Melissa how lucky are you? So cool you can with a flick of the button turn on your misters, technology, ant it wonderful.

Well my order from First Ray's is in Billings. Not to be delivered till Monday. I so didn't want it stuck over the week end. I'm going to call and see if they are bringing it down to Sheridan which is only about 48 miles away. I can go over and pick it up and get some flowers from the green house that I really like over there.

Mandy,

You can drop him an email and ask about the Amesiella. I am sure he would rather get your check and save the eBay listing fee. :)

---------- Post added at 11:56 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:48 AM ----------

Oh I wish! No I just get a text alarm to my iPhone for high temp or low humidity. Then I have to run out there and take care of business. :biggrin:

I do have an Orbit station attached to misters on a timer that I can use automatically, but I find that it becomes too much "watering" to other plants if left on "auto" all the time. So usually I just run in, turn on the water to the mist station, and then hit the on button. It will cycle through the programmed mist system one time.

Sometimes I just have to spray the floor to bring the temps down. I'm thinking that I might need to get a bigger swamp cooler...but that is big $$$.

Well I am so bummed. I did go over just to find they are not open on Saturdays, so my poor orchids will be setting there till Monday. At least I did get some plants bought that I have to plant in an Insurance Company's planters that I do every year.

Craper, and a big giant CRAPER,

It's interesting to look into orchids and their native area. I actually have several species from the phillipines now. Bulbo putidum, vanda luzonica, amesiella monticola, dendrobium victoria-reginae. Shadytrake, you think they are endangered? From what I did see they are not widely cultivated.

---------- Post added at 09:39 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:35 AM ----------

Looks like this plant is listed on the The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list.

Yes, it is endangered. I think it's cool that our project plant is one that could do with some hobbyist conservation efforts. One of the more amazing things that we can do, is learn how to get native species like these to thrive and multiply on their own, so that maybe one day, they can be reintroduced into the wild and not be forever lost.

I also think it's cool that we can be part of the conservation effort, but our sourcing should be of the utmost importance. Making sure our plants aren't being picked out of the wild for sale, or were a primary product of that may be an issue. Additionally, I think us not knowing (or we did know and noone said anything about it) is part of the entire plant sourcing issue where international demand for nice, unique plants is driving local orchid plucking markets that are destroying populations, some of which may be the last.

:agree:I do agree with you on this, but the primary reason for this particular decline is not due to orchid poaching. It is illegal logging and the clearing of the natural habitat for terraced farming. It may be likely that the habitat will be gone forever or reduced so much that the growing conditions change.

If that is the case, then having the plants (either wild collected or bred in "captivity") means that they are not lost forever. This happened in the case of Mexipedium xerophyticum. The habitat and the wild plants were basically destroyed by a terrible fire. However, the cultivation of the two collected has assured that we could reintroduce them if needed. So far that is not necessary as they discovered surviving plants in 2009.

I am lucky enough to own one division of each of the original collected plants (they freely produce offspring by surface runners) and there have been a number of successful selfings and sibbings.

At any rate, we need to be responsible by educating ourselves when adding any rare species to our collection.

Of course, of course! Species loss can't be attributable to just one event, but poaching sure doesn't help the conservation effort. I guess what I'm trying to say is, we should do what we can on our end for species conservation if we can't directly contribute to the habitat conservation. Reliable sourcing and building genetic diversity via seed propagation could be a start!

The important issue about 'preserving wild species' is keeping them as close to what they were in the wild as possible so they could someday still survive there if introduced. Many times, through selective breeding, the traits that allow/help a species survive is lost. Truthfully, though, with global warming, some of these plants are beginning to have a difficult time surviving in their native habitat anyway. Sort of sad. I just bought a second Theobroma cacao after reading about even more woes besetting the chocolate industry. I must do my part to preserve the Theobroma cacao for future generations. :)

---------- Post added at 03:54 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:48 PM ----------

Just checked on my project plant. It dropped a bottom leaf and is growing out the new leaf. Roots still look happy. It is probably really enjoying the typical high humidity of an Ohio summer.

Here's my little booger. According to the OrchidWiz cultural info Camille posted on page 10 of this thread, it needs a minimum of 85% humidity, even in winter?! Um, sorry little guy, you will not be getting that! Time to toughen up!

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/551/17...d5b6d672_z.jpg

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/387/18...18e898f6_z.jpg

https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7797/1...4ba00573_z.jpg

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/478/17...bec21cda_z.jpg

Hi, Cambriawhat, Your little guy looks a lot like my little guy, and I already told mine that's not going to happen, either. So far, though, he looks pretty good with 50%

Good to I'm not the only one growing in sphagnum moss.

As soon as mine has had a little more time to acclimate to my local conditions and I'm sure it's pest free, I've decided to mount it and move it into my intermediate terrarium. I think I am going to head to a local computer shop and look into installing a small, quiet, CPU fan in there to give it a bit extra air movement. I've had it sitting on a plant tray on some pebbles with water sitting in the tray to keep humidity up around it some, I think that might be all that's needed if you intend to grow it indoors. Mine is growing new roots this way, but since I can provide the higher humidity in my terrarium, I will.

Finally got mine yesterday afternoon. I need to get pictures and then I'll post them. I already re-potted it as the spagh it was in was nice and dry and it just came off real easy. It had so recently been re-potted and I thought the pot was just a bit to big for it and I was afraid I might keep it to wet.

I had a bit of small bark pieces I had socking as I have been re-potting a bunch of my other orchids. So I took that and put more spagh in it, added a bit more sponge rock and charcoal. Then burnt holes in one of my fruit cups stuck 2 small pieces of foam in the middle and walla. We will now see how it does.

Update on project plant:

My teeny tiny plant was viciously and brutally attacked by evil, tiny, red-orange mite things that ate/sucked the life out of my one growing root tip. They must have traveled with Mr. Teeny Tiny because he's been isolated in a sterilized class vase... Falling back on my emergency backup plan, all evil has been mechanically removed and awaits chemical eradication upon identification. For the time being, Mr. Teeny-Tiny has been transferred to a net pot with charcoal and sphag.

Previous sphag is being dried and then burned out of spite.

We shall not go down without a fight!

And an update on mine. Of all the orchids I got at the same time as the project plant, the Amesiella is the only one not doing anything it seems. Everyone else has growths which have grown a bit, some new roots, growing spikes.... But the project plant is just sitting there. I'm still satisfied by that since the plant is otherwise still very healthy and happy looking. Just surprised that the keiki/new growth hasn't grown any larger.

I'm in the same boat. Plant is very happy looking just not doing anything. Mine appears to have the start of a keiki which was evident when I got it, but it definitely has done squat since. Considering we are in opposing hemispheres and therefore seasons, perhaps this plant just goes into sulk mode for a while?

Mine is growing a small leaf. It was in bark but it is now growing in sphagnum moss. From what I have read, this is the growing season. So I'm going to keep it hydrated and warmer and fed, maybe that will kick start its growth?

This is such a slow growing plant.

A quick update on mine:
Of the three orchids I got at the same time, this one is probably doing about the best. It's got four nubs that I'm guessing are roots. Two were there when I got it, two more started once I started caring for it.

It had a new leaf started when I got it, and that's still growing. The oldest leaf is shriveling and yellowing. I think it will probably drop.

All in all, it seems happy. I have it outside right now. Temps are ranging from 50 to the upper 80's, with humidity between 70% and 100%. I've had to bring it inside a few times when overnight temps dropped into the 30s and 40s.

If spider mites, increase humidity and watering. They are sneaky buggers that like dry heat. I still have a few trying to kill over in my ctsm area. I am spraying a miticide this weekend. I have been trying to drown them.

Mine's starting a new leaf too. I'd really like it to push out some roots to attach to the mount, but I guess that'll take a while.

My update: my plant looks fine is starting to lose the oldest leaf.The keikie hasn't grown either ....

My update is that nothing is happening (sound familiar ?) It appears to be happy enough, but the tiny new leaf that was started when I got it has not really gotten any bigger. I have mine under the t-5s and it get some late afternoon sun, it's planted in bark (as it came) and I water it daily. It drains quickly and dries in no time.

Okay so this is what mine looks like thus far. I suppose i have had some minimal root growth but nothing speccy. The bottom leaves which had yellowed have stayed pretty much the same.

I haven't changed watering habits except for backing it off slightly (5 minutes shorter) and fertisliser regime still the same.

Here's my little guy. We will see if he likes his new pot and media.

They are all so very cute! :)

I finally got mine, a bit dehydrated, not many roots and it appears to be philippines. I am not real crazy about the windmill leaf but it may straighten out. I'm growing it with the neos.
Joann

Amesiella monticola (project 16 [main] - spring 2015)
 

I got mine in yesterday. It's a tiny one but looks very healthy. It looks like it's in pure sphagnum moss with styrofoam peanuts on the bottom in a clay pot. It looks happy and I may leave it be for the time being as I would have potted it up the same way. The little roots have green growing tips too :)
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/06...3fb99222fc.jpg

What makes you think that? How does one tell before it blooms? It is a very nice looking plant.

The tag says Amesiella monticola philippines. I guess I'll know for sure if I get it to bloom :lol:.
Joann

My guess is that it's just a reference to where this species is found.

Agree. Common reference to the habitat.

Amesiella monticola (project 16 [main] - spring 2015)
 

Well I don't know the specifics of my growing environment such as temp and humidity. I don't have a temp or humidity reader in my growing spaces, but this one grows under a light with all my other little orchids and seedlings. I grow this in my bedroom bc the sun just floods this room in the morning for hours and it's growing space is set in the corner of the room where it never gets cold. The amesiella monticola is in the front row with the big white tag, where it sits right under the light. I checked it just now and I believe it has a spike. I don't have a nice camera, just my iPhone so I hope you can see it clearly. This has to be one of the smallest blooming sized orchids I own :)

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/06...b467c00b00.jpghttp://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/06...5d5fe4f88c.jpghttp://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/06...5f4de4c71f.jpg

Are you sure it's not a root? It looks good however. I would like to see something on mine as it is just setting there, but at least it's not turning yellow.

I can't be 100% positive that it's a root or a spike 😁 it has the mitten shape....and I swear it grew in the time I took this picture lol. It seems to have gotten bigger 😜 I will post another pic next week and see for sure what we have.

I've got a new leaf coming in!:banana:
I'm also extremely proud to report that this is the first orchid that hasn't lost all it's existing roots to my "care". In fact, all of its roots still look great! Mine came from Firstrays in a net pot with sphag, I was going to mount it but decided to ask Ray for watering advice first because I couldn't figure out how to water it without getting the moss soaking wet. He advised setting it in a shallow dish of water and letting it wick up (amazing how the obvious eludes me lol), unbelievably (because I AM a serial root murderer), it's doing GREAT! :biggrin:

Great Judith, I am going to take Ray's advice as well and use the tray with shallow water. I don't want to water it from the top and rot out my potential spike :)

Just to clarify, it's not supposed to stay sitting in water, just be placed in a shallow container of water long enough for a small amount to wick up and moisten the sphag :)

Mine continues in suspended animation for now... ;)

I consider anything but death a win :biggrin: