Grammatophyllum measurianum - Orchid Board

mjHuntingtonBeach · #1 07-28-2013, 12:27 AM

Does anyone grow this orchid? I picked it up at a local orchid species club annual auction fundraiser. It originally had two bulbs, in what appeared to be a solid mass of sphagnum and bark. well half of it died off, I then got a very small new growth last year, I put it in a small pot with lecca at the bottom, a mix of coconut husk and sphag on top, and it formed a small new growth. Clear pot but I never saw any roots reaching the edges of the pot. Now, it is pushing out a third growth, already bigger than the small other two, and I suspect it will be rooting soon. I was hoping to figure out what to put it in now. I think maybe a 4 or 6 inch pot is about as big as I can go this year.

Any advice on repotting or the culture of this beast?

james mickelso · #2 07-28-2013, 11:38 AM

These grow like cyms and cats. New growth comes and takes time to grow roots. The older pbulbs don't grow new roots. That is not their function. New growths take their nourishment from the older pbulbs until they are large enough to grow their own roots. Patience grasshopper.

mjHuntingtonBeach · #3 07-28-2013, 12:33 PM

I'm just trying to figure out what I should be doing now. I think it will shortly be too big for the pot it is in. I am also uncertain as to planting medium - CHC, sphag, orchiata bark, lecca, rock.... any suggestions as to that? I've seen pictures of other grammatophyllum species, in baskets, pots, mixes seem to vary, but the mesurianum species is never discussed. Sooooo, this grasshopper is looking for some guidance

I've attached some pictures from this morning, currently in a 3 inch pot, am thinking of 4 or 5 inch pots (see the green and clear pots in the pictures - I also have the clear pot in an opaque green version).

james mickelso · #4 07-28-2013, 12:47 PM

This would last another season in this pot. If it were mine I would repot it but very carefully. I'm not a fan of spag. Fine to medium bark mix with just a little spag chopped and mixed into the bark. Or sponge rock or lava rock. Take it out of the pot dry and use tweezers to pull the moss out from around the roots. I use tweezers and a pair of very small manicure scissors which I use to cut moss fibers that are wrapped around the roots too tightly. You don't have to get all of the moss out. Just the majority. Then plant it with the older pbulb right up against the side of the piot to allow the new growth as much room as you can. If done carefully it won't skip a beat. Probably won't flower this season but if taken care of well, next season. Watch the light level on these thinish leaves. Hope this helps.

peeweelovesbooks · #5 07-28-2013, 12:48 PM

I have several different grams (14 total, including your type) and here's how they are potted:

They are in a mix of river rock and Hydroton. The stuff that looks like dirt is compost. Truth be told, they have gone a little bit root crazy since I put the compost on top of the root basket. These get full sun most of the day, but I would caution you that you have to work them up to that. As you can see, they are in shallow clay pots.

Good luck!

james mickelso · #6 07-28-2013, 12:50 PM

I love it Peewee. They do well in baskets too as long as humidity is kept up. Shallow pots are hard to come by here. Where did you get these? Nice looking plants.

peeweelovesbooks · #7 07-28-2013, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by james mickelso

I love it Peewee. They do well in baskets too as long as humidity is kept up. Shallow pots are hard to come by here. Where did you get these? Nice looking plants.

Thanks James! I got these at Bajong Orchids in Homestead. I have found other designs from Isaac farms here in Homestead.

mjHuntingtonBeach · #8 07-28-2013, 01:25 PM

But I'm pretty sure that out here in our drier and cooler coastal California climate that they would not work too well and would be covered with a thick crust of salt in no time. That dryness makes me hesitate using rock or hydroton in this climate.

As to sun, I've had mine out in full sun for the past couple of months, seems to love it.

So James, I added the sphag because it seemed to me that bark or rock was too dry. Perhaps I will try your suggestion of medium orchiata bark plus some fine sphag mixed in, maybe some rock or hydroton at the bottom for air circulation. so what do you think, 4 inch square pot or 5 inch round pot with slit sides?

james mickelso · #9 07-28-2013, 01:55 PM

These grow quickly when they get going so I would opt for the 5 inch w/side slits. But when they get rooting they will throw roots out the side slits so when you repot make sure you cut the pot away from the roots and don't just try and pull it out. No matter what you do it will put most of it's roots around the inner wall of the pot anyway. For thin rooted orchids I put a layer of small (1/4 inch) lava cinder or small bark on the top of the pot to help moderate the moisture inside the pot. Your humidity should be around 40-60% most of the time in HB. That's good for grammas. Once these get going they are very fast growers and will produce nice spikes in no time.

mjHuntingtonBeach · #10 07-28-2013, 06:01 PM

Well James, took your advice. Slowly peeled away the sphag and under it all I found some very healthy looking white roots. Strangely, they all look new, and all were coming from the growth from last year, not the new growth. I potted it up in orchiata bark with some shredded sphagnum mixed in and now it's all set for the next few years, I hope