Tolumnia in SH

[Pilot]

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,


And a close up of the root area and moss,



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.

[bballr4567]

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?

[Ray]

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!

[Pilot]

Originally Posted by Ray

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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[Call_Me_Bob]

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.

[littlefrog]

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.

[Phal grower]

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

[Ray]

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...

[Pilot]

Originally Posted by Ray

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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[lycaonpictus]

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.