I've just been winging it

[SummerSun]

Hey all, first post here! I go by SummerSun or Sunny for short. I've been gardening for years - I started in the veggie garden as a kid and moved into entheogens as a teenager. After a long hiatus I'm back into gardening - this time with houseplants. I went through the typical progression starting with easy stuff - pothos, tradescantia, etc.

After about 6 months of sharpening my skills I snagged a macodes petola and a few other more uncommon varieties on the cheap form a local grower -
Lucidia discolor
Lucidia discolor albo
Anoectochilus albolineatus
Anoectochilus chapaensis

I've also been scaling back the lower variegated more common, easier plants for the more variegated, rarer and more expensive stuffs. Alocasia have been hitting the spot lately...but anyway...

My gardening style is to research relentlessly each process of each individual plant species, so that I can understand them and thus improve already known methods to achieve the best results.

So far, macodes information has been eluding me as there really isn't a ton of information on its exact plant care wants and needs... and also being in that semi-epiphytic twilight zone that is the forest leaf litter makes them particularly niche and tough to pin down in terms of exact preferences.

I need more than just the typical parroted 'bright indirect light, 0-100% humidity, water when the top 1" is dry" jargon. So with that said if ya'll could direct me to your resident gurus or advanced cultivation section so that I can dig through old threads [I promise not to necropost ] I'd be really appreciative.=, because up to this point I've been pretty much winging it. haha

Much love
-Sunny

[estación seca]

Welcome to the Orchid Board!

The various jewel orchids are very low light plants. They want less light than Phalaenopsis prefer. There should be no shadows on them when you put your hand between them and the light source. Bright indirect light is too much. Every time a member brings a jewel orchid in trouble to our society meeting, an older member tells them it's getting too much light.

Different species have differing tolerances for low humidity and various methods of potting. Luidisia discolor does well in most homes with no special treatment. Our society member who grows them the best pots them in potting soil straight from the bag. It does not mind going dry for brief periods occasionally. Many other species are better grown in terraria with high humidity, and most don't like drying out ever. Most don't root deeply into medium, so for the less easy to grow species many people lay them on top of damp sphagnum moss. The stems tend to grow horizontally across the moss, rooting just into it.

Most prefer warm temperatures.

[SummerSun]

Oh yeah, I learned pretty quickly that macodes starts to bleach out with high light, even just under some barrinas far away from windows @ around 5k umol.

I currently have them sitting under this very cheap clip light - and new growth is slightly pink - possibly indicating light stress[?] which, while I can see my hands shadow when passing it between them and the light, I dont think its too too much. Although if they'll grow faster with less I'll move it away a bit - I dont think thats the case though?

Our society member who grows them the best pots them in potting soil straight from the bag.

I do believe it was one of your comments on another thread about macodes that prompted me to join - you mentioned this person there as well - I'm super intrigued and would love to talk to this person. Any chance you happen to remember their name?

I've found more or less on my own that they seem to prefer those conditions you mentioned, and I was hoping moreso to discuss the particulars of environmental specifications - and also maybe someone who has experimented around a bit and tried atypical things - such as growing in potting soil, as you mentioned...

Your warm welcome and tips are appreciated though!

[estación seca]

I wouldn't put them under any lights at all. Just put them some distance from a window. These are deep shade plants. Yes, I think if you can see a shadow that's too much light.

I don't think the two ladies I quoted would want to be mentioned here. I know one has an OB account but I don't see her posting. I'll ask them if they'd be willing to correspond.

[SummerSun]

That would be much appreciated - thank you.

[SummerSun]

Heya, any luck? Looks like a couple of them are flowering. Under the light.

[estación seca]

Our meeting is the 16 th.

[Dimples]

I have the standard jewel orchid, and it took me a long time to figure it out. They really do want LOW light. I was shocked at how little light they were getting when I found “the sweet spot” at our last house. Too much light and they bleach and growth slows to a standstill. But, I’ve also found they grow particularly slowly at first while getting established, no matter what.

[Leafmite]

If the plant is growing well, keep growing it that way. Many plants have adapted, through selection, to different growing conditions due to who has been growing their 'parent' in the past. Contacting the vendor to ask for growing tips, then is the best way if you do have questions.

I often contact vendors, either to ask questions or just to thank them when plants have been especially nice (shout out to Heirloom Roses and Brite Leaf Nursery).

Good luck!