Read more of cultivation of Brachycorythis kalbreyeri Rchb.f.
Culture:
Light:
1000-1800 fc. In nature, plants usually are found in deep shade. For cultivated plants, light should be filtered or diffused, and plants should not be exposed to direct midday sun. Strong air movement should be provided at all times.
Temperatures:
Throughout the year, days average 69-75F (21-24C), and nights average 52-54F (11-12C), with a diurnal range of 13-22F (7-12C). The warmest days and greatest diurnal range of the year occur in late winter and early spring at the end of the winter dry season.
Humidity:
70-80% in summer, dropping to 55-60% most during most of the remainder of the year. Averages may be somewhat greater in the mossy-forest habitat, however.
Water:
Rainfall is moderate heavy from midspring to early autumn, but averages than fall into a 3-month drier period in winter. Cultivated plants should be watered heavily while actively growing, but drainage must be excellent, with the roots becoming dry between waterings.
Fertilizer:
1/4-1/2 recommended strength, applied weekly when plants are actively growing. Many growers prefer to use a balanced fertilizer throughout the year; but others use a high-nitrogen fertilizer from spring to midsummer, and then switch to one high in phosphates in late summer and autumn.
Rest period:
Growing conditions should be maintained all year. la Croix & la Croix (1997) reported that Brachycorythis species require similar conditions in cultivation to species of Stenoglottis. They then went on to suggest that when the plant starts to die back after flowering, it should be kept almost dry. They stated, "If the pot is lightly sprinkled with water every few weeks, this helps to prevent the fleshy roots from shriveling, but and excess of water is fatal." Fertilizer should be reduced or eliminated until new growth starts and heavier watering is resumed in spring.
Growing media:
Growers report that these plants should be potted in a light, free-draining mixture and watered normally while actively growing. Growers in South Africa report that for success with Stenoglottis, the crown should be placed just beneath, or at the same level as the medium in a shallow dish or pot filled with a very well-drained and aerated medium. Hawkes (1965) recommended: "These plants are best grown in rather shallow, perfectly-drained pots or pans, filled with a porous compost of shredded osmunda, fibrous loam, gritty sand, and chopped sphagnum moss."
Notes:
Growers report that plants are in bloom for several weeks and frequent blooming orchid species.
References:
This information is quoted from a Charles and Margaret Baker culture sheet, with permission from Troy Meyers
