Growing conditions - Phal vs Oncidium
 

I wonder if y'all can tell me the difference in growing conditions for Phal (White generic) and Oncidium (Unknown sp) under terrarium conditions.

I am working on some improvements to my 50 gal. tall setup. I only have these two in there at the moment and they are growing fine. But I want to add a misting system to help Riccia grow all over my substrate. Not sure how both of these will react to very high humidity.

I think the primary differences are light requirements, and seasonal temperature suppression.

The oncidium will need a lot more light than will the phal. The phal will need a couple of weeks of an average growing temperature reduction of about fifteen degrees in order to initiate flower spikes, while the on oncid doesn't.

Just curious, why are you growing these in a terrarium? Oncs and Phals, especially the hybrids do just fine in normal house conditions.

As Ray says, their light requirements are different. If you were growing small plants in a terrarium, then it's possible to change the light they get by adjusting the plant's position.

As for high humidity, the majority of orchids deal with it fine, providing that there is good air circulation. Stagnant humidity is a killer. So a fan or two is a must.

Thanks Ray and Camille.
I have a house from the 1950s and it's small and the only good windows need curtains drawn for privacy. I tend to let the orchids dry out too. Since I'm in Austin we run the AC or Heat most of the year. Right now I have both of these in a tall 55 gal aquarium and they are rebounding nicely with good light, circulation and high humidity. They're also small for now.

But I've been getting into some of the amazing terrariums that people make with all sorts of scenery and also those cute frogs. I'm beginning to think that I should go with the miniatures and get these two regular orchids out onto a window sill and just pay better attention to their needs.

Patrick