Miniature orchids and where to buy them!

[orchids-n-vivariums]

Hi there,

I'm new to the forum and glad to be here. I'll make good use of it. I just built two vivariums that have DIY backgrounds I made with a complicated process. I left several, several small areas to mount mini orchids. I will maybe be able to hold 50 minis on my large tank, and 10 on the smaller tank. Each area is about 1-2" wide by 1-2" tall. I am now on the hunt of miniature orchids to fill all those spaces. My space will have a pretty constant temp of 80 degrees Fahrenheit with a slight drop at night to 70 and around 60-80% humidity year round. I have fantastic bright grow lights for each vivarium, so that's not really an issue. I just got a Platystele Umbellata, which is the PERFECT size (it's SOOO tiny and beautiful), and is such a wonderful specimen. I ordered it from J&L Orchids. Some of the other mini's on their site tend to be larger than I want. It seems some minis are considered 12" and under, some 10" and under. I'm thinking I want mine to be 3" and under, so compact minis. My question is: given my warm growing conditions, good humidity, but need for smaller sized miniatures... can I please get suggestions for which orchids I should buy next and perhaps places to buy them from? I'm looking for orchids that are about thumbnail size (or slightly larger) to start, but perhaps will clump to become great big specimens over time. The DIY background is made out of peat moss, so it's a background they should love to grow on as it's similar to tree fern panels I've seen. I'm interested in having a lot of variety in the orchids, too, so the more species the better. I envision both of my walls full to the brim with different species, each growing well and clumping and cascading down to my land area filled with mini neoregelias (which i've been lucky to find some stunning ones, of all different shades, even a plumb purple one). I also have some shady spots in each tank plus a water feature in each, so minis that might love shade are welcome too. Any help would be much appreciated. I seem to find lots of info on miniatures, but not really where to buy them from! I really enjoy variety of species. The river features aren't done yet, they will be pieces of grapewood attached to the tubing, so you won't see the tubing. On top of the wood will be mounted orchids, so if you have any suggestions for orchids that love constant moisture on their roots and would do well thei, let me know that too- right now I'm growing moss and sphagnum moss and it's growing well.

[Louis_W]

I would check out Ecuagenera. They sell tons of Pleurothalids (although most are cool growing). They have a really great selection of South American natives and will ship to you when they come to the US for a show.

[Fishballs]

J&l orchids, Andy's orchids, Ecuagenera. are I think the most popular. Shows are also a great place to find species.

[billc]

You should call Andy's. They are very helpful and love to talk orchids. They have lots of mini's.
Andy's Orchids - Orchid Species - Orchids - Species Specialist - Orchids on a stick

Bill

[Discus]

Stephen Frowine wrote a book called "miniature orchids"; it's quite a handy volume to have lurking around your house, and has a "sources" section in the back - but I think the posters above have covered most of them!

[camille1585]

Originally Posted by Discus

Stephen Frowine wrote a book called "miniature orchids"; it's quite a handy volume to have lurking around your house, and has a "sources" section in the back - but I think the posters above have covered most of them!

I was going to suggest the same thing, it's a very good book if you're into minis!

I'm not sure that the peat moss background is ideal for orchids. While it may look a bit like treefern, it's much denser and holds much more water. But maybe as a backwall it acts a bit differently.

You may also want to try to get more of a temp drop at night, many orchids need a temperature difference between day/night to do well, or in order to bloom.

[orchids-n-vivariums]

Originally Posted by camille1585

I was going to suggest the same thing, it's a very good book if you're into minis!

I'm not sure that the peat moss background is ideal for orchids. While it may look a bit like treefern, it's much denser and holds much more water. But maybe as a backwall it acts a bit differently.

You may also want to try to get more of a temp drop at night, many orchids need a temperature difference between day/night to do well, or in order to bloom.

I saw that book online and just wasn't sure if it was worth the cost. I'll definitely check it out then and buy it! I was very happy to see a book just on minis. I'll also call Andy's. I'm working on having a temperature drop to about 70 at night, I figured that should do it. As for the background, I followed a DIY forum that other orchid lovers use, and one that's very popular with dart frog enthusiasts. So far, it's working very well. it drains very, very, very easy as it's actually peat moss, coco fiber and other materials. I was just being lazy and didn't list all the ingredients. I think it's gonna do great. I really appreciate all this info!

[camille1585]

If you want to get an idea of what the book is like, have a look at the google books preview for the book 'Fragrant Orchids' by the same author (the minis one doesn't have a preview). They are very very similar in their layout and presentation.

Fragrant orchids: a guide to ... - Google Books

Good to know that about the backwall, I'll have to keep it in mind when I build my terrarium.

[orchids-n-vivariums]

Originally Posted by camille1585

If you want to get an idea of what the book is like, have a look at the google books preview for the book 'Fragrant Orchids' by the same author (the minis one doesn't have a preview). They are very very similar in their layout and presentation.

Fragrant orchids: a guide to ... - Google Books

Good to know that about the backwall, I'll have to keep it in mind when I build my terrarium.

I'll go check it out. Hit me up whenever you are ready to build your wall and I'll let you know how I built mine.

[Paul]

While they don't have the selection of true mini's of the others mentioned, you might also check out OakHill Gardens.