Tolumnia potting question

[silken]

I looked on OrchidWiz. I didn't know which one you had , so just looked at random Tolumnias, but here is what it siad for every one I checked. Hope that helps: High humidity. Water every day or every other day while in active growth. Commonly mounted in cork bark or grown in small (2") clay pots. Allow roots to dry quickly. Common media: lava rock, charcoal.

[lycaonpictus]

In general, I take any moss out of tolumnia and pot them up either in straight hydroton or a mixture of hydroton and EcoWeb. While the drying out quickly is important for them, the actual air circulation is also a big deal -- I think the moss interferes with that. The roots all over the outside of the pot can be a sign of the plant's unhappiness with the potting situation (it's like the roots are trying to escape the enclosed medium).

If you aren't keeping them outside where you can set up that nifty "water tree," then I'd see about leaving them with a babysitter. They can go three or four days without water, as long as it isn't too hot, but I don't know that I'd leave them 10 days.

I grow tolumnia almost exclusively, so obviously love them a lot. Good luck with your new baby!

[ohanahana]

do any of you know of a source for the really tiny wire products to stake/hang the tolumnias??

[johnblagg]

HMM you might try at radio shack and get some of the copper wire....and in the craft section at a hobby shop

[lycaonpictus]

I use floral wire and make my own stakes. You can get decent mid-gauge wire for pot hangers at any hardware store.

[Paul Mc]

WOW, I'm glad you told me about the roots seeking out better growing conditions outside of the pot, Lycaonpictus!

I got concerned and pulled the plant out of the pot and found a horrible surprise. It wasn't charcoal they had potted it in like I thought. It was bark (very old and soft at that). The roots on the inside were starting to not look very happy! So, I removed the moss with tweezers and very gently worked the roots loose to get rid of the bark.

But on the positive side, I think the reason the roots were outside was because the pot was completely filled with roots. I couldn't get it back in the pot I pulled it from. So, I upsized the pot a bit and put fresh new charcoal in the bottom to elevate it above the top of the pot a bit. I then scattered a few pieces over the roots (not many though).

I think a few more days of watering it in the bark would have killed the roots! Whew!

[lycaonpictus]

Paul -- Glad my comment proved helpful! That's been the case in many of the tolumnia I've purchased. The good news is, they tend to recover well if kept in a good way following.

Do you mind if I ask the name of the grex you have?

[Paul Mc]

It's not a species, I believe it's a hybrid. They called it Pink Panther. It's so funny though, 1 of the three flowers currently in bloom is a little different in color from the rest. How interesting!

[lycaonpictus]

Yes, Pink Panther is a hybrid. A pretty one, though! (Unless you specifically hunt down tolumnia species, you'll almost certainly be getting a hybrid when you purchase one -- and that isn't a bad thing.)

Part of the fun of tolumnia is the incredible variety you'll get! The blooms often change color as they age, too, which can be fun to observe. If you're enjoying this one, I suspect you're already hooked on these little lovelies!

[Paul Mc]

Oh yeah, totally hooked. I also just learned from another thread that they don't like direct light. I will be moving mine now since it's in a southern window and gets some direct light. I'm guessing the light for a phal is more appropriate for this particular one.