Anybody growing Pleurothallis tarantula?

[AJW]

Orchid Wiz contains a very good detailed culture sheet for this particular plant which is now classified as: Stelis [Ste.] tarantula If you can not find anyone with Orchid Wiz PM me and I will send you summary info

[u bada]

hey estacion,

So attached is more or less what you'll be getting if you're curious.

The gh it was in was in fact the intermediate gh where I know from experience can be up to mid 80's easily in summer, if not more (was boiling in it last summer), and kept actually fairly warm in winter...

Andy, who was pretty busy most of day offered "oh they actually prefer warm"...

That gh does stay pretty humid, however, the most enclosed growing area there, about half of the pleuros including most of the lepanthes were in there. I should have taken picture of whole area, but there were at least 2 rows of hanging plants above them. The top of gh probably 60-70% shade already dappled down to this lower (wide) "bench" where many of the larger leaved pleuros are... including p. adelae for example, which also prefers warm. (i would recommend that one for you as well, blooms several times a year for a friend of mine.)

[estación seca]

Thank you for the great information.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

I can confirm that Pleurothallis tarantula is indeed an intermediate grower. I wouldn't grow it much warmer than 85 F, as it can stress the plant out a little. It can tolerate warmer temperatures for short periods of time. I've had it under conditions where it was 90 F and they didn't look so good. They looked better around the mid-80's F.

They don't like cold to cool temperatures at all. I wouldn't grow them cold to cool. Temperatures below 55 F are not tolerated well at all, (they start dropping leaves).

The flowers grow out from underneath the leaf, btw.

[estación seca]

Thanks!

[estación seca]

Update: It's done fine for me so far. It hasn't made any new growth yet.

It arrived blooming on almost every leaf, potted in sphagnum, wet with liverworts and ferns on the surface.

I took the tag seriously when it said to let dry slightly between waterings. Some of the tips soon browned and some liverworts died. Now I realize I need to water it almost every day here.

I submerge the entire plant in a bucket and let it sit for a few minutes, to drown any spider mites that might find their ways onto the plant.

I'm not running the evaporative cooler yet. This plant has been OK with relative humidity in the 40%-60% range. That room doesn't get below 60F / 15.5C at night in winter.

[Leafmite]

Great to hear that it is doing well for you. I hope you will have some new growth and blooms soon!