nobilior/walkeriana in sphagnum?

[ChrisFL]

I've noticed that a very popular way of growing nobilior and walkeriana in Japan, and perhaps other places.

This is a perfect example:

20”N“xNo01nobi_Don_Par01ŠJ‰Ô‹L˜^

So what are the advantages of this? For the species, it doesn't seem close to natural given the species life history. Also, if any of you are very familiar with the method, is there anything under the sphag? Styrofoam? Cork bark? How often are the plants watered? The spag changed out?

I used to grow these two species outside in Florida mounted, and they pretty much grew themselves, now I'm beginning to grow nobiliors again under artificial light in Texas, so I'm assessing this method.

[isurus79]

Wait for Mauro to jump in. I believe he grows most of his collection in spagnum. Personally, not one of my Catts grow in spag, but its really a matter of personal preferance for care in regards to what environment you can provide for your plants. Try with one plant as an experiment and evaluate your plan from those results.

[ChrisFL]

Thanks!

One of the main reasons I'm considering it, especially for the nobilior growing season is because the rH here is so low, so even if I water mounted plants in the morning, they are bone dry within a half hour.

[isurus79]

Originally Posted by ChrisFL

Thanks!

One of the main reasons I'm considering it, especially for the nobilior growing season is because the rH here is so low, so even if I water mounted plants in the morning, they are bone dry within a half hour.

Those are actually the same conditions I have here in Hawaii due to lots of wind and low humidity in summer (40-50%). All my walkerianas are mounted and get watered every day and are subject to very strong sun and they seem to do great! Just a thought, though I do not want to seem like Im trying to dissuade you from your media explorations! Im just saying this in case you feel like you absolutely have to grow your plants in a spag or else they will die. Either way,

[ChrisFL]

Thanks for the info!

50% would be fairly high rH for around here. Lately humidities have been <20%, and with the heat on in the apartment, it's even lower.

On another note, I just remembered a grower I knew very well when I was in Florida, a Venezuelan transplant to the US, wins an absurd number of awards in Venezuela, the US and Japan with his Catt species breeding. All of the plants in his personal collection that I have seen in Florida are growing in wood baskets with spag as the media. Maybe there's something to it.

[Brooke]

If you understand the drying properties of sphag it is a great medium for cattleyas, particularly the smaller growing ones.

I sprout all of my old pbulbs I have removed from a plant in sphag/tree fern. I use p'nuts in the bottom and a clay pot.

With sphag, when it is crunchy on top, it is time to water.

Brooke

[ChrisFL]

Originally Posted by brooke

With sphag, when it is crunchy on top, it is time to water.

Brooke

I have also read, that if using unglazed terra cotta, that when the outside of the pot is no longer damp/clammy, it is time to water.

[ChrisFL]

So i planted a few nobilior in good quality sphagnum yesterday afternoon. I used an unglazed clay pot with styrofoam peanuts in the bottom. What's amazing is that even though the sphagnum was thoroughly wet for the planting in the aftenoon, it was bone dry all the way through this morning. So it is incredibly dry in my apartment, drier than I though.

[ChrisFL]

Two days and I've already notice improvement in bulb condition. I'm intrigued enough to keep trying this for the growing season.

[Leisurely]

Chris, the sphagnum may work very well for you if you don't pack it but everything I have ever read indicates that C. walkeriana and nobilior thrive when mounted without sphagnum and die when potted. If I were you I would choose another alternative which would be to grow in a basket using sphagnum. I just recently ordered an eight inch basket of C. walkeriana from a Hawaiian grower and it was planted in coconut husk chunks. It was very well established with a massive root system and it has green moss and tiny bears foot fern growing on the chunks of coconut. It is currently in bloom and very healthy looking so that says something for growing in a basket.