Coelogyne barbata occurs in the Himalayas, Nepal, India, China and Myanmar. It grows epiphytic on trees or lithophyte on rocks in lower montane forests at an altitude of 1000 to 1800 meters above sea level...
Coelogyne barbata also called as The Bearded Coelogyne, Pleione barbata, is a species of the genus Coelogyne. This species was described by John Lindley ex William Griffiths in 1848.
IDENTIFY COELOGYNE BARBATA ORCHID PLANT
Coelogyne barbata occurs in the Himalayas, Nepal, India, China and Myanmar. It grows epiphytic on trees or lithophyte on rocks in lower montane forests at an altitude of 1000 to 1800 meters above sea level.
It is a small to medium sized, cool growing epiphyte or lithophyte with clustered, ovoid to pear shaped, angular, longitudinally grooved, pale green, 2.5 to 8.5 cm in length and 1.5 to 4.5 cm in width pseudobulbs enveloped completely by imbricate, persistent, papery sheaths and carrying 2, oblong-lanceolate, acuminate, coriaceous, plicate, 9-nerved, undulate, 25-30 cm long and 6 cm wide leaves.
The Bearded Coelogyne blooms in the fall and winter on a long-developing, erect to arcuate, fractiflex rachis, to 45 cm long, to 14 flowered inflorescence arising on a mature pseudobulb and carrying fragrant, long-lasting flowers. The flowers are white with a brown lip, about 6-7 cm in diameter, have a dry protective flake (2.7 cm long and 1.6 cm wide). Sepals are lanceolate, slightly wavy, the upper one hangs over the lip, measuring 4 cm in length and 1.6 cm in width. Petals are quite strongly bent back, measuring 3.5-4.2 cm in length and about 0.4-0.5 cm in width. The lip is triple, the upper parts are white with brown veins, the tips are densely covered with villi, tightly surround the column, but do not close above it, and the anterior part is brown, at the tip lighter and pointed, along the edge also in villi, has 3 growths the middle is lower and short), the total length of the lip is about 4-4.5 cm. The column is arched, about 2.5-2.7 cm in length.
COELOGYNE BARBATA ORCHID PLANT 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 barbata loves bright sunlight and is able to tolerate direct sunlight (50000-70000 lux), acquiring a more compact size and a lighter shade of leaves and pseudobulbs. Bright sunlight is one of the main prerequisites for the flowering of orchids of this species, and if the lighting is insufficient (especially during the development of new shoots), then the orchid will simply not bloom, as new shoots grow underdeveloped, i.e. incapable of flowering. During the whole year, the duration of the light day should be at least 10 hours, ideally 16 hours. The southern, western, south-western and south-eastern windows are suitable for the location of the plant.
Temperature:
This kind of orchid refers to the mixed temperature regime, which is characterized by hot summers and relatively cool in winter, however, at home, the plant perfectly adapts to any other temperature regime, be it warm, moderate or cold. It is recommended that the orchids be grown throughout the year under the following conditions: Day temperature at 18-35 ° C; Night temperature is not below 0-5 ° C. For the successful cultivation at home, it is necessary that the night temperature of the contents always be at least 4-8 ° C lower than the daytime temperature.
Humidity:
In the natural habitats, the relative humidity of the air rarely falls below 70%. In conditions of high humidity, it is necessary to regularly ventilate the room where the plants are kept, since wet, stale air is an ideal medium for the mass reproduction of various fungal and bacterial diseases.
Substrate, growing media and repotting:
Coelogyne barbata can be grow in pots or hanging baskets or placed on blocks. The substrate must be very well breathable, so the mixture of the bark of coniferous trees with charcoal and sphagnum moss (up to 50%) is best in its quality. When growing orchids on blocks to prevent rapid drying of the root system of the plant, it is recommended to make a small interlayer of moss between it and the block. Above the roots, you can also put live or dry sphagnum.
This species reacts badly to the repot, so repotting is desirable only when it is really necessary, for example, in cases of severe salinization or condensation of the substrate, at its critically high or low pH (a rate of 5.5 to 6.5) when the plant grows very much and the pot will become too small for it (pseudobulbs will begin to hang from the edges of the pot). The best time to transplant is the period immediately after the flowering of the plant.
Watering:
Watering this kind of orchids directly depends on the overall temperature of the content, the higher it is, the more often and abundant it is necessary to water. Plants growing on blocks, it is desirable to water daily in the morning, so that by evening their roots could dry out relatively well. When watering orchids in pots, it is necessary to remember that excess water during watering should flow freely out of the pot, as the stagnation of water both inside the pot and in its pallet can very quickly lead to rotting of the roots and the lower part of the plant. However, during the development of new shoots, it is desirable to water the orchid in such a way that water does not fall into the funnel formed by the leaves, since stagnation of water in this place can lead to decay of the peduncles. In the event that the water is still there, try to gently wipe it with a dry paper towel, you should act with the utmost care so as not to damage the buds of the peduncles. The substratum between the irrigations should dry relatively well, but do not dry out completely, i.e. is always in a slightly moistened, but not wet state.
Fertilizer:
Throughout the year, this type of orchid is fertilized every 2-3 weeks in 1/2 of the concentration of fertilizer indicated on the package. In addition to the usual root top dressing, it is also recommended to produce a foliar dressing, when a very much diluted fertilizer is sprayed on the outer part of the plant. It is best to feed the orchid, alternating both these methods. The best fertilizer is fertilizer containing nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in equal parts, for example, NPK = 3-3-3 or 8-8-8. If you do not have such a fertilizer, then at the beginning of the growing season (the emergence of new shoots), feed the orchid fertilizer with a high content of phosphorus, and after flowering - fertilizer with a higher nitrogen content.
Rest period:
Coelogyne barbata does not have any period of rest: neither for stimulation of flowering, nor in winter. The refusal of the flowering of the orchid can be caused by the too hot content of the plant (especially at the very beginning of the development of new shoots), the absence of sufficient differences between night and day temperatures, poor lighting or the general stress state of the plant (poor root system).
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