Sarcochilus falcatus is found throughout eastern Australia, from eastern Victoria (Far east Gippsland) and New South Wales, up through to Cape York Peninsula and Mt. Finnigan in Queensland. It is found among the rain forests around 800 and up to 1100 meters of altitude. They grow in areas that are constantly humid, near gorges and at the top of the tree crests, where the wind and the updraft currents of clouds, mists and drizzles are a constant...
Sarcochilus falcatus also called as The Sickle-Shaped Sarcochilus, The Orange Blossom Orchid, Sarcochilus montanus, Thrixspermum falcatum, is a species of the genus Sarcochilus. This species was described by Robert Brown in 1810.
IDENTIFY SARCOCHILUS FALCATUS
Sarcochilus falcatus is found throughout eastern Australia, from eastern Victoria (Far east Gippsland) and New South Wales, up through to Cape York Peninsula and Mt. Finnigan in Queensland. It is found among the rain forests around 800 and up to 1100 meters of altitude. They grow in areas that are constantly humid, near gorges and at the top of the tree crests, where the wind and the updraft currents of clouds, mists and drizzles are a constant.
The Sickle-Shaped Sarcochilus is a miniature sized, vandanaceous, cool to hot growing, epiphytic or lithophytic species with semi-pendulous stems carrying 3 to 8, oblong-falcate, fleshy, olive green, usually curved, finely toothed margins, 5 to 16 cm long leaves.
The Orange Blossom Orchid blooms on an axillary, pendant, to 22 cm long, racemose, several flowered inflorescence with successive opening, very fragrant flowers occuring in winter and spring and should be kept moist year round. The nearly round, cream to white, widely opening flowers are 2-3.4 cm in diameter. Flowers are similar in shape and scent to orange blossom. The flowers exhibit considerable variation in size, width of the perianth segments, length of the labellum lateral lobes and the pattern of colors on the labellum. They also have a considerable range of floral perfumes.
SARCOCHILUS FALCATUS 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:
Sarcochilus falcatus needs a light level of 16000-25000 lux. The direct sun must be absolutely shielded. The ideal photoperiod is 12 hours.
Temperature:
In summer the average temperature is 22-23 ° C during the day and 12-14 ° C at night. In winter the average temperature is 15-16 ° C during the day and 8-9 ° C at night.
Humidity:
The Orange Blossom Orchid needs the humidity of 75-80%.
Substrate, growing media and repotting:
Sarcochilus falcatus is grown better if mounted on cork or logs. If kept on window sills, it is advisable to put some sphagnum around the roots to give the plant extra moisture. Alternatively, you can use a small jar with a medium-sized, 3-5 cm thick bark substrate (bark) to ensure good ventilation of the root system. In any case, it is a plant that likes to be placed in a fairly luminous position and next to a fan that is always lit, where the roots can grow and stretch freely.
Watering:
In most of the year it gets water 1-2 times a day (depending on the temperatures and the positioning of the orchid). The watering in winter is replaced by light morning vaporizations.
Fertilizer:
This species is fertilized weekly with 1/6 of the dose indicated on the bottle of a suitable liquid fertilizer for orchids. Before fertilizing the plant it is necessary to water it, to avoid the harmful contact of the fertilizer with the dry roots. From October to March fertilizations are suspended.
Rest period:
In winter, nighttime temperatures can reach 2 ° C with a sharp decrease in rainfall (January-March). But this period is never a real dry season, because of the fog and the dew that peeps on winter nights. In cultivation it is advisable not to bring Sarcochilus falcatus to these extremes, even if it is essential to guarantee cool temperatures at night with always high humidity and a good temperature change between day and night (8-10 ° C). Recommended winter temperatures can be 15-16 ° C during the day and 8-9 ° C at night. Light vaporization is good every morning, since in nature humidity is available in the form of dew and fog.
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