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Epiphiatic Orchids

glider14

Always a newbie
Can you tell just by looking at an orchid if it is Epiphiatic?
alex
 
Non epiphytes (and non-lithophytes) typically have more fibrous roots.  There are a couple pictures of Paph roots on this page - http://www.ladyslipper.com/coco3.htm but they don't really show the difference as much as I'd like.  I think healthy Paph roots look like sick epiphyte roots, except at a growing tip.  Even that looks different, but it does look healthy.

Most orchids people grow are epiphytes, but people grow most of the epiphytes in pots.  Many epiphytes adapt quite well and, in fact, a root that grew in a pot will often die if exposed on a mount.  A root that originally grew out in the air will often die if buried in a pot.
 
Thanks. My Phal. has rely thick roots about as thick or thicker than a pencil....does this help?
 
Phals are epiphytes. They can be grown mounted, but its much harder to give them the propper care, unless your willing to water it every morning and every midday if its in the summer. Since Phals do not have a pbulb to hold water like many others doo then the only storage it has is in its leaves and roots. Really only the species do good mounted. Hybreds do good hanging out a slat backet with sphag moss inside the basket to hold some moisture. Mounted orchids just dry out to fast. So even though they are epiphytes in the wild we do not exactly create the EXACT same enviromnet for them to grow since many get a considerable ammount of dew and humidity in the mornings in the wild. So Its best to mount those that like to get BONE dry on mounts unless you have the wear with all to woter it in the AM and midday to keep it from trying out to much. Sound about right Bruce?

Oh and to reinerate the point about terestrial orchid roots. I GAVE a paph sedenii to a frined and she cut all the roots off of it thinking they were rotten because they were brown. I slapped my forehead and told her that paphs are terestrials and the roots are suposed to look like that. It was my error in not informing her on the roots, because that is true if they are brown they are more than likely rotten on an epiphytic type orchid.
 
so i could mont mine on somthing attactive.....hmmmm any ideas on techniques on how to mount and what to mount on?
 
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for a good sized Phal you would probably need a steer skull though
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i plan on mounting a smaller Phal on a log in my next frog tank.
 
Rattler's way too proud about that thing.  It looks like it should be crawling out of the ooze on a comic book cover.

Anyway, I'd never try to mount a Phal because I know I'll be lazy and only water it 1-2 times per week in the winter and a mounted Phal would mummify pretty quickly in the dry air.  That might be perfect for a skull mount, but I'm getting sidetracked here.

If you have a lot of experience with orchids, feel free to try a mounted Phal.  If not, you can try one anyway, but I recommend you grow Phals in pots and only try the most tolerant orchids on mounts until you figure out what works for you.
 
WOW today....HUGE BARGIN!!!! there were Phals. at my kroger and i just had to buy one. it has white flowers. anywho i got it for 5 bucks!!!!! this theing was so neat looking i just had to get it. its roots are overflowing....aw heck heres a pic to truly explain it....
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Herenorthere: could you ID this Phal? i know that i have seen it as a species somwhere if that helps....
alex
 
Just remember mounts need to be watered everyday. Especialy in a dry indoors. I have a Phal belina I need to take off its mount because it doesn;t like it. I water it everyday and cannot seem to make it happy. It came to me mounted, and its a species plant. Some say it likes to be mounted, but its still in suspended animation growing VERY slowly. Granted its recovering from a mite infestation, but its going to be put into a pot soon. If you want to mount something mount a lalia, cattleya, or hybred of those since they like to dry out and seem to like it. Just keep in mind hybreds will more than likely be easier to bloom than species. Have fun. another thing to remember is that what works for me may not work for you, and vice versa. What works for me may not work for my neighbor right next door less than 20 foot away. So take what everyone tells you as guidlines. Do not be afraid to experiment and NOTHING is written in stone since every plant is different and some are better at addapting than others. Have fun.
 
  • #10
That's a great deal for that plant.  Are there two plants in there or does the plant have a second growth?

It's impossible to ID a Phal from a place like that because so many hybrids are similar and the big growers don't bother to register many of their crosses.  But I've found those large white flowered Phals bloom for a long time.  I don't have one now, but they're easy to grow and easy to bloom if you give them decent (don't need to be perfect) conditions.

Don't be surprised if the blooms fade fairly quickly.  The plant has been been moved to a place with a different environment and many blooming orchids respond by dropping the flowers.  When that happens, I would cut the spikes off an inch or two above the base.  It's possible to make a strong Phal rebloom by cutting higher, but it takes a lot out of a new plant.

After a new Phal is done blooming, I repot it as soon as there's any sign of active root growth (green root tips).  Some people like those clear plastic pots, but I prefer larger pots be unglazed clay orchid pots.  Those are the pots with extra holes on the side.  The coarse epiphyte orchid mixes sold at nurseries or even Lowes are good for Phals.  A layer of packing peanuts at the bottom, covered with a little coco fiber or even a bit of mesh from an onion bag, will help keep the roots well aerated.

You'll figure out what works well for you, whether it's mounting plants or putting them in certain mixes.  You'll also learn which plants you can grow and which don't do so well for you.  If a plant needs to be watered every day, for instance, it won't be happy with me.  Orchids aren't the huge challenge some people think and some of mine are among the easiest plants I grow.  But I've learned that some are impossible for me.
 
  • #11
thanks yall(kentucky thing haha) no active root growth now... but this one is still blooming there are two spikes and about 12 unopened blooms on it!
alex
 
  • #12
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]Rattler's way too proud about that thing.

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its working better than i ever hoped, ofcourse im proud
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if this phal does good for you(or even if it doesnt and you still want to try orchids) i highly recommend Oncidiums next if you dont mind yellow flowers. the basic yellow hybrids have proven extreamly tough for me and bloom about 3 times a year. the one i have now is truely the most abused plant in the house. the Cattleya hybrids seem to be quite tough also.
 
  • #13
thanks again rattler i have to admitt im jealous of your mind*grumbles* i have one of those yellow hybrids and i think the name of it is Phal. 'Golden Treasure' its VERY pretty with some rely thick leaves and flower petals!
thanks
alex
 
  • #14
A yellow Phal is very different than a yellow Onc. I can grow a yellow Phal and get more blooms every year. I have the opposite effect on a yellow Onc.
 
  • #15
Don't feel bad Bruce. I had touble blooming a NoID yellow Oncid myself. What I found did it was cook the heck out of it. I had ti outside with my Cats with the only thing over it was a piece of latic. That didn't cause much shade except during the mid day. Glider Phals will nto survive that kind of light so you need to make sure to get a basics about plant shapes down or you could cook something. LOL My nemisis at the moment is Maxilarias I have 2 that I haven't been about to bloom yet. One is a tenufolia and I cooked the heck out of it last year and will do the same this year. FULL SUN. Bloom of BURN. Its filling a 6 inch slat basket, but refuses to bloom. I will put it in a pot this year and see if it lieks that better. Glider I have also found Gongoras to be pretty easy too. In fact if I remember correctly that is what I rebloomed first was my gongora tricolor, and my colminara wildcat. I had trouble with Phals in the begining, but I have gotten better and bloomed every one of my blooming sized ones this year. Just 2 left that are still too small. Goodluck!
 
  • #16
as you can see glider not everything works for everyone so try a bunch of beginer species and find what does best for you. i have a heck of a time with most Phals as i can only get about 1 in 3 i buy to grow and bloom but Pleuro's do great for me as do Oncidiums, ive got one Masdevallia thats growing like a weed so i hope to get more of those this year and maybe a Dracula or two.........i love the small oddball orchids
 
  • #17
Rattler I love the odball orchids too, but they don;t have to be small for me. LOL I like the big ones! I have a Bulbo phal coming sooner or later from a friend!! Those things get 6 foot leaves!!! And STINK to high heaven when they bloom. Are your growing conditions cool rattler? You may want to try disia too. I think I spelled it right. They like the coolness like Dracs and Masdies doo.
 
  • #18
yep fairly cool. growing highland neps and a Heli just fine. prolly not cool enough for some species but i think i am cool enough for a decent number of species
 
  • #19
It's Disa, not Disia, and they would probably do very well with highland Neps. They also require the same pure water as many CPs.
 
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