stanhopea nigroviolacea

[diego_p]

hi guys. two weeks ago now i bought a stanhopea nigroviolacea from Orchids Limited (the nursery is cool, i felt like a kid ina toy store) this is a seedling in a 2 in. pot and it looks like its ready to be repotted.
now i've read that they like to be moist/humid and also good airflow for the roots. so what would you suggest i use as a mix? i was thinking of using med orchiata, some sphagnum moss, and some spongerock. would this be good enough to provide the moisture and airflow?
its my first time making a mix for an orchid so any and all advice would be awesome. thanks.

[JP020366]

Hi Diego

Stanhopeas are pretty flexible as far as mix goes. As long as it's free draining but holds some moisture for the roots. The parts you mention below should be ok.

Main point with stanhopeas is that they must be in a hanging basket lined with sphagnam moss, paper or tree bark which the spikes of the plant can penetrate.

You'll get the idea from these photos.

https://www.google.com.au/search?q=s...w=1235&bih=657

Enjoy the plant when it flowers. They are magnificant.

I grow several species and hybrid stanhopeas and they are all impressive in their own special way.

If you are interested please follow me on twitter at www.twitter.com/onlineorchids. I update regularly and at this time of year much of what flowers are stanhopeas.

Cheers

John

[diego_p]

whoa! those are nice flowers you have. i know im still very new at growing stans. but you should let me know if you're getting rid of one or a division of on.

the guy at orchids limited told me it should blom in 1.5-2 years. that until then, it will be fine in a pot. so im going to repot it into a 3.25-3.5 inch pot and i figured once it has out grown that one, it would be time to move to a basket.

[My Green Pets]

Excellent choice. Please, keep this thread up for the next 2 years until it blooms!