Care Books on different species

[nibbler]

Hi All,
I am looking for some recommendations on books on how to care for different orchid species. I have had a look a the book reviews and quite a few are 9's or 10's but I am hoping for more hands on advice. Basically I have 6 Phal's, 1 Dendrobium and 1 Cymbidium. I also went a bit mad and ordered from a nursery in the UK. The Orchids will arrive in April when the nursery come over for a show. I have 8 weeks to learn how to take care of them in addition to what I have. I have included a list of what I have purchased. Can anyone recommend a book that will cover what I have and what is coming?
Thanks you

Lepanthopsis astrophorea 'Stalky'
Maxillaria picta
Oncidium ornithorhynchum
Ornithophora radicans
Prosthechea cochleata
Prosthechea fausta
Sophronitis purpurata
Dendrobium farmeri
Bulbophyllum echinolabium
Coelogyne cristata var. alba
Paphiopedilum Gary Romagna x Angel Hair:
Sophronitis crispa

[Bolero]

Yes getting a book that clearly covers all those will be difficult.....the only single book that might cover those genera fairly well will be:

What Orchid is That? By Alec Pridgeon

I can't think of any books that might be better, as you get more plants you will find specialised books to be much better. But for now a general book like the one above should do ok.

Note: You have picked a number of plants that have distinctly different requirements so I would recommend you get ready fast as you will have to provide each with conditions it needs.

[nibbler]

Different requirements.... ok now I am worried. I dont mind buying specialist books for them rather than one big book, if you could recommend some? I had better get researching asap. Thank you for the heads up.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Don't take this the wrong way...

I don't mean to bust your bubble...

But I honestly don't think you're ready for Lepanthopsis astrophora 'Stalky'.

Why?

You're asking for a book as a quick fix to gather up as much information about the plants you ordered before 8 weeks are up. Which implies you've never grown any of the plants you've listed before, ever. Your response to Bolero's post is a give away too.

It honestly took me several tries to grow Lepanthes properly. And I believe that if you can properly grow Lepanthes, you can grow Lepanthopsis, which is a wee bit easier to grow than Lepanthes.

The other species you listed you can wing. The Lepanthopsis astrophora will not be so forgiving (as in they can start rapidly dropping leaves and die within a week or two if conditions are not correct). Especially if you're trying to use pot culture for it.

They like it evenly moist without being soggy. And they like moderate to high humidity (70% and up). If your humidity is low, you will not be able to grow this plant. Nothing below 60% humidity is tolerated in the least bit. 60% is pretty much the breaking point for Lepanthes and Lepanthopsis.

It grows in shade in cool to intermediate temperatures (55 F - 85 F/13 C - 29 C).

They've got thin roots that can break very easily during repotting (if you're using pot culture).

I recommend mounted culture, (pm me for more specific info, if you're interested).

This plant pretty much is grown the same way as their close cousins, the Lepanthes.

I'm not trying to scare you, but this is the honest truth.

If you choose to go ahead and try your hand with Lepanthopsis astrophora 'Stalky', by all means, you're free to try.

Oh...and as far as I know, there aren't any specialist books that go into detailed growing instructions on how to cultivate Lepanthes and Lepanthopsis. I could be wrong...

[nibbler]

Thank you for your honest and open comments and advice. I appreciate it. The one I was actually most worried about is the Bulbophyllum echinolabium. After doing research on it the temperature requirements alone caused me to rethink it. I havent grown any of the plants listed before. I am trying to learn by getting in and doing. I just fell in love with the flowers. The humidity I wasnt particularly worried about. We currently have 89% humidity is Dublin. The beauty of living in such a wet country and I was going to buy a humidifier for the apartment. If you dont think I am ready for it I will reconsider it.
Thank you.

[RosieC]

Sue mentioned a new Bulbophyllum book recently that she thought was good. She said it changed her view of how to care for them.

http://www.orchidboard.com/community...llum-book.html

[trdyl]

I really like Botanica's Orchids. It does not get really specific on light requirements but it does give a breif description on everything you have listed except for the Leanthopsis, Bulbophyllum, and Paph hybrid. It does give a temerature range for what is listed and general moisture requirements. Have you tried looking here: http://www.orchidspecies.com/

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Originally Posted by nibbler

Thank you for your honest and open comments and advice. I appreciate it. The one I was actually most worried about is the Bulbophyllum echinolabium. After doing research on it the temperature requirements alone caused me to rethink it. I havent grown any of the plants listed before. I am trying to learn by getting in and doing. I just fell in love with the flowers. The humidity I wasnt particularly worried about. We currently have 89% humidity is Dublin. The beauty of living in such a wet country and I was going to buy a humidifier for the apartment. If you dont think I am ready for it I will reconsider it.
Thank you.

I think the Bulbophyllum echinolabium will not pose too big of a problem.

There are plenty of specialized Bulbophyllum books. Suzanne (cb977) mentioned one of them already, as RosieC had said.

Your humidity is good for Bulbophyllums. But the issue here would be the choice of cultivation method.

I like to mount my Bulbos onto cork bark with a little bit of moss. However, it doesn't have to be cork bark.

Intermediate to warm for Bulb. echinolabium. Wet during the warmer months. Slightly dryer in the cooler months.

Grow in bright shade to moderate indirect light.

The plant is medium-large and the flowers are large. They're stinkers (if I'm not mistaken, they smell like dog poop).

As for the Lepanthopsis astrophora 'Stalky', I think the 89% humidity is perfect, and if it's that way all year round, better!

Try Lpths astrophora 'Stalky' after you get the hang of growing Bulbophyllum echinolabium first.

Bulb. echinolabium will teach you the skills you need to grow orchids mounted on wood (should you try mounted culture for the Bulbo). With this skill, you'll be able to grasp how to grow Lepanthopsis astrophora 'Stalky' by adjusting certain things. That way, it will not be overwhelming and a complete shock to you.

[gnathaniel]

Nibbler, you could probably find out a lot about the culture of most of these species just by searching for their names on Orchidboard or Google. There are also several other orchid forums (am I allowed to mention these?) that may have some additional information.

If you want books for specific culture information, the series by Charles and Margaret Baker is a great resource. Some of them are out of print and they can be a little pricey (even the shorter ones are dense, hefty tomes), but they're incomparable for sheer volume and detail of climate and habitat information. I think there's one for Dendrobium, one for the Odontoglossum/Oncidium alliance, one or two for Paphiopedilums, and one for Phalaenopsis and several other 'P' genera. For a lot of other species that aren't covered by those, you can also buy the Bakers' single-species culture sheets in the same format at Orchid Culture -- Charles and Margaret Baker.

Most of the orchids you've chosen look like great 'beginner' ones, not too finicky about conditions. And it sounds like King can help you get a good handle on that Lepanthopsis. If you're not growing in a greenhouse, under bright lights, or outdoors in the warmer months, you might find it challenging to provide high enough light to keep the Sophronitis and Prosthechea species thriving and blooming long-term. Your high natural humidity should be an asset overall, but make sure you keep some air moving around your plants to prevent fungal problems. Have fun!

--Nat

[Brotherly Monkey]

The Bakers also run a service where you can purchase individual culture sheets

Orchid Species Culture - Free Sheet Index