Undergrounder, by epiphytic I mean orchids that grow on trees in their native environment. I'm interested in hearing about any and all epiphytic orchids... whether they are growing in pots or mounted. Just as long as they are grown outdoors year around in non-tropical climates.
It's not very clear cut for many orchids though. Not sure how true this is but I heard that Dendrobium speciosum is found mainly growing on rocks because frequent fires burn away the ones growing on trees. Also, it seems many growers are switching from bark to rock... further blurring the epiphyte/lithophyte distinction.
Perhaps another way of looking at it would be from the angle of medium size. The larger the medium the more epiphytic and the smaller the medium the more terrestrial the orchid is. I'm interested in the orchids that grow in medium to large mediums.
In any case, moisture is definitely an important consideration but the primary factor I'm looking to narrow the orchid list by is temperature intolerance. It's easier to increase moisture by including sphagnum moss, installing misters or watering more frequently but it's harder to protect against cold temperatures... past putting up shade cloth. In other words.... I'm more inclined to stand out there with a hose than with a heater.
Thanks for your thoughts on my 'testing' list... I just mounted the Sarcochilus and was debating putting them on a horizontal or vertical branch and deciding to go with the vertical branch because of their monopodial habit. I'll definitely keep a close eye on them to make sure they are getting enough water.
Also, is a bushhouse the same thing as a lath house? I have a book on Australian orchids and they list the orchid as either requiring a greenhouse or bushhouse but I've never heard of a bushhouse before.
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