Orchids from Thailand arrived! Need a lot of Help!

[CourtneyT]

The souvenir of our Thailand trip last December arrived! They’re 20 orchids from Phrao Orchids nursery in Chiang Mai! When my husband and I went to their shop, we were like kids in the candy store and wanted everything! At last we picked up these 20 “exotic” ones that we had never seen or heard of. When the nursery attended the POE last weekend, they kindly brought our batch along and shipped to us after the show.

I got home tonight and spent a few hours finding temporary settings for them so they can recover from the long trip as soon as possible. I brought out all the glass vases I have. Some of them have to share the vase. For three of them, I really don’t have proper containers so they are staying in cups with small amount of moss.

I would love a lot of suggestions from you! There are some of my questions:

1. For the ones in the vases, can I grow them like that? For the ones with long roots, I’m afraid that the humidity (40%-60%) in the room is not high enough and I don’t have time to water them often.

2. Is it ok to let the ones with small pots or the mounted ones share the vase? They don’t really touch the bottom of the vases. I will grow them under the lights so they will get the light from above. I also hope that sharing vases helps increase humidity.

3. For the two in the white cups and the one in pink pot, I will have to buy the pots. What size of the pots should I get? What’s the potting mix I should use?

4. The Bulb. Hybrid was likely mounted before it was shipped because it’s very flat. I don’t have any thing to mount it on, at least for one to two weeks. I put it on top of the clay dish that came with a clay pot and have a layer of moss on the dish touching the roots. Should I try to mount it or pot it? Will the current setting good for it long term?

5. I don’t know much about their ideal growing conditions. Any information is welcome.

It’s such a big project! I will update with you when I make any progress!

[CourtneyT]

More pictures.

[Ray]

Names?

[Dollythehun]

Thanks, Ray. I started a post early this morning to ask the same thing and lost it. There are tags in the pictures but they are illegible.

Also, (no judgement here), did you consider your growing conditions when you selected these plants?

[CourtneyT]

Sorry for not posting the names yesterday! It was late so I have to do it today. Names of the plants in the order of the pictures:

1. Bulb. Hybrid. (Flat on the dish with moss under the roots)

2. Liparis Viridiflava (I potted it in the bark and sponge rock because there is some bark left around the roots. Roots developing near new roots)

3. Den. Brymerianum (In the pink pot without hole. A little bit moss for hydration before I get the proper pot)

4. Spathoglottis Hybrids (In the white 1-inch cup with a little bit moss for now before I get the proper pot. Never heard of this genus)

5. Den. Lamellatum (Peach) (In the white 1-inch cup. Came with moss around root)

6. Neofinetia Falcata (In the glass with label around. It came in a small pot with foam holding it. Never grow Neo. before)

7. Neofinetia Falcata (In the glass with M label)

8. Neofinetia Falcata (A big one with a lot of roots in the flower vase)

9. Den Crumenatum (Mounted with a lot of roots. I put it in the flower vase)

10. Den. Unicum (In the square glass vase. Should I water less now since it has no leaf?)

11. Appendicula Elegans (Herb-like one in the glass vase)

12. Tolumnia Hybrids (With a lot of thin roots. I used some moss to cover the roots gently. )

13. Bulb. Moniliforme (Husband picked up this tiny one. Seems just done blooming. Never grow something this small)

14. Phal. violacea var. sumatra (Mounted with long roots. Never grow Phal. species before)

15. Den. Peguanum (Leafless right now. One pseudobulb is likely to drop at any time)

16. Phal cornu cervi red (The leaf looks stressed and soft. I hope it didn't get too cold during shipping)

17. Den. Lamellatum (This is a bigger variety. I think that I got either the small one or this one for free. Invoice says 19 and I got 20!)

18. Bulb. Lindleyanum (Mounted)

19. Stereochilus Pachyphyllus (It doesn't look very stable on the mount. I hope it didn't get hurt during shipping)

20. Den Senile (The fuzzy one on the mount. Is it currently leafless?)

---------- Post added at 09:34 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:23 AM ----------

Originally Posted by Dollythehun

Also, (no judgement here), did you consider your growing conditions when you selected these plants?

Hello Dolly! I did ask the owner on the phone briefly when I was in the shop because the salesgirl could not speak any English. I described my growing condition to be more intermediate type. She said that most of theirs are intermediate growers. Then my husband and I just started to pick up whatever came to our attention.

I started to grow orchids in late 2014. I gained confidence from growing the Phal. successfully. My first mounted one was bought in the POE 2015. I was so afraid that it would not survive. However, it stayed very healthy and bloomed for me every year. Then I realized I should and can try some unusual kinds. With this batch, my collection grows to 70. I only killed about at most 1 per year. I will see if I can keep this batch happy.

Vase method seems to work very well for me. My mounted Dockrillia cucumerina and Leptotes Bicolor are so happy in the vases.

[Dollythehun]

"Den. Unicum (In the square glass vase. Should I water less now since it has no leaf?"
Blooms on leafless canes. Water sparingly during the winter, step it up when you see growth. Small bark, bright light but not Catt level. It's deciduous.

"Tolumnia Hybrids (With a lot of thin roots. I used some moss to cover the roots gently. )"
Tolumnias like a wet dry cycle. They need perfect drainage and very bright light. You'll know you've achieved this when the foliage blushes red. I pot with fine bark in clay. I water every other day and have an overhead fan running. I love my Tolumnias and I think they like me. Ditch the moss.

I cannot help with the others but someone else will be along soon.

When others post a plant I like that will grow in my conditions, I put it in my wish list in my memo app. When I go shopping, I am (generally) able to buy what suits my conditions. There are oopses and unfortunately it's usually over becoming too large.

[CourtneyT]

Originally Posted by Dollythehun

"Tolumnia Hybrids (With a lot of thin roots. I used some moss to cover the roots gently. )"
Tolumnias like a wet dry cycle. They need perfect drainage and very bright light. You'll know you've achieved this when the foliage blushes red. I pot with fine bark in clay. I water every other day and have an overhead fan running. I love my Tolumnias and I think they like me. Ditch the moss.

Great to know about this! Thank you very much for the information!

[Leafmite]

Good luck with all your new orchids!

[CourtneyT]

Originally Posted by Dollythehun

"Den. Unicum (In the square glass vase. Should I water less now since it has no leaf?"
Blooms on leafless canes. Water sparingly during the winter, step it up when you see growth. Small bark, bright light but not Catt level. It's deciduous.

Hello Dolly, should I keep Den. Unicum under bright indirect light even in the winter? Or it prefers high light all year around?

[Dollythehun]

Dendrobium unicum presented by Orchids Limited
Mine is in the same spot all year. Although, I think it could use a tad more light.