A good game at this time of year is looking for next Spring’s flower spikes on Coelogyne cristata. The photo shows the cristata that lives on my bathroom windowsill, and at the base of this year’s shiny new bulb is the unmistakable long thin flower shoot. Checking the greenhouse earlier this evening, all our cristatas are at it (see below) – How exciting.

I have seen advice in books to give Coelogyne cristata a dry winter rest – DON’T

Cool temperatures are a good idea (although my bathroom is far from freezing) and we go for minimum 7-10C in the greenhouse. and plants will need a less soaking than when in summer growth but bulbs should not shrivel at all until flowering (which can be a little exhausting for the bulb supporting the spike)

Plants in the wild (we have seen lots in the wonderful forests of Sikkim – photo below) remain plump through the ‘dry winter season’ as dry in Coelogyne cristata habitats means only raining a couple of times a week and the moss covered trees or rocks where plants grow retain damp right through to the spring.

Look out for Coelogyne cristatas in spike at our shop 🙂