What should I get?

[Silje]

Ok, so here is the thing...

Here in Namibia I'm starved when it comes to orchids and struggle to get hold of anything else than NOID phals, cyms and oncs.

Now, all of a sudden I've got a chance to get hold of a handfull of plants, and I'm so excited, but I just don't know which ones to choose, so I thought I'd ask you guys.

I've been drooling over the flowers of the Beallara Peggy Ruth Carpenter and the Tahoma Glacier, so those are two options.

Then, I'd really like a dendrobium (not a nobile type), and I'm considering the Den Earsakul. And the den jenkinsii...It's a long story, I just have a huge soft spot for the jenkinsii. I guess this one might be challenging for me, but I'm determined to give it a try.

I'm also quite keen on trying a couple of miltoniopsis.

Those are plants that I have seen, and think look nice. But my real aim or goal is to increase my collection with some plants that are fairly easy to keep happy.

I'm doing ok with phals and I think I'm getting the hang of the NOID onc that I've got, but I'm not an expert and I don't have a hot house or fancy equipment so I need to pick plants that will cope well in a normal household situation.

I'm sure some of you got experience with some of these plants already. What is your feeling and experience? Are these fairly easy, or should I rather consider exchanging a couple of them with varieties that have proven to the less demanding? If so, which alternatives do you recommend?

[Rowangreen]

I think you've only actually named about 6 plants, so I say get all of them!

[Silje]

But are they very...difficult some of them? Do they need very specific care and attention, or will be be fairly happy together with my phals and onc?

I think I read somewhere that miltoniopsis is really picky when it comes to water and ph?

I'll be able to provide enough light, but I do from time to time struggle with humidity so e.g. vandas are not suitable for me. If any of these require more humidity than oncidium hybrids I should probably look for something else.

[Rowangreen]

I'm only a beginner myself, so not a big expert. I'm in the UK so my conditions are likely to be different to yours I think! But if you are already growing oncs, then the 1st two hybrids should be no problem I think.

Dens: not well up on them (I have a couple: a kingianum noid and a nobile). I think some need a cold rest, some just need dry in the winter? Read up on the particular ones you are thinking of, or maybe ask in the Dens board if you can't find what you need.

Milts: I've recently aquired three, one of which appears to be about to keel over, but I think they were all in not brilliant condition when I got them. I'm thinking of trying them in semi-hydroponics which I believe can help with keeping even moisture and cooling them a bit.

My general attitude so far has been if I like it, it's not too expensive, and the general word seems to be it's not massively hard then I'll try it. So far it's amazing how hardy things are turning out! But of course I may just have good luck so far!

[Leafmite]

You could try a Burrageara Nelly Isler 'Swiss Beauty'. These have Pansy-type flowers but are quite a mixture (has oncidium) and quite easy. Neofinetia falcata and Sedirea japonica are rather neat and easy if you have that option. Good luck!

[Silje]

Rowan:
Yes, probably very different conditions from England here in Namibia, but I do get proper winter and frost so I manage to give my plants a cold spell. Worked wonders on the phals this year. They were outside until the night temp went below 10 degrees and a couple of weeks after taking them inside they began making spikes. I'm hoping my nobile will do the same once it reaches flowering size.

I think miltoniopsis looks so cute, but I'm just a bit unsure about whether I've got what it takes. It sounds like a lot of people struggle with them. Maybe I'll just follow your advice and give it a go. Have been considering S/H myself for the dry winter months and need to read up properly and do a test run or two with a couple of plants I don't worry too much about.

Leafmite: Wow, that Burrageara Nelly Isler 'Swiss Beauty' looks beautiful. I don't have that option. I can get hold of a Burrageara Stefan Isler though. Also looks nice, but the Swiss Beauty is nicer. Like you say, more pansy like and less normal onc shape than the Stefan Isler.

Oh, so many nice plants. How to choose...!

Thank you so much for the input, guys!

[Cym Ladye]

A good rule of thumb:
First understand what growing conditions you have to offer in your environment. Then learn the growing conditions these genera want. Then make your decision on what to buy.

CL

[lepetitmartien]

Especially as some genus you mention are not friendly with the temperatures I'd associate with Namibia.

Where are you going to grow them? What are the temperatures day/night and all year long?

[Silje]

Ok, growing conditions for my orchids are as follows.

During the spring/summer they live outside under trees in the garden with morning and afternoon sunlight or in shade, depending on what they like. By watering the lawn around etc I'm able to keep humidity at around 40% during the dry periods of spring. Temperature may vary from 10 to 25 at night and from 20-35 during daytime for this period.

I've got summer rain and from Nov/Dec the humidity picks up (can be anything from 30-80%) and although there are dry spells in between when I need to water, the plants generally are rain fed during this time, and I only fertilize.

Then in April or so it gets dry and the temp drops. I keep most of the plants outside until night temp falls down to 10-12 degrees. Then I take the oncs, phals, maxillarias and cattleya inside (cyms are kept outside, but in a frost free area) and put them in a small homemade 'hot house'. Actually, it's kind of a humidity dome, I suppose. It's in a place where they get morning and afternoon sun, and where I'm able to control the humidity to be somewhere around 30-55%, and temperatures range from 20-30 degrees Celsius.

They will stay there until September or until I'm sure there will be no more cold spells and frost. Then they will be back moved back outside again.

At the moment my plants look pretty happy. The phals are spiking and the roots are growing nicely and my wildcat opened up today. But that does not mean that a miltoniopsis or dendrobium will be happy here. I'm kind of hoping that the nobile dendrobium seedlings I've got will like it here, since I've got the cold and dry winters they like. We'll see.

I guess the question I should ask is what orchids can cope with limited humidity and take quite a lot of sun?

[Discus]

Look for things that grow in similar(ish) (micro-)climates. I would think thinks like "rupiculous" laelias, which I believe grow in exposed, rocky and quite hot places and many of the australian dendrobium-type plants (notably Dockrillias) would do quite well.

I'm not sure cooler growing orchids like miltoniopsis would do very well (and I imagine most cool growing things like pleurothallids would fall over dead in no time) - but you can always try, and perhaps use techniques to "extend" your growing conditions (like using an outer cooling terracotta pot). Well described by Ray here.

If you can keep the humidity up, you'll probably do quite well with most tropical species; if you're struggling with mounts, pots keep plants much more moist! In enclosed areas, you can always try various humidification techniques, but these don't generally work very well outdoors.