Sudamerlycaste ciliata

[Dulcinea]

Thanks again Roberta!

[Dulcinea]

I’ll go with the orchiata bark. It’s extremely difficult for me to keep mounted orchids alive since they’re grown inside a small shed with a very large south skylight, lights and a cement floor. My humidity control is only hosing the floor each day or several times per day. It has a small furnace. The other problem is keeping it cool on a sunny winter day. It really heats up. The orchids go outdoors after the last frost and go back in September.

Growing outside is great. I have a screened in “summer house” for them. We have chipmunk, rabbit, squirrel, raccoon and possum problems. Do you have any animal problems growing outside?

[Roberta]

Fortunately I don't have much of an animal problem... I had a few hanging plants near a fence get shredded by a raccoon , added some bird spikes around the tree that it had been using for access and also along the fence. And the bird bath has to be weighted down with bricks or it would get dumped. But the orchids mostly get left alone, fortunately.

Oh, one more thing about that plant... since it has no roots, you will want to stake it (maybe two stakes, one on each side) The important thing is to have the plant not move or wobble, which would damage any developing new roots.

[Dulcinea]

I’ll do that!