My Rossioglossum Rawdon Jester 'HOF' experiment - Orchid Board

JScott · #1 07-08-2020, 04:34 PM

I finally got my tiny baby little Rossioglossum Rawdon Jester from Hausermann. I'm not sure if I can accommodate its temperature and humidity preferences, but I have always just been in love with this spectacular plant, and it was only 13 dollars, so I thought I'd give it a try. It might survive. I can keep it right by the window in the winter where it will stay nice and cool. In the summer it will have to stay inside because it is far too hot in Texas for it to be outside. I keep the house at about 68 degrees, but there's not much variation between day and night temps inside the house, except right by the window when the sun shines on it it is a little warmer, and then at night when the sun goes down, it is a little cooler, and the humidity is somewhat low (it is usually in the 40 - 45% range, but can occasionally drop down as far as 20%). I have other plants that I didn't think would do well for me, and they surprised me and did just fine, so maybe this one will too. If it doesn't survive, then at least I know I tried and I won't have to wonder anymore whether or not I could grow one of these myself. It's a tiny healthy plant with fat pseudobulbs and thick, leathery, firm leaves with good roots. It came from Hausermann, so of course it is in top condition. It has a new growth that is coming along nicely. I've only had the plant a week or two, and the new growth is already larger than it was when I got it. I'll keep you updated and let you know how it goes, and hopefully in a few years, I'll be posting pictures of the first blooms.

DirtyCoconuts · #2 07-08-2020, 04:45 PM

good luck!
i also LOVE this plant and think i cannot grow it so please inspire me with your success!!!!!

JScott · #3 07-08-2020, 05:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DirtyCoconuts

good luck!
i also LOVE this plant and think i cannot grow it so please inspire me with your success!!!!!

Thank you! I think a lot of good luck is exactly what I'm going to need for this plant to work out for me, because there's only so much I can do to adjust the growing conditions I can provide. I'm gonna need a lot of luck haha.

The description on the Hausermann website says that these are slow growers, so I'm actually surprised by how fast that new growth is coming along. When I got the plant a couple weeks ago, it was barely more than a little nub, and I wasn't even sure if it was an active new growth, or just a dormant eye, but you can clearly see now that it is in fact an active new growth, and growing quite quickly at that.

DirtyCoconuts · #4 07-08-2020, 05:55 PM

SOMETIMES, i find that you get a sweet spot where a plant wants colder weather but the extra heat makes it grow really fast....if it is in the balance where it still gets it's needs met you can sometimes get lucky and PUSH the plant a bit....perhaps it will reduce the overall life? i have no idea but i find that by growing a few Dens a little hotter and my bulbos all a good deal brighter, i get a LOT of action and flowers and that is what i am after LOL

hope you hit the mark and get to enjoy these 'alien kite from hell' flowers

JScott · #5 07-09-2020, 02:08 AM

Oh, and also, I have a question about watering if anybody knows. Does this one prefer to always stay a little moist like a lot of the Oncidiums do (and then the leaves pleat and wrinkle if it gets too dry), or does it prefer to dry out more between waterings?

estación seca · #6 07-09-2020, 03:21 AM

It's hybridized from cloud forest ancestors, so never dry for long. I couldn't keep a similar cross alive directly in front of the evaporative cooler. It kept getting spider mites.

JScott · #7 07-09-2020, 01:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by estación seca

It's hybridized from cloud forest ancestors, so never dry for long. I couldn't keep a similar cross alive directly in front of the evaporative cooler. It kept getting spider mites.

Thanks, ES. The breadth of your knowledge always impresses me, and I feel like I can count on your advice. So thank you, this knowledge should help me a lot. Since I can't get all the growing conditions for this plant right, I'd better make sure the things that I can control are perfect, if the plant is to survive.

estación seca · #8 07-09-2020, 02:02 PM

I think it's immensely useful to read, read, read about plants in habitat. IOSPE is a good place to start, but also read about what various habitats are like. You can look up ancestry of hybrids. I'm lucky in having traveled to see various habitats.

The only cloud forests in the US are in Hawaii, so most people can't envision it. The redwoods on the Pacific coast have these conditions on cool foggy mornings, but it's not all year. Cloud forests are at elevations where fog is present almost every night and morning. It may burn off in the afternoon to yield hot sunshine. But nights and mornings are cool to cold and very wet. People need a heavy jacket to stay warm and dry. Even if there has been no rain for months, everything is wet every night and morning. Spider mites have no chance. The Baker sheets confuse people because they only report rain. People think no rain means no water, but that's not true.

Your Rossioglossum has ancestors from this zone.

DirtyCoconuts · #9 07-10-2020, 02:36 AM

i was sooooo close to buying it (it was in my cart and I did make a purchase LOL) and making a cloud forest terrarium...and then i stopped and listened to the tiny E.S. in my brain (smart fella!) and looked it up and saw- 30" at full size...i don't have the glass to make that happen

god speed friend....I cant wait to see your blooms!!!

JScott · #10 07-10-2020, 05:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DirtyCoconuts

i was sooooo close to buying it (it was in my cart and I did make a purchase LOL) and making a cloud forest terrarium...and then i stopped and listened to the tiny E.S. in my brain (smart fella!) and looked it up and saw- 30" at full size...i don't have the glass to make that happen

god speed friend....I cant wait to see your blooms!!!

LOL, I will certainly give it my best shot. So far it is going great, but it's only been two weeks, so who knows what will happen, but summer time is the time that I am most worried about it struggling, and it is doing just fine in summer time this year. I put my thermometer/hygrometer that keeps track of daily highs and lowes right by where I have the plant at the window, and it is showing that daytime highs are about 80, or maybe a degree or two higher during the day, and then about 60 at night, and I think those temps sound promising. Better than what I had expected. Humidity is usually in the 40s during the day, but it gets up into the 70s at night. But it is has been rainy and humid here, I'm sure there will be times that the humidity drops far lower than 40, but we will see. I think if I can get it through the summer, it should do just fine through the winter. I might experiment with putting it outside in the fall when days are 80 or below, and nights are cool, but not freezing (I think it will probably tolerate, or even enjoy low night temps in the 50s). I feel like I'm on a personal quest to make this plant work for me, and I hope I am able to inspire you to give it a shot. I hope to make you proud

I almost feel that you are as invested in my success as I am haha, and I'm glad you are. I enjoy the encouragement.

ES is worried about spider mites. I have never had spider mites in my collection, so I'm hoping that I never will, but of course there's a first time for everything.