Schoenorchis tixieri - Orchid Board

citywildcat · #1 04-13-2014, 11:56 AM

Good morning to everyone, I'm new to this forum but not new to orchid growing. I just bought one of these (Schoenorchis tixieri) and was trying to find growing requirements for it. I didn't know there were so many of the same genus that look so much alike... I mean, they look a LOT alike! I could barely tell the photos apart. Mine was in bloom when I received it and apparently stays and bloom for quite a while (it's been in bloom for 3-4 weeks already). As I said I was trying to find some information so I can care for it properly. Apparently what I'm doing so far seems to be okay: high light & humidity, I-W temps, above average air circulation (I read where they should be misted a few times a day/of course you don't want root rot so you have to let the roots dry properly). Other than that, I don't know what to do after it's done blooming. Do I cut it off? It's so small I can barely see it (seriously, it's a good thing I'm a mineral collector because I have a loupe/need it to see what I'm doing when I even water it so I don't get the flowers wet!). Has anyone had one of these for a few years that can give me some advice?

RosieC · #2 04-14-2014, 08:03 AM

Sorry, not familiar with this one. I've moved your post to it's own thread and given it a bump. Hope someone else will be able to help.

Ray · #3 04-14-2014, 08:39 AM

According to orchidspecies.com:

"Found in southern Yunnan province of China and Vietnam at forest margins on trees at elevations of 900 to 1400 meters"

Deep shade, warm conditions (can handle cooler than most), keep the RH up.

citywildcat · #4 04-14-2014, 08:55 AM

Thank you, Ray, for your quick reply.

Deep shade is quite a departure from high light, wouldn't you say?

I suppose, like many other orchids, there are varied sources of information and differing opinions on how to care got them.

I got my information from either the grower, a website, or another forum (probably a combination of all three).

I will certainly keep your information in mind and observe it closely...thanks!

King_of_orchid_growing:) · #5 04-14-2014, 10:37 AM

I disagree with growing this orchid in deep shade. Deep shade is rather dark. It grows brighter than that.

Jay Pfahl has a disclaimer on his encyclopedic website that basically says that the info on his site is not necessarily 100% correct, and that readers should cross reference the info he puts on there. Jay does his best to put the correct info on there, but it still might not be. He also states that if anyone deems any information he puts up on the website to be incorrect, that they can contact him and he will do his best to make those changes.

With that said. I'm going to tell you what you've probably heard from another grower regarding this plant.

I'd grow this orchid in bright shade to moderately bright indirect light.

This species is able to grow significantly cooler than the real Schoenorchis fragrans without showing any signs of distress. The lowest temperature it can grow in is 36 F, no lower.

The different species of Schoenorchis that look very similar to each other can be told apart. If you have the 4 or 5 different species in your collection, you'd have to wait until they all bloom, use a jeweler's loupe, and look at the lip and color patterning, while looking at them side-by-side. Better yet, if you have a macro lens on your camera, take a photo of them in bloom and compare the photos right next to each other and you can see which orchid is which. It is tricky if you're not paying close attention to detail. The calluses and lip shape are what you're looking for, and is a better determinant of differences than the color patterning. Color patterning helps further differentiating the species apart.

citywildcat · #6 04-16-2014, 07:34 AM

king_of_orchid_growing, i'm with you on that! I don't think they will do well in deep shade and that's not what I have found. Mine does well in moderate to above average levels of light and average to slightly above average levels of humidity, somewhere around 65 to 70%. The RH does get higher most of the time but I compensate for that by turning up the fan and providing more ventilation. Because the roots are so fine, I noticed when I first got it, I accidentally misted it too much....you can just tell when the root tips are not happy :-) To grow successfully, it takes a lot of observation/possibly adjustments when you bring in a new plant. (gosh darn it, what the heck did I get on this for?? I certainly deviated away from my intention, LOL!)