Wrinkly tolumnia

[mrphilips]

yeah, that's what they were... juicy little limpets.
so the way i figure i may have another wave of them coming in a month or so, eggs from this phase.

i will just do the soap wash until i'm freaking out, meanwhile i will keep an eye out for the good insecticides, just in case.

thanks for your input.

[NYCorchidman]

First, whoever told you that wrinkly leaves are common for type was a liar.
It simply means that the plant has been severely dehydrated for one reason or another.

With your once a week watering, I doubt you rotted them out, although having been covered with thick layer of moss might have rotted them.
With mounted orchids, especially the small one like this, need to be watered all the time.
So if you have this in a regular home not a greenhouse with misting system, you need to water them everyday.
I do not like mounted orchids for this reason.

By the way, tolumnias grow just fine in big pots.
There are so much strange thing said about these plants, but they are just like any other common orchids in the hobby.
Water them good and make sure water drains. give it good light, and they will grow and flower well.

With proper watering and care, the leaves should be quite thick looking like some kind of succulent.

Good luck!

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[mrphilips]

Honestly, I sought it out because I like the look of small mounted orchids, but if they're going to be this needy, maybe I should just pot it. Especially now that he's sick. I don't want him to die.

[silken]

Originally Posted by mrphilips

Honestly, I sought it out because I like the look of small mounted orchids, but if they're going to be this needy, maybe I should just pot it. Especially now that he's sick. I don't want him to die.

I would wait until the scale is gone to pot it up. Otherwise you may just end up with scale in the media to battle with also.

[mrphilips]

hmm. ok.

[silken]

In the meantime, I have two Tolumnia's mounted and I just mist them daily. They grow and bloom fine for me. Or you could dunk the roots in a container of water and then pull it out. Just a habit to do that takes less than a minute every morning, before you leave for work or whatever your situation is.

[mrphilips]

Yeah. I spray the whole thing with water daily, soak for a minute in lightly fertilized water once a week and soak for a minute in plain water twice a week - essentially a soak every other day, a spray in between, and a weekly dose of weak fertilizer - and I only use rain water and/or mountain run off.

But I am considering potting him... I had a mounted encyclia that died, quite possibly through my inadequate care, and someone on the orchid board told me off for being ignorant
Honestly, I tend to believe the vendors when they sell me orchids, but twice now that has lead to plants in dire straights.

I just don't want this guy to die.

[silken]

That sounds like good enough watering to me. If you have some seaweed you could add it to your soaking water now and then to encourage more roots. I still think dealing with the scale is your immediate priority. Of course if the plant shrivels up and dies then the scale will be a non issue, but it may be the scale sucking the life out of it too.

I have found the best way to succeed with different orchids is to find out how they grow in the wild and then try to come close to providing for them in your home to sort of meet what they get in nature. Of course I can't mount all my plants on trees like in nature, but then I adapt their potting medium as best I can.

Tolumnia's grow in the Caribbean attached to bushes on fairly thin stems, not like a huge tree trunk. They get heavy breezes and lots of sun and humidity. They are supposedly rained on in the day and dry by night. I have read often that some people grow them in small clay pots only with a bit of charcoal. Mine were in pots with some chunky bark and did fine before I mounted them. They need lots of air at the roots tho.