I was just in progress about writing on this topic on my Lycaste post. I took a break and saw your post calvin. It relates. I do not grow coelogyne but I do grow many "cloud forest" types that are similar. I have seen latent growth occuring a lot, even with myself. Could it be zone creep? People in z-6 and 7 grow these guys. Could it be something I am doing? More than likely something I am doing. My culture is not right.

Good example, I am trying to grow dens again, but this time in z -5. Grew them in FL never really touched them or paid attention. Why the heck am I getting new growth in fall ? The answer was in the culture sheet and I ignored it.

Casual general culture states to water the heck out of them in summer and then cut it. Actually when reviewing the Baker's, I saw that water gets cut in half in late August! There was my 1st probable mistake.

2nd mistake. This den was outside this summer. For the 1st part of the summer which was cool that is fine. But during the dog days that plant went consistently well above what it wants in terms of temps. Strike 2 and the reason for my "over-watering". I should have brought the plant in to more controlled, cooler conditions.

Somehow we get it in our minds up North that natural light is soooo much better for the plant that the actual cultural requirements flies right out the window. We become a bunch of illerates suddenly! 72º looks like 92º doesn't it? and then we wonder why the plant is responding the way it does.

Earlier this year H posted that plants are better off indoors during summer. That post created quite a bit of confusion and controversy. I can fully understand why he made that statement. For those plants who's culture is in the ballpark of N American summers, great send them out. That generally speaking isn't the cloud forest gang. The vanda's, asians; better fit. For those who aren't even close (74 day/ 60 nights) they should stay in. The indoor growers on this board pretty much have the indoor light issue well in hand now. Reasonable culture can be accomplished just as well or better indoors. I am not saying we can better give them a diurnal range indoors but at minimum we can supply them with one of the 2 temps, instead of 0 of 2.

Clara

Yup, had the same thoughts, but with a another plant. It's commonly stated on this forum to leave plants like Dend kingianum outside as long as possible since they can take temps into the low 30's F if not even lower, but for us in the north you have to bring the plant back inside at some point when the temps are just too cold. So all of a sudden, this plant goes from the outside into an environment that is probably 20 degrees warmer. Surely that must have a negative impact on blooming and all that. Maybe that's why so few people can bloom these things?

While it's outside it's getting the cool down it likes, but that cool period is cut short by bringing the plant back inside even if you consider your temps inside to be on the cool side. They're still much, much warmer than what the plant was experiencing outside. I would imagine once the plant is back inside it's thinking SPRING TIME. In other words, just too many drastic temperature changes in too short a period of time.

I guess great minds do think alike.

Kevin

Sometimes plants in cultivation do not act the same way they do in their natural habitat. In cultivation we try and mimic the environment that the plant has in situ. For most of us this is a hard thing to do especially with a mixed collection. Some plants adjust, and some don't.
The old adage is to listen to (or observe) your plant. This of course gets better with experience.
In the wild it is not uncommon for plants that need a dry rest to start growing as much as a month before the rains come. Calvin, I think you are correct when you ask "Keep cool and dry as per culture sheets despite new growths/until new roots appear." I think you can start watering when the roots get about 2 inches long, but then again watch the plant.

Thanks for the advice and insight...I'll keep these and everything that's going on in the 'lycastes for new years' thread in mind. I bought a fogger, a fan, and I got my aquarium (10 dollars..what a deal!) so I think I'll put my plant in to raise humidity (that's one thing the plant enjoys all year around so hopefully I can't screw that up!). I see a lot of pictures of this plant growing on moss-covered logs and stuff, so I'm assuming it's never allowed to go bone dry on the surface, but rather, a light misting of dew which I'm hoping the humidifier will accomplish. But yes, I will definitely increase water once new roots come. :)

"I see a lot of pictures of this plant growing on moss-covered logs and stuff, so I'm assuming it's never allowed to go bone dry on the surface,but rather, a light misting of dew which I'm hoping the humidifier will accomplish." Calvin, that is a very good assumption. Actually, what one person considers a dry rest or one area of the world considers a dry period in their cycle may be very different from what you may consider a dry period to be. Considers Southeast Asia where they can have months of monsoon rains, the dry period in their climate may be when it rains only once a week or twice a week.
Now with the Internet you can find average rain falls and temperature changes for each month of most places around the world. Some good books and culture sheets offer this information also (Margaret and Charles Baker books and culture sheets for example). You have to be careful to get good local data as one side of a mountain or range can get quite a bit more rain than the others side. Usually an east facing side gets less rain than a west facing side.
So what I try and do is locate this information for each species of orchids I grow. I then take a plant tag (mine are yellow)and I write down the monthly rainfall pattern and temperature changes. I then stick this in the pot and can easily refer to it whenever I have a question on how wet or dry the orchid should be or whether I need to change the temperature. I use a blue plant tag to stick in pots when the orchid is going through a time period in their native habitat of heavy rains, taking out the blue plant tag during "dry periods". This makes it easy to spot the orchid's I need to water more frequently and not to forget that one plant in the corner that needs frequent water at that time.
Most dry periods of tropical plants have some rainfall during that time.

Thanks painterart, trying to understand the difference between a dry rest and what actually happens in the native habitat can make your head spin.

Brooke

That is a great method of tracking the cultural needs of your plants, painterart!!!