In Situ Vs Home/Greenhouses. What makes orchids strong?

[alecStewart1]

Yea at the end of the day, we're trying to get the most out of our investments, not mimic the natural state of where the plants grow.

Although I'm sure some our partners/spouses might have some reservations on whether or not our plants can be called "investments."

[Cach26]

Okay, of course it's true, a "happy" plant won't die from anything, but I mean this...

In nature, many species grow on trees, and trees, of course, are an ecosystem in themselves, and in general what I have seen is that animals mistreat them, bite pseudobulbs, break leaves. And from time to time the human being also does his thing.

What do I mean?

I live in the "in situ" area of ​​Laelia Undulata and Sobralia chrysostoma, I have seen how deforestation has reduced the number of places where they can exist. One day a friend who was helping me pruning a tree cut in half 4 pseudobulbs of a Laelia Undulata that had been in the house for decades (it was an accident). However, despite the big cut, not only did he recover, he did not get infected, he did not develop fungi or viruses... nothing.

It was not treated, in fact I realized 3 months later XD, when I saw it up close.... A Hybrid Catleya would not survive that easily...

I have plants that have died from a small cut...

So, what is the secret to having plants that resist everything?

---------- Post added at 07:56 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:52 PM ----------

Regarding the Sobralias, they grow on the sides of the roads, and of course, from time to time, the authorities cut the weeds including the Sobralias D:

But they recover from it and grow without rot, fungi or viruses, they don't get infected...

What's happening?

[Roberta]

I don't know, but I have a couple of hefty L. purpuratas that I "gently" divided with a sabre saw (totally entwined with wood and plastic baskets, so some good roots got cut too, there was no way to disentangle anything), divided last February. Not only did the pieces bloom in the early summer after this vicious treatment, but are doing new growth and new roots very nicely. They got no treatment of any sort, just got put into new baskets as well as I could..., threw a little bark in just to help hold the pieces. So some plants are just tough.

I also have a monster Sobralia that I got from a society "opportunity" table, the roots were sort of a rectangular block. I think it had been divided with a table saw. I plopped it into a pot, filled in with bark, and it obviously didn't mind the insult. Again, the roots could not have possibly been untangled, whoever supplied the plant didn't even try. The plant will probably be in the same pot, on the patio, when they carry me out of the house feet first... there is no way I could divide it or even lift it. Another very tough orchid.

[katsucats]

I don't have a reason to believe orchids are stronger in nature. On average, they are probably weaker than in the hands of an experienced grower that provides it with all the nutrients it needs. However, every artificially cultured plant exists in the collective experience of people who engage in and discuss this hobby. In nature, only the orchids that survive enter our collective experience. When human beings flask orchids, every seedling is accounted for. When seeds disperse in nature, the vast majority of even the ones that germinate will never be seen. So how can anyone claim they are stronger in nature?

[Keysguy]

Hola Cach26!

You are raising some really intriguing questions and points.

Here are some of my thoughts based on my 20+ years of orchid growing. Keep in mind this makes me a neophyte next to a lot of the contributors to this board.

I started growing in a small greenhouse in the northeast US where the winters are long, cold and dark but moved my collection to Key West, FL about 8 years ago.

*- the greenhouse was a constant battle of all things environment to find a "sweet spot" where the plants would survive. I didn't say thrive, I said survive. Unless you were growing plants native to that area, you were constantly adjusting the environment to find something "good enough" but never really what any of them preferred. This has to put a tremendous amount of stress on the plants which would make them more susceptible to any number of negative things.

* my main lesson there was you need to settle on 1 or 2 environments that you can consistently create and collect plants only suitable to those environments. And then it's still going to be a constant battle.

*When I moved my plants to Key West (an environment likely more similar to yours) probably 25% of them died. Why? Because I now grow in a shade house so I can't control the environment beyond the shading impact of the shade cloth covering. I do have supplemental water and fertilizer but if it rains, they get watered. If it doesn't, they don't get as much. And they flourish! Why? Because I'm now growing only plants that want to be in that environment. They developed where they naturally occur over tens of thousands of years. They "hardened" themselves to exist there. As mother nature threw them curveballs, they were mostly gradual, the plants adaptation process continued and the species continued right along with the changes. In cases of violent change (think a major hurricane) they get beat to crap but eventually they come back and maybe even better and stronger. Just like your sobralia getting mowed down example. An occasional good haircut makes them stronger.

For me, it's all about matching the plant to the environment. As soon as you tinker with the environmental factors (and that's a really long list) some plant somewhere in the collection is not going to be happy. Light (intensity & duration), air movement, water, nutrients, temperature and seasonal adjustments (if not purely tropical) are individually, if not collectively, critical to each individual plant.

As soon as humans start messing with things (in our current discussion orchids), things tend to quickly get out of balance.

I suspect "the secret" you are looking for is to leave them where they naturally occur and enjoy them there. But that's not nearly as much fun, is it?

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by Keysguy

Hola Cach26!

I suspect "the secret" you are looking for is to leave them where they naturally occur and enjoy them there. But that's not nearly as much fun, is it?

But seeing them in their environment and FEELING the environment is not only exhilarating, it is very instructional. After a trip to Ecuador, I got a LOT better at growing Andean species. After walking into Pepe Portilla's living room (Ecuagenera) and seeing a whole bunch of happy standard Cymbidiums, the lights went on - there is an overlap in temperature between my back yard in California (where Cymbidiums are really easy to grow and flower), and 2500m elevation on the Equator. (Moisture I can provide with a hose, temperature is something that I have to just live with)

[Keysguy]

You're right Roberta!

Not as much fun nor as educational.