My Jewel Orchid has been in bud for about 2 months now .. not doing anything but sitting there .. is this normal or do they tend to be cleistogamic?

Mine just started opening its flowers, and the buds have been there for at least 6 weeks - I first noticed them around Xmas. We had very cool weather in January, with just a few short warm-ups.

If your greenhouse is getting pretty cool at night still, I'd not worry, just keep them well watered. Once it warms up the flowers will shoot up and open. Pretty little white flowers, sometimes scented too! (I'm not getting any scent yet on mine . . . ) That stem laying on the table at left is broken, but I'm waiting to separate it and hopefully root it when the flower finishes.

Thanks Elaine .. I've more than my share of clestogamic plants .. , violets and Pes tigridis morning glory .. I really wasn't looking forward to another one - tho the Jewel Orchid can stand alone with it's foliage so even if it was it would probably be ok.

Hoping mine is as pretty as yours when it blooms!

Forgot to add that some flowers have a very short window of scent. MG's for example are fragrant for about 2 hours starting around 10am in the morning.

So right, Anne. The leaves are really just lovely.

Orchids especially seem to delay releasing their scent until the flowers are fully open and mature. My big Cattleya is open for 3 or 4 days before it starts to smell nice.

I didn't know MG's had any scent at all, probably the 2hr. window is the reason, huh.

I think some flowers, like the MG only release their scent when the pistil is receptive to pollen.

You need to smell Stanhopeas!
Stanhopea wardii smells the evening before the buds pop. It takes ca 2 hours to open all buds in a cluster and the wonderful scent is immediately present. Certainly it is calling every Bee in the area to attend quickly, since the flowers are so short lived. Looking great the first day, fine the next day and declining on the third. But - so beautiful!

I would think the time of day a bloom is scented depends on the specific pollinator, and when that pollinator would be around to do the job, whatever time of day or night that is.

There are some cleistogamous Orchids, but Ludisia discolor is not one of them. Yours is pretty, Elaine! And yes, patience, Anne - it will surely open soon.

Hi, this is my first post here, but I just felt compelled to share with you about the Ludisia Discolor I had and lost.
I had a 35 yo Ludisia Discolor that I started from a cutting of my grandmother's plant the week before she passed away.

Way back then every housewife, mother-in-law, and grandmother shared cuttings of it, and it was grown by all.
My Ludisia lived for 35 years, it was close to 3 feet around, and bloomed faithfully every spring with hundreds of flowers.
Unfortunately, I lost my entire orchid collection and everything I owned in a major flood years back.
I sure do miss that plant! It always brought a smile to my face just to look at it.

Now-a-days, just a single, sickly looking cutting on Ebay is over $12.00 plus $9,95 shipping!
Which I refuse to pay for a single 3" cutting!
You sure can't get free cutting anymore!
So, please appreciate what you have!

Dan, thanks for sharing that. We are sure happy to hear that our Ludisia is so long lived.
However your post sounds suspiciously like asking a kind hearted person for a cutting? Surely if people might know you better…..and when there is some of your history here?

to ATP Dan.

So sorry about your loss. I am a newbie to orchids, and just recently learned of this beautiful plant when I attended my 1st orchid show this last month. I guess that I was quite fortunate to have found this one from the grower for $15.00.


At the time I thought it was a bit pricey, but after reading what you said about the cutting on Ebay...I'm feeling pretty good about this one...Maybe it was a deal after all!

And you are so right...We all need to remember to appreciate what we have...

Tara, good looking plant!

Yes, of course, Dan
Perhaps we might see more of you here, adding your experience to the Orchid forum?

I'm bummed out to say that my buds shriveled up and died. On a better note, it's making more plant. March is a dangerous time in the Greenhouse for a lot of plants because of the drastic temperature and humidity changes .. I get more damage and lose more plants in March than at any other time.

Do these guys prefer under potting or over potting?

You mean potting in general?
I am not your "master repotter" for sure, so you will see plenty of my Cattleyas growing happily over the edge of the pot. When things get too lopsided I continue by hanging the plant. Sometimes I simply pop a small Catt or similar as is into a bare claypot or basket. So in my case I would think I totally under pot. It is when I am forced some years later to do some plant splitting, I might do the most damage.

Regarding your Ludisia - I wouldn't give the shriveled buds too much thought, since this Orchid is usually grown mainly for its gorgeous foliage anyway. Perhaps you'll see the complete plant next Winter, pretty leaves and blooms.

Thanks!

I have just read about the how expensive the Jewel Orchid is, well I live in the south of France and three weeks ago I bought one from the supermarket " Lidl " for only 1.45€ and it had no flowers on it, it lives on a shelf in my kitchen with a Moon flower plant and a Amaryllis.,

As you can tell it is a bit dim, in a draft, but it seems to be doing Ok, my only problem is that I have had two leaves that hae gone a bit pink, is this through too much or too little water ??????????????

That would be hard to tell from here, but I wouldn't worry. Looking at the picture, it looks like a very nice and healthy plant.
enjoy!