Easy to grow and cheap mini?

[snowflake311]

I have a nice south facing kitchen grow window I would like to add minis too. I would like to know what kind of easy to grow minis would do well is med to high light?

Easy to find and not too expenses would be nice.

[Nepenthesguy]

First: What is the relative humidity? (many require high humidity and will die without it)

Second: What price range would work for you? (cheap in the orchid hobby is different from person to person)

[RandomGemini]

You could try growing some mini phals, but I think a couple, like two, oncidium twinkles might like that location quite a bit. They are about a foot tall and put out sprays of tiny, fragrant flowers and are pretty easy to find. A blooming size twinkle shouldn't set you back more than 20$, tops.

[snowflake311]

Thanks. Humity is low 40-50% cheap I don't want to spend more the $20 on one plant.

I think maybe mini phal hybrids would be best? But I already have 4 phals.

[RandomGemini]

I think you'd like the twinkles. They don't need "perfect" humidity. I grow mine in a room that is around 50% humidity most of the time. They are cute, fragrant.

I grow my mini phals in a southeast facing window. They do okay in this spot, but I am considering moving them away from the window and under artificial lights, because the conditions seem to be a bit too warm for them. Mini phal hybrids should cost around 10$ or less, but one thing about these plants, is that they are not truly miniatures. The plants bloom at a smaller size, and have smaller flowers, but the leaves will grow to the size of a full size Phal. So the twinkle might be a better fit for this location.

[Ordphien]

I have a few phals that stayed mini. Most didn't though lol.
I won't recommend twinkle. But that's just cause I find it impossible to grow.
I will recommend mini cattleya. Superbly easy to grow and they don't care about humidity, and love my south window.
If you get creative with vases, fish bowls, candle votives and the like. You can delve into more mini orchids. Lepanthopsis astrophora grows pretty well in just about anything with sides. Haraella retrocalla also grows supremely well in a vase.

I think many of the smaller dendrobium would do well.
My oligophyllum grows in my window.
I have two ascocentrum pusillum. One grows outdoors year round and one in a window.
Neofinetia are mini, but I have no experience with them.

I think I compact den phal might be rewarding. They don't get very big, and bloom multiple times a year

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Since you posted in the Pleurothallis Alliance forum, I will recommend a couple of Pleurothallids, assuming what you're looking for are plants from this group…

1. Restrepia xanthophthalama
2. Scaphosepalum verrucosum

Both grow no taller than 3". Both are pretty easy to grow. Grows well in your humidity. They're both temperature tolerant. They also have the added bonus of being very easy to bloom and blooming randomly all throughout the year. Light levels you have are fine for both orchids.

I know that hard water doesn't phase Scaphosepalum verrucosum. I think Restrepia xanthophthalma might be just as tolerant. I mention this only because sometimes when we've had a rough day, or we feel tired, we might get lazy and just water using tap water. Well, this won't be a problem with these orchids.

Neither one of these orchids will cost more than $25.

[Paul]

What kind of temperature range are you looking at in that locale?

Are you willing to wait years for blooms or are you a "need them now" person? (Personally, I often fall in the latter category.)

If you are the imminent gratification type person, then your price range will place a rather stringent limit on your options. Plants in bloom or blooming size will often be beyond that price range.

Seedlings and near blooming sized plants are usually much cheaper. However, the downside is the time you will have to wait for blooms. With NBS, one is typically looking at a wait of 1-2 years. With seedlings, the wait can easily be 3-5yrs or more.

[FroggyKnight]

Pleurothallis grobyi is a hardy little species that I really like, but it does like to have higher humidity. If you want to keep a terrarium species, this is a great one

John

[gngrhill]

I like my twinkles, they do really well in my south window, not too fussy about humidity although they do like to be watered fairly frequently