tolumnia potting question

[alaskan79]

Hi

I just ordered 3 Tolumnia's and was looking at how to repot them. I see they like to dry out real fast. I was thinking of using a small clay pot with LECA instead of a potting media. would that be a good idea. By using LECA I would have to water them every 2 to 3 days. But they would dry out real fast.

Thanks Henry

[rochelle@58]

Hi Henry - Your weather is quite different from mine here in Arkansas! Still I just stick mine in clay pots with just enough of whatever I have handy: it can be leca, bark, etc. as long as it is just enough to stabilize them in the pot (very little). I'm sure someone else on here will give you more help but I have found mine to be pretty tough lol! Good luck!

[DeaC]

These little guys have always made me want to give up on orchids...BUT...the latest issue of Orchids mag.has a great article. He discusses variegata but suggests a clay pot with coconut fiber placed into a saucer with small amt. of water. Roots do like to dry out but water beneath seems just enuf to keep humidity high. He also shows a plant in a wooden slatted basket with roots all over the place which is their nature,but you'd need to mist every day. So my triquetrum better go big or go home! BTW...he thought stick culture led to their slow demise.

[Hiester]

I acquired a Tolumnia recently that was in a thimble sized clay pot. I moved it up to a 2" tall plastic pot with nothing but plenty of giant sized bark chunks. It's an experiment, so we shall see if it likes it or not. I've been watering about every third day with daytime temperatures hovering mostly around 80ºF. It gets plenty of artifical light and a little bit of direct western sun very late in the day, as well as lots of indirect light all day long.

[Bud]

If you are growing this indoors then you may repot it using Leca but make sure it is the smallest diameter. Notice the tiny roots of the plant that don't like being disturbed much. If you forget to water it for a day then its still fine....this kind of plant doesn't want to be overwatered.
I am not familiar with the Alaskan environment or your grow zone so my advice is coming from a windowsill grower in the East Coast.

[Suzanne17]

I just bought a few of these myself. My plan is either a 2" net pot or a 2" clay pot with a few pieces of charcoal (for either pot). The first one came today and it was in a 1.5" clay pot and moss. I washed all of the moss out and have it hanging out in the slightly larger pot but still crowded...my understanding is that they like to be under potted. I have hangers for the pots and once out of quarantine they will be hanging in a western window (but not direct exposure).

[CPKidofAugusta]

I have a Rodrumnia Newberry Tiny Dancers from Carter and Holmes, but for all intents and purposes it's pretty much a straight tolumnia. It's currently in a 4" clay orchid pot, which I'll admit is a massive over pot, but it's working on three new growths at the moment so it's looking like it will fill out in a couple of years. it's potted in pure large charcoal chunks and it has near 100% of its exposed to the air, so it gets watered every day and it ends up drying out within hours on all but extremely wet days (the fertilizing schedule is a little screwy as a result but that's a different matter). It grows well.

As a side note, I recently left it in the house with no water for a week, as I did with all of my orchids as we left town for a week. The only problem that befell it was that the root tips closed up, it's started new ones again and it's growing just as well as it was. It did not show even the slightest signs of dehydration.

[james mickelso]

I have a few in 1.5 inch clay pots hanging from a wire. I had them bare root in the pots but decided they needed some small 1?4 inch lava cinder. They are doing well and have a couple new fans each. I water them every day or two and have left them dry for a week. No issues at all.

[alaskan79]

Thanks for the info. I think I might put one in a 2 inch net pot I have few of them. With charcoal in it.

Henry

[Suzanne17]

Glad to hear I can leave them dry for a few days- traveling to Portland at the end of the month for 5 days and I don't want to have to stress out my pet sitter with worrying about them (or stress myself out with fear of destruction for that matter...).