Aerangis verdickii..help

[jonnygreenthumb]

I posted this on one of the Orchid forum threads...Hi i just purchased a Aerangis verdickii. Does anyone grow this Species of orchid?

I have searched on Google and found contradicting info as far as light requirements, bight shade or complete shade?
Also I am getting it bare root. I an planning on mounting it on a piece of muscadine vine. What is the best way to do this w/o stressing out the orchid much?

[orcdfrk]

I grow this mounted on a tree fern slab jonny and its kept in a little terrarium with only a couple fluorescent lights. I don't know what muscadine vine is so I can't help you there.

[Milda]

Hi! Since "Orchid Board" seems to be quite open about recommend other forums, I will do this when it comes to Angraecoids. There are two good forums with a lot of information on these species. I found two threads about A. verdickii:

UK orchid forum:
http://www.ukorchidforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=211

Species Specific forum:
http://www.species-specific.com/orch...opic.php?t=112

Good luck with your A. verdickii

Milda

[Ray]

Another good source is www.orchidspecies.com, from which this was copied:

Found from Angola south to South Africa, and around to Tanzania and Zimbabwe as a hot to warm growing, smaller, monopodial epiphyte from open woodlands usually on high branches but occasionally on rocks from 100 to 1800 meters with a short stem carrying 2 to 6, oblong-ligulate, undulate margins, subequally bilobed apically, the lobes acute or obtuse, thick, fleshy, gray green leaves that can be deciduous if the plant dries out in the winter that blooms in the spring or summer on a 16" [50 cm] long, few to several [10 to 12] flowered, racemose inflorescence with sweet smelling flowers, needing to be mounted, given partial shade and a dry winter.

[jonnygreenthumb]

Thanks for the help. I checked out the UK forum and they are really into their verdickii. Mine will be coming in today...cant wait . Maybe we can do as they did and keep a thread running on the progress of the orchid.

[jonnygreenthumb]

Still not here
Hopefully today or Friday I hope

[Milda]

If you really want to get into Aerangis, you should try to find this book:
http://www.timberpress.com/books/isb...0?s=tn&pr=isan

Yes, it costs a bit, but the book is worth every cent! It's one word for this book; FANTASTIC! But if you don't know anything about these species, you can get a lot of information from other experienced growers on different forums! Hope you get your little beauty soon

Milda

And I forgot to tell - in the last issue from Orchid Digest there is an article on Aerangis, written by the author of the book I mentioned ..........

[jonnygreenthumb]

Thanks, I think my wife would put me outside if I spent 70.00 on a book right now after the money I spent on Orchids this week. Someone in my OS might have it in the library. Think I'll check there first. I love these chids! I already have it's home waiting for it soaking in water.

[Discus]

Originally Posted by Milda

If you really want to get into Aerangis, you should try to find this book:
Angraecoid Orchids: Species from the African Region from Timber Press

Yes, it costs a bit, but the book is worth every cent! It's one word for this book; FANTASTIC!

It is a great (and costly) book, HOWEVER the authors seem to think that culture of these orchids is "well covered elsewhere" (they even say so much in the introductory chapters somewhere) and rarely give growing advice. However, if you read between the lines of the location information, you should be able to piece together likely cultural requirements.