Cowhorn, Beehive, and Cigar are the most familiar common names for Cyrtopodium Punctatum. In South Florida, this orchid is suffering because the particular bee that pollinates this orchid is being killed by car exhaust. It seems like one sees fewer and fewer of these orchids in the wild here in Miami-Dade.
Do you have one in your collection? How do you care for it?
I have one fairly large Cowhorn Orchid that has bloomed for me the past two years. These orchids have a reputation for being hard to bloom. So a few days ago, someone gave me a Cowhorn Orchid because they were in the process of killing it (not intentionally). I did not think that it was going to live until next spring when it would be best to repot it, so I have tried to rescue it by repotting now. It came to me in a clay pot. This was a good choice for a pot; however, in the pot was sand, dirt, and decomposing mulch. I would not recommend any of this material for potting a Cowhorn Orchid. Unfortunately, because of this mix, one of the bulbs on the orchid is rotting and so are quite a few of the roots. So what to do?
1. Remove from old pot and get a clean, clay pot.
2. Mix fine charcoal (about 1/3) with relatively small lava rocks (2/3).
3. Add time release fertilizer and time release magnesium sulfate to the mix.
4. Put about 1/3 of the mix in the bottom of the pot.
5. Center the orchid in the pot.
6. Fill around the orchid with the balance of the mix.
While this is not the ideal time to repot this orchid, I felt like it was my only option.
As you may know, there are many different techniques for successfully growing orchids. What kind of mix do you use for Cowhorns?
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2 comments:
i have a huge cowhorn orchid that originaly started from a piece my grandfather had over 30 years ago.it literaly sits outside and grows like a weed.it blooms every year and always looks great and i never touch do a single thing to it.im cutting pieces off it now and making some nice driftwood displays cause its gettin realy big.
That is great. Yes, if an orchid is doing great, the best thing to do is keep doing exactly as you are. I have also found the if the cowhorn orchid is in a good media, they take very little care. Mine sets in full sun. I do not water it at all from October through April. During the summer, it does need some water. I also add fertilizer in the spring. My largest one is now in full bloom. The one that I am rescuing is now doing much better. It has started growing new pods
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