Clara, you are a brave soul. Dracs and Helcia! Orchids that i would not even dream of trying to grow.
My guess is Den.cuthbertsonii conditions. At least you should be able to find some complete culture notes on the net and there might be some clues there.

"Growing it with other Pleuro's" ??? That is a very Oncidinae looking flower and the description confirms. You basically have a high altitude cloud forest intergeneric and since it hasn't been bred seven ways till Sunday with all manner of warmth tolerant species you are stuck with whatever warmth tolerance is built into the species you have. This could vary as per the description. More to the point with these plants is their 'cloud forest' origins. Humdidity in cloud forests is very, very high. Constantly. Light is moderate. Low by orchid worlds standards but still high from an indoor growers perspective. I don't think its the "light bumps" that cause decline but the (probably) lowered humidity from the warmth of the lights. As Arthur points out, there are some orchids that are not good choices for certain locales. A challenge is one thing but at some point...

H

Traveling. Apologies bad sleep.

Arthur - Thank you. I will have a look. Tell me why you chose to liken a Helcia to this particular Den? I would be quite interested in your reasoning?

Howard- I would like to understand your position a bit better so I am going to push back at your post a bit. This is a SPECIES plant NOT an Intergen. It is indeed a member of the Oncid Tribe, however the scant info on it and my experience is that it has possibly pleuro light tolerance.... or I can't get it stable enough to acclimate? That is the question. It will not "push" for me. It's a mule of an orchid with respect to light. Won't really budge over 4 florescent tubes at 2" on the dark ends.

I have fantastic diurnal range now. Any fc's I choose (thanks for the preaching). Tried many fc variations with Helcia. Seems to react similar to my Vampira, very low on the fc scale, needs int. and cold. They limit themselves there and I have attempted to push vampira. It is not budging, no need. blooms and grows

My other Dracs can tolerate much more light and all seem to bloom when I can get a 20-25ں Diunal and blow up the fc's (fall and spring and an open window with no protection will do it). Helcia won't stand for any increase or the leaves drop.

My humidity conditions are abundant. I run no lower than 60% RH on a bad day and easily maintain 80% or better after sundown through mid-day. Its in wet conditons.

I don't believe that humid conditions alone can make an orchid bloom or not. I think we can all agree, not that simple. I grow and flower many "unique species", ranging from hot rootless nastie's to cold, dark, black things that are my private joy, but this one tops the cake in the mystery of it's happiness.Fascinating and frustrating

... and the more I try, the more I may be hurting it. So I agree with the "at some point"...The bud knocked me off the chair...How can something that miserable bud unless its about to kick it?

I don't know how to "cook" this one. It's been a battle since the day we met. But... they are amazing in bloom and the frangrance....well... Chanel could learn a thing or 2.

SOS
Clara

Clara, seeing no one answered your post, i looked up Jay's site and though cuthbersonii come from New Guinea it too is a cloud forest orchid.

Have similar problems with Phal. lindenii. posted questions on culture here and got nil answers. The plant is still alive after several years but has that unhappy look.

Talking about unusual orchids. Our society is setting up the autumn show tomorrow afternoon and I'm hopeful that the Australian Native species Guru will have some Corybas to exhibit. I call them Oscar the grouch orchids because they have to live in covered pie dishes. Leave the cover off for an hour or so in a shopping centre and RIP the flower. The guru grows lots of ungrowables.

This waffle doesn't solve your problem, some event in the habitat must signal "time to grow roots" but when you only have one orchid of a species it is hard to find the answer.

Heaven forbid, but have you asked on other forums.

Heaven forbid indeed, Arthur! Other forums!? I shall never admit defeat! Never!!! Ahem... Clara all the answers you need are either contained in the Jay's site link you posted or in my notes or even in Arthur's humble observations. As I have said on other occasions it is interesting how when the urge to write an orchid book strikes, information that is often summarized on a single web page becomes inflated to fill hundreds of pages of text. The culture of cloud forest orchids of ANY genera (and yes I knew the Hel. was a species not an intergeneric) can be found online. Your Helcia will not require anything different to any others. Google Odontoglossum crispum or Cochlioda (only two species I think) maybe throw in Ada. Jay's said Helcia has a 'cold' to 'warm' range. That is vast in the orchid kingdom. On the face of it this orchid should be the easiest thing to grow. What most species growers often fail to notice with the high altitude cloud forest orchids (I won't call them intergenerics again) is that the distinctions of 'cool' 'intermediate' and 'warm' that growers usually use to delineate care for other genera don't always work for 'cloudy's'. With them it isn't the night temp that is all important but the daytime max! You can give an Ascocenda or Vanda the same 45F nighttime low of a cold growing O. crispum but come daytime the crispum is stressed at 75F and dead at 80F. The Vanda will be fine to 100F and beyond. You are right, I don't think humidity seriously impinges on the 'survival' of an orchid. I admit I was reaching in an effort to communicate the 'environment', the ideal environment. Its all I can do from a distance. But here are some other things: 1. Give any changes you make in light, medium, music, etc. no less than 30 days before considering the effort failed. 2. 2" from four tubes is not a lot of light but could probably be a very warm and low humidity place regardless of readings elsewhere in the space. 3. Instruments for measuring humidity are notoriously inaccurate at the consumer level. Back in the day I would recommend buying three (3) cheap hygrometers ~$10 and averaging their readings. Its not quite that bad now but... from whence came yours? How much did it cost? Do you trust it? 4. Oh I forgot, we were minimizing the importance of humidity. Then put them back in the center of the rack. Ends of shelves are for African Violets not orchids. The problem is not too much light. 5. You once mentioned high daytime temps in your space 90F I think. Remember my point above, temps in the 80's can easily kill a cloud forest species. Just some observations.

H

Thanks much for stepping forward with your valued thoughts Gents. I understand both of your points much more clearly. Digesting.

Arthur, glad you can identify with this dilemma. Puzzling, isn't it? "Why?" is indeed the repetitive question. I've been fascinated by this orchid. The reward value is high; only reason I don't give up.

Going to do some research upon your advise. Could give me an idea of a new more successful direction to offer the poor thing. If anyone down your way has any ideas, I would welcome their input.

Didn't learn about the single species until after purchase. Interesting and again I ask "why?". Would you know of others? Could be a good path to investigate for a fresh perspective.

Laughing about other forums. Good suggestion. I use other forums for research but do not post. Have seen 0 on Sanguinolenta. The "British board" is the better of the others, IMO. Their server needs speed, too slow. There are no better mentors than the growers here on GW. I can reach out when I when I lose my step and have no where else to google, read, research. I am never made to feel foolish, no matter how many times I ask the same question. I am always supported 100%. People are patient and respectful of each other. Questions are answered very quickly. Have not found that elsewhere. I'll even go back to the FAQ's here on occasion and "start from the beginning". It's a wonderful reminder of what is really important. What can I say? All of you have spoiled me :-). GW is the Rolls Royce of orchid info and growing advise.

I recall a woman who used to post here. Her responses were always; "Stick the plant somewhere and forget about it". Howard also says, "Pick a spot and call it good" Sound advise taken long ago.

H. I had a hot room in winter. Temps hovered 80F. You may be confusing that area with Helcia's grow area. I am the lady in Chicago living/working in the converted machine shoppe. 2 separate spaces; shoppe and apartment, 2 HVAC systems, high humidity/air and a few micro-climates.

I am moving the bulk of my collection to the shoppe section of the building now...Uggh! but better for them. Semi- outdoor situation can be achieved when I open up the big garage type doors and windows, no squirrels. My compromise.

Helcia's present location is already reaching 80º Day sans heating. It's the reason I am asking for advise now and concerned. Need a plan for a sick plant. Light/heat is rapidly becoming too much for the cloud forrest group to tolerate where they are. It became warm early and rapidly this year. Shoppe is still cooler; has some Oak tree protection. Most have been moved out without supplimentals installed. They are all growing and/or budding. Helcia will be last moved. I need a plan before I move it.

Light usually does the trick for my sick plants. Not yet. Something else is askew. Helcia's light protest comes swiftly upon slight change. Leaves get small black spots, then yellow and fall off extremely rapidly; much like some Dracs or Made's when they get more light than they are used to; too quickly.

Helcia made a bud, so what is it telling me? It may like the present temp range (upper 70's-80 days 50-55º nights) or its teasing me into false hope. It has always received a nice range. This year I did a bigger night drop via the window; earlier than usual. Took advantage of the fast changing weather. Have had good results.

With regards to humidity, yes, I have some rather unique circumstances. I had some environmental issues. A friend had access to OSHA equipment through work. My hygros are not too far off. ~5 points. The electronic humifyer hygo's are far off. Ignored. The space is chronically wet; brick and concrete with city water running under the floor. Manhole cover in the shoppe. Nice place to grow. But not the source of the misery. I am able to grow a Drac out in the open, no cases, small humidifyer if the weather is dry for a time.

Helcia was purchased from a well known G/H cold room, in with the Pleuros, Milts etc. They had scant info about Helcia. "grow it like a pleuro". It had a nice case of root rot when I got it. Decomposed medium/mud. Probably never completely recovered. Helcia does require a solid rest period. Hardly new growth. Flowering now is not the norm.

Kept everything on the dry side this winter. Bark mix may have not been a wise choice for Helcia. Came potted in bark. I repooted into the same and a basket. Repotted to spag with a bottom layer of sponge rock a couple days ago. Hoping to entice roots to reach down for some water if I can coax some root growth. Found some dead pb's under the medium during initial repot. Found the same a couple days ago. Yes, this should be easy to grow, looking at the Baker's or Jay's, but clearly it's not in my present conditions. It's been a long battle.

Observations:
My description is; Phal Beliina-esque in bloom, with oncid skinny PB's and shares some habits and characteristics of Pleuros. It's an odd beauty

The growth is quite unique. The new PB's grow in such a strange directional fashion that they can easily die before they are seen. They like to burrow down into the medium when they emerge or grow so low or even sideways they can't escape. The plant is clumpy and uneven. It has mature PB's growing in every direction, which hinders the new PB emergence. Have tried to manipulate them, can't be done without damaging the plant.

Helcia seems to be a little like my Lycaste Cruenta and will produce a bud first and the leaf afterward. I have managed to get only 2 small new PB's all this time. 1 grew under the medium side ways and died. The other is in bud and has a similar protective grey crunchy type coat (I forget the tech name) at the bottom of the PB, like the Lycaste, not as tough/spiney. Finer, like fiberous hairs. Keeps the PB's clumped together.

____________________________________________________________________________________

I'd like to run a potential plan past the board... As I have been writing this long post a thought occurred. Possible Helcia may be day length sensitive? Could be the missed factor in the light protest/sensitivity issue? The geography is about right...

What if I try day temps mid- upper 70's night 55-60º, keep it as almost as wet as the Dracs, light- 12 on -12 off in the new spag mix? Does this sound like a decent plan that could do it for Helcia?

Only problem is light. What to do? Where to start? I have few leaves left and many shriveling PB's that are unable to produce successful new growth. It's also time to extend light exposure another hour. I am really scrounging for a solid direction. If I could get some decent light on it, we would both be happier. Stubborn orchid won't budge an fc. without a complete melt down.

ANY input would be greatly appreciated.

Clara
PS. My light may be under-estimated light even in z-5. I will probably never grow outdoors again. I can clearly see the difference from z-9 outdoors, but it's the best I can offer indoors. Windows, tubes and CFL's working in tandem. I am still not confident indoors, but better. The move to the shoppe will rattle any confidence I have. Funny how a few meters can make a big difference. Thanks for the support.

When I got Helcia I had to start it somewhere. It came from a dark cool house, so I started under the lowest light/heat I had. Maybe it was a mistake but it's done. Can't get him to bump happily.

I grow mine in pretty high light and it seems to like it. I also keep mine pretty moist when its growing. I find that they grow best if you water them enough to get the wrinkles out of the PB's. Check the pics of my plants I just posted in the gallery. Are your PB's wrinkled and shrivled or plump? Wait until you see new roots then I would keep it moist until fall. I do give it a drier regimine in the winter. It should start a new growth a few weeks after blooming.

Travis

Dahlia Guy
Thank you! Great help. We may be the only 2 people growing this one. It appears that you are growing outdoors? Yes my pb's are shriveled. When you say that you give them "pretty high light" what range are you speaking of? Can you give me any insight into temps?

Do you also have problems with the new PB's getting stuck under the medium?

Again many thanks for posting the pics!
Clara

I've nurtured a small seedling I got last year at the NYIOS -- nearly killed it when it got too dry last fall, but it seems to be coming back.

A handy trick for many species is andy's power search; enter the genus name, see if they've got it, and you get basic cultural info.

One thing about this one is it doesn't like daytime temps to be too high (over about 78 degrees); that's part of the cloudforest thing. So I'd try a min-max thermometer to see how hot it gets around the plant. Other than never, ever, letting it dry completely, I have no insight.

Good luck, I love this species and hope to see a bloom some day, but I'll settle for healthy new growth . . . .

Jim