A Few Planted Ripariums

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Do these come in slightly larger sizes?

The reason I say this is because Disa create a lot of offshoots along runners (stolons).

Maybe 5" in diameter.

Otherwise it sounds like it could work.

You can get plants from Wally Orchard at Afrodisa.

I know for a fact he has Disa aurata and Disa tripetaloides available as we speak.

[hydrophyte]

There is another riaprium planter that is about 5" wide. It has a bit more room for running plants and I use it with large Colocasia.

I just had a look around Wally Orchard's site. Thanks for that tip!

Do you really find it necessary to use fungicides with Disa. Wally explained there on his site that,

If you are not prepared to use fungicides and insecticides on a regular basis, I would advise you against taking up Disa growing.

This would most definitely not work with a fish tank.

Do you think that D. tripetaloides might be any more hardy than uniflora?

Well I hope that I can give this a try at some point here.

You know another plant that I have wondered about is the weedy terrestrial Epidendrum (can't remember the species) from Central America with the red and orange blooms. I remember seeing that one in pretty wet locations and it was most definitately a hardy plant that never stopped blooming.

Did I ask you about Habeneria yet. I understand that H. repens and others will grow right in te water swamps.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

I have never used fungicides on my Disa tripetaloides.

I do have issues with leaf blemishes. But I found out why they do that.

It's not fungus. If there's fungus, it's a secondary cause of stress for the plant.

The primary cause would be severe root damage.

I originally planted these in a SuperSphag and perlite mix.

Then I found out that this potting mix went bad very quickly because of how wet they grow. So when I repotted them, I found out that many of the roots were rotting.

Then...

I also checked out how they grow in the wild. It took me a while to realize, that certain parts of South Africa are sandy. This is most consistent with what I see in pictures of the habitats of Disa tripetaloides and Disa aurata (they're apparently sometimes found growing side-by-side).

I switched out to "horticultural sand", and I no longer have problems with leaf blemishes with the newer offshoots.

The problem with Disas is that their root systems are fairly sparse. Then there's the issue of each root not taking damage well, unlike the epiphytical orchids. So if you snap one (even if it's a small portion of the root), that's all she wrote for that particular root. The roots of Disas are also pretty rigid and brittle, it can be easy to mishandle and snap off.

However...

They make up for this shortcoming by being extremely fast growing.

I'd like to also mention, Disas generally don't live long lives like the epiphytical orchids do.

Once the plant blooms, it dies.

Again, however...

The evergreen Disas make up for this shortcoming by being one of the easiest orchids to germinate from seed!

As you can guess, the primary mode of reproduction for Disas is not asexual reproduction, it's sexual reproduction. Although, asexually, they're pretty prolific, sexual reproduction is the most efficient method of proliferation.

If you're keeping fish in there, that's even better. Then there'd really be very little need to fertilize.

Disas don't like heavy fertilization. They can get leaf blemishes or die due to root damage as a result of too much fertilization.

Hard water is a big no-no. The lower the concentration of dissolved minerals in the water the better.

[hydrophyte]

Super. This is more great information. I think that I will have to give these plants a try. I like the idea that that tripetaloides is evergreen. Is it necessary to do anything at all to accommodate the seasonality of that plant?

I have tried using long-fibre spagnum with plants in riparium setups and I have also observed that it just starts to rot when kept that wet.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

As far as the seasonality of Disa tripetaloides is concerned. Be aware that there are 2 different general rainfall areas that they come from.

1. Summer rainfall

2. Winter rainfall

Sometimes the seller will not know which they sold you. You must then pay attention to the rate of growth of the plants.

They generally grow extremely fast during their respective rainfall seasons.

So:

1. Summer rainfall Disa tripetaloides will grow the fastest during the summers.

2. Winter rainfall Disa tripetaloides will grow the fastest during the winters.

Growth does not stop when it is not in "growing season", it just slows down.

During the "off-season", just grow them a bit drier, as in allow the surface of the potting media to appear dry before watering. But like I said, they should never, ever dry out completely.

I own the summer rainfall Disa tripetaloides.

Generally, you can request which rainfall area the Disa tripetaloides comes from.

From what I also understand, these are mid-elevation plants (I believe they appear around the 1,000 m mark, not sure, please check) that are found on the mountains in South Africa that are near the coast.

I have no reference point to make a judgement call about whether D. tripetaloides is easier to grow than D. uniflora. I haven't grown D. uniflora before.

In general, I've not found Disa tripetaloides to be frustrating to grow at all, despite some setbacks or mistakes I've encountered in it's cultivation.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

I'm not too well versed in Epidendrum species.

Many of them are too large for my liking.

So to answer your question about the Epidendrum, I'm not the best person to ask about them.

[hydrophyte]

Thanks again a million. I will have to try out that tripetaloides. At fifteen or twenty bucks a plant it's worth a shot.

I should research other plants that might combined well with it in a cool water, soft water, low nutrient setup.

I have a good start on my next new setup. I was up late last night and got this 15-gallon (60-litre) into place.



This will be a simple, low-tech system. I am mainly using "grassy" plants. I have a pretty good selection of smaller growers and got a shot of them while shuffling everything around. This gives an idea anyway of the combination of foliage that will be in there.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Interesting plants. What are they?

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Okay, I got some photos of one of my Disa tripetaloides.

This is what you should be expecting.

[hydrophyte]

Yeah, that tripetaloides isn't much of a foliage plant. It would be alright though positioned among fuller specimens.

I quote myself here with a description including most of those plants that I am using for this new layout.

Originally Posted by hydrophyte

Emersed Plants

My general idea is to develop the background with "grassy" foliage. The major constraint for the plant growth habit and shape is that they scale well with this smaller tank. I think I have some pretty good selections for this concept. All of these are well-recognized as growing in wet/marginal aquatic situations.

I have several ideas for midground emersed plants to be grown on trellis rafts. I will come back to describe these with another post.

Of these three plants only the first, Pogonatherum crinitum is a true grass (Graminae). The Cyperus is a sedge (Cyperaceae) and the Acorus is a sweetflag (Acoraceae).

Pogonatherum crinitum

This one is still untested for riparium culture--I only recently acquired it--but it looks like it might be a winner. Known with the common names "baby panda bamboo" or "miniature bamboo", among others, it is not a true bamboo, but it is a grass. I am confused as to whether Pogonatherum paniceum (another plant that appears in searches) and P. crinitum are synonyms, or two distinct but similar species. I get the impression that they are the same thing. Descriptions for both describe plants growing with bamboo-like foliage to about 18" tall. It is very popular as a bonsai subject or houseplant and also makes a good houseplant. This could be a great riparium plant.



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Acorus gramineus "dwarf"

I am still uncertain about the best classification for this plant. I have the species right, but I have run into some conflicting information on the variety, so I just identify it with "dwarf" in double quotes. The foliage is neat and tidy and has a perfect shape for a setup like this, with leaves that arch forward from the creeping rhizome at about a 45 degree angle. The top of that planter cup is three inches or so wide. The leaves reach to about 9" in length. Bruised foliage of this particular Acorus variety has a wonderful sweet spicy smell. Sweetflags are highly susceptible to spider mite infestation and damage, so it will be important to watch for these plants and treat promptly if they appear.



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Cyperus albostriatus 'Nanus'

I have had this plant for a couple of years. It is unusual among Cyperus in that it has a running rhizomatous growth habit, instead of clumping habit. It is a bit difficult to see in this photograph, but the foliage includes leaves that arise in whorls from axils on the tops bare flowering stalks, like other umbrella sedges, as well as longer leaves that grow out of the ground from the plant crown. It grows to about 12" tall. This is a hardy plant and it stays looking very nice all winter long when kept as a houseplant. It dose well as a marginal aquatic, but thrives best with the crown at least an inch or so above the water surface.



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