disa flask

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Miltoniopsis are generally cool - intermediate cool growing (about 36 F/2.2 C - 85 F/29.4 C).

Mltnps are epiphytes. They come from rainforests that keep the tree trunks consistently moist. Hence, they don't like to dry out completely for too long.

You may use small grade bark or moss as a potting media. If you use moss, make sure you get special pots that are made especially for orchids, (the ones with lots of holes/slots on them), the roots still need to breathe. If using moss, allow it to dry to dampness, then water again. If using bark, allow the media to dry out completely for less than 1 day, then water again.

Grow in moderately bright indirect light.

Humidity can be about 50% - 90%.

Keep the pots as small as possible.

Flowers are large. They are anywhere around 2.5" (6.35 cm) - 3" (7.62 cm) across. Each spike has about 5 - 7 flowers.

Some hybrids are fragrant.

[disalover]

Thanks

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

You're welcome.

[Andrew]

Originally Posted by King_of_orchid_growing:)

I must not be doing it right, 'cause I've done that before, and all the Disa seedlings I've ever tried not only go flaccid, they just plain died.

I have photos too. Maybe if I provided the photos, some advice about how to make adjustments to culture would be greatly appreciated.

Interesting. I usually get very high survival out of Disa flasks. Do the mature plants grow well for you? I find uniflora and it's hybrids pretty easy to grow, so it might just come down to conditions.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

NBS and BS plants generally tend to fare better for me.

I think there are some cultural adjustments that need to be made before I can really see true long-term success with the stream side Disas.

The only Disa species that shows promise so far is Disa bracteata. Disa bracteata was almost effortless to grow. I haven't bloomed it out yet, but I have confidence that this will pretty much be automatic once I grow the plant out well. I can see why this became such a hardy plant in Australia! This thing is almost indestructible. I had it grow a shoot, and managed to get a daughter tuberoid that made it through the entire dormancy period. I'm waiting for a new shoot to emerge from the new tuberoid. From past experience, this process takes forever in this orchid. For something that is considered a noxious weed and became invasive in a foreign country, it grows ridiculously slow.

I had to work for Disa sagittalis to kinda do what it was supposed to. The last one I had almost bloomed. Produced 2 - 3 new daughter shoots. And ended up developing 1 underdeveloped daughter tuberoid before it died from improper storage/fungal infection.

One of the Disa uniflora I attempted to grow bloomed, and tried to grow a new shoot, but it had completely rotted out. I got seeds from this plant and sent them to a lab immediately. I should be receiving seedlings soon.

Disa tripetaloides consistently gives me a ton of offshoots, but has never produced tuberoids and eventually just slowly dwindles away due to rot and dies off completely after 1 - 1.5 years.

Disa aurata has never done all that well for me. It tries to do what Disa tripetaloides does, but quickly goes downhill within a month.

With Disa thodei I couldn't get the seedlings to adjust from a southern hemisphere seasonal timeframe to a northern hemisphere timeframe.

Not sure what to say about Disa cardinalis. This one's kinda touchy about conditions.

Disa chrysostachya is baffling. Couldn't figure it out; never had a real chance to.

[disalover]

I found another source with very cheap disa flasks for only about $12,5 they have the following species\hybrids = Disa tripetaloides, uniflora (an orange one and a red one), cardinalis, veitchii and aurata. Which will be the easiest to deflask and to grow. They also have potted up seedlings of disa tripetaloides and Trikew at $21. Which would you prefer me to try.

[Andrew]

If you have the option of buying potted up plants, I'd give a Trikew a go, see how you go for a year and if you're successful look at buying flasks to expand your collection.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

I'd go for the ones that are potted up. Probably the hybrid Trikew, just as Andrew had mentioned.

Stay away from Disa aurata or Disa cardinalis for now if you're looking at the flasks. They are quite challenging. I've tried to deflask D. cardinalis before, and was very, very unsuccessful.

I just got blooming sized plants of Disa aurata, and if I showed you the condition of the roots, you'd understand what I mean. These had the worst roots out of the Disa tripetaloides and Disa uniflora I got and the grower had all 3 species growing in the same type of growing medium, (perlite and SuperSphag). Half of the roots were black and sloughed off or crumbled in my fingers upon testing for viability. I got two bunches of these, but I was able to pot them all up in 1 pot. My long-term success with the 2 bunches of D. aurata are very questionable.

I had just gotten 2 bunches of D. tripetaloides, and I have multiple pots of these.

Vietchii is a hybrid (Disa racemosa x D. tripetaloides). This one I'd skip too for now, only because the D. racemosa heritage makes me kinda iffy about recommending it.

I'll make it clearer...D. racemosa tends to bloom with greater vigor after a bushfire. It can still bloom without it, but these tend to come out in huge numbers after one. I'm concerned that some of the individuals in this hybrid might be stubborn bloomers because of this trait. There's a reason why D. racemosa doesn't really show up in the trade often, and this is one of those reasons.

No matter what, I will keep saying the same thing about Disas. Eventually, I will sound like a broken record. I said I'd recommend growing NBS or BS plants for someone who has limited experience with tuberous orchids, and this is what I'll keep saying. I will not budge because my experience and my sense of ethics tells me not to.

[disalover]

Thanks once more, I asked them how large the potted plants are and they told me the D. Tripetaloided is about 7cm high and some are in spike. No reply for the Trikew yet. Also asked how recently they have been potted.

---------- Post added at 04:36 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:32 PM ----------

I do not think I will buy disas soon maybe a uniflora flask just to try, or a trikew plant. I'll see how it all works out. Maybe if I'm better at tuberoids.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Are you kidding? If you've been toying with the idea of growing Disas the whole time, and you finally get a chance to get blooming sized plants of the most vegetatively vigorous growing one out of the bunch - in spike, then I'd get the D. tripetaloides if I were you. Why wait? You're gonna get to see flowers soon, and you will get to pollinate them and get your own flasks!

Stop thinking about the flasks!!! When you think about it thoroughly, flasks of Disa seedlings are not really a bargain in your particular case. Get the blooming sized plants of the species I recommended like I keep advising you to do. Otherwise, if you think you're not ready for a Disa, grow Stenoglottis and get good at growing them, then get some blooming sized Disas. I'm not understanding why the burning desire to grow seedlings when you have bloomers waiting for you.

I wish I could get bloomers right now! However, I know it's not the right time of the year for that here in the US.

It'll be a while before you even get to see flowers on a seedling provided you even get good at raising those tiny things. But you have the opportunity to see flowers now and propagate later!!!

If I had the opportunity to, I'd import all those Disa tripetaloides into the US right now!!!! (And I have the import permit to do it - just not the money. :/)

So if you wanted a Disa, get on it! Get a couple of them blooming sized D. tripetaloides and see how you fare/like growing these and don't ever look back!

Here's a tip…

Find the most vegetatively bushy one with lots and lots of offshoots. Chances are, the roots on these are strong. Remember…you're looking for bushy and lush vegetation with as little leaf blemishing as possible, and the denser the growths the better. Now, if you happen upon a plant like this, this would be your bargain right here!