Tolumnia care help - Orchid Board

OrangeAugust · #1 04-14-2014, 12:17 PM

Hello,
I'm not new to orchids- I have a lot of experience with phals and dendrobiums, but I went to the Orchid show at the NYBG this weekend and they were selling so many types of orchids I've never heard of. I bought a tolumnia, but now I need to know how to care for it. There's some stuff online, but it's always helpful to ask questions and get some answers from people who have experience.
So, it's in this tiiiiiiiny pot... the roots are sticking out all over the place, and it looks like there may be 2 or 3 pieces of bark in the pot that some of the roots are holding onto. So I'm not sure if I should be repotting it... or how to water it because almost all of the roots are exposed. I did read that it likes to dry off pretty quickly after it's watered. so I'm wondering if I can liberally spritz the roots in the pot with the spray bottle every day. In that case there's no water sitting around in the pot but the roots get a nice drink.
When should I consider repotting, or should the roots just be all over the place like this?

Also, right now it gets bright but indirect sunlight. Is that ok, or should it have any direct light?

cbuchman · #2 04-14-2014, 12:56 PM

You are very observant. Tolumnias are often grown mounted or in pots with no media or a few pieces of charcoal The roots do grow all over the place. They are indigenous to the Caribbean and hence are used to high light (as much as they can take without burning - acclimate slowly as you would expect) and moist breezes. They want to dry quickly. Moisture around the roots at night is the kiss of death. So they need to be DRY by nightfall. Misting with an occasional dunking works well - best to do it in the morning. It is possible to underwater too, so watch for wrinkles in the leaves.

I grow mine mounted to make it almost impossible to over water them.

OrangeAugust · #3 04-14-2014, 05:54 PM

Ok, thank you!

NYCorchidman · #4 04-17-2014, 12:12 PM

If you have a lot of experience with dendrobiums, then think of your tolumnia as small dendrobiums.

They are not different than any other epiphytes other than the fact that the tiny clay pot they often come in dries out too fast.
You have to water it almost daily if they are in active growth mode, or in flower (drying too much will also dry off the flowers quickly) you are growing it under high light, which they need (no direct sun but bright just as you mentioned, and just as dendrobiums need).

When I had my tolumnias in that tiny clay pot, I had to dunk them in the water everyday plus afternoon spray. I grew mine under really high light and my apartment with big sunny window sure dries things out like crazy. lol

I let mine grow roots all over the place and I eventually gave them away or repotted into much bigger pot ( 3 or even 3.5 pot) using coconut husk chips or bark. They did very well.

I have two tolumnias now. They were bought bareroot at a show and now they are in 3.5 inch clay pot with coconut husk based (mixed in with perlite and charcoal) mix. I water mine at least every three day for now as the mix is rather new so it doesn't hold water too much and the clay pot dry out the mix fast.

Happy growing!

OrangeAugust · #5 04-17-2014, 12:58 PM

Thanks a lot. I do have a dend. that I bought about 2 years ago and it bloomed this year. It's in a pot with bark mix as the medium and I water it about once every 5 days. I had bought a different type of Dend. at the same time (the kind with the skinny, wood-like stalks) but that one died for an unknown reason after a few months.
But I have my dend in my garden window on the top shelf so it gets direct light from three directions (the top is a window, too). and it seems to be good. It's growing a new cane right now.
But anyway, the tolumnia is in a bright but indirect sunlight area.
I've been misting the roots almost every day, with a few sprays inside the pot, but am still afraid to overwater it because there is some kind of bark in the bottom under the roots...

lotis146 · #6 04-17-2014, 10:48 PM

I'm an inexperienced Tolumnia owner, having just purchased two off ebay - Tolumnia Buck Hollow in spike & Tolumnia lucayana (a micro-mini) - but figured I might share with you how it's going after about a week.

My Buck Hollow came in a small clay pot with absolutely no medium, its roots are clinging to the side of the pot. It has three growths and came in spike. I was very confused because I thought it was in bud but the developing buds at the top of the spike were darn near microscopic. I was even concerned for a sec that maybe something happened while it was in transit. It's in a south facing window now, I had it in East for many days and left it right up next to the window. Was away when it snowed again, worried about it near the cold. Also before I left I put a small handful of coconut coir in the pot, just dropped it in and watered it. My hope was this would hold it over while I was away. Having come back everything looks good, the buds are developing well in fact. This is all so new so something of course could change. I did water it yesterday by letting soak in a pale of water.

The lucayana is in a VERY small clay pot and is potted in moss. I've also left it on the south window sill and everything seems good so far.

I was told the same that they need bright light & good air movement. My Buck Hollow's roots are still well confined in the pot so it would seem it can stay in this 2" inch pot for a while. I was misting it daily prior to adding the coconut while I was away for 4 days.

Good luck.

NYCorchidman · #7 04-18-2014, 01:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OrangeAugust

Thanks a lot. I do have a dend. that I bought about 2 years ago and it bloomed this year. It's in a pot with bark mix as the medium and I water it about once every 5 days. I had bought a different type of Dend. at the same time (the kind with the skinny, wood-like stalks) but that one died for an unknown reason after a few months.
But I have my dend in my garden window on the top shelf so it gets direct light from three directions (the top is a window, too). and it seems to be good. It's growing a new cane right now.
But anyway, the tolumnia is in a bright but indirect sunlight area.
I've been misting the roots almost every day, with a few sprays inside the pot, but am still afraid to overwater it because there is some kind of bark in the bottom under the roots...

As long as the plant is in this tiny clay pot, you can never overwater it. A few days of no watering won't hurt them much, but you will see the leaves turn wrinkly over time, especially when it is in growth mode.
During the growth season and flowering season, not enough water will damage everything!!! Growth will either stop or will mature very small. Flowers will drop.

Daily watering is needed under bright light which is what this plant needs to grow and flower well.

So don't worry. You are doing it right.

WhiteRabbit · #8 04-18-2014, 03:48 PM

Tolus want quite a bit of light to bloom.

I have mine potted in tree fern fiber with some pumice, clay pot. Mine is a somewhat bigger plant - crowded in a 2" pot. Takes water every 2-3 days depending on the weather/season. I use a skewer to determine when the media is dry.