Which orchids in YOUR collection get a winter rest?

[kavanaru]

Ross, received my Tolumnias potted in Charcoal chunks with some Sphag mixed. When I saw that the plants were not doing well and were loosing many leaves I contacted the nursery and they told I should immediatelly stop watering them, as they need winter rest... then discussing with some friends in Germany, they even suggested "more drastic actions" and all tolumnias were either mounted (2 of them) of potted in small pott with EpiWeb (the other that survived, and the new Tolumnia hawkesiana), which retains almost now water...

[boytjie]

Originally Posted by kavanaru

Ross, received my Tolumnias potted in Charcoal chunks with some Sphag mixed. When I saw that the plants were not doing well and were loosing many leaves I contacted the nursery and they told I should immediatelly stop watering them, as they need winter rest... then discussing with some friends in Germany, they even suggested "more drastic actions" and all tolumnias were either mounted (2 of them) of potted in small pott with EpiWeb (the other that survived, and the new Tolumnia hawkesiana), which retains almost now water...

Both of mine (Golden Sunset 'Waiomao' and Ralph Yagi) are mounted on cork, with very minimal sphagnum moss. They get sprayed every day in the morning first thing, and are usually bone-dry within an hour or two. I'll be curious to see how this discussion between you guys plays out, so I know what to over the cold months.

[Ross]

Originally Posted by boytjie

Both of mine (Golden Sunset 'Waiomao' and Ralph Yagi) are mounted on cork, with very minimal sphagnum moss. They get sprayed every day in the morning first thing, and are usually bone-dry within an hour or two. I'll be curious to see how this discussion between you guys plays out, so I know what to over the cold months.

Stephen, as you are soon to find out, cultural climates make a big difference. Tolumnias are found as hybrids and as species. As species, they grow in the Caribbean Islands like Cuba and grow at the tops of trees on twigs, so are called "twig epiphytes". They get rather frequent rain from the ocean storms but dry out before sun down. Based on this, anything we can do to provide the same regime is to our advantage. I choose to submerge mine fully in diluted fertilizer water for a minute or so then set them up in a breeze from fans for the rest of the day. I do this daily. I have some in large charcoal chunks (no sphagnum), I have one in charcoal, but the basket is inside another pot, and I have several bare root in tiny "thumb pots". They all do about as well, except the one in the charcoal (in a basket) inside another clay pot has much better roots and has blessed me with multiple spikes. The bare root Tolumnias have multiple spikes right now. I think the secret for Tolumnias is no winter rest. I think they need daily rest after copious amounts of water and fertilizer. That's my 2 cents.