Rhynchostylis coelestis is native to Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. These orchids meet in various places of the mainland of Thailand, at an altitude of 350-1200 m above sea level...
Rhynchostylis coelestis also called as The Sky-Blue Rhynchostylis, Saccolabium coeleste, Vanda pseudo-coerulescens, is a species of the genus Rhynchostylis. This species was described by Heinrich Gustav Reichenbach ex Harry Veitch in 1891.
IDENTIFY RHYNCHOSTYLIS COELESTIS
Rhynchostylis coelestis is native to Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. These orchids meet in various places of the mainland of Thailand, at an altitude of 350-1200 m above sea level. They usually grow in deciduous forests, where the dry season lasts for a relatively long time. They are widespread in the mountainous areas of northern, north-eastern, western and south-west Thailand, but are also found at low altitudes in the Prachuab region of southwestern Thailand. In the city of Chiengmai, they grow on teak trees along the streets. In Vietnam, they are found in the mountains near Dalat.
It is a small sized, cool to hot growing monopodial epiphyte, which reaching 20 cm in height, with a stem carrying several, strap-like, fleshy, alternate, 10-20 cm long and 2-3 cm wide leaves.
The Sky-Blue Rhynchostylis blooms on an axillary, erect to arcuate, densely many flowered, racemose inflorescence with waxy, fragrant flowers occurring in the summer and fall. The flowers are 1.2-2.0 cm in diameter. They are white with a different amount of spots in purple or purple-blue, which are darker at the rounded ends. The lip is white at the base, but its upper part is a vivid indigo-blue color. The wide petals of both whorls are completely spread out and often overlap. The tip part of the lip deflects strongly upwards in relation to the spur, which hangs down. The rod is very short, with a hooked dark blue anther.
RHYNCHOSTYLIS COELESTIS 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:
Rhynchostylis coelestis needs a light level of 30000-40000 lux. The light should be filtered and dispersed, and the plants should not be exposed to the direct sunlight of the midday sun. Strong air movement should be ensured all the time.
Temperature:
It is a thermophilic plant. In summer, the average day temperature is 31-32 ° C, the night 23-24 ° C, which gives a daily difference of 7-9 ° C. The average temperature of such a spring day is 34-36 ° C, the night 18-23 ° C, and the daily span rises to 18-11 ° C. In winter, the average day temperature is 29-32 ° C, night 13-14 ° C, with a daily amplitude of 15-18 ° C.
Humidity:
The Sky-Blue Rhynchostylis needs the humidity of 80-85% in summer and early autumn, gradually decreasing to 60% at the end of winter and at the beginning of spring.
Substrate, growing media and repotting:
Rhynchostylis coelestis do not tolerate aged soil around the roots, but also do not like repotting. On the other hand, they grow very well if the aerial roots are allowed to hang freely. You can place them in wooden baskets without adding any substrate or attach them to tree ferns or cork without substrate around the roots. However, such plants grown in hot and dry weather should be watered several times a day.
They can also be grow in pots or baskets, using a loose, fast-drying substrate that allows quick root drying after watering. Good results are obtained by using a mixture of medium graded bark with the addition of the same amount of charcoal.
Despite the poor response to repotting, the plants grown in pots should be repotted each year, because any decomposition of the substrate leads to rapid destruction of the root system. The plants adapt faster and with less stress if they are fixed or repotted in the phase when new roots are just beginning to grow.
Watering:
In the period from late spring to autumn rainfall is moderate to heavy. Their number then drops sharply, followed by a period of 4-5 months of drought lasting until the beginning of spring.
Fertilizer:
During the active growth, the plants 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:
Rhynchostylis coelestis show less demand for water in winter, but they should not be completely deprived of it for a longer period. In the late spring, for a period of about a month, water supply should be limited to occasional light fogging. Fertilization should be reduced or eliminated until new growths appear and spring watering is started more.
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