How to grow restrepia antennifera?

[prc11]

Someone gave me a small plant today at my orchid show. It was called restrepia antennifera. I have never heard of this genus, but from what the pictures look like, it is quite interesting. However, I have no clue how to care for it. It is mounted with coconut fiber. Could you please help me with the culture.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

It is a Pleurothallid.

Moderate to high humidity (60% - 80%).

Intermediate temperatures (55 F - 90 F)

Bright shade.

General guideline for watering: 3 - 4 times a week.

Don't use tap water. Can be sensitive to excessive salt buildup from water high in dissolved minerals.

Moderately fast growing.

[ogelvezontequi]

On what does this plant grow best? I have seen spectacular photos of this restrepia blooming in a ball and dream of having my plant grow the same.

[RosieC]

Welcome to Orchid Board

I'm not sure I can help as I killed my antennifera, but I think I know what I did wrong and my other two restrepia's are flowering well.

Mine seem to like my house temps, which range about 16C - 20C. They also are doing better on the east facing window-ledge in about Phal light.

I killed the antennifera with a combination of too bright and too cold. The leaves start to turn red when they are too bright and one of the others went a horrid sickly yellow/red colour when too bright, but has gone back a nice green since being in the east window about 12 months (took about 6 months to get a nice colour again).

They like to be quite moist, but too moist and the new growths will rot as they come up. Too dry though and the new growths will dry up and stop growing. I grow mine in porous clay pots and try to keep them just moist most of the time. I tend to have trouble with forgetting them and them drying out, they seem to survive that but the new growths are starting then drying up which is what I've got to overcome now.

[ogelvezontequi]

Thanks for the advice. My a
restrepia antennifera is still quite small. Will give it TLC.