Coelogyne speciosa is native to Java, Sumatra, Borneo. In Java, this orchid is widely known throughout the island, grows in forests and sometimes in open spaces, both on dry and moist slopes of mountains, at heights of 750-1800 m...
Coelogyne speciosa also called as The Beautiful Coelogyne, Chelonanthera speciosa, Coelogyne speciosa subsp. fimbriata, Coelogyne speciosa subsp. incarnate, Coelogyne speciosa var. alba, Coelogyne speciosa var. albicans, Coelogyne speciosa var. fimbriata, Coelogyne speciosa var. incarnate, Coelogyne speciosa var. major, Coelogyne speciosa var. rubiginosa, Pleione speciosa, is a species of the genus Coelogyne. This species was described by John Lindley in 1833.
IDENTIFY COELOGYNE SPECIOSA
Coelogyne speciosa is native to Java, Sumatra, Borneo. In Java, this orchid is widely known throughout the island, grows in forests and sometimes in open spaces, both on dry and moist slopes of mountains, at heights of 750-1800 m. In Sumatra, they are found in almost every province, at heights of 600- 1400 m. In Borneo, they were met in Kalimantan.
It is a large sized, warm to cool growing epiphyte and occasional terrestrial, which reaching 30 to 80 cm high, with clustered ovoid, up to 6.5 cm high and 2.2 cm wide at the base pseudobulbs carrying a single to 2, apical, elliptic or lanceolate, acute petiolate, plicate, 30 cm long and 7 cm wide leaves.
The Beautiful Coelogyne blooms on a terminal, erect to nodding, 7.5 cm long, 1 to 3 flowered, racemose inflorescence with musky scented flowers which arise out of the center of a newly arising pseudobulb growth and can bloom at any time of the year but most often in spring and summer. The flowers are about 6 cm in diameter. Several color varieties are known, the flakes of both whorls may vary from light-brown to salmon. The lip is white with orange-brown or dark brown spots. The large side lobes of the lip are brown or red and curve up to form a tube that almost completely covers the spine.
COELOGYNE SPECIOSA 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:
Coelogyne speciosa needs a light level of 20000-30000 lux. The light should be filtered or dispersed, and the plants should not be exposed to direct sunlight in the afternoon hours. Strong air movement should be ensured all the time.
Temperature:
It is a plant with moderate thermal requirements. Similar throughout the year, the average day temperature is 22-24 ° C, the average night temperature is 13-15 ° C, with an amplitude of daily variations of 7-11 ° C. If you have a cooling air humidifier, this orchid will grow well close to the cold, humid air outlet.
Humidity:
The Beautiful Coelogyne needs the humidity of 75-80% for most of the year, at the end of winter and early spring, falling to around 60-65%.
Substrate, growing media and repotting:
Coelogyne speciosa can grow attached to pieces of tree fern or cork, but during the hot and sunny summer days it requires high humidity and several days of watering during the day. The plants, however, are usually planted in shallow containers or baskets, because it is difficult to maintain high humidity in the summer planted on rootstocks.
Openwork baskets filled with sphagnum moss are generally better than pots. The substrate should be loose, quickly draining water, but at the same time it must stop a large part of it, not soaking excessively and not decomposing too quickly.
A mixture of chopped woody fern fibers mixed with 10% perlite, 10% cut sphagnum moss and 10% charcoal gives great results for most growers and this medium undergoes very slow decomposition. It is also possible to use a fir bark, if humectants are added, but the constantly moistened bark decomposes quickly and the plants need to be repotted more often.
Coelogyne speciosa should be repotted as little as possible, because this shock may even stop flowering for the next three years, which is why slowly decomposing substrates are so desirable. As long as the substrate is still loose and well-aerated, it is better to simply cut old, drying pseudobulbs than repot the plant. However, if repotting is necessary, it is best to do it when new roots begin to grow. This will allow the plant to adapt to the new substrate in the shortest possible time.
Watering:
For most of the year, rainfall is intense and only slightly diminishes within 2-3 months of the semi-dry period at the end of winter and early spring. During intensive growth, the cultivated plants should be watered profusely, but the substrate should not be allowed to spread or become damp. In late autumn, watering should be limited.
Fertilizer:
During the active growth of the plant should be fertilized every week 1/4-1/2 of the recommended dose of fertilizer for orchids. You can use balanced fertilizer throughout the year, but also can use fertilizer with increased nitrogen content from spring to mid summer, and then in the late summer and autumn, use a fertilizer with a higher content of phosphorus.
Rest period:
In winter, watering should be somewhat reduced, especially in the case of Coelogyne speciosa cultivated in darker conditions of a short day typical of higher latitudes, but they should not completely dry up. In general, between occasional watering, occasional fogging is sufficient in the early morning. Fertilization should be reduced or eliminated until new growths appear and a more abundant spring watering begins.
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