Epicatanthe Don Herman is an epiphyte with up to 20-25 cm in length, and not more than 2 cm in width pseudobulbs, it often happens that after the first sheet the pseudobulb is divided into parts and the similarity grows from above with another small one (2-4 cm long) pseudobulb.
Epicatanthe Don Herman is a hybrid whose parents are Cattlianthe Gold Digger and Epidendrum stamfordianum. I put this hybrid in the genus Cattleya cause it is cross of mostly Cattleya species (Epidendrum stamfordianum, Guarianthe aurantiaca, Guarianthe bowringiana, Cattleya violacea, Cattleya Ruby, Cattleya lueddemanniana, Cattleya warscewiczii, Cattleya mossiae, Cattleya dowiana, Cattleya mendelii). This hybrid was registered by Carmela in 1996 (RHS).
IDENTIFY EPICATANTHE DON HERMAN ORCHID PLANT
Epicatanthe Don Herman is an epiphyte with up to 20-25 cm in length, and not more than 2 cm in width pseudobulbs, it often happens that after the first sheet the pseudobulb is divided into parts and the similarity grows from above with another small one (2-4 cm long) pseudobulb. The leaves are lanceolate, about 15 cm long and 4-5 cm wide. Peduncles appear from the top of the pseudobulb, can be up to 15 cm in length.
This hybrid can bloom at any time of the year. Duration of flowering about 3 weeks. There are from 3 to 10 flowers per peduncle. Flowers in the shape of stars, yellow with purple dots on the lip, measuring about 4-5 cm in diameter.
EPICATANTHE DON HERMAN 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:
Epicatanthe Don Herman loves the bright light without access to direct sunlight, so during the hot afternoon sun on the windows of the southern orientation and the hot evening sun on the western windows, this orchid should be placed behind the curtain or in the shade of other plants. Otherwise, she may get a sunburn. Good lighting is one of the main prerequisites for flowering of this hybrid, and if it is insufficient, then the orchid will simply not bloom, as new pseudobulbs grow underdeveloped, i.e. incapable of flowering.
Temperature:
This hybrid belongs to the warm temperature conditions, and throughout the year plants are recommended to be kept under the following temperature conditions: day temperature not above 32 ° C; night temperature at 18-20 ° C. For successful cultivation at home, it is necessary that the night temperature always be at least 2-4 ° C lower than the daytime.
Humidity:
This Cattleya hybrid need the humidity of 40 to 60%. Too dry air has a negative effect on the overall development of the plant - its growth is slowed down, the roots lying on the surface start to dry out, and the leaves become flabby and turn yellow. The higher temperature, the higher the humidity should be, and the higher the humidity, the more often and longer it is necessary to ventilate the room where orchids are contained, otherwise the probability of rotting and leaves of various kinds of fungal diseases.
Substrate, growing media and repotting:
Epicatanthe Don Herman is grown mainly in ordinary plastic pots. This hybrid does not have any particular preferences regarding the substrate and grows well in any commercial mixture with a high content of peat and sphagnum moss.
This species doesn’t need frequent transplantations, therefore, it is desirable to transplant this orchid only in cases of strongly compaction and salinization of the substrate, at its critically high or low pH (the norm is from 5.5 to 6.5) or when the plant grows very strongly and the pot he will become cramped (pseudobulbs will begin to hang from the sides of the pot). The best time for transplanting is the spring period, when new orchid sprouts reach a size of 5 cm and begin to grow their own roots.
Watering:
Watering this hybrid is directly dependent on the total temperature of the content, the lower it is, the less and less need to water. When watering, excess water should flow freely from the pot, since stagnation of water both inside the pot and in its pan can very quickly lead to rotting of the roots and the lower part of the plant. The substrate between waterings should dry well. In other words, you only need to water the orchid, when the substrate (in which it grows) is completely dry.
Fertilizer:
During the period of new growth, this hybrid is fertilized for every third watering with the usual concentration of fertilizer indicated on the package. In addition to root dressing, it is also recommended to produce foliar, when the outer part of the plant is sprayed with a very diluted fertilizer. It is best to feed the orchid, alternating between these two methods. Fertilizer containing nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in equal shares is considered the best fertilizer, for example, NPK = 3-3-3 or 8-8-8. If you do not have such fertilizer, then at the beginning of the growing season (the emergence of new sprouts) feed this orchid fertilizer with a higher nitrogen content, and when the sprout reaches 1/2 of its normal growth, fertilizer with a higher phosphorus content.
Rest period:
Epicatanthe Don Herman does not need a rest period to stimulate flowering. Failure to bloom may be due to the stress state of the plant (for example, poor root system), insufficient lighting, and in some cases (quite rarely) too hot content. After flowering, the peduncles are removed, if necessary, this orchid is transplanted and kept completely dry for some time. This is necessary to acclimatize the plant and to prevent wound rotting on the roots resulting from the transplant.
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