Frustrations with Habenaria and relatives.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

My ventures into growing Habenaria and related species (except for Disas - ironically) in the long term has been utterly frustrating!

From the experience of having newer tubers be smaller than the older ones, to losing tubers during dormancy. This group of orchids has been a pain in the royal butt!

I'm doing my best to hold on to what I've got from this family of orchids, and I'm so frustrated, I feel I gotta vent.

The other thing that prompted this post is that I almost lost a small tuber of one of the species in the group of plants in the Habenaria family while digging in the pot trying to find it.

This has prompted me to remove all the tubers of the plants in this God forsaken family from their pots and store them out in the open where I can see them!

If anyone's got any kind of advice for this group of plants, I'd welcome anything anybody has to say.

Thank you in advance!

[Brooke]

Take a slightly damp paper towel, fold it up in a plastic bag, add the tubers and put them in the crisper drawer of your fridge.

The tubers will stay damp but not soggy but won't totally dehydrate either.

Brooke

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Thank you.

[Paul]

As much as I love seeing the blooms of Habenarias, I have heard from so many experienced growers that they are difficult to grow long term that I have shied away from trying any myself.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

So far, Disas and Stenoglottis are the only Habenaria relatives that are worth growing.

Maybe Brachycorythis.

[Brooke]

You don't think this is worth the effort?

Habanaria medusae





This isn't any more difficult than a Stenoglottis.

Brooke

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Maybe the words "worth growing" were a poor choice in words.

Personal issues getting in the way.

[s1214215]

Whoah there,,, why put them in the crisper? These are tropical habenaria you are talking about right? Rhodocheila, myriotricha, carnea? While some may get to as low as 10c in higher regions, its not likely they will ever get as cool as a crisper. A friend of mine has them in Japan and says they struggle in the cool.

I would be keeping them warmer, but dry in the rest. These are true tropical terrestrials and need a dry, slightly cooler rest. Then a moist to wet growing season and warm.

I have had other people talk of this problem with the tubers regressing. Dont be shy to fertilise when in growth, though not full strength.

I have no real issues with them regressing, eccept when disturber while in growth

Brett

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Brachycorythis henryi (a couple of the older bulbs are still somewhat flacid - the new one is perfect)

Habenaria carnea (which may be dead)

Hemipilia flabellata (which did recover) - This one originally had a fairly good sized bulb that was a bit smaller than those of Brachycorythis, but the new one had become 1/3 the size of the original. The only positive difference between the original and the new one is that the new bulb has a shoot tip - so I know which end is up.