Tolumnia in SH
 

I have been told on this forum that it is unlikely a good idea to grow ones tolumnias in sh. I understand that their culture is quite specific. However, I recently received a plant, another Tolumnia, that is grow not in a terra pot with charcoal like so many are, but in a plastic pot and in sphagnum moss! How crazy is that? I was amazed because the plant clearly stays wet for much longer than it would if it were grown in a traditional Tolumnia fashion.

Observe,
http://img.tapatalk.com/47d06d09-63a0-d894.jpg

And a close up of the root area and moss,

http://img.tapatalk.com/47d06d09-63bb-523a.jpg

The plant appears to have been growing in this moss for quite some time and appears quite healthy. So my question is, could this plant in fact be grown in sh, and if not the traditional way, perhaps in a way that the reservoir was a good ways away from keeping the roots soaking wet? I could be totally wrong here but it seems that whenever I transition a plant from moss to sh, I rarely ever lose any of the roots because they have already essentially grown in water with the constantly wet moss. If this Tolumnia is thriving in the moss, would it not thrive like other moss-to-sh plants? I'd like some input.

Seems like a pretty healthy root base there. It would make sense to me what you are planning to do. Moss=lots of water retention and S/H will provide the same thing with more air movement correct?

Why not just try it?

In nature, tolumnias grow on tiny twigs in shrubs on the windward side of Caribbean islands. They get rain frequently, then get dried almost instantly by warm breezes.

If you can get them to grow in wetter conditions, I think you'll revolutionize the orchid world!

Ray, you're why I'm re addressing this question. If these plants refuse to grow in wetter conditions then how do you account for such excellent growth in the moss?


Ryan

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i say try it! and let us know what happens! obviously this plant is doing just fine in an environment thats much wetter than whats typical for tolumnia.

Everything grows great in moss... For a while. I don't know how it will work long term. I grow most of my several hundred equitant types either mounted or in clay pots without any mix at all, but I've played with lots of different ways.

I'd say try it, why not? I haven't tried SH for equitants, but I've grown plants in SH that I wouldn't have dreamed would work. I've grown phal type dendrobiums in large containers of water with no aeration, too. Weird things work sometimes.

Equitants are pretty inexpensive, so not much to lose.

Ryan, now you have to try or we will all be let down.:) Either way let us know.

One question I'll ask is "where did you get it from?"

What potting media or techniques that work or don't work is very closely related to the rest of your conditions. You'll find a lot of Hawaiian growers using very compact sphagnum, as their conditions are such that without it, they would have to water almost daily. Bring that plant to my conditions and they'll be dead in no time.

Maybe with the dry air of Colorado, it'll be OK...

Ray it came from orchids.com. So California. And yes Colorado has exceptionally dry air all year long due to our elevation. Relative humidity is really not a useful tool here because the partial pressure of what the environment can handle in terms actual water content. Even after a rain storm if you take a deep breath through the nose you risk a bleed out!

Ray you're very knowledgable and I respect your input and for my part I can't tell you it's damn hard to keep my tolumnias from desiccating. So since the plant is very much use to the moss I may give this a try.


Ryan

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I'll also be really curious to see if SH works with tolumnia. For the moment, I'm siding with Littlefrog -- lots of things grow well in sphagnum, for a while. :)

L.P.

Well it's in sh now. Put it there tonight.

I wish you the best, Ryan.

Someone posted a photo of a blooming vandaceous plant in S/H at the "Official S/H Forum", and it was the first photo evidence I've seen of folks successful with them, so maybe there's hope for your tolumnia!

Ray I planted it in a pretty tall container with the hope that it'll have the option to stay out of the reservoir if it chooses but that the plant won't dry out in minutes either and them desiccate like so many bare root plant will for me.


Ryan

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Any pics of it in the S/H?

Here you go. I use glass containers for my sh.

http://img.tapatalk.com/a867c90e-2fc1-b5d4.jpg


Ryan

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Very cool. I might start to foray into this summer.

I'm moving the plant to a spot where it'll enjoy a decent amount of bottom heat. Got to spur root development.


Ryan

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Bottom heat is likely a good idea. Mine threw out two spikes once I moved it to bottom heat this winter. Maybe a coincidence but who knows.

I bought mine planted in a plastic net pot, potted in CHC. That's a little different from the usual clay pot and charcoal and it has been happy now for almost a year. I make sure not to over water and leave it for a few days quite often so it does get dry spells.

Good luck with S/H

Do you have drainage holes in the glass pot?

Yes


Ryan

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Ryan, any updates on your tolumnia? It's been about a month and I was wondering how it's doing.

Bill

Hi Bill. No major change. I purposely put the plant on the wall of the container to observe root growth. Nothing dramatic however there are roots growing, and they are growing down in the direction of the reservoir. I think it would benefit from a bit more warmth than I what it has now. It's on a seeding mat, which is keeping it warmer, but the bottom ambient temp in my grow area is 63 to 65, and with evaporative cooling, I imagine it gets a bit chilly for the plant. I've consider wrapping it in a towel on the seeding mat. I've done this before to get the warmth higher up in the container and have had good results...think of it as insulation.

I'll try to get pics soon but there isn't much to see. Good thing is, no evidence of the plant going down hill.

its good to know that your plant is thriving in S/H conditions...one of my Tollies is spiking...expect pictures soon...

FWIW, when I was at the NCOS Paph Forum in the DC area a few weeks ago, I talked to a commercial grower who said all of his tolumnias were in S/H and thriving.

Not under my conditions.

Are you aware of his conditions? I'd love to email the individual if possible.

Part of the reason I wanted to even try sh and tolumnias is because in my environment, I simply cannot keep up with the drying and inevitable desiccating roots quick to follow. This is why sh is God-sent for my other orchids. I'd like to grow orchids other ways for the artistic aspect of say mounting etc, but it simply will not do.

I have since moved my plants to the basement and theyve been enjoying higher humidity and consistent high and low temps, which has given them all spikes...except for the tolumnias. Granted only two of my tolumnias have been with me for almost a year now but I doubt I'll get spikes from them. Their years hasn't been the most productive because I struggled with giving them good conditions and they lost most roots. They grew a new fan each but I'm not hopeful. I have since put them in the basement, upped the humidity and they are now living snuggly with the other tolumnias in a shallow glass container, gaps filled in with hydroton. They never live in standing water. I must heavily once a day and so far, those with roots have kept their roots. I may have to offer one up to another sh experiment and try to repeat the success, or apparent success, of the first sh tolumnia.

Ray would you be able to get in contact with this grower?


Ryan

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Any follow-ups to this yet??

I have some expanded shale I am thinking of using on some of mine in clay pots.

R

No updates... still slowly sending out its roots and not show much change besides that. Still on the heating mat and everything.

Sorry I took so long to respond. The guy was from Ohio, but I have no name or contact info. Sorry.

Have had my tolumnia's in SH for a couple of years now. Dont say they might be having a problem - they might hear you. (I only have two toluminias).

Tell me more! How are they doing? Have they rebloomed for you?

Please don't take this as a challenge, it's just that individuals interpret "S/H" differently (some think just growing in LECA is semi-hydro), and I'd just like to make sure we're all on the same page in terms of growing parameters.

Can you give us some specific info or better yet, photos?

I don't see it as a challenge but I'm not the poster, so hopefully they understand the request as it would be wonderful to be ale to grow these guys in sh! So please post photos!

Finally posting something worthy of an update.

Been super busy lately and haven't paid much attention to this Tolumnia but today I noticed some roots I haven't seen before. There are roots that now extend entirely into the reservoir and many more on their way. Also, a new fan has since grown. Overall the plant seems quite healthy and happy.

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Congratulations Ryan! It looks great!

Where are you getting those nice looking glasses? My wife is getting tired of looking at plastic deli containers and I might need to switch some over to glass.

Cheers.
Jim

Jim my wife was the same way. She said that if I have to have a million plants at least put them in nicer glass container lol. I got most from TJ Max Home Goods and Goodwill. I have since taken to reusing glass bottles for my smaller plants that will never grow to be big plants because of their compact nature. I use a wet tile saw for that. And finally, I use a diamond bit to drill the drainage holes for the reservoir part.

the roots are doing great, Ryan...the algae is fast acumulating ...you could flush it more often; do you use heat matts or you just regulate the heating indoors?

Well the algae is the plants problem to handle lol. I haven't the time to flush the pot more than I already do. It's on a heating mat but the room gets a steady 68 low 75 hi temp swing and I've managed to control the humidity much more since I moved everyone to the basement.

I just got a beautiful tolmnia that came in the mail that I bought on ebay. I had some advise on growing them and it seems that the s/h conditions should be perfect for the summer. They like to be well watered while growing. But what about in the winter? Should you let the reservoir go dry between watering?

That is good to know...algae dont kill plants but it just grosses me out...light, humidity and temperature is of great importance in growing this plant...I am glad you have heat matts...good growing

Any update on this? Do you give these guys any kind of rest? Great thread BTW!