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

[peeweelovesbooks]

Hey peeps!!!


So a couple of months ago, I got this crazy, totally off-the wall idea that Stanhopeas were something that I could SO *totally* grow here in Miami. So, off my hand went, disassociated from my brain, and made 4 seedling reservations with Troy Meyers.


Now, Troy, thinking that I can actually grow these things, sent them to me last week for a small fee.

They are currently on the windowsill of my terrace window, which gets indirect sunlight. They are actually taunting me, whispering, "You have no idea what you are doing, are you going to kill me?"

I want to prove them wrong.

So, I am begging the Stanhopea experts (you know you are!!) for some advice. Any and all, from culture to watering, to medium, would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks and please HELP ME SAVE MARIA'S STANHOPEAS.

[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

[peeweelovesbooks]

Originally Posted by 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

Oh, no. I have my seedlings in the terrace. It's enclosed, but it has HUGE windows and I open them to let air/heat inside. I also keep the outside door to the terrace open and a fans on 24/7. I move the seedlings from the table (which is inside the terrace) to the sill as they grow. My Eulophiella elizabethae seedlings are growing there, and they are putting out new growths (yayyyy all five of them) It gets bright indirect light most of the day.

I do have access to shady, hot area that gets fantastic air circulation. I grow 90% of my orchids outside in my backyard. The eave underneath my terrace roof has lots of space. I wasn't sure how to treat the seedlings though.

As far as humidity is concerned, Miami has been a sauna bath the entire spring/summer season,and continues to be so.

[dvespertilio]

I would put them outside in the shady area. I also would repot them into sphagnum in net pots. I have my three seedlings in net pots in an area of bright shade, with ambient temperatures in the 90s during the day and in the 70s at night. I water them heavily when they're dry, but, like Miami, it's been hot and humid here all spring and summer, with torrential rains, sometimes daily for several weeks at a time. So watering hasn't been much of an issue this season. I am fertilising as I described in my last post. All three seedlings have made both new top and root growth, so they seem to be doing well under these conditions. I would recommend keeping them outdoors with your other orchids. I have all of mine in a wire basket about four and a half feet up off the ground under a large crepe myrtle tree. Being as you're in Miami, you probably won't need to bring them in in the winter, unless there is an unusually cold period. Despite what the books say, I routinely take all of my orchids down into the 40s overnight in the winter when they are outside, only bringing them in if it is definitely going below the low 40s. Of course, you want to keep them on the dryer side then. Here in Jacksonville we get cold fronts from up north and it gets quite cool and dry during the winter months, so I actually have to water a bit more then just to keep the plants slightly moist. A bright windowsill inside, but out of hot, direct sun, might be your best option at that time of year.

Hope this helps. Good luck! If you haven't looked already, I have an ongoing post here in this OB group on my Stanhopea nigroviolacea which is currently blooming again. Has had a total of six blooms this season, and the plant has more than a dozen new growths in various stages of development. Check it out. The pictures aren't the best, but I think you get a good idea of what it looks like nevertheless.

[smweaver]

I agree with David's advice about putting them in a shady location and planting them in net pots with sphagnum. What species did you get from Troy? Although most stanhopeas like the same treatment during their growing season (lots of moisture, relatively high humidity and warmth, coupled with indirect light), they can vary quite differently in their winter preferences, depending on the species. Some like to be maintained under near-constant growing conditions year round; however, there are a few that, in my experience, will not tolerate having their winter dormancy periods altered (in other words, they want to go dormant and don't respond well to anything other than that). Can you post some pictures and tell us what species you purchased?

Steve

[peeweelovesbooks]

Hi everyone and thanks a million for your help. I recieved a Stanhopea grandiflora and 3 Stanhopea tigrina var. nigroviolacea. I received them in a peat pot with moss, and I transplanted them to a mix of moss and tree fern fiber in a 2 x 2 Air Cone pot with packing peanuts at the bottom. I noticed today that they all have new growths starting to come out. Ummm...do I start to fertilize these, or not yet? They are tiny though....so I don't think a basket is going to work at this point?

[Sandy4453]

I was told that the size of the baskets with Stanhopeas isn't an issue, that you could pot them in the baskets they'll end up growing into. If I'm wrong, I hope anyone out here won't be shy and come forth but, I think the plants size NOW is not relevant to what you'll need and to put it into a potentially larger pot than what it now needs. I've got a wardii that supposedly likes more light than other Stanhopeas. I was keeping it in bright shade. Most of the leaves burned so my once pretty Stanhopea is now in light shade and being watered and fertilized regularly. Come autumn, water less frequently till the colder months when they rest.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Remember Ryfrazier asking about Gongora seedlings? I answered that question with the utmost attention to detail.

This is the same for Stanhopea seedlings.

It's very long.

Coryanthes too.