Pleurothallis prolifera

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

I just got this plant in the mail today, so the blooms are not my doing.

However,...I'm not posting this because of its flowers. Hehehe...

Nope, I'm posting this because of a little trial I'm running on this singular plant. Many, many people grow this orchid like an epiphyte, but check this out - it is actually a lithophytic Pleurothallis!!!

When it came in the mail, the plant had moss all around the roots. And sure enough, when I peeled off the moss, there were hardly any living roots on the plant at all. The saving grace for this little guy is that it has a new shoot coming along.

I'm attempting to grow this orchid the way it was supposed to grow in the wild - on rocks, (specifically, granites). I'm curious how it'll do in the long run.

In essence, this thread is a thread about saving a Pleurothallis, in a similar vein to those threads about saving Phals.

I hope it works out.

[TOMMYMIAMI]

Interesting, may be worth a try, have few of these and they do seem to grow ok in moss, but may switch one to some stones ;-) Thanks for posting

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Another thing to try is growing them brighter. Maybe put them under moderately bright indirect light or bright indirect light.

[nikkik]

I hope you are successful. I grow mine in a southern facing window, it is mounted on treefern. It hangs on the window by a suction cup and does well with extreme temperature changes that we experience here in Michigan. I have had this plant for at least five years and I've found it to be a very forgiving plant.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

That's awesome. I read somewhere on the web, that some people grow this on tree fern poles or plaques as well. It's good to know that there is a method that works well for growing this plant in the long run.

[No-Pro-mwa]

Good luck. I do believe we need a thread like this for every kind how else will we learn.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

About 3 weeks in and it has colored up under bright indirect light, and the new shoot has grown some. Flowers are just done blooming and seem to last very long for a Pleurothallis. Awesome species. Grown in granite pebbles and a tiny bit of coconut coir.

[Tindomul]

Very cool. I have never grown anything lithophytically. From the pictures it looks like you just planted it in granite gravel??? Then do you just water it once a day, keep it very moist?? How do you water this? Also, what does the plant get from living lithophytically? I don't know much about this growth habit, but I would guess it could get more from other forms of culture. Sorry for the questions, thanks.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

I don't mind the questions at all.

Yeah, this orchid's growing in granite pebbles with just a little bit of coconut coir.

I water the orchid about once or twice a week.

Granite pebbles retain some water, strangely enough.

The orchid's growing 2 new shoots, and trying to get established by pushing out new roots. I may have messed some of the roots up by trying to get the orchid to stay level, but I've since learned to leave it alone, and not goof around with it anymore.

I'll try to get another pic in by the weekends.

[Lordoftheswarms]

So, you have a too bright of light, that's what that dark pigment on the leaves is telling you.