haraella retrocalla....new to mounts and minis....
 

Attachment 104272Attachment 104273

So this little guy just showed up in the mail :)
I have plans to put him in an adorable house shaped terrarium but.......I know nothing about him!!!

Anyone care to give me some generals?
Are those roots or spikes? Do these even grow spikes? I have noises what to expect....I've been misting it daily for lack of better direction :)

Help?!?!

I can't quite tell from the photos if they are roots or spikes. I think probably roots as the spikes are thinner than the roots and will quickly show signs of a bud forming near the end. The picture is not quite clear enough to tell for sure though.

Mine doesn't have moss on the mount and I keep it always damp or only just let it dry out. In the summer I was watering every day, now it's a bit cooler I water every other day, but the base of the mount often just rests in water and the cork wicks up water to the lower roots so they rarely dry.

However with moss on yours you might need to be careful to let it dry a little, but I still wouldn't let it get really dry.

This guy does like humidity, When I got it last year I initially had mine hanging with my other mounts (remember mine also has no moss) and it was wrinkling a lot and lost the bud which it had been bought with.

I now grow it hanging inside a vase, with stones and water in the bottom of the vase. That's where it often has the water just high enough to meet the bottom of the mount. This gives just enough humidity (even with the top of the vase open) and it does well there, the wrinkling disappeared and this spring it grew a new spike and is on it's third flower and has a second spike growing, so I'm quite happy I've got humidity right now.

I grow in my house with standard house temps. For me that means averaging about 20C (a bit below and a bit above at different times of day) in the winter, and whatever temps we get in the summer, but in the UK that's probably rarely goes above 25C.

Light wise I have experimented and I'm not really sure what light it needs. When I first put it in the vase I had it in a south-west facing window but with it's back to the light (the mount towards the light) because I was worried about it getting too much light. I then put it in the east facing windows facing the light. It got very very pale/yellow when it was there and I wasn't comfortable about it even though it flowered in that position. It also lost a leaf that really yellowed (not the oldest) and I was worried the others would go the same way. I have since moved it back to the first spot, still with it's back to the light and it has greened up again and looks much happier.

That's how I grow mine, hope that helps. Good luck.

I keep mine wet to moist in a small terrarium.
So your home sounds good. Keep the humidity high.

They do grow spikes. They grow essentially like tiny warm and moisture loving phal.

It's hard to tell but those do look like spikes to me.

Light.... low to moderate.

I kept the bottom of my mount submerged in 1/2" of water, and refilled a day or two after it evaporated.
Good luck!

It looks like I might have a problem......
My haraella seems to be losing its bottom few leaves.Attachment 104679

It's planted in this fully enclosed glass house...Attachment 104680

Plus I think the lichen (sp?) or purple moss might be molding???Attachment 104681

Help!?!?!

Is there any air circulation in there?

It's not staying wet enough, also airflow could be a big factor^

No airflow :(...maybe take the top off once a week for a couple hours? Twice a week?

Keep it wetter?

My suggestion is to not grow it in there ... Mine (potted) grows fine on a windowsill. Or a small, not entirely enclosed container.

Rosie, would you mind sharing a photo of your setup? I had asked you for one once on Facebook, but it's now buried on my Facebook wall. I love this orchid, and just ordered a new (mounted) one to try again. I'd love to try out your method!

I'm still having some problems here :((

I ended up losing the two yellowing leaves and what I think was a spike has now browned and withered up.

I rigged up the glass "roof" top to the terrarium so that it sits off the base and allows for air.

My remaining leaves are still wrinkly which made me think more humidity or watering but isn't that what caused the yellowed leaves?
I'm keeping the moss wet, misting every other day.

I'm reposting pics, hopefully these look better...if not it might be time for a new phone :evil:

I have two of these. One grows completely enclosed in a small container and the other grows on a stick (Andy's Orchids) in a water bottle with the top cut off. I keep water on the bottom of both containers to allow water to wick to the roots. I like the set up on the stick better as I can see the orchid without removing a lid so I will probably change the set up of the one in the container to be more like the one on the stick. What I have learned about these is that they love humidity, warmth, and light. The roots like some exposure to air while staying moist.
I took pictures of the one in the container and posted them somewhere here. I have had it for about three years, now. At first, I tried to grow it like other orchids and it nearly died. I put it in the container as sort of a sphag-n-bag attempt and it did so well, I just left it there. The one on the stick was bought earlier this year but it is a simple set up. Just stick in bottle, water on the bottom.

If I would change anything concerning how you grow yours (I do not know the lighting or temps), I would remove a little of the moss from around the roots to let them breathe a bit more. I am not sure that is the right thing to do but it is what I would likely do. Good luck!

Make sure the sphag isn't staying too wet.

Sorry only just seen this :blushing: I posted it for Camille over on facebook again, but so others can see it, here is how I grow Haraella retrocalla (and it's just dropped a flower and has another on the way :))

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3933/...ffd898b61f.jpg

Water in the bottom provides humidity, sometimes the water is touching the mount, sometimes it isn't. If I'm in a rush I water by pouring a little over the mount in-situ (which raises the water level a little), if I have more time I take it out, pour more water over then put back. I change the water completely every few weeks (when it starts to look green is usually what prompts me to).

It seems to like a west window with it's back to the sun (facing into the room) strangely. I tried it in an east window both facing out and facing in and it got very very pale.

I don't mist at all, and the top is always open. When it was in the wrong light the leaves got pale almost yellow and I lost two. Since moving it back to where it was last year (though it was in an old pop bottle then) it has greened up and seems much happier.

Humidity is not noticeably high to my senses, however when I had it out in open air it wrinkled and a spike dried up even though I was watering daily. I then put it in a cut off base of a pop bottle, hung from the side like it now is in the vase, watered daily, and it plumped back up quite quickly. It's never looked dehydrated since.

Love the simplicity (and effectiveness) of that setup! Going to have to try that next time I get in mini's (may do it to a larger plant that doesn't seem to happy).