Updates on "hard" growing species in Miami

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Yeah…

I'm not convinced that Dendrobium cuthbertsonii is really a strict cool grower. I think it is more of a cool to intermediate growing orchid that likes mild temperatures. I believe the problem with this orchid might be more associated with 2 things…

1. Humidity. New Guinea/Papua New Guinea is humid, in certain places, it is about 80% - 85% RH.

2. Roots. The orchid is rather small. Sometimes it is easy to not notice how the roots are doing. If the roots are doing well on an orchid, the plant is stronger than an individual that has messed up roots.

I think these 2 things might be accounting for a lot of the issues.

The temperatures are not so much a big deal as long as it doesn't go above 80 F or 85 F.

There are weather reports available for certain regions of New Guinea/Papua New Guinea. People can get a sense of what the temperatures are like there. From what I've seen, the mountains are kinda mild in temperature. If you're comfortable, it is most likely that Dendrobium cuthbertsonii is too.

With the AC on during the summer, a humidifier near the orchid, and some lights, someone's room is perfect for this orchid.

[nikkik]

I think the secret to growing orchids is to look at your environment as a whole: light, temps., water, feeding and air circulation. We all have such different environments and micro-environments where we grow that a simple culture sheet is only an outline to help guide us, it should not be the gospel!

[TOMMYMIAMI]

Originally Posted by King_of_orchid_growing:)

Yeah…

I'm not convinced that Dendrobium cuthbertsonii is really a strict cool grower. I think it is more of a cool to intermediate growing orchid that likes mild temperatures. I believe the problem with this orchid might be more associated with 2 things…

1. Humidity. New Guinea/Papua New Guinea is humid, in certain places, it is about 80% - 85% RH.

2. Roots. The orchid is rather small. Sometimes it is easy to not notice how the roots are doing. If the roots are doing well on an orchid, the plant is stronger than an individual that has messed up roots.

I think these 2 things might be accounting for a lot of the issues.

The temperatures are not so much a big deal as long as it doesn't go above 80 F or 85 F.

There are weather reports available for certain regions of New Guinea/Papua New Guinea. People can get a sense of what the temperatures are like there. From what I've seen, the mountains are kinda mild in temperature. If you're comfortable, it is most likely that Dendrobium cuthbertsonii is too.

With the AC on during the summer, a humidifier near the orchid, and some lights, someone's room is perfect for this orchid.

Agreed Philip!

---------- Post added at 07:48 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:43 PM ----------

Originally Posted by nikkik

I think the secret to growing orchids is to look at your environment as a whole: light, temps., water, feeding and air circulation. We all have such different environments and micro-environments where we grow that a simple culture sheet is only an outline to help guide us, it should not be the gospel!

Well said nikkik, the sad part is, that even well known sellers "discourage" you extremely and argue at some points regarding growing conditions, telling you, customer, you "CAN'T" do this and grow this! I heard this about many of the Lepanthes species I bought, definitely argued about cuthbertsonii, and there were some comments even when I posted for the first time about Constantias. This is just to prove some wrong! If you try to provide close conditions to the once in nature, even not perfect, than you may be successful! I am not saying this will always work for all plants, I had my share of problems with some Masdevallias, Draculas and even Lepanthes species that just did not adopt to my conditions well, but on the opposite side, I have great success with many cold / intermediate growers even here in Miami. I will always try to push and test, I am getting some species in next few months that are said to be very hard to even keep alive when provided optimal cold conditions, so we shall see! I always say to everyone, you like it, go for it!

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Really?

Constantias?

I posted about these here on the OB a long time ago.

I basically told people point blank how these things grow here on the OB.

I'm a bit surprised that no one's tried what I mentioned!

[BettyE]

You are certainly a terrific grower! More power to you & any experiments you do with your orchids. Bravo...BettyE.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Tommy, you'd be surprised what you can grow.

A few years ago, people didn't think that it was possible to grow Telipogon.

Guess what?

Some people are growing them!

I also found out that it can be done under the right conditions - and that I can grow them here in SoCal, where it can and frequently does get blistering hot and arid during the summers.

If you can find a way, go for it. You can grow almost anything provided that it is not heavily dependent on mycorrhizal fungi.

[TOMMYMIAMI]

Originally Posted by King_of_orchid_growing:)

Really?

Constantias?

I posted about these here on the OB a long time ago.

I basically told people point blank how these things grow here on the OB.

I'm a bit surprised that no one's tried what I mentioned!

Philip, what seems to be doable for some, for others seems extremely impossible, and some people just like to discourage, I guess :-) It does not work much with me though :-) :-) :-)

---------- Post added at 11:16 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:13 PM ----------

Originally Posted by BettyE

You are certainly a terrific grower! More power to you & any experiments you do with your orchids. Bravo...BettyE.

Many thanks Betty, I would definitely not call myself "terrific grower" though, I still do have mishaps and have some "easy" orchids I am not able to make bloom, like my Brassavolas, no matter what I do these do not bloom for me at all, which makes it so funny because I can bloom plants that are pretty hard to make bloom :-) I am pretty good though with miniature and micro orchids, I think!

---------- Post added at 11:17 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:16 PM ----------

Originally Posted by King_of_orchid_growing:)

Tommy, you'd be surprised what you can grow.

A few years ago, people didn't think that it was possible to grow Telipogon.

Guess what?

Some people are growing them!

I also found out that it can be done under the right conditions - and that I can grow them here in SoCal, where it can and frequently does get blistering hot and arid during the summers.

If you can find a way, go for it. You can grow almost anything provided that it is not heavily dependent on mycorrhizal fungi.

I so agree Philip! Speaking about Telipogon, on the test list, coming in July, and in September Fernandezia, I know these will be real hard once, but I just need to try :-)

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Telipogons are a little bit difficult to grow only because most of them do not come in looking good and some species do come from higher elevations than others. Once they're grown under the correct conditions, they're not impossible to grow. Some grow cooler than others. But generally, if the temperatures do not go above 80 F or 85 F, (which high end temperature range is acceptable depends on the species), the orchids are ok.

Which potting media to use is a whole different story. I've not figured this one out yet, but it seems to differ between species as well.

Fernandezia also suffers from coming in rather rough. They can handle the same temperature ranges as Telipogons do. A low end range of 45 F and the high end range of 85 F is best.

[katrina]

Playing devil's advocate here...is it possible many of those sellers thought you'd be growing the cold growers outside year round? In the heat of south Florida?

Growing them in your cooler apartment vs the hot outside is the key to your success w/these little cuties. If you were to put them out on your balcony all summer I'm betting you'd see radically different results.

You have gone to great strides and a lot of extra work to grow these in your location and it's really paying off. Great job!

BTW -- please keep us posted on the cuth as I've been tempted to get the species a few times but have hesitated. I grow outside in the summer and it can get quite hot around here. My understanding of this species is that it can do ok under warmer than ideal conditions for a time but getting it to bloom could be difficult. A fellow club member grows 2 color varieties of this one and I don't remember what he does but he does do something special w/them in order to get blooms. ?? I'll have to ask him again. So, yea, please keep us posted on your progress and what you're doing...I'd be very interested to hear how things are going.

[TOMMYMIAMI]

Originally Posted by katrina

Playing devil's advocate here...is it possible many of those sellers thought you'd be growing the cold growers outside year round? In the heat of south Florida?

Growing them in your cooler apartment vs the hot outside is the key to your success w/these little cuties. If you were to put them out on your balcony all summer I'm betting you'd see radically different results.

You have gone to great strides and a lot of extra work to grow these in your location and it's really paying off. Great job!

BTW -- please keep us posted on the cuth as I've been tempted to get the species a few times but have hesitated. I grow outside in the summer and it can get quite hot around here. My understanding of this species is that it can do ok under warmer than ideal conditions for a time but getting it to bloom could be difficult. A fellow club member grows 2 color varieties of this one and I don't remember what he does but he does do something special w/them in order to get blooms. ?? I'll have to ask him again. So, yea, please keep us posted on your progress and what you're doing...I'd be very interested to hear how things are going.

Thanks katrina, will keep posts about cubi here. I would love to hear from you what "special" he does for them to bloom.. I think, for these the key is humidity, I know many people in Czech growing these, I am talking really about pretty much every second person growing orchids have them (it may be shocking but they have such a better opportunities to purchase orchids that we can here only dream about!). Many grows them only in houses or apartments, and it can get really hot in summer, there is nearly no A/C existence still, the temps can go over 30 Celsius (over 85F) some days in summer, they told me the key is to keep it moist and high humidity, they have it mounted and the mounts stacked in the plastic cups with moss on the bottom, it seems like they can survive even these conditions for summer, of course in winter they have much better temps for them than I can provide.

---------- Post added at 11:07 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:06 AM ----------

regarding sellers, they knew it will be kept inside, these were some that I do talk a lot and know personally already too, they just did not believe I can grow cold growers without special setups like cool growing vivariums made from vine coolers etc!

---------- Post added at 11:08 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:07 AM ----------

regarding sellers, they knew it will be kept inside, these were some that I do talk a lot and know personally already too, they just did not believe I can grow cold growers without special setups like cool growing vivariums made from vine coolers etc!