Stubborn Eucharis

mhach@ix.netcom.com mhach@ix.netcom.com
Tue, 28 Dec 2010 12:00:21 PST
Dear Bulbophiles

Eucharis amazonica has been grown for years as a cut flower crop. Searching the literature you can find articles that detail techinques for getting as much as 4 flushes of blooms per year out of them. Stressing the plants apparently induces flower formation in the plants. This can be done by either drought stressing them reducing the watering to 'force' them to produce blooms or through temperature manipulation. I had good experience getting them to bloom just by forgetting to water them waiting until the leaves flopped before watering again and repeating this for a period in spring and fall.

One researcher found that a drop in temperature for several weeks induced flowering at very high percentages. Summarizing the article - growing at 80F followed by a drop in temperature for 3-5 weeks at 70F induced a 95% flowering rate. I have a copy of the article of anyone is interested in reading a scientific study of this phenomena.

Marc
NJ USA


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