I'd like to find a photo of Huntleya heteroclite

[glasskiwi]

, I'm very new to collecting. For my B'day my husband took me to Marlow Orchids open house. I left with a few small plants.
I'm trying to find a photo of the flower and info concerning culture of a Charbardia (huntleya) heteroclite.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

First off, hi, welcome to the OB!

Here's a photo with some basic info on where it comes from:

IOSPE PHOTOS

Now, I'm going to give you a bit more detailed info, it's not much, but it's something.

1. These are not plants for the beginner. They are more for the intermediate to advanced hobbyist.

Why?

2. There is not a whole lot of specific information on where it comes from.

The Andean mountains in South America is a very large mountain system. Specifically it is split up into many different smaller sections. Therefore, it is diverse in it's kinds of forests.

Just because the source of information says they're from the Andes isn't good enough.

It's like telling you to find my house in Los Angeles County without giving you my address.

3. You must do extensive research to find out where it specifically comes from.

For someone starting out, they may or may not know what kinds of information to look for.

4. With that said, judging from other related orchids, such as Stenia (which I have grown), I believe this plant grows evenly moist. Not dry, and not soggy.

5. The humidity should be moderate to high (70% to 100%). The humidity must be that high, because it's that high where it comes from pretty much year round.

6. Depending on where this plant comes from specifically (sorry, but I really don't know where specifically), it may need a wet spring/summer, and a relatively drier (not dry, it's never fully dry where it's from) fall/winter.

7. These are not the sturdiest of plants for you to start with because they have tiny pseudobulbs hidden in the leaves. Therefore, it is not tolerant of drying out.

If you really like this plant, I recommend trying another easier to grow relative first. I recommend the easier to grow Zygopetalum mackayi.

[goodgollymissmolly]

The proper spelling is Chaubardia heteroclita (Poeppig & Endlicher) Dodson @ D.E. Bennett 1989.

There are some pictures on OrchidWiz and in the book Huntleyas and Related Orchids by Patricia A. Harding. It's available on Amazon.

Oops posted at the same time.

[glasskiwi]

Thanks to both of you. The info is great although a bit scary. I don't have a green house so how am I going to get 70% humidity or better to keep it happy? My small collection is sitting in a south window (Up State N.Y) in a tray on a bed of marbles.
Is there one book I really should have that will get me started better than I have?

[stefpix]

I think the tray of water with pebbles that raises the humidity is a myth.
The only way it would contribute is if it was enclosed.
you could get a humidifier that also adds to air circulation.
but the tray with pebbles is good only for collecting water. maybe it can daise the humidity one percent but not really more, in my experience.

You can measure that and see by yourself.

but if you hang a clear shower courtain between the window sill and the window and the plants in between, then you mist and use a tray with water and pebbles that will likely raise the humidity. but then you may need a fan to avoid mold and fungi

[goodgollymissmolly]

You will get a million answers to the book question. There are many beginners books but most of them give some questionable or incomplete advice. The best book I know of that covers most everything you need plus some advanced info so that the book does not become useless as you learn more is Understanding Orchids by William Cullina. It's about $30 on Amazon. Now expect a 1000 more recommendations.

It is possible to grow cloud forest orchids successfully. It can be a challenge and a beginner might expect problems as someone else said. That does not mean you should give up. Find out what you can and give it a shot. You'll learn something even if you fail. Probably more than from a success.

Good Luck.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

I recommend a humidifier for raising the humidity as stefpix had said.

However...

I do not recommend that you mist Chaubardia heteroclita, ever. Water will definitely collect in the crown and kill it off very rapidly (within a couple of weeks, if not sooner!).

Let the humidity (humidifier) do the work. These water droplets evaporate much faster.

The pseudobulbless orchids are rather touchy and are very susceptible to fungal infections if grown too wet.

Unless you're picking these out in person, don't be surprised that if you order via mail order that these look rather bedraggled.

If you happen to luck out in your mail ordering of these and you end up getting one that looks pristine and intact, count your blessings.

In the wild they kinda don't grow straight up, they grow upwards alright, but at an angle so water dribbles away from the crown.

Look for pictures of Huntleya walisii in the wild, this is the best representation of what to expect.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

I forgot...

They grow in medium shade.

Intermediate to warm temperatures (60 F to 95 F).

[Angurek]

Welcome to OB!

To add on to all the great advice posted above, I've also found that members of this group like good air circulation. They just seem to grow better when they are exposed to some air. They also don't like being kept in stagnant medium. If you leave them in stale medium, they'll slow down or stop growth.

As king said, Zygopetalums are a great introductory genus to the zygopetalinae. The main difference between them and the bulbless plants is that they can be grown brighter and can dry out a bit more because they have normal pseudobulbs. If you have some more orchid-growing experience and want to try the bulbless zygopetalinae, Pescatorea and Cochleanthes are great "starter" genera (I'll include Bollea in there, too, particularly B. violacea). I've found that they're more tolerant to a wider range of conditions, and are generally more forgiving of drying out for short periods of time. I grow them moist, but not wet. I have them in a mix of bark, perlite, and sphag, though any medium can work as long as it holds some moisture. You can keep them in baskets or pots, but be vigilant about the moisture of the medium if you choose to keep them in pots. I only water them when they're approaching dryness - If they're still moist, I do not water. I test them for moisture by putting my finger into the medium, and by looking at the medium through the drainage holes.

Overall, once you get the hang of the watering and humidity, this group isn't overly difficult. When I think about it, watering and humidity are the only two "touchy" issues with these plants - They can take quite a bit of abuse (trust me) and grow like weeds. They're pretty rewarding plants, IMO, and some have no set blooming season and so can bloom at any given time.

Also, if you're looking for plants of this group, you'll might have a hard time finding them because they aren't common. Usually, you'll find that the selection is very limited, and some of the rarer genera/species will simply not be available.

Good luck with your collection!

Here's some representative pics of the genera I just talked about (note that these are not my plants, and that there are many more species of the said genera):

Pescatorea


Cochleanthes


Bollea

Originally Posted by King_of_orchid_growing:)

Unless you're picking these out in person, don't be surprised that if you order via mail order that these look rather bedraggled.

If you happen to luck out in your mail ordering of these and you end up getting one that looks pristine and intact, count your blessings.

Quoted for truth! Soft-leaves don't ship too well. When I get them out of the boxes, the leaves get floppy or broken.

[camille1585]

Originally Posted by King_of_orchid_growing:)

2. There is not a whole lot of specific information on where it comes from.

The Andean mountains in South America is a very large mountain system. Specifically it is split up into many different smaller sections. Therefore, it is diverse in it's kinds of forests.

Just because the source of information says they're from the Andes isn't good enough.

It's like telling you to find my house in Los Angeles County without giving you my address.

3. You must do extensive research to find out where it specifically comes from.

For someone starting out, they may or may not know what kinds of information to look for.

4. With that said, judging from other related orchids, such as Stenia (which I have grown), I believe this plant grows evenly moist. Not dry, and not soggy.

5. The humidity should be moderate to high (70% to 100%). The humidity must be that high, because it's that high where it comes from pretty much year round.

6. Depending on where this plant comes from specifically (sorry, but I really don't know where specifically), it may need a wet spring/summer, and a relatively drier (not dry, it's never fully dry where it's from) fall/winter.

I found some (rather detailed) info on Orchidwiz that could be of help.
Habitat is Bolivia, Equador and Peru. They grow in wet forests on the lower east slopes of the Andes. In Equador they are collected in the southeastern provinces at altitudes of 3300-6900ft. In Peru they are found in two main places (I'll spare you the names!) at 2300 and 4750ft.

And just to add to the good information you gave:
Also from Orchidwiz, they need shady conditions, and because they grow so wet they need brisk and continuous air movement.
Day temp in situ are between 71 and 87°F, night temps 52-67°F, but they prefer the higher end of the range. They need high humidity (at least 75%) and need heavy watering while actively growing, but with excellent drainage for the roots to dry quick, but must never dry completely. New growths are extremely susceptible to rot so never get them wet.