Tolumnias in sh - update if you have any?
 

I know a few folks here were experimenting with Tolumnias in sh up until a couple years ago.

I was wondering if folks who've tried it could post some updates on their progress and method?

I have transferred most of my plants into sh over the years and I've noticed that although it the long run it is usually beneficial for the plants, the initial transition is rough. Most of the original root system rots off in the new environment but after a few months the plant gradually sends out new roots which thrive in the sh. Like most things it takes time and patience but it's worth it.

Thank you, ryrycochinco! That's good to know.

Anyone else?

About 75% of my orchids are in S/H including Paphs and Catts. My tolumnia is thriving in it's little clay pot it arrived in about 3 yrs ago, which it has outgrown but since the humidity in it's growing area is around 50% I 'm leaving it alone.

I wouldn't recommend this orchid for S/H unless you can duplicate its natural environment. In the Caribbean they receive daily moisture (rain/dew) but then the roots dry out with the trade winds during the day. That would be very difficult to duplicate in S/H. You'd be better off using the LECA clay pellets in a traditional pot and watering it daily. Even then, you'd want to make sure the pot wasn't much larger than the root area so the roots dry. When I say "dry", that's by Caribbean standards, not Death Valley. Hope this helps.

Thank you so much, Marc.

I thought I'd try it based on Pilot's success, but I just messaged him and he said the tolumnia experiment was a bust, and that he now grows them mounted in Kool-Logs.

I am looking into those.

Thank you so much for chiming in.

You're welcome! Kool-Logs should work fine, just make sure, if you use moss, not to pack it in too tightly, allowing some breathing room for the roots.

It's a clear case of "different strokes for different folks." I can't grow tolumnias in S/H to save my soul, but I have seen fantastic specimens grown that way - yet again proving that it's not the plant itself that is the determining factor.

Thank you both!

Like Marc, I usually have 50%+ humidity, so I think I am going to go with the logs route. Based on some other reading, I think I am going to skip the moss altogether for the tols.

Ray, I would like to try tolumnias in sh at some point; but since I only have 2 now, I think I will try sh later with a division or one I care less about.

My goal with sh is to make things easier to grow and harder to overwater. I've already added grow lights (which I am replacing with a few vivarium LEDs I ordered from you as soon as they arrive) and a constant running Vornado humidifier to the orchid area in the living room... So I want to make sure whatever I grow will fit in this environment without too much fussing. If I have to create new, dedicated spaces or a lot of different routines I think I'll get myself in trouble.

So I am going to go with the logs for now, with the idea of trying sh later on once I learn how tols grow and how to interpret what they're telling me and their needs.

Thank you both so much!

Let us know what happens. I have one Tolumnia (so far), a seedling T. variegata mounted on wood. I spray it with MSU in rain water at 45ppm nitrogen, once or twice a day, and hang it where it gets 6 hours' worth of sun through a window. It is growing and looks fine.

Sounds like you've got all the angles covered, send an update re the Kool-Log.