# good starter orchids



## joeyo90 (Nov 5, 2006)

i was wondering if someone could recomend some good starter orchids that would do well in a viv. and bloom, something about Bulbophyllum lepidum size maybe little bigger or smaller (miniature size even  just dont want huge) 

thanks


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## harrywitmore (Feb 9, 2004)

One that I know will do great is Maxillaria uncata. I have had one growing in a terrarium for 2 years and it's almost constantly in bloom (except now  ).


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## littlefrog (Sep 13, 2005)

Some that I've had personal experience with that are miniatures include:

Pleurothallis grobyi
Pleurothallis brighamii
Pl. racemiflora 
Pl pubescens
A bunch of other pleurothallids...

Several miniature bulbos (bootaenoides, etc)
Restrepia species (annteniferum, cuprea, etc)
Macodes petola (jewel orchid, stays fairly small)
Goodyera schlectendaliana (another jewel that stays small)
Three or four different 'mini-cattleya' hybrids

You are only limited by your imagination, i think.


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## joeyo90 (Nov 5, 2006)

ok thanks!
ive got a few in mind now 
do you know if dendrobium aggregatum would do well under viv conditions?


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## littlefrog (Sep 13, 2005)

My gut says no. If I'm thinking of the right dendrobium, it requires a definite dry rest to bloom. It might grow, but I don't think it would thrive in a constantly moist environment.


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## joeyo90 (Nov 5, 2006)

ya i think your right i was doing a search for it and care for it says it needs a dry dormant period to bloom  i might have to get this one for myself though


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## Guest (Jan 22, 2007)

Haraella odorata, just put it in a moist place, low lighting, and it will bloom for you in no time. Thats a begginner orchid if I ever did see one!

















Smells good too, like lemons! Fills the whole viv with the smell.


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## joeyo90 (Nov 5, 2006)

wow thats pretty im going to have to check it out thanks


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## KeroKero (Jun 13, 2004)

Going by the "odorata" species name, got a little worried it was a stinker... it is... but in a lemony goodness kinda way


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## Guest (Jan 24, 2007)

Hehe, yes, very lemony to me. Some people who have have not reported any smell at all.
I suppose this orchids gives off one of the few, if not the only smell in the world which could be pleasant to both humans and flies. To us, like lemons, to flies, dead fish.


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## Groundhog (Dec 17, 2006)

*1) Haraella... (2) Orchids?*

1) is now Haraella, species "retrocalla." Guess it has a good PR dept...

2) Hey guys, here are the tempersture parameters of my tank. I allow the tank to follow seasonal patterns, meaning it is cool now, intermediate to warm in Spring/Fall, Warm/Hot in the Summer. As such, there are seasonal growth patterns! E.g., the Selaginella dies back in the summer, but the aroids grow well; the Episcia slows now, but the mosses thrive, etc; (I keep hylids, not pdf's). Here are the averages: 

Winter: 70-75 day, 60-65 night
Spring/Fall: 75-80 day, 65-70 night
Summer: 85-90 day, 75-80 night

Or to put it another way, it might look like:

Jan 15: 71 day, 63 night, 
April 15: 77 day, 68 night
Aug 15: 88 day, 78 night
November 15: 75 day, 67 night

I think that you get the idea--and you will notice that, yes, the summer nights can actually be warmer than the winter days! I find that the herps in the tank, and most of the plants, seem to adapt well to the seasonal changes.

But what orchids could you recommend? Are there any that can tolerate this (wide) range? Am I correct that a "warm" species species will tolerate the cool winter nights better than a "cool" species tolerating the warm summer nights? 

Your thoughts/opinion on this would be greatly appreciated.

G


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## KeroKero (Jun 13, 2004)

I think this is a bit of a tough one, and really depends on what your opinion of warm and cool is... rain forest wise, your tanks seem to run warm to hot for me... for a cool species orchid, they may very well cook at some (or any) of your daytime temps (I'm talking cloud forests where its comfortable to wear a light jacket during the day, and fleece at night).

It's hard to come up with any species off the top of my head that would do well with those ranges... they either would wither at the hot end or get cold burn at the colder end... You might want to look into more semi-tropical plants... in theory they'd take the temp changes in stride as long as they weren't too sudden, and accompanied by a dry season at some point... depends on the species at one point this would be. True tropicals just don't deal with as strong temperature related seasons. Look more to the habitat and niche of where your hylids are from for plant ideas.


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## Groundhog (Dec 17, 2006)

*Orchids for a warm viv*

Interesting idea, Corey. Yours is a good point--many tropicals come from microclimates that do not ever experience wide temperature ranges. Just because a plant gets up to 85F every day does NOT mean they will tolerate a New York August of five straight days of 97f (with 83F nights!)

Yes, the tank does run "warm to hot." I keep lizards with hylids, and some of these guys really do like to bask. Also, I am growing bromeliads, aroids and gesneriads, and some of these do wel in warm summers and simply slow down in the winter; conversely, the begonias and "primitives" (mosses, selaginellas, ferns take off in the winter. 

I certainly was not contemplating cloud forest pleurothallids. Although, I have been told that some will live--they just will not flower. They would actually tolerate the warm summer days if they could get cool nights. Sadly, I understand that we know this because it is actually happening in parts of central America.  

Been told that I might try some angraecoids or bulbos, but I would still like to find one neotropical species. Still, I may be forced to select what grows rather than what is authentic. 

At this year's New York Orchid Show, I may go for:

--Neolehmannia (=Epidendrum) porpax
--Angraecum distichum
--Haraella retrocalla
--and maybe a Schoenorchis(sp?) fragrans or Dendrobium rigidum. 

But we shall see--economically, this is not the right plant family to experiment with!


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## KeroKero (Jun 13, 2004)

There are a number of orchid forums that would be better places to post the orchid specific questions, with people more experienced with a broader range... while tropical orchids get the most attention, there are non-tropical orchids as well, just not as flashy in most cases... I find it a pleasure to find two genera of orchids in my native amphibian work even up here in MD, where they go dormant in winter.

I'm not sure I totally like the fact that some plants go crazy during some periods, then stop growth or die back during other periods... it's showing that during part of the year you're not giving them the conditions they really need... I'm surprised you've not gotten cold water scarring on the bromeliads, but if they are at the top of the tank, they might stay warm enough not to be bothered by it.... I'm a major advocate of choosing the right plants for the right situations, and I think you can do better, but you need to go for plants that are less tropical.


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## Groundhog (Dec 17, 2006)

*"Tropical" plants in the terrarium*

Well, a LOT of "tropical" plants can and do tolerate low 60s at night, even the Episcia and Aroids. Why would the bromeliads ever show "cold burn?" A lot of broms tolerate a wide range, as you know. Especially tillandsias and vrieseas, but the Cryptanthus do not show any damage in the winter, either. That bromeliads or aroids will tolerate a range from a low of say, 62F on a winter night to 88f on summer day should not be surprising; they do it as houseplants all the time. It is not as if the tank ever dips into the high 40s! 

Let me make something, clear: the tank is primarily for the animals. I have found that many animals, even so-called tropical species, live longer if they are given a "cool-down" with reduced temperature, photo-period and food. 

--G


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## Groundhog (Dec 17, 2006)

*Seasonality*

Corey: 

On the one hand you say: "Groundhog - its regular practice to use plants that are not from the same range as our frogs, or even neotropical, because our choices in plants are highly limited" 

Yet, in your next post, you say I should look for "the right plant for the right situation" ??? 

I do not, never had, and have NO/0 interest in a cool, cloud forest setup. I avoid herps and plants from these areas, as I will not and cannot afford the summer air conditioning. 

With that in mind, why would you think that nightime lows in the 60s would cause cold burn on bromeliads? Are Neos known to be that cold-sensitive? I can assure you that cryptanthus, vrieseas, tillandsias and even guzmanias are not (heck I keep some of these outside as long as the night temp stays above 40f--and some vrieseas can go a bit lower). Remember, my post was about problems with jewel orchids, and not anything else. (Although, interestingly, I do have more luck with Asain than neotropical begonias.)

I maintain that a lot of plants and herps do benefit from seasonality--of temp. photoperiod and humidity. Do not people just water theirsucculents less this time of year? Or have some winter bloomers? 

Are pdf environments THAT stable? I would have thought that type of microclimate applies more to atelopids. I know my Brazilian treefrogs bask in the hot summer--and bask now. Go figger... 

G


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## Guest (Jan 31, 2007)

*Orchids*

Scaphosepelum - I have tried several different species, and they do fabulous in a viv. They like the moisture and can handle the warmer temps. They form nice little clumps. They literally are in bloom 365 days a year. I have tried both rapax and ovulare mostly because they are so small and I like the really small stuff, but most in the Genus will work well.


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## joeyo90 (Nov 5, 2006)

i bought a Pleurothallis grobyi


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## Groundhog (Dec 17, 2006)

*Pleurothallis*

Joey:

P. grobyi Worked for me for a while. How did you mount it?

Thanks,

G


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## joeyo90 (Nov 5, 2006)

i havent really done anything with it yet i just got it in the mail today but yes im thinking of mounting it


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