Hi Claire,

I don't have your particular vuyl, but I have a vuyl Melissa Brianne. I don't have great success in growing it either, because I only have one new psb growing during 2 years. It used to sit about 20 inches from an east window, but this January, I put it on the window sill and since then I really notice a difference: this new psb is now growing 2 newer psb, and they grow way faster than the 'old' new psb (the mom if you will). True that I fertilize a little more often, but I believe the sun did most of the magic (I live in Kansas). Now I don't know what would happen in summer when it gets hot and dry - not sure if that would stall the growth. Not sure about the nodes you're referring to. Let's hope someone can help us out here :)

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I think you are describing normal new growth, which is not a keiki. There are more than one eyes that can activate, but not an infinite supply.

The cultural question you must answer is why the new growths die. One very likely reason is that water got in the new growth and it rotted.

Thank you for the great information. I already fert my orchids weakly weekly so that isn't it but I can move it closer to the light.

Richardol, thank you for clarifying keiki's and new growth. That was something that I was wondering about. I hope each PSB has more than 2 eyes to work with. It is possible that I did get moisture in them but that's a whole different question for me. My new growth isn't crinkling the leaves but the leaves get stuck together as they grow so I go in with a toothpick and start separating the new leaves from one another as they emerge. As the PSB's emerge a couple are busting through on one side of the growth and not separating the leaves down the middle as it emerges. I think they are also stuck/glued together and that is why they won't spread apart for the PSB. I can't up the humidity a great deal so I've been wetting the new growth a little to help it out. Some orchids react well to the additional moisture but others quickly rot. (ie Z. and Vuyl.) Am I the only one who is seeing the leaves stick together?

Don't un-stick the leaves , you are removing its natural protection against getting moisture in and then you are putting moisture down there. Second, What are you feeding with? Growth and blooming require a change. These Vuyl. (I have the same) may have came from Kalapana orchids in Hi. where they concider 70F as "Cool", I wish !! Where I live the high doesn't get to 70F all that often.

I have this one in a terrarium with a baby dendrobium delicatum, both orchids are so young the humidity is really only possible in a terrarium. The vuyl. is in flower,but it is trying to sprout a new bulb, which if it dampens off, it might not be able to sprout a new one again. That is what I read anyway, that they sprout, if it fails, that bulb won't sprout again, I guess we will see. So far so good. There are about a dozen earthworms in there with some prime canadian peat humus, potting soil, and regular canadian peat moss, the dendro loves it,but the vuyl will have to adjust to just sitting on top of it. Only time will tell. The pink toe tarantula loves it in there,explores as if she was in the tree tops, such a precious thing. So far she won't eat earthworms.

The yellow is from the light. Another photo. I do not sweat a little dirt on an orchid,comon the thing is a plant. The vuyl loves humidity.

I am not gonna sweat a few water drops off in the bulbish area either. The thing is a hybrid. All the work already done, in a convenient price and plant you merely watch grow and tend to while learning about it's parent plants. No cross pollination or flasking needed, lol. It gonna have some resilience and so far can really just sit large on some dirt. The earthworms love the thing. I shouldn't have to fertilize, but if I do,both orchids come out for that. The leaves are green,it's the light.

seems that,following up btw, these orchids will inebriate crickets. perhaps it was something else. Anyway if the orchid gets wet and stays that way, it'll look like it's rotting,even get soggyish, but it dries out hard and fine. I have mine out for some drier time and a fertilizer drink. Very peculiar orchid.