Charles Ufford <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> queried thusly:
I was wondering if there were any of you who grow phal minus, honghenensis and/or stobartiana under lights, who could tell me what they use for mounting these orchids on?
I killed two Phal. (=Kingidium) minus on cork with a bit of sphagnum, although I don't think it was the substrate. I also killed a Phal. stobartiana on cork with sphagnum, but it took me about 18 months for it to expire; I doubt that was the cork, either; at one point, it went three-for-one, but all three eventually died. I have two Phal. gibbosa that do well enough on cork with sphagnum (anyone notice a pattern here?), but none of the roots attach to the cork, and they stay out of the sphagnum entirely.
All are/were grown under fluorescent lights, fed distilled water, occasionally with fertilizer/SUPERthrive added. I prefer to "flash" water them- misting until the roots are saturated, and allowing them to dry rather quickly under high air circulation despite the high humidity in the tank. The distilled water is important, given how saline our tap water is (150-500 ppm TDS most of the year).
I do have a question about Phal. javanica. I have seedlings (yes, from seed- not wild-collected!) mounted on cork with sphagnum, and they were doing very well indeed up until about a month ago, when they stalled. They have withdrawn a bit, and the newest leaves have ceased growth. No new roots are apparent, and the oldest leaves show the latticework of the veins, which is never a good sign. I grow them in aquaria with fluorescent lights, kept at 12 hours/day year-round, and at pretty much constant temperatures (we Arizonans are like that- warm in the winter, cool in the summer- so long as we're indoors). They're pretty small (2" leafspan), and I am concerned they'll expire if I don't do anything. Worse yet would be if I *do* something, and they expire. Any suggestions?
Cheers,
-AJHicks
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