Tolumnia HELP!
 

Hey Everybody!

My friend Erica recently gave me her less-than-thriving little Tolumnia, and I'm wondering what it likes? I read that they grow on small branches, so I mounted it to an appropriate stick with some moss. It seems to be growing a bit, but what conditions will make it thrive? The guy she bought it from said they thrive on neglect, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

Currently it is in a sunny, eastern window, mounted in a little pocket of moss on a branched stick, and I water it every few days. It just doesn't seem to be doing a whole lot... any ideas?!??!?!?! thanks!!!!

Elliott,
Indeed they do thrive on neglect. A very key issue is that they must dry out quickly (as in same day....). I grow mine both mounted and in little clay pots, though I plan to move the potted ones to a mount in the spring.

You can find lots on the OB about Tolumnia care (use Search above and don't be overwhelmed by what it returns :) ), and the AOS culture sheet can be found at http://aos.org/Default.aspx?id=206.

Good Luck!

I only have one Tolumnia and mine is a slow growing orchid also. In fact for several months I didn't think it was growing at all, but now it has three flower spikes. They like relatively strong light, like cattleyas. They prefer to dry very quickly. Mine is mounted, bare root, on a piece of tree fern fiber. I also see them in tiny pots with very little medium, maybe a little loose tree fern. Mine gets watered and fertilized at the same rate as my cattleyas but because it's mounted it dries within a couple hours.

I agree with the above. Mounted, unless there is a lot of moss on the mount, daily drencing is probably in order. If in a very dry environment, a additional misting might be needed. Plant should dry out completely, fairly quickly. Doesn't necessarily need to be by the same night (tho that is probably ideal). I have had some success growing them in small clay pots in either charcoal or tree fern fiber, watering every two to three days, but I think staying moist any longer than that would not be good for them.

They do like high light as well. This time of year I have mine in a south facing window. When weather is warmer and sun is higher in the sky, I grow outside, sun all morning, or afternoon sun for a few hours.

If your plant is somewhat worse for wear, it also may just need a bit of time...

Nothing grows well under neglect unless you live in an ideal environment for orchids.

I have lots of these little toluminas. Most of them are sold potted in a tiny clay pot which dry out very fast especially in the heat and strong light, which they like.

The key is to keep them watered enough. Yours is mounted, so the watering needs to be really good as mounts dry out even faster.
Plus, yours is not in great condition you said.

I would then put extra layer of moss over the root zone or put the entire mount enclosed somehow until there is enough root growth.

Even then, you want to water them enough because if you don't, you end up with wrinkled up dry mess.

Some of mine are in great bloom at the moment.

Good luck!

I grow my tolumnias mounted on branches with some live moss for padding. Water daily, lots of light (about a foot away from the growlights). All have been growing and blooming abundantly, and one has more than doubled in size since last Spring.