Gastrochilus fuscopunctatus is endemic to Taiwan, near Mt Arisan. It grows as epiphyte on trees in mountain forests at an altitude of 1500-2500 meters...
Gastrochilus fuscopunctatus also called as The Yellow-Brown Dot Gastrochilus, Gastrochilus fuscopunctatum, Saccolabium fuscopunctatum, is a species of the genus Gastrochilus. This species was described by Hayata in 1917.
IDENTIFY GASTROCHILUS FUSCOPUNCTATUS
Gastrochilus fuscopunctatus is endemic to Taiwan, near Mt Arisan. It grows as epiphyte on trees in mountain forests at an altitude of 1500-2500 meters.
It is a miniature sized, cool to cold growing, clump forming epiphyte with gray green, narrowly oblong, up to 2 cm long leaves spotted in purple and kinky roots arising from the leaf axils.
The Yellow-Brown Dot Gastrochilus blooms in the winter through mid summer on an axillary, short, few flowered inflorescence that can arise at any time. The flowers are about 1 cm in diameter.
GASTROCHILUS FUSCOPUNCTATUS 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:
Gastrochilus fuscopunctatus needs a light level of 20000-30000 lux. The orchid must be protected from direct sunlight. The ideal photoperiod is 12-13 hours.
Temperature:
It is an intermediate-cold thermal requirements species, but it also adapts to 2-3 degrees more. Council 22-23 ° C during the day and 14-15 ° C at night in summer and 16-18 ° C during the day and 8-9 ° C at night in winter.
Humidity:
The Yellow-Brown Dot Gastrochilus needs a high humidity level, about 80-90%.
Substrate, growing media and repotting:
Due to its sloping growth, the ideal placement for the Gastrochilus fuscopunctatus would be on a raft, with some moss alive or sphagnum around its roots. You could place the raft in a sphagnum-filled vase so that the part with the orchid stays on it. The sphagnum is always kept wet; thus the water, evaporating, raises the humidity around the plant.
If raft cultivation is not possible, you can take a shallow and wide vase (I would recommend adapting a saucer making many holes in it to allow the drainage of water) and place the Gastrochilus fuscopunctatus there. The medium-sized bark (2-3 cm) is used as a substrate.
Watering:
From February to November, this orchid needs a lot of water, so the watering must be frequent: 1-3 times a day (depending on the climate). The roots, however, must dry quickly, so we must ensure a good round of air around the orchid. In December and January, watering is rarer: the orchid must remain dry for 1-2 days between waterings. However, the watering reduction must take place together with the lowering of the temperatures.
Fertilizer:
It is fertilized from March to November with 1/4 of the dose indicated on the bottle of a special liquid fertilizer for orchids. The fertilizations take place every 2 weeks. Before fertilizing the plant it is important to water it to avoid the harmful contact of the fertilizer with the dry roots. During the rest period the fertilizations are suspended.
Rest period:
In nature, the Gastrochilus fuscopunctatus has a slight winter rest period, characterized by lower temperatures 16-18 ° C during the day and 8-9 ° C at night) and poorer (but not absent) rains. This period is quite short and lasts only 1-2 months. In cultivation it is necessary to lower the temperatures in winter and reduce the watering to leave the plant dry for 1-2 days between waterings. However, the air humidity must remain high: 78-80%. In February the rest period ends and the plant begins the growth phase.
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