Gongora latisepala

Also known as: The Broad Sepal Gongora in the subfamily: Epidendroideae

Native to: Departamento del Huila - Colombia

General Information

The Broad Sepal Gongora is a large sympodial warm to hot growing epiphytic orchid belonging to the sub family Epidendroideae native to Colombia.

Plant Description

Sympodial. Grows to 30cm. Each new growth has numerous lance shaped leaves that grow to 5-25cm long. Pseudobulbs grow to 2-5cm

Substrate(s)

• Coarse
• Charcoal
• Spaghnum Moss
• Perlite

Care Notes

These orchids like to be watered regulary, especially during warm weather, and prefer a well draining mix or also do well mounted, provided they can be watered daily or even many times a day.

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 124mm to 442mm per day, heaviest in May and lightest in November. Humidity ranges from 86% to 88%, highest in May and lowest in November. Temperature ranges from 23C to 28C, highest in April (23C to 28C) and lowest in January (23C to 26C).

Watering

These orchids prefer a wet-dry cycle between waterings, they should be watered frequently but only when the moisture is approaching dryness, where the pot feels light and/or the media looks dry. Keep an eye on mounted orchids in warm weather as they may dehydrate quickly.

Fertiliser

These plants thrive on fertiliser, especially during periods of growth. Liquid fertiliser can be applied year round at the recommended strength, augmented with manure pellets or other quickly degradable fertiliser, applied away from the base of the plant, during periods of strong growth. Slow release pellets can also be applied year round at the rate of 2-3 pellets per cup (250ml) of media.

They can benefit from a high phosphate fertiliser leading up to flowering season, and by a high nitrogen fertiliser when new growth appears. 

Use balanced fertiliser year round. This plant is a heavy feeder year round, full strength fertiliser can be used. Fertiliser can be applied heavily year round. Use a high Nitrogen fertiliser during Spring and Summer. Use a high Phosphorous fertiliser during Summer. Reduce fertiliser when plant is dormant.

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.

Use water retentive media such as moss to prevent roots from drying out quickly This plant does well mounted to Cork slabs. Repotting is best done annually.