Rupicolous Laelias
 

I would like to grow more of the rupiculous Laelias but not quite sure of their preferred growing media. Has anyone tried to grow them mounted with success?
One grower near me has them in a layered situation. In a clay pot he has a third of the bottom of the pot in rock covered with a thin layer of sphagnum then the plant is topped and surrounded by a half inch of builders sand. He gets good results. Said he was taught this method by growers and collectors in Brazil who observed these plants in their native habitat that do not necessarily grow on rocks but in the crevices of rocks where they were surrounded by lots of gravel and organic matter.
Any experiences of success with this class of Laelia would be appreciated.

I have a fournieri and a briegeri that I got from Andy's this past March. I haven't repotted them but they are in a gravel mix with some type of mossy fiber. They are in clay pots and I water 2-3 times a week with rain water. The fournieri had 2 growths this summer that both bloomed. The breigeri just started a new growth, I'm not sure whats going to happen to it when I slow down watering for the winter.
They would probably do well mounted in a creviced rock as long as it could dry out fairly quickly.

Bill

LOL!!! I was wondering about these kind of questions last night before falling asleep, as I am also interested in the rupics, and surprisingly there is a vendor in Canada that sells tons of them!

im going to subscribe to this thread as i too have an extreme interest in growing these as they seem to be something i could care for. note: *SEEM* to be lol

I hope this link works. I found this interesting article about growing rupiculous laelias at orchidworks.

How to Grow Rupicolous Laelias

I have a laelia lilliputana and an alaorii. The 1st was in sphagnum moss and the 2nd bare root. I have them both on the window sill in very bright light, in a mix of moss, leca and styrofoam pellets. They get watered every other day in the growing season, and maybe once every week in winter, if that. At the moment it's not that difficult to provide the nightly temps. drop, but I would appreciate advice how to over winter them.
Cody: which Canadian grower has tons of them? (not that I need more orchids, but you never know......)

Hawaiian Botanicals!

Thanks Cody, but the ones that they have left ger too big for my space. That's where I got my lilliputana, and restrepia from. I really like buying from them.

Great! It is good to know that they are a good vendor!

Here's another site that has real basic info, but has a nice list with pictures of the blooms.
Cattleya Orchid Source: Laelia

I really like the milleri.

Bill

if you look at the parents of the hybrid catts you already have, you might notice that many of them have a rupiculous one in there somewhere to reduce the plants overall size.

Its known that the hybrids of the rupiculous ones are much easier to grow than a straight rock crunchin munchkin.

So you probably already have a few in your collection and might not know it :)

So glad this thread is open!!!!!!!!!! i really want to grow these too!!!! i like the site that you mentioned at orchid works!!!

Does anyone know where i can get these in The USA? I looked at the Canada site and they do not ship internationally!

Andys, SBOE

I've had no problem growing any of the species in straight moss. Tightly collared in clay. Large bark had worked well too.

I've been growing L. flava, fournieri, ghillanyi, and milleri for about 3 years mounted on branches about 8"-12" long and about 1 1/2" diameter. They were a little slow to get established, but they're doing OK now. I water them almost every day during the growing season. Here's pics of recent blooms on milleri and fournieri.

Very nice Dave.

Bill

Thank you! Thank you!

Excellent link!

I ironically got my first of this species last week (Laelia caulescens) and this thread could not have been more timely :biggrin: