Bulbophyllum retusiusculum

Also known as: The Blunted Cirrhopetalum or Phyllorkis retusiuscula Bulbophyllum langbianense Bulbophyllum retusiusculum var. oreogenes Cirrhopetalum flavisepalum Cirrhopetalum micholitzii Cirrhopetalum touranense Bulbophyllum oreogenes Bulbophyllum flavisepalum Cirrhopetalum oreogenes Bulbophyllum confusum Cirrhopetalum touranense var. breviflorum in the subfamily: Epidendroideae

Native to: Bhutan Hainan - China Thailand Yunnan - China

General Information

The Blunted Cirrhopetalum is a small sympodial cool to warm growing epiphytic orchid belonging to the sub family Epidendroideae native to Bhutan, China and Thailand.

Plant Description

Sympodial. Grows to 10cm. Each new growth has a single oblong shaped leaf that grows to 1.3-10cm long. Pseudobulbs grow to 0.8-2.5cm. The plant tends to climb or sprawl with each new growth

Substrate(s)

• Coarse
• Medium
• Fine
• Bark
• Spaghnum Moss
• Perlite

Care Notes

These orchids like to be kept on the dry side, but may need to be watered daily during warm weather, and prefer a well draining mix or also do well mounted, provided they can be watered regularly.

These are quite a forgiving orchid, there are no special requirements to get this orchid to flower, just good care and consistent conditions. Larger plants may be more fussy and can react poorly to change; a poorly timed repotting, a pest infection or an unusually hot day can set them back for a couple of years. However, even plants that have been treated poorly can thrive, and if they are set back they often recover much stronger then they would otherwise be.

Climate

Grows at low to high elevations. Rainfall ranges from 41mm to 480mm per day, heaviest in July and lightest in January. Humidity ranges from 82% to 93%, highest in October and lowest in April. Temperature ranges from 6C to 24C, highest in July (19C to 24C) and lowest in January (6C to 12C).

Watering

These orchids are sensitive to excessive watering and should only be watered when they look thirsty. Water infrequently and ensure that the roots are dry before watering. Keep an eye on them especially during hot weather as overwatering can lead to rot, whereas underwatering may result in wilting or shriveling, which while unattractive, will not kill the plant.

Fertiliser

Apply liquid based fertiliser per recommended directions. They can benefit from a high phosphate fertiliser leading up to flowering season, followed by a high nitrogen fertiliser when new growth appears, and a balanced fertiliser in other times. These orchids can also tolerate slow release fertiliser applied 1-2 pellets per cup (250ml) of media.

Use balanced fertiliser during Spring and Summer. Be sure to flush out excess fertiliser by running water through the media regularly year round. Apply fertiliser regularly at half strength year round. Use a high Nitrogen fertiliser during Spring and Summer. Use a high Phosphorous fertiliser during Summer.

Potting

Due to the growth nature of these plants they are best mounted onto cork, tree fern slabs, or even trees if the climate suits. Water regularly especially in hot weather.

This plant does very well in baskets or suspended pots This plant does well mounted to Tree trunks or Fern slabs. Repotting is best done annually.