here in TN for the last week. :confused:

Yeah! Exactly! It is a conundrum!

That is basically the same conditions I have down here right now! We are getting hazy sun, but I would call it partly cloudy for sure! No variables have changed in a week since I last checked except outdoor temps and humidity!

I just don't get it!