Aquascaper turned Orchid Keeper has Questions

[estación seca]

A 10 degree F / 4.5c temperature variance is nice but not necessary. Most will do well with a smaller variance. Lots of people don't worry about it at all and their plants do well.

It doesn't matter how the Epi gets wet, just that it does. I'm more worried about it right now when you need to hand water.

As long as the Tolumnia becomes completely dry between waterings it should be OK. Once a day watering in high humidity is fine. I have them go more days between waterings when temperatures are cooler and humidity is high. In the Caribbean, where they originate, there may be many dry weeks in the winter, though humidity remains high. But if the roots never dry to white there will probably be trouble. I would put it closest to the fan.

I've never grown a Neo in a terrarium. They come from a warm to hot summer monsoon climate with a very cool, drier and brighter winter (because the deciduous trees on which Neos grow drop their leaves.) Mine grow in a sunroom that is much cooler at night in winter than in summer, but gets quite warm most winter days. I'll leave it to the Neo experts about how they grow being at relatively the same temperature and getting about the same water all year long. My first thought is it would be easier to grow next to the Laeliocatanthe on the windowsill.

The Bulbo will grow so long as it's wet. The higher the temperatures the better it will grow. But the Pleuro. tribulus doesn't like being hot.

If it's warm enough for any of the plants to grow, those will do better with fertilizer. It's not a big deal the way it is with planted tanks. Most orchids do well with small amounts of fertilizer on a regular basis during their growing season. Some do better with more than others. Most cloud forest species, like your Pleuro, should have more dilute fertilizer than the others.

Do some reading about fertilizing orchids in the extensive Free Information section at the First Rays Web site. The proprietor posts here with username Ray.

Also - how far north do you live? A lot of people north of about 35 -40 degrees have trouble flowering Cattleyas without supplemental winter light on the windowsill. Your plant isn't flowering size yet so there's plenty of time to think about this.

[estación seca]

I strongly recommend beginning orchid growers not use the moss mound technique for Neos, unless they will grow the plant outdoors in a climate similar to what Neos get in habitat. The pages of this forum are littered with dead and dying Neos wounded by people trying to learn the moss mound technique.

[GravesSpeaks]

I am feeling much more chill now. I am going to take things slow and keep logs of my progress. I don’t consider myself very good at mounting any type of plant at all - even types I am USED to working with - so I am going to stick with everything bare root, with a few cases of moss additions. I should be able to quickly identify plants that are struggling, especially since I work in my plant room.

By the way, orchids show stress in mostly similar ways, right? Time to go down a research hole!

---------- Post added at 07:30 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:18 PM ----------

I am going to go for a temp range of 65-77 degrees (and not stress if I can’t achieve that at first). RH range to stay between 55-80%. Watering schedules will be individually tailored according to type and tracked on my excel sheet. I will make a goal of adding ferts to the schedule in a couple weeks. They should be fine until then.
I have my weakest Current USA led bar 18” above them for 12 hrs per day right now (which is driving me CRAZY but I will control my urge to change to a stronger light bar for a week or so. This light wouldn’t be sufficient for low light aquatic plants…patience, Alyssa)

---------- Post added at 07:31 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:30 PM ----------

Ok, that’s not true it would be fine for LOW LIGHT plants but not for anything else!

[GravesSpeaks]

Hi Seca, I am in South Carolina, USA. Zone 8a.

[Shadeflower]

the moss mound is more a principle of things to consider. They need more air flow than a potted phal.
They like high humidity around their roots all the time.

And as you point out they are considered a little harder which is why some people have developed their own way of potting them with a hollow core to prevent waterlogging in the center, a big mound to maximise air exposure and moss which retains and provides humidity.

No method is risk free. But sticking to those aspects when growing a neo is beneficial.

[estación seca]

You probably have enough winter light to flower Cattleyas and Neofinetias on the windowsill.

[estación seca]

I just noticed the bare root comment. I strongly recommend you not do that, but leave them in their pots for now. They don't grow bare root in habitat; they grow attached to trees or rocks, generally with a substantial amount of leaf litter or moss surrounding the roots. The equivalent in horticulture is called "mounting." It is very difficult to grow mounted plants inside a house because the roots dry out too rapidly. Your terrarium isn't up and running yet. Even in terrariums, most people find Oncidiums don't do well mounted. Their small-diameter roots should not dry out completely.

We water when the plants need it, not by the calendar. Almost nobody waters different plants in a terrarium on differing schedules. That's too difficult to arrange and takes too much time to administer. Most terrarium-suitable orchids growing in a terrarium stay moist all the time. Many of them are best grow in a terrarium because they need to stay moist. If the roots are well aerated it's fine if they're watered again before they dry out. That's why I was concerned about you growing a Tolumnia in a wet terrarium. They're outliers among epiphytic orchids, most of which are fine with continually moist roots during the warm growing season.

Aquatic plants get light that passes through water, which attenuates it tremendously. Air doesn't attenuate light nearly as much. Terrestrial plants don't need the brilliant lights needed for aquatic plants.

[GravesSpeaks]

Coool thanks Seca! I just asked that light question in the “growing under lights” forum, but I that pretty much answers it! And don’t worry, my babes won’t be leaving their pots for months yet. I have to feel like I can keep them Heckin alive first!