Guarianthe skinneri is native to Southern Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica. It is one of the most popular orchids in Costa Rica and has even been recognized as a national flower...
Guarianthe skinneri also called as Skinner's Guarianthe, Cattleya skinneri, Cattleya laelioides, Cattleya deckeri, Epidendrum huegelianum, Cattleya pachecoi, is a species of the genus Guarianthe. This species was described by Robert Louis Dressler & W. E. Higgins in 2003.
IDENTIFY GUARIANTHE SKINNERI
Guarianthe skinneri is native to Southern Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica. It is one of the most popular orchids in Costa Rica and has even been recognized as a national flower. These plants are usually found in damp mountain forests, ranging from sea level up to a height of about 1250 m, but also occur on higher-lying rocks, where rainfall is higher and evaporation is lower.
It is a medium sized, bifoliate epiphyte, which reaching a height of 50 cm, with fusiform to clavate, 35 cm long, sometimes up to 50 cm long pseudobulbs carrying 2, apical, oblong to elliptic, obtuse to acute, 20 cm long and about 5 cm wide leaves.
Skinner's Guarianthe blooms in the winter through spring and occasionally in the fall on a terminal, to 13.75 cm long, usually erect, 4 to 15 flowered inflorescence arising on a mature pseudobulb and subtended by a large green, spathiform basal sheath and carries slightly fragrant flowers that often open not all at once. The flowers are up to 9 cm in diameter. The outer whorls are relatively narrow and have sharp ends. The wider petals of the inner whorl have wavy edges. The lip, slightly divided into 3 parts, curls up to form a funnel-shaped tube concealing the entire prone. The open end of the lip is wide open and has an undulating edge. Perianth petals are usually evenly colored in pink-purple and have a shiny crystalline texture visible under good lighting. The apical part of the middle petal of the lip is often slightly darker than the petals of the perianth, and the throat has a large white or creamy-yellow spot. C. skinneri plants and flowers usually differ very little, but several clones of pure white form of alba were found. White forms are most often found in Costa Rica, but they were also seen in Guatemala. The semi-white form only has a purple spot at the base of the lip.
GUARIANTHE SKINNERI 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:
Guarianthe skinneri needs a light level of 25000-35000 lux. Strong air movement should be ensured all the time.
Temperature:
It is a thermophilic plant. Throughout the year, the average day temperature is 25-28 ° C, and the average night temperature is 15-18 ° C, with a daily amplitude of 9-11 ° C.
Humidity:
From late spring to autumn, Skinner's Guarianthe needs the humidity of 80-85%, falling to 70% during the drought covering the end of winter and the beginning of spring.
Substrate, growing media and repotting:
You can use small pots or baskets filled with a very thick, loose, fast-drying substrate that allows the roots to dry quickly after watering. It is recommended to use smaller pots sufficient for 1-2 years growth, because the substrate in larger pots stays wet for too long after watering. The result of insufficient quick-drying roots can be their rotting. You can use thick bark, or cork pieces mixed with large lumps of charcoal. These plants can also be mounted on tree-trunks or cork, but because they should be provided with high humidity throughout the year, they must be watered at least once a day during the summer. In the case of such suspended plants, during the dry and hot periods it may be necessary to water several times a day.
Repotting or dividing plants should be done when the growth of new roots begins. This will enable the plant to root in the shortest possible time and avoid weakening. In the event of violation at the wrong time, many of the 2-branched keikis will remain stagnant and eventually die.
Watering:
In the period from late spring to autumn rainfall is abundant. Their quantity then drops sharply, resulting in a period of 4-5 months of drought. Guarianthe skinneri should often be watered during full growth, but the roots must always dry quickly after watering. When new growths reach maturity in the autumn, the amount of water should be reduced.
Fertilizer:
During the period of strong growth, the plants should be fertilized every week with 1/4-1/2 of the recommended dose of fertilizer for orchids. A fertilizer with a high nitrogen content is beneficial from spring to mid-summer, and a fertilizer richer in phosphorus should be used in late summer and autumn.
Rest period:
Watering for Guarianthe skinneri in winter is limited, but it must not be allowed to remain dry for a long time. Bright light facilitates the growth of new increments and induces flowering. Fertilization should be limited or should be completely abandoned until spring, when stronger watering resumes.
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