Has Anyone Successfully Kept A Ghost Orchid? (Dendrophylax lindenii)

[Bud]

I got seven seedlings wrapped in nylon thread around moss on a grape stick. I put it inside a jar with 1/4 water and sprayed it every morning for 6 months and make it accustomed to my environment on the east facing window of my kitchen. Then I removed it from the grape stick and let it lay on a bed of Spanish moss for another year then when I got the bark from the glades I transferred it in bark where it is presently mounted. The whole bark is inside a large glass vase in winter. It gets to experience heavy rains and hot steamy humidity in summers out on the fire escape. Only two survived. The other five plants were alive only when it was on Spanish moss....when I put it on bark they survived only a week....notice the lichens and some other fungus on the bark that is still alive today.

[TOMMYMIAMI]

Since ghost orchid is maybe hard to succeed with, you may try what I did (I also wanted ghost one bad). Instead of the ghost I settled for now for Dendrophylax Funalis. I have it mounted on the tree fern, covered with live Spanish moss, above pot filled with water constantly, and outside in my balcony in Florida. Have it since June, and it seems like it is doing just fine, roots are growing longer, no issues for over 2 months now. They are also easier to obtain:-) Just a tip.

[DaRealKevinGibson]

Originally Posted by Bud

I remember someone from New Orleans growing lindenii mounted on a large conch shell hanging on a wall; I also saw the largest plant displayed on the entrance of an orchid store in South Carolina.
I have near blooming plants that I hope to bloom in a couple of years. Here are pictures of my ghost through the years. It is presently mounted on a cypress bark that came from a tree in the everglades where a dead lindenii once grew. There is a beneficial fungus that helps in making food and it can be found on old dead roots or from a bark where there is a mature lindenii.
*this orchid is protected by the Federal government so disturbing any live plant is prohibited but dead roots and bark coming from private homesteads is not.

Wow Bud!! You be da man!!! I want a Ghost Orchid so bad I'm willing to give up a kidney!!! LOL

Originally Posted by naoki

Excellent, Bud! It looks like that your plants are well established. I looked at your old posts, and learned how you managed to grow them. So it sounds like that using the old bark (with possible associated fungi) was the key of your success.

So when they were young, you attached bunch of seedlings to a stick, and put the stick on a bed of moss on a matt of cypress bark?:
http://www.orchidboard.com/community...tml#post464920

You used live Spanish Moss, right? What kind of temp, RH, light, and watering scheme did you use for the young seedlings? Then, once they grow a big bigger, did you move it to the current mount?

Thanks for your input naoki!!!

[Bud]

the plants do not get temps below 50F....indoors there is a humidifier with an oscillating fan=outdoors it has a soft wind that circulates around the surrounding buildings. The same buildings also protect it from hurricane winds and heavy rains. When the temps get hot in Manhattan I water it twice a day. Now that it is maturing, I let it dry out then I have to water again=but when it was a seedling in Spanish moss I maintained it evenly moist. Weekly weakly fertilizer.
The seedling stage is really very critical. This is the time when they are deflasked and come out to experience the world even if it is still indoors. I had to spray it with physan20 monthly to rule out bacteria infestation. Now it is easier to maintain since it has established to my environment.

[DaRealKevinGibson]

Originally Posted by Bud

I got seven seedlings wrapped in nylon thread around moss on a grape stick. I put it inside a jar with 1/4 water and sprayed it every morning for 6 months and make it accustomed to my environment on the east facing window of my kitchen. Then I removed it from the grape stick and let it lay on a bed of Spanish moss for another year then when I got the bark from the glades I transferred it in bark where it is presently mounted. The whole bark is inside a large glass vase in winter. It gets to experience heavy rains and hot steamy humidity in summers out on the fire escape. Only two survived. The other five plants were alive only when it was on Spanish moss....when I put it on bark they survived only a week....notice the lichens and some other fungus on the bark that is still alive today.

Yo Bud, that glass jar thing you're doing is that what people call "flasking?"

---------- Post added at 06:12 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:11 PM ----------

I'm just NOT that advanced guys!!!! I have a LOOOONG way to go!

[Bud]

flasking=is the process of growing orchids from seed. Although one may not do common lab procedures, they are easy to do for other members here and maybe someday for you too.
I got my plants already deflasked. I was giving it vase culture. You can read about this method from the threads of other senior members.

[Ghosthunt64]

Originally Posted by DaRealKevinGibson

Thanks for the links GhostHunt64! Imma check em out now! Aaron did do what we consider "impossible" though

You're welcome. And, indeed.

[Bud]

You need not lose a kidney....just keep on trying until you succeed. This is a process of religiously caring for your plants. I once left my orchids for 11 days and I swear never to do it ever again to my sensitive plants....I have learned to properly wrap them and strategically hang them on the bathroom of any hotel I am in....there are some orchids that you can neglect for weeks outdoors....even the ghost survived 11 days for it was already established in my environment; but it shriveled some roots its good that as you can see it now the roots have perked up.

[Nanook 2010]

Originally Posted by Bud

You need not lose a kidney....just keep on trying until you succeed. This is a process of religiously caring for your plants. I once left my orchids for 11 days and I swear never to do it ever again to my sensitive plants....I have learned to properly wrap them and strategically hang them on the bathroom of any hotel I am in....there are some orchids that you can neglect for weeks outdoors....even the ghost survived 11 days for it was already established in my environment; but it shriveled some roots its good that as you can see it now the roots have perked up.

You travel with your orchids?

[TOMMYMIAMI]

Wow Bud, traveling with your orchids, you can not surprise me but you still do, you know a lot and do a lot for them, this is amazing!