terete or semi-terete orchids other than Vanda's

[Jim S]

Again, thank you everyone for your suggestions. I grew orchids 40 years ago, stopped, and now just restarted a little over two years ago - I appreciate your help. After looking at pics on google, it seems that I like the Paraphalaenopsis, rupicolous Laelia, equitant Oncidium, Scuticarias, Leptotes bicolor, and Vanda. My growing conditions are as follows, any suggestions on which species may grow the best?

Light: 95% full sun to very bright indirect. I use filters to tailor how much.

Temp/humidity: 60 to 75-80 degrees, 40-70% humidity

Air flow: good to excellent

I do not do bark-mounted plantings, and enjoy blending potting mediums. I generally reference the AOS for growing conditions.

[estación seca]

Where do you live? 95% light is very different between Miami and Bangor.

[Jim S]

I live in Minnesota USA. However, where I have my orchids is on an upper level of a building where incoming light is completely unobstructed.

[estación seca]

Rupicolous Laelias and terete Vandas should do fine.

Your issue will be the widely varying light between winter and summer. It's very easy to burn plants in spring when transitioning, even though they easily survive full sun once adapted to it.

I suggest going to the Internet Photo Species Encyclopedia (IOSPE) and looking up members of the genera previously mentioned. Not all take high light. IOSPE shows how much light each species needs.

I should add genus Trichocentrum, which was formerly included in the mule-eared Oncidiums.

Leptotes is a miniature plant that won't take much sun.

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by estación seca

Leptotes is a miniature plant that won't take much sun.

Don't tell my Leptotes plants (Leptotes bicolor, politinacoi, pauloensis, unicolor) ... they get the brightest light that I can give them in my patio area... not quite full sun, but about half day of only slightly filtered sun, especially in summer. Now, like any orchids they need to be acclimated to bright light gradually, but they really can take a LOT of sun. And bloom profusely that way. What I HAVE found, that might affect whether the OP wants to grow them, is they the seem to hate pots... the only ones that I have been successful with are mounted, and seem to not be particularly intimate with their mounts, they just root freely. Absolutely need to dry out.