# orchid help! :shock:



## Guest (Jan 22, 2005)

i got an unamed orchid species today its is about six small bulbs, two of which have a single leaf protruding from them. the rest dont have leaves but they all have roots. they arent in any substrate or anything. i was hoping somebody could tell me how to pot it up or attatch it to a piece of wood i have with moss growing on . any help would be appreciated. right now i have it sitting on some moist moss in a sealed tub for humidity. some of the roots are a lighter colour than others. thanks in advance


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## Guest (Jan 22, 2005)

*orchid*

also the orchid is epyphitic.


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## Michael Shrom (May 20, 2004)

If you keep it in that sealed tub to long it will die. I'd tie it to a piece of cork bark or tree fern fiber. You can use fishing line or heavy thread. A little long fiber sphagnum between the orchid and the palque might be helpfull. Hang it in your terrarium and mist once a day. If it has large pseudobulbs it can get pretty dry between mistings. If they are small they shouldn't get as dry. Use distilled or r.o. water for misting.


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## Rain_Frog (Apr 27, 2004)

An orchid in that state is best kept out of a vivarium. I have tried repeatedly to grow my orchids in there, but their roots end up rotting. The key trick to keep orchids in there is to provide max ventilation, but also max humidity for the frogs. Orchids love humidity, but if their roots don't dry out quick and there isn't enough air movement, the roots will rot off. I have no idea what state your orchid is in, be careful. Orchids that receive root disturbance during their active growth will make them stop growing roots. I have already learned the hardway by messing around with my orchids and not waiting before they went dormant. They will not produce anymore roots until the following season, so if they rot off or break, the plant will most likely die.

If you want to try, I suggest you just grow the plant and get accustomed to its growth cycles first. Its best to transplant an orchid right before the end of dormancy. Not the beginning though.

I have a nice looking M. hedewigia and mini catleya, but hesitant as they are doing well outside a tank.


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## Guest (Jan 23, 2005)

*orchid*

so right now it is sitting in a big jar with some moss on the bottom with the lid off. ive sprayed it once or twice. does this sound about right? i know i am a moron so sorry about that.


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## Ryan (Feb 18, 2004)

Can you get a picture? The way you described it having pseudobulbs with one leaf each, while older ones are just bulbs, makes me think you have a bulbophyllum. Bublophyllum, depending on where you live, can either be one of the easiest and most productive species of orchids, to the most difficult to just keep alive.


Ryan


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## Rain_Frog (Apr 27, 2004)

from experience, it is better to underwater and neglect an orchid than pamper it with higher humidity and more watering.

Orchids love humidity, but will be just fine if they get at least 50%. If you set them in a tub with a false bottom with an aerator, that will be enough to keep them happy.

Orchids are very tricky. I owe all my knowledge to Jason Hupp. He is the one that has definitely helped me begin to hone my orchid skills.


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## Guest (Jan 23, 2005)

*orchid*

i think it looks kind of like bulbophyllum lepidum maybe? i have put it into a small pot with loosely packed wood chip substrate.








i live in scotland so its not a native species or anything.


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## Michael Shrom (May 20, 2004)

I have a bulbophylum in my show tank. It is on tree fern fiber with a little sphagnum on top. I mist daily and drench every now and again. The tank has a computer fan for air circulation and keep things from staying to wet.
Michael


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## TimStout (Feb 16, 2004)

Bulbo. lepidum is an easy species to culture. As others have stated, giving it good air movement moderate light and letting roots dry between watering is key too success. In my experience a repotting to fresh sphagnum moss seems to stimulate new roots to form off of old ones as well as stimulating new growth to emerge. This genus is more of a rambler so give it room to grow. 
In my experience you don't have to wait for a new growth to emerge before repotting or mounting especially if the plant is bare root.


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## Guest (Mar 2, 2005)

*Ok I grow some 500 orchids.....*

And am new to this group. I have found through experience that only a handfull of species like the Vivariums, Bulbo's being one if left to dry out a while, Aerangis also if left at the top of the tank. I can list a few more for the people who would like to try a few as experiments.

Any Pleurothallids should do fine if let to dry slightly, Ludisia Discolor great terrstrial, Restrepia species should do OK for lower light loving ones. Some Epidendrums if mounted and kept close to the lights will do good, Epi. Porpax comes to mind and this could be layed on top of well drained moss and it would live. I could name numerous different species and go on for ever, but if you have any questions give me your growing conditions, light and temps and I can give you much more info. My 4 Mantella Madagascarenesis love orchids, I have 7 different species in a 20Gallon tank and all do fine. If in doubt abuse, they will do better than if you papmer them.

Thanks and happy growing 'n' herping
Shane


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## Guest (Mar 2, 2005)

*light*

how do i measure the light levels in my vivarium?


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## Guest (Mar 2, 2005)

*Measuring light levels...*

Ok, simple but more expensive way is a digital light meter, another alternative is to put a pice of white paper on the floor of your tank use a camera with a light meter in it (older 35mm) set the Apeture atf-8 and shutter at 1/60th sec, if the meter reads in the OK zone you have enough light to grow just about any lower light level orchid. All meters measure in footcandles, as an example: 2 X 24" daylight florecent bulbs 6" from the lights is around 1500-2000 FC max. Most orchids other than high light loving plants like Cattleyas will do well with this amount of light. If you have a 12-15" distance from the bulbs your looking more at 4-600 FC, almost all Pleuros and many lower light level plants like jewels orchids will do well with this amount of light, and more than likely bloom. This all depends on what you use as light and how far down the plants are from the lights themselves. If you need any other answers don't hesitate to ask.

Thanks and happy growing 'n' herping
Shane


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