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Originally Posted by rosemadder
I don't think I'm ready for one of these plants yet...
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If you're referring to the plants on Dr. Beyrle's list, I'm sure there are some orchids on that list you can grow quite easily. Like I said, Stenoglottis is definitely one of them! It is not out of your realm, you just have to be guided in the right direction.
Quote:
Originally Posted by rosemadder
...but as it happens I think the climate here in the San Francisco bay area may actually be suitable for them. I'm very interested in learning more, especially about Thelymitra, and I'd like to follow the progress of the plants from such a group order. Exciting stuff!
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First I'll talk about the size these plants get, as I think a lot of people really should know this. As I'm sure you've read in my post about the blue Phal, Thelys in general are not large plants. Many of them are actually about 1' tall or under.
I'm sure they can be grown in SF. I'm sure SoCal is a good place to grow Thelys as well, but my long term experience with Thelys is non-existent. The longest I've had a Thelymitra for was about 6 months, give or take - and this is only in 2 tries!
Thelys naturally don't have a large amount of roots, and this is part of what gives people problems with this group of orchids. While there are a few species that are not strongly fungus dependent, they are more or less designed to have a relationship with fungus.
They have a dormancy period, but because I have not grown them long enough, I cannot give you an accurate time frame of when that'd be. Maybe someone else can answer that question for you.
In the wild, they grow in soil that is composed of decomposed granite and crushed granite, (little chunks of granite rock and a fine granitic sand).
They grow under bright light.
Quote:
Originally Posted by rosemadder
If a person were able to keep orchids of this type, would there be any point in trying to pollinate them and produce more seeds? Even if we can't propagate them ourselves successfully, is there a way to contribute to the maintenance/availability of these species?
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My answer is, yes, there is a point in trying to pollinate them and produce more seeds. They can be grown from seed using in-vitro methods. If you learned how to flask epiphytes, all you need to do is modify a few protocols, and you will get seedlings of Thelymitras. Maybe not as many seedlings as you'd get with Phals, per se, but you'll get a good number.
Quote:
Originally Posted by rosemadder
...And I'm curious, would it be possible or of any help to the grown plants to get a bucket of Australian dirt that had the proper native fungi in it?
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Probably not, especially if you're in the States. Getting a soil sample also requires a permit from the USDA/APHIS, and will cost you money. And when you get the soil, there's no guarantee the fungus is still there. It's not worth it.
You're better off getting a sample of the fungus itself and culturing that. But again, it'll cost you a pretty penny. There's a reason I don't get my Thelys, Caladenias, and Diuris from the Land of Oz anymore.
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