Ascocentrum ampullaceum is native to the Himalayas, covering areas of Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan, Khasia Hills in North-East India, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, and Yunnan Province in southwestern China. In India, these plants grow in diffused light, often on leafy trees, at heights of 100-1000 m. In Thailand, they grow in the mountains west of Bagkoku near the Burmese border, and in the northwestern mountains, where there are reports of their meeting in near Mae Hong Son (Mae Hong Song), Mae Sot, Mae Sariang (Mae Sarieng) and Mae Ramat. In Myanmar, they meet from Moulmein, to the hills of China on the western border, near Mandalay and near Yanka.
Ascocentrum ampullaceum orchid, also called as Vein-like Ascocentrum, Aerides ampullaceum, Gastrochilus ampullaceus, Oeceoclades ampullacea, Saccolabium ampullaceum, Vanda ampullaceal, is a species of the genus Ascocentrum. This species was described by (Lindley) Schlechter in 1913.
IDENTIFY ASCOCENTRUM AMPULLACEUM ORCHID
Ascocentrum ampullaceum is native to the Himalayas, covering areas of Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan, Khasia Hills in North-East India, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, and Yunnan Province in southwestern China. In India, these plants grow in diffused light, often on leafy trees, at heights of 100-1000 m. In Thailand, they grow in the mountains west of Bagkoku near the Burmese border, and in the northwestern mountains, where there are reports of their meeting in near Mae Hong Son (Mae Hong Song), Mae Sot, Mae Sariang (Mae Sarieng) and Mae Ramat. In Myanmar, they meet from Moulmein, to the hills of China on the western border, near Mandalay and near Yanka.
It is a miniature sized, hot to cool growing, vandaceous plant, with short, simple, several leafed stems carrying suberect, distichous, ligulate, acutely bifid or truncate and apically toothed leaves that are keeled on the underside and grooved on the top. The leaves are 12-15 cm long and 1.2-2.0 cm wide. The lower leaves fall with age.
Vein-like Ascocentrum blooms in spring through summer on an axillary, 3 to 8" (8 to 20 cm) long, shorter than the leaves, compact inflorescence that have many small flowers. The flowers are 2.0-2.5 cm in diameter. Ascocentrum ampullaceum has vivid flowers, with a saturated pink or pink-purple color. The flowers are broadly spread with broad, rounded petals of both whorls, while the orange-colored flowers are slightly cupped or bell-shaped. The spreading ovate petals of both whorls are narrow at the base and rounded at the tips.
ASCOCENTRUM AMPULLACEUM CARE AND CULTURE
Cultural information should only be used as a guide, and should be to be adapted to suit you. Your physical location; where you grow your plants, how much time you have to devote to their care, and many other factors, will need to be taken into account. Only then can you decide on the cultural methods that best suit you and your plants.
Light:
Ascocentrum ampullaceum needs a light level of 25000-35000 lux. Moderately bright light should be slightly filtered or scattered. Plants should not be exposed to the direct rays of the midday sun. Strong air movement should be ensured all the time.
Temperature:
It is a thermophilic plant. The average summer day temperatures are 29-31 ° C and the average temperatures are 22-23 ° C, with a daily amplitude of 7-8 ° C. The average temperature of such a spring day is 33-36 ° C, the night 17-23 ° C, and the daily span lowers from 18 to 10 ° C. In winter, the average day temperature is 29-32 ° C, night 13-14 ° C, with a daily amplitude of 15-19 ° C.
Humidity:
Ascocentrum ampullaceum needs a humidity level of 80-85% in summer and at the beginning of autumn and then drops gradually to almost 55-60% for 2-3 months at the end of winter and at the beginning of spring.
Substrate, growing media and repotting:
Ascocentrum ampullaceum can be grown in containers with good drainage or on cork or tree fern rootstock with high humidity. The plants can also planted into pots or baskets, using a very loose, quickly drying, quite thick medium bark with medium granulation. Perlite and charcoal give the substrate breathability, retain some moisture and prevent its acidification.
Vein-like Ascocentrum is particularly susceptible to decay or unfolded subsoil, so it should be repotted immediately when the substrate begins to decompose. Repotting is done at the time when new roots begin to appear, the plant will be accepted and rooted in the shortest possible time.
Watering:
Cultivated plants should be watered strongly during the period of active growth (from late spring to autumn), but the roots must always dry quickly after watering. The substrate around the roots can never be desiccated or soggy. When new growths reach maturity in the autumn, the amount of water should be gradually reduced.
Fertilizer:
During the active growth of Ascocentrum ampullaceum should be fertilized every week 1/4-1/2 of the recommended dose of fertilizer for orchids. You can also use high-nitrogen fertilizer from spring to summer, then switching to high-phosphorus in late summer and autumn.
Rest period:
In winter, water should be reduced in quantity so the plant can dry out between waterings, but the plant can not remain completely without water for a long period of time. In the winter, enough moisture will provide occasional fogging early in the morning between rare, light watering. However, in late winter or early spring, for about a month, water supply should be limited to occasional light fogs early in the morning. When the plant is not in the period of active growth, fertilization should be limited or completely discontinued. At low temperatures plants are unable to use fertilizers, which causes them to accumulate excessively in the soil.
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