Using stone af only media?

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Here's my thing about the lithophytes that are occasionally found as epiphytes.

I just find it easier to deal with less repotting. I like growing them as lithophytes.

More often than not, the lithophytes that are occasional epiphytes are much easier to grow and can sometimes grow better as a lithophyte versus epiphyte.

There are some orchids that are strict lithophytes. Under no circumstance should you try to grow them in bark or moss! They will do horribly and some may only live for very short periods of time!

I'll give you a perfect example:

Pleurothallis teres

This is a lithophyte. It grows nowhere else in the wild other than rocky outcrops and rocky cliff faces. It often grows exposed to full sun.

This particular species of Pleurothallis is totally unlike the other cloud forest and wet forest dwelling species of the genus.

I've owned this plant before, and it was sold to me grown as an epiphyte. I grew this like all the other Pleuros and failed miserably in the long run. But at the time, I wasn't aware that it was a lithophytic orchid. By the time I realized it was a lithophyte and that I should be growing this in rock, it was too late.

Be careful about what orchids are grown in what way.

Some lithophytes that are occasional epiphytes don't care.

Some really just do better as lithophytes and that is why they don't show up as epiphytes often.

Other orchids are just strict lithophytes and should never ever be grown as an epiphyte.

My opinion, take it for what it's worth.

[mojomick]

I have a Clowesia russeliana that was put into lava rock a couple of years ago. it was one lonely pseudobulb. It bloomed beautifully last year and I went to repot yesterday and low and behold there were so many roots that you couldn't even see the rock. I just put it into a bigger pot with new lava rock surrounding the root mass. It looks very happy. Moral of the story, the orchid just uses the media to hang on to..lt gets nothing from the rock, or bark, or whatever except anchoring.

[lycaonpictus]

I tend to grow any of my tolumnia which aren't mounted in straight expanded clay aggregate (aka Prime Agra, aka those "terra cotta" looking round balls). These are orchids which like to have the water run straight through, then have their roots dry quickly. I find the PA absorbs enough water to create a very airy, humid zone around the roots without making things wet.

The tolumnia seem to love it -- the roots grow all around and over everything, encircling the individual balls and sort of knitting the whole thing together. In fairness, I never "re-pot" from this because the medium never decays -- just move the old pot in toto into a new pot full of PA.

Can't speak for how hard it would be to maintain other orchids this way, but the tolumnia really like it.

[nenella]

Originally Posted by lycaonpictus

I tend to grow any of my tolumnia which aren't mounted in straight expanded clay aggregate (aka Prime Agra, aka those "terra cotta" looking round balls). These are orchids which like to have the water run straight through, then have their roots dry quickly. I find the PA absorbs enough water to create a very airy, humid zone around the roots without making things wet.

The tolumnia seem to love it -- the roots grow all around and over everything, encircling the individual balls and sort of knitting the whole thing together. In fairness, I never "re-pot" from this because the medium never decays -- just move the old pot in toto into a new pot full of PA.
Can't speak for how hard it would be to maintain other orchids this way, but the tolumnia really like it.

I'd be very interested in knowing what your growing conditions are? do you have them in a green house or in the home?
If you could post some photos would be very interested in seeing them thanks

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Originally Posted by mojomick

I have a Clowesia russeliana that was put into lava rock a couple of years ago. it was one lonely pseudobulb. It bloomed beautifully last year and I went to repot yesterday and low and behold there were so many roots that you couldn't even see the rock. I just put it into a bigger pot with new lava rock surrounding the root mass. It looks very happy. Moral of the story, the orchid just uses the media to hang on to..lt gets nothing from the rock, or bark, or whatever except anchoring.

That may be true with the Clowesia, but some orchids do get something from the rocks they grow on. Particularly if they're growing on limestone.

There's the pH, and water retentive qualities of the media, as well as some other seemingly minor factors to take into consideration.

It just isn't a wise choice to stick an orchid that loves acidic conditions in an alkaline media. Nor would it be wise to stick an alkaline loving plant in an acidic media.

This is just an example of what I'm talking about.

While it may be true that some orchids don't care about the media they're grown in and use it as an anchor. Some do care. Be careful! "Know your horses"!