Stanhopea seedling care a/k/a What have I gotten myself into?

[dvespertilio]

Well, I'm certainly no expert on stanhopeas, but I have three seedlings, two from Troy, and seven larger plants, one of which I've had for five years. I grow mine outdoors during the spring, summer, and fall here in Jacksonville, FL, about 300 miles north of you. In the winter, I keep them indoors, drying them out a little, but never letting them get totally dry. As weather permits, I move them in and out during that time of year. I don't have a greenhouse.

I guess what I want to know is more about your growing conditions. You mentioned the windowsill of a terrace window. Are we talking about an enclosed space? Do you have access to a shaded, airy, outdoor space for growing? Tell me more about the physical parameters of your growing space, i.e., light, temperatures, humidity, etc. If you're trying to grow them indoors under AC, you're probably going to have a BIG problem as they will dry up and die, no matter how much you try to humidify the environment. They like bright shade, RH in the 60-80% range, and lots of air. Under those conditions, they'll tolerate temperatures during the day well into the 90s. I have mine in sphagnum in baskets, and that works well for me. It allows me to keep the roots uniformly moist and cool, and to water only occasionally, even when it's relatively dry. I also use RO water for watering them, or tap water diluted with RO by 50% or more, if I'm running short on RO water. I fertilise weakly (1/4 to 1/2 the recommended label strength) about 3-4 times per month during the active growing season.

I would like to help. Give me some more particulars about your growing environment. A few pictures would be even better.

Hope to hear from you soon!

Michael