Starting from Bulbs

[HiOrcDen]

Hello All... I am expecting a few Orchid bulbs for delivery soon, along with a white Bat Flower, and a Voodoo Lily haha...

I’ve just started researching, but this seems like a sensitive thing to work with. I guess I would need some advice about terrestrials to epiphytes and everything in between.

So I’m thinking that they might go outside, depending on the weather... perhaps that they should be placed in a very small pot... or maybe some kind of shallow food container, more than one... that they should be enclosed to maintain humidity... and that they should receive sun and warmth... or if inside, maybe grow lights and a heating pad with thermostat. I’d appreciate if anyone would care to comment on the accuracy of these guesses. Also wondering, how would one start a bulb for an epiphytic plant, if not in soil like the terrestrials, and is there something in between epiphyte and terrestrials?

I could not find a forum or sticky for this subject. Anyone know of one? I have to go back and check links folks have been nice enough to post. Does someone know a good link that covers this?

Thanks in advance!

[Ray]

What “orchid bulbs” are you getting?

There are terrestrials that have subterranean structures - rhizomes or corms - and sympodial epiphytes that have pseudobulbs, but I am not aware of any that grow from true bulbs, like tulips.

[HiOrcDen]

Originally Posted by Ray

What “orchid bulbs” are you getting?

There are terrestrials that have subterranean structures - rhizomes or corms - and sympodial epiphytes that have pseudobulbs, but I am not aware of any that grow from true bulbs, like tulips.

Okay, I see. I will have to read about the proper terminology. The seller refers to them as bulbs. Hopefully they are legit though! One is called an Arhitectual. One is the Habenarea Radiate. One is the “Naked Man” Orchid.

Another order includes: Ophrys Apifera, and Ophrys Vernixia.

Any tips on growing these? Again, I hope the seller is legit... thanks again!

[Roberta]

Ah... Habenaria and Orchis (the naked man) and Ophrys do grow from bulbs (tubers)
Those terrestrials have a definite dormant period. Habenaria tends to be a summer bloomer, so it is probably starting to sprout... get it potted up right away - sphagnum or small bark work well. Wen dormant in winter, a bit of water but much less until they sprout in the spring. The European terrestrials like Orchis and Ophrys are just going dormant now. Pot those in a mix that is about 80% inorganic (I use pumice) and the rest can be small bark and/or potting soil. Then keep them dry through the summer, start watering around October.

The Europeans will be fine outside for you. Habenaria depends on which ones... Hab. medusa is a warm grower. But Hab. radiata actually needs to get down to frost in winter (I have tried but not succeeded with it, not cold enough in coastel So. Cal) Hab. dentata needs winter cool but not serious cold and that one I have succeeded with.

[Subrosa]

I've attempted H. radiata a couple times and have found that getting them through the winter indoors is by far the most difficult part of growing them. Two years ago I planted a single tuber in a high spot in my zone 6B bog garden, and it wintered over just fine and even doubled. Here's a pic of the plant last summer. I'll post a pic of the seedlings I started via the cardboard method when I get a chance to get into my basement while the lights are on:

[Subrosa]

BTW, Habenaria radiata is an outdated name for the plant. The currently accepted name is Pecteilis radiata.

[Subrosa]

Just realized I have this pic from a couple weeks ago when the protocorms of the radiata were just starting to develop:

[Subrosa]

Leaves are developing well:

[HiOrcDen]

Originally Posted by Roberta

Ah... Habenaria and Orchis (the naked man) and Ophrys do grow from bulbs (tubers)
Those terrestrials have a definite dormant period. Habenaria tends to be a summer bloomer, so it is probably starting to sprout... get it potted up right away - sphagnum or small bark work well. Wen dormant in winter, a bit of water but much less until they sprout in the spring. The European terrestrials like Orchis and Ophrys are just going dormant now. Pot those in a mix that is about 80% inorganic (I use pumice) and the rest can be small bark and/or potting soil. Then keep them dry through the summer, start watering around October.

The Europeans will be fine outside for you. Habenaria depends on which ones... Hab. medusa is a warm grower. But Hab. radiata actually needs to get down to frost in winter (I have tried but not succeeded with it, not cold enough in coastel So. Cal) Hab. dentata needs winter cool but not serious cold and that one I have succeeded with.

Originally Posted by Ray

What “orchid bulbs” are you getting?

There are terrestrials that have subterranean structures - rhizomes or corms - and sympodial epiphytes that have pseudobulbs, but I am not aware of any that grow from true bulbs, like tulips.

Originally Posted by Subrosa

I've attempted H. radiata a couple times and have found that getting them through the winter indoors is by far the most difficult part of growing them. Two years ago I planted a single tuber in a high spot in my zone 6B bog garden, and it wintered over just fine and even doubled. Here's a pic of the plant last summer. I'll post a pic of the seedlings I started via the cardboard method when I get a chance to get into my basement while the lights are on:

Originally Posted by Subrosa

BTW, Habenaria radiata is an outdated name for the plant. The currently accepted name is Pecteilis radiata.

Originally Posted by Subrosa

Just realized I have this pic from a couple weeks ago when the protocorms of the radiata were just starting to develop:

Originally Posted by Subrosa

Leaves are developing well:

Thank you guys! What is the cardboard method? And what is a high spot? I bought a bog orchid tuber, and it seemed to die quickly. I had it out without shade, in medium weather. I guess they are delicate, and it died because I left it dry for a day? Or else should it have been kept in shade? Also, should I start the tubers in some kind of shallow container? Or is a very small flower pot okay? Should I put some pebbles in the bottom of the pot so it doesn't hold too much moisture? And do I fertilize the tuber/pseudobulb/bulb?

Oh, Ray, I forgot to quote you in my response. Please let me know what you think. Again, thanks all!

[Subrosa]

Originally Posted by HiOrcDen

Thank you guys! What is the cardboard method? And what is a high spot? I bought a bog orchid tuber, and it seemed to die quickly. I had it out without shade, in medium weather. I guess they are delicate, and it died because I left it dry for a day? Or else should it have been kept in shade? Also, should I start the tubers in some kind of shallow container? Or is a very small flower pot okay? Should I put some pebbles in the bottom of the pot so it doesn't hold too much moisture? And do I fertilize the tuber/pseudobulb/bulb?

Oh, Ray, I forgot to quote you in my response. Please let me know what you think. Again, thanks all!

There's a wide variety of bog orchids, but generally speaking letting them dry out will kill them. By a high spot I mean an area where the substrate is mounded up well above the maximum water level. A bog is basically a pond full of suitable soil instead of water, but it's watertight with no drainage, so excess water overflows when it hits the lowest spot it can get over the wall. The cardboard method is a way of mimicking the way orchids naturally germinate and grow. At its most basic, it's a mix of cardboard soaked in rain water and other components depending upon which species you're sowing. For bog orchids that would be a mix of sand and peat moss, to which I add a bit of soil that I gather from the root zones of a couple local colonies of native orchids. This provides a bit of the necessary fungi, and the decomposing cardboard provides food to allow the fungi to multiply. I wouldn't want to give you much in the way of advice regarding growing radiata in pots, as my own success doing so is extremely limited. Generally speaking, once they start actively growing you should keep the pots in trays of water maybe an inch or 2 deep until after flowering. Then you want to get them out of the trays so they stay a bit less wet, but not dry until they die back. Storing the tubers during dormancy involves a balance between having them dry out, which is bad, and rotting from too much moisture, which is also bad. I haven't been very successful striking that balance in pots. Here's where I grow mine: