Sarcochilus falcatus

Also known as: The Sickle or Sarcochilus falcatus var. montanus Sarcochilus montanus Sarcochilus falcatus h.f. albus Sarcochilus niveus Sarcochilus falcatus h.f. flavescens Thrixspermum falcatum The Orange Blossom Orchid in the subfamily: Epidendroideae

Native to: Victoria - Australia

General Information

The Sickle is a miniature monopodial cool to warm growing epiphytic or lithophytic orchid belonging to the sub family Epidendroideae native to Australia.

Plant Description

Monopodial. Grows to 100cm. Each new growth has numerous arching oblong shaped leaves that grow to 0.8-16cm long. The plant forms pendant or arching growths

Flowers

Numerous fragrant blossoms appear during Winter and Spring

Fragrance

The orchid is fragrant.

Blooming Season

• Spring
• Winter

Substrate(s)

• Medium
• Fine
• Bark
• Charcoal
• Sand

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.

Fragrant:

• IsFragrant

Climate

Grows at low to high elevations. Rainfall ranges from 53mm to 221mm per day, heaviest in September and lightest in February. Humidity ranges from 70% to 83%, highest in August and lowest in March. Temperature ranges from 2C to 22C, highest in June (14C to 22C) and lowest in January (2C to 13C).

Watering

These orchids prefer a constant supply of moisture, with a slight drying out between waterings. Saucers can be placed under pots to retain moisture during hot weather, however the saucers should be removed or let to dry every 1-2 weeks to prevent rot. Keep an eye on the plant especially in hot weather and look for cues of under/overwatering and adjust accordingly.

Keep moisture levels up during hot weather as the plant is prone to dehydration

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.

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

It's best to observe the root system when repotting and use that as a guide:

A plant with a short root system will do better in a shallower pot with a fine mix, or mounted on fern or cork supplanted with a good amount of moss or similar material.

A plant with a long root system often does well in a pot filled with moss or fine media, mixing in perlite and charcoal is always beneficial to reduce the likelihood of the mix becoming soggy and keeps it fresh.

A plant with a coarser long root system can be potted in a deeper pot, but with 2/3 coarse material such as bark, expanded clay, or coco chips and topped with moss or similar material. This will allow the moisture to remain inside the pot but give the roots air as well.

This plant does well mounted to Cork slabs. Repotting is best done annually and in a pot the same size or only slightly larger than the previous one.