What Genus are you finding difficult to grow? - Page 3 - Orchid Board

Keysguy · #21 06-23-2020, 11:08 PM

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KG ------ does your mentor live nearby? He could come around to inspect the conditions heheheh.

Yup- 20 miles away and he keeps telling me my conditions are better than his because I have way better natural air flow.

Go figure. And then he says...."how the hell do you get these Phrags to do this?"

I think, for whatever reason, every grower just has a vibe or special touch or whatever with certain individuals/subsets within whatever their field of interest is.

SouthPark · #22 06-24-2020, 12:37 AM

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Originally Posted by Keysguy

I think, for whatever reason, every grower just has a vibe or special touch or whatever with certain individuals/subsets within whatever their field of interest is.

20 miles away is pretty close!

I took these pics (attached) this morning to show it certainly is possible to almost do nothing (except to water) paphs and phrags.

I don't grow a large number of paphs and phrags, but fortunate to have pretty good growing conditions - all growing in 100% scoria - and never touching any of them. I just spray water into the scoria, and a monthly fertiliser and mag-cal application.

My favourite paph is a Saint Swithin 'Jill' (the big leaf one directly above the BASE of my cat's tail - where my cat's tail joins its body). I'm growing a couple of vietnamense (still rather small) and a callosum, and a couple of juvenile Wossner Black Wings (which are much bigger than the vietnamese orchids at least heheheh).

These plants catch a lot of the morning sun. Direct morning sun. I just water all the orchids each morning.

Among the paphs are my Phrag. Grouville and Elizabeth Castle - still relatively small - but at least not baby size anymore

SouthPark · #23 06-24-2020, 12:39 AM

I forgot to mention - the only orchids that can't handle the morning sun right now over here are some baby Sedirea japonica ..... they get their leaves burned badly if they get the morning sun on them. That's what I found.

I'll see what happens if I slowly sun-harden them heheh.

WaterWitchin · #24 06-24-2020, 09:53 AM

Masdevallia. Love 'em, can't grow them. I just don't have the right conditions to keep them cool enough. Even in semi-hydro, which should make it cooler for them. I've fried many a Masdy before giving up.

Probably the issue with your Trichopilia suavis Brassavola...

Keysguy · #25 06-24-2020, 10:33 AM

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Masdevallia

Same here WW.
Tried them numerous times in NH. Last attempt was under lights in the crawl space "basement" of old part of our house. Dirt floor, cool (60 max), super high humidity....it just didn't matter.
Have a friend here that grows them great in his GH. He keeps north corner very shady and runs a fogger over them most of the year.

Tindomul · #26 06-24-2020, 12:42 PM

I gave up on many genera. I cast a very wide net when I started growing orchids, and now I have limited myself to the big three, Catts, Phals, and Dendrobiums. I loved growing Madses but I find them too difficult to keep for more than a year. It wasn't that I couldnt get them to bloom, because I could. Its just that invariably, something would happen where I was forced to stop caring for them. I have had a small collection of up to 30 Masdes at a time three times now. All of them learned the meaning of ashes to ashes...dust to dust. Either the power went out and the room I was keeping them in got too hot. Or the bugs took over (slugs), or I got too busy to be constantly on them, as they do require. The latest round of losses was due to the current Corona Virus crisis. I kept my Masdes at work where I could control the temps and humidity levels in a lab without being worried about family members complaining about chills or achy bones. With the crisis, I had to abandon them completely for the last 4 months. Well, they are dust now. So, even though I can't grow things like Oncidiums, or bloom Angraecums, I say Masdies are the hardest for me.