Lycaste Ryan Thomas Coyne

Base Price: $75.00

Cross: (Leo 'Maggie' x Diana Burritt)

Intro:
Lycaste hybrids are beautiful plants producing multiple-bloom spikes from the base of mature pseudobulbs in the winter and spring months. Their flowers are large (3 to 6 inches), long lasting and fragrant. This hybrid produces flowers in whites through yellows with varying degrees of amber and mahogany.

Light:
Grow these plants in medium light as you would for Cattleyas (2000 to 3500 footcandles). Keep them in shady conditions during the bright summer months and in strong light during the fall and winter months.

Temperature:
This plant prefers intermediate to cool temperatures. Nighttime lows from 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit and daytime highs from 68 to 75 degrees are ideal. Summer temperatures will be slightly warmer.

Humidity:
50% or higher is ideal.

Water:
Use rainwater, distilled or reverse osmosis water. Lycastes love water, especially during the growing season from late winter through fall. Water as the mix becomes slightly dry. Observe the pseudobulbs - as long as they are full and plump, you are watering correctly. If they are shriveled you may be under watering, or the roots might be rotting from over watering. Keep the plant slightly dry between watering from late fall until you see a spike emerge. Then water more regularly. Many Lycastes are deciduous and will lose their leaves in the winter to early summer months. It is not unusual if the leave tips turn brown before they fall off.

Fertilizer:
We highly recommend using Green Jungle Orchid Food, especially formulated to work with rain, distilled, reverse osmosis water or water low in alkalinity. Fertilize with Green Jungle every time you water if plants are planted in bark. Be sure to flush the mix with clear water only once per month to prevent fertilizer salt build up. For plants in moss or mounted on slabs feed every third or 4th watering as the moss holds a lot of nutrients.

Or use GrowMore 20-10-20 Ureafree for municipal or well water. Use at the rate of ½ teaspoon per gallon. If using GrowMore with rain, distilled, or reverse osmosis water, add back in 5 - 10% municipal or well water to supply the necessary calcium and magnesium. Fertilize every other watering in the summer and every third watering in the winter.

Another fertilizer offered is: GrowMore 6-30-30 (Cymbidium and bloom boosting formula).

Flowering:
These plants typically bloom in the late winter to early spring months with large 3 to 6 inch flowers emerging from stems at the base of the largest pseudobulbs. Large specimens produce multiple spikes and can be quite impressive. Support the spikes before they bloom or the flowers will cause them to sag downwards.

Repotting:
Repot this plant after it flowers into a fine or medium bark mix, or a rock wool mix. Lycastes may be divided once they develop 6 or more pseudobulbs. The old bulbs can still produce new growths as well.