Obligate Cool/Cold Growing Orchids

[mremensnyder]

Hi everybody,

I don't post here very often at all but I think this will be an interesting topic of discussion. I really love mini orchids, especially pleurothallids and appreciate the challenge of those that are difficult to keep alive (usually I fail at this!). So when I saw a vendor with a Telipogon species for sale, I just had to order it. My Telipogon antioquianus arrived last weekend (I know the isn't a very good photo) and have been keeping it in a mini-fridge with cool fluorescent lighting. I am trying to figure out a way to get/keep the temps around 45 - 50F at night and 60-68 F during the day. Now I would like to get a few more minis to go in with the Telipogon and I would like to get a list going of obligate cool/cold growing orchid species. Do any of the Lepanthes species come to mind?

-Michael

[glengary54]

I think a good person for you to talk to would be Marni Turkel who specializes in cool growing species, here's a link to her site:

Orchid Plant Sales

[epiphyte78]

Here's a thread that might be of some interest...Orchids to Grow in a Modified Freezer.

[mremensnyder]

GlenGary, thank you for the tip, they have a few Lepanthes that I will be ordering in the near future (if finances permit). Will also send Marni an email! Epiphyte, thank you for pointing out this thread to me. Reading that certainly reinforces the difficulty in cooling a small growing space versus heating one. I've had the Telipogon for 8 days now, and so far so good. If anything, the fridge is an overkill (40-46 lows/50-60 highs), but I think this is better than the orchid staying too warm. The only other orchid I have in with it is Lepanthes chelonion, which I know is cool growing, but just how cool/cold???

Back to the original topic, here is the start to a list of obligate cool/cold growing species, based mostly on what I've read:
Fernandezia - F. ionanthera, most other species
Lepanthes - L. chelonion, L. discolor, L. decurva, L. mastix.........many others
Odontoglossum - many / most species
Telipogons - most / all species

Please add to this list.

[glengary54]

mremensnyder - Here is a link t Andy's Orchids I did a search on the site for cool growing miniatures and came up with 5 pages to choose from.

Andy's Orchids - Orchid Species - Power Search results

[gnathaniel]

Many Dendrobium species of sections Oxyglossum and Pedilonum are cool to cold growers and might do well with your Telipogon. Most of these are also very brightly colored with long-lasting flowers. I think a lot of Masdevallias and Draculas are also obligate cool growers. Good luck, this sounds like a very cool project! (no pun intended)

--Nat

[mremensnyder]

Update on the Telipogon, it seems to be doing pretty well if the fridge (I now call this my paramo). The plant had a few roots that looked fungus afflicted when I received it and these types of orchids are really sensitive to fungicides-I have killed/hastened the demise of a number of plueros and others this way! Some net research led me to milk as a natural fungicide that shouldn't hurt orchids. I have treated my Telipogon with milk now twice and it seems to be keeping any fungal problems at bay...but the smell has been problematic after a few days, yuck.

I have decided to try a Masdevallia in my "paramo" fridge terrarium and have selected Masd. davisii since it is reputedly found as high as 4000 m. at the treeline in the Peruvian Andes. If anything can tolerate "chill" all the time, this should. May try a Dracula as well, any recommendations?

[Goods14]

I'm just now seeing this thread and am very interested. I'm growing a group of Pleuros in a modified fridge and would be interested in trying a Telipogon, Fernandezia, etc. once I can feel confident about my conditions. How's your Teli doing? Also, where did you find this one?

[orchids3]

Wonder where you live. A good friend of mine here in Jacksonville Fl had a very large collection of Plurothalids,Mazdevalias and the like - so it can be done almost anywhere. He was a chemist and engineers so his greenhouse was a marvelous inovation in itself. We moved on to the great greenhouse in the here after. He would have loved to talk to talk to you. You can grow almost anything almost anywhere if you have the time patience and money.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Telipogon is actually a Maxillaria relative, btw.

I have found Telipogon antioquianus can grow as warm as 85 F, so far...