Laelia gouldiana is native to Mexico. This orchid is no longer found in nature, but it is grown in Hidalgo, northeast of Mexico City at an altitude of 1200-1900 m.
Laelia gouldiana also called as Gould's Laelia (named after a New York Financier), is a species of the genus Laelia. This species was described by Heinrich Gustav Reichenbach in 1888.
IDENTIFY LAELIA GOULDIANA
Laelia gouldiana is native to Mexico. This orchid is no longer found in nature, but it is grown in Hidalgo, northeast of Mexico City at an altitude of 1200-1900 m. They often grow in deep ravines and are almost always found in trees mesquite, on dry, overgrown areas in partially burnt mountains.
It is a small to medium sized, cool growing epiphyte with fusiform, somewhat compressed pseudobulbs enveloped basally by 4 to 6 scarious sheaths and carrying 2 to 3, erect, lanceolate, bright green leaves.
Gould's Laelia blooms on an apical, erect inflorescence arising in the fall and growing to 30" (75 cm) and carrying up to 10 blooms that are awesome, mildly fragrant, and occurring in the fall and winter. The flowers are 5-10 cm in diameter and are slightly bucket-like. The petals of both whorls are bright pink to red-purple. The outer whorls are relatively flat and wide spread. The part at the base of the inner whorl flakes faces forward, then curves and becomes flat at the apex. The inner whorls are not as long as the petals of the outer whorl, but are almost twice as wide, and then narrow to form sharp tips. The side plots of the 3-bay lip are pink-purple, curved up and lie on both sides of the spine. The middle plot is much darker than the side plots. The lip has 3 bright yellow, convex nerves that start in the throat and end at the base of the middle plot.
LAELIA GOULDIANA 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:
Laelia gouldiana needs a light level of 30000-40000 lux. The plant needs bright lighting, but direct sunlight should be avoided in the midday. A constant strong ventilation is necessary.
Temperature:
The average temperature of the summer day is 23-25 ° C, night 14-15 ° C, and the daily difference is 9-10 ° C. In summer these orchids can grow even outdoors, if the weather is not too hot and dry. If there is an air humidifier with a cooling function, then this species will grow near the outlet of cool, humid air. The average temperature of the winter day is 21-23 ° C, the night 9-10 ° C, and the daily difference is 11-13 ° C.
Humidity:
Gould's Laelia needs the average humidity in summer of 65-70%, about 60% in autumn and falls to 50% in winter and spring.
Substrate, growing media and repotting:
Laelia gouldiana are usually grown in pots filled with loose, quickly drying ground, ensuring good air circulation and allowing the roots to dry quickly. The medium-sized bark or cork pieces are good. They can also be mounted on tree rootstocks or cork, if high humidity is ensured and watering is done at least once a day in summer. During hot summer weather it may be necessary to water several times a day.
These plants should be repotted before the soil begins to decompose or when the plants grow out of the pot. If repotting is done in spring, when new roots begin to grow, the plant will stabilize before the hot summer.
Watering:
In a natural habitat, there are six-month half-wet period lasts from the end of spring until autumn, then the 6-month period of a big drought begins until spring. So these plants should be watered quite regularly during active growth, but they must dry out between watering. When new growths reach maturity in the autumn, the amount of water should be reduced and the periods of drought should be extended.
Fertilizer:
During the growing season, it is recommended to feed the plant weekly 1/4-1/2 fertilizer doses for orchids. From mid-summer to autumn, it is useful to use fertilizer with a low nitrogen content and high phosphorus content.
Rest period:
Dry resting in winter is very important for the health of Laelia gouldiana. The plants should be relatively dry for a period of 4-5 months, with occasional only morning fogging, especially in sunny weather. They can be occasionally watered if the leaves or pseudobulbs start to wrinkle too much. Fertilization should be eliminated until spring, when new growths appear and normal watering resumes.
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