Beginner with Rodriguezia venusta fresh from Costa Rica

[cbanana]

Hello all!

This is my first time posting here. I'm relatively new to orchid growing, but we currently have one Oncidium from trader joes, one Phalaenopis and two massive Cymbidiums rescued from relatives after flowering, and a Masdevallia and Paphiopedilum from Briggs Hill Orchirds. Apparently, when you get one orchid, the others just follow along!!

While on a recent trip to Costa Rica, we visited the Lankester Gardens and their orchid collection. The Gardens sold tiny Rodriguezia venusta orchids in plastic containers, ready for export and pre-approved by customs. Of course I had to get one!

My little jar has 6 1-1 1/2" plants in it, some gel medium, and dirt or nutrient mix on the bottom. The instructions suggest rinsing the roots and repotting in the provided moss within 2 months of purchase (it's been less than two weeks). The man at customs told me plants like this usually die because they "don't have the right fungus," apparently referring to mycorrhizae.

From the brief research I've done on this plant, it looks like it would prefer bark to moss for a planting medium. Do you think that's correct, bark over moss, or some mixture of the two? The majority of the plants at the Gardens, from what I could tell, were planted in coconut shell bark with some moss.

I also read up on this board on mycorrhizal associations and found that it was most important when the seed is germinating. Because this plant is packed in a gel, should I try to innoculate it with fungus when I remove the gel, or just regularly use a good orchid fertilizer as I use on my others?

I've never dealt with transplanting an orchid this small. Any ideas for how to protect the roots and shoots from damage when rinsing and repotting?

Any other tips for this little guy? I really appreciate it!!

--Channa

[UKCat]

I was just given a Rodriguezia lanceolata seedling as a gift and this is a couple of weeks out of the flask, this plant is 41/2 inches long including roots and 4 inches wide leaf tip to leaf tip.

I think your 6 may be a bit small for removal from the flask,
if you have another few weeks I wouldn't be in a hurry to get them out of the flask. If there was mould growin in the flask that would be different.
How does the root system look? how many leaves does each seedling have?

I was told that they could be grown mounted, potted in bark or in sphagnum moss, they are warm growing (mid 80's) and like it humid, like to be misted and kept it in good light but not direct sunlight.

Hope this helps

[stefpix]

If they are seedlings you should leave them in moss and keep them more moist than grown plants.
Do you have a photo?
also when you deflask them maybe you have to keep a clear container on top of the pot with some holes to gradually acclimate the seedlings to the drier environment oustide the flask.


Anyway no expert for this.
Was that teh only species for sale?

how much was it sold for? did you declare it wen you flew back to the USA and had to show paperwork?
Was it an US customs agent to tell you about the fungus?

[UKCat]

I just re-read your first post and realised I hadn't answered you on the 'fungus' subject.
The seedlings normally have problems not from lack of mycorrhizae fungus, but die due to a form of shock and/or 'damping off' when they are removed from the flask

The mycorrhizae isn't added to the flask as it is the sugars and other nutirents that are in the agar that trigger the seed into growing.
From what I have read the jury is still out on how much an orchid needs mycorrhizae to grow or if the symbiotic relationship developes at a later date or if it is only relevant in the wild where the surgars and nutrients are not available to trigger seed growth where as they are available in controlled conditions

De-flasking is quite easy see this link, it is easier than explaining it here
Deflasking

[cbanana]

Thank you for the replies! The deflasking link will help a lot.

I think I've uploaded the picture. I think I will leave them in the bottle for a while longer, as you suggest, UKcat.

Lankester Gardens had three or four species for sale, but I'm a sucker for white flowers so this is the one that came home with me. I paid about $10 for this bottle. They had smaller vials for about $6, but these looked the best.

I did declare it at customs. It comes with a import certificate (which was stamped for the day of travel instead of the day it was packaged....almost got it taken away!). The customs official told me about the fungal association, but I bet the stress is really what does them in.

If I was going to add a fungal associate, just to be on the safe side, do you have any recommendations?

Thank you again,

--Channa

[Yukonphal]

On our few visits to Costa Rica we have seen many of these little flasks for sale, and some single plant flasks too. If you get the right ones , they come with their own little phyto cert. and export permit and are no trouble to bring through customs as long as you declare and have all the papers (I brought 10 flasks the first time.)
On one of our trips we did actually manage to get to visit the people that made the flasks, a lovely older man and his daughter.Since our last trip however, they have either been bought out by an Argentine company or they have changed their name. Not all of their species where available everywhere, but I believ they had 20 or so species to choose fromat any one time.
Anyway.....they were called Orquideas Del Bosque and if you can find them in Alajuela,Costa Rica, they were super nice to deal with

[Yukonphal]

Their website was http://www.costaricanorchids.com but it seems to be down