Chondrorhyncha amazonica

Base Price: $35.00

Intro:
This is a plant native to the Amazon Basin, mostly in Peru and Ecuador. This plant has no pseudobulbs for storage, and the thin wide leaves require that moisture be available at the roots at all times. The flowers are large, white, and the lip has some blue veins in it. Usually each stem produces about three flowers that are 3-4" in size.

Light:
This is a lower light plant andwill tolerate light conditions as for phalaenopsis. Light levels from 750-1000 footcandles.

Temperature:
This is an intermediate temperature plant, and does well in nighttime temperature between 60-63 degrees, and day temperatures in the 70-'s or low 80's.

Humidity:
Because of the thin leaves and the lack of water storage in pseudobulbs, this plant requires humidity in the 50-75% range.

Water:
Cochleanthes like clean water, that is, rain, distilled or R.O. (reverse osmosis) water. If your municipal water has a PH of 7.5 or lower, your plant will probably do well. Since these plants have no pseudobulbs or thick leaves for water storage, it is best to keep them on the moist side. Allow the medium to approach dryness only.

Fertilizer:
We highly recommend 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.

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:
Flowering season can be at any time of the year, but usually begins in the fall and continues off and on through spring. During the warmer months of summer, these plants will probably stop flowering altogether and just grow foliage.

Repotting:
This plant will grow well in a rockwool mix consisting of ParGro granular rockwool with 35% perlite added and 10% charcoal. It will also grow well in bark mixes as long as you keep the plant moist enough or add some poultry grade peat to your mix.