Bad Idea?

[ab1000434]

Heey guys,

So, in the past I've kept frogs and regular terrarium plants and somehow I recently got really interested in orchids.
I saw pictures of Terracotta cylinder nano vivariums by Mikael from Sweden which im sure you guys have all seen. And now I kind of want to make one as well. Making one shouldnt be the hard part. The hard part is obviously keeping the orchids alive. I'm excited to do research though.

Based on some research on temperature and water needs and ofcourse looks I decided that I'd wanna buy these 6 orchids (online):
Dendrobium trantuanii
Renanthera monachica
Dendrobium lawesii
Chytroglossa aurata
Cattleya aclandiae
Schoenorchis scolopendria

It would be awesome if someone could tell me if this is a really bad idea and a waste of money. I have a feeling it is so I thought I'd just ask here.

[Orchid Whisperer]

Orchids in terrariums can do well. But, they should be compatible with growing in a terrarium.

Some of the plants that you mentioned probably would not get enough light to bloom.

I suggest that you consider some pleurothallids, such as Restrepia species. Maybe in a conventional terrarium, try jewel orchids, like Ludisia discolor or Macodes species. Some of the smallest Phalaenopsis species may work too.

[ab1000434]

Originally Posted by Orchid Whisperer

Orchids in terrariums can do well. But, they should be compatible with growing in a terrarium.

Some of the plants that you mentioned probably would not get enough light to bloom.

I suggest that you consider some pleurothallids, such as Restrepia species. Maybe in a conventional terrarium, try jewel orchids, like Ludisia discolor or Macodes species. Some of the smallest Phalaenopsis species may work too.

I was planning to get 4 or 5 5watt Led spotlights, i could always add one more above a certain orchid. I think i like the leaves more then the flowers actually so i guess it wouldnt be a problem at all (or would it?)

Ill look some more into the species you mentioned.

[jkofferdahl]

As a suggestion, I would urge you to carefully examine the conditions in which your plants are going to grow and then select plants based on that. Deciding the plants first forces you to possibly have to adapt your growing conditions to the plant, and that's often difficult to do and leads to frustration and disappointment. You need to consider light level, temperature level, and relative humidity where you're going to grow; low light plants aren't going to do a lot other than die in bright sun, and plants that require high humidity won't last long in dry air. And putting a Phalaenopsis in a room where the temperature drops too far is a good way to watch your plant die.

[ab1000434]

Originally Posted by jkofferdahl

As a suggestion, I would urge you to carefully examine the conditions in which your plants are going to grow and then select plants based on that. Deciding the plants first forces you to possibly have to adapt your growing conditions to the plant, and that's often difficult to do and leads to frustration and disappointment. You need to consider light level, temperature level, and relative humidity where you're going to grow; low light plants aren't going to do a lot other than die in bright sun, and plants that require high humidity won't last long in dry air. And putting a Phalaenopsis in a room where the temperature drops too far is a good way to watch your plant die.

Thanks for the advice!

[estación seca]

I would first start with a small one, with just a few orchids needing exactly the same growing conditions. Once you have learned the tricks which cannot be learned by reading, then go on to something more complicated.

[Salixx]

I have a little terrarium and I have found that the orchids within are the easiest for me to maintain. As already mentioned, the trick is to get plants for your conditions.

I would start looking at plants that like to be moist, miniature and low to moderate light. I really like to use andysorchids.com to narrow down my search. He has many species and a great search feature that you can plug your conditions into and get plant suggestions. He also has a check box for easy growers. It's a great tool, even if you cannot buy from him. There are so many species and hybrids out there that you could drive yourself mad researching, but his site narrows things down substantially.

I won't speak to your other species, but I would cross C. aclandiae off your list. It needs to dry out between watering and needs high light. I give mine as much direct southern sun as I can (6+hrs on a sunny day) and grow on a mount... It would die in my terrarium which is almost always moist. If you are looking for an easier Catt type, Laelia praestans may do better in a terrarium setting. They like lower light than most cattleya, a bit more moisture and are fairly temperature tolerant.

Restrepias are great, as mentioned. I am partial to Masdevallias. They get a bad rap for being difficult, which is deserved but there are some easy ones out there. M floribunda is easy and tolerates a range of conditions.

Whatever you do, good luck! I love my terrarium!