when do I pot or mount seedlings?

[Yourneedfulthings]

I have 30 or so Bulbophylum echinolablium seedlings 3 months out of flask doing great in moss compot, plants are about 1" max.
I would like to eventually mount them in tree fern, many in one big slab. First question: is that a good idea? and if so at what age/ size and how far apart do I place them?

My greenhouse has a humidifier set at 70%, during hot days it drops to about 40%. Summers are hot.

Is the flower stink be tolerable with some many of these plants? I know it is years before that but I'm always thinking ahead.

[Brooke]

The echinolabium at maturity is a very large plant. And yes, multiple plants on one mount, which would have to be huge, would be unbearable IMO. I do not have a delicate nose and I can smell mine from 3' away.

Plants as young as yours will take years to bloom. Good luck with them.

Brooke

[Yourneedfulthings]

Thank you Brooke for you answer. Hard for me to imagine these tiny things getting big, but they are growing faster than other type of seedling I had. I am a patient person and enjoy the wait, just hope to live long enough to see flowers. I will have to think another way to grow them. I like many of one kind in grouping, more showy when flowering.
How is yours potted?

[Ray]

To answer your question about when to "move 'em on up" to bigger pots or mounts, once they are in active growth, having overcome the stress of deflasking, you should be good to go.

One caveat, though - the tiny plants cannot handle drastic fluctuations in their cultural conditions, so you need to keep them very stable. Once they get more mature, they can withstand temperature, humidity, and watering variations better.

[Brooke]

Ana Maria I grow all of my potted Bulbos in sphag lined net pots, p'nuts in the bottom, Orchiata seedling mix as the media and sitting in a tray of water.

They grow in Catt light in the g/h.

Brooke

[Yourneedfulthings]

Brooke, thanks for the information. I have time to decide since my seedlings are so young. Tempted to test various ways.
Ana Maria

[debrasoon]

Echinolabium are rather large bulbos. U can grow them in a shallow open basket so u can always pot up. Otherwise mounting needs a large slab and I think the slab can only take one seedling.


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[Yourneedfulthings]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience.
The slab of treefern I decide to try is 6"x24"x1.5" with one plant in the middle. I placed a second seedling on fine orchiata in pot and will track how well they compare. If the treefern slab becomes impossible to care for I can always cut the piece of treefern and placed it on a open basket later on.
I still have another 30 or so seedling to deal with later on.
What size pot/basket will you anticipate they will need in one yr.? Now they are about 1"x1".

[debrasoon]

oh wow. Hard to tell cause I don't have a pic of your current seedling size and I have warm weather all year round. Depends on how much sun and food you feed them throughout the growing season I guess... 2 pot sizes up would be a wild guess.


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