Tolumnias Starting to Bloom

[Hawaiian Sunshine]

My equitant oncidiums (Tolumnias and Rodrumnias) are spiking and beginning to bloom. Here is one that just opened. It is a Tolumnia Private Stock crossed with Rodrumnia Oncore. This is a cross made by Gavin Yamada of Puanani Orchids in Waimanalo, Oahu. He succeeded here in keeping the flower spike short and almost succeeded in making a pure white flower. This is the first bloom for this plant. I expect much more flowers on the spike in the next blooming cycle. The plant is growing in a net basket with no media. The plant is misted daily.


Tolumnia Private Stock x Rodrumnia Oncore by hawaiiansunshine, on Flickr

[TOMMYMIAMI]

Pretty!

[cbuchman]

Lovely! Tolumnia season is starting. I have one (pink Panther about to bloom and two more (Red Berry and Genting Leopard) with spikes.

I grow mine mounted with daily misting like you.

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[Hawaiian Sunshine]

Originally Posted by cbuchman

Lovely! Tolumnia season is starting. I have one (pink Panther about to bloom and two more (Red Berry and Genting Leopard) with spikes.

I grow mine mounted with daily misting like you.

Hi Carrie. Looking forward to see photos of your Tolumnias in bloom. I'm still learning on how to best grow these. I have some mounted, some in charcoal media, and some in mesh baskets without media. They all seem to be doing well with the mounted ones doing the best. My next project is to plant some in New Zealand sphagnum moss.

[brsucculents]

Very nice. I love Tolumnia. I am surprised they are not more popular in collections. I guess it's the frequent watering.

[MattWoelfsen]

Originally Posted by brsucculents

Very nice. I love Tolumnia. I am surprised they are not more popular in collections. I guess it's the frequent watering.

When they were named "equitant" orchid, I got it in my head that these plants required a lot of care. Since then I learned that if you 1) keep them in bright light, 2) provide a lot of air movement, 3) warmer space, and 4) water and mist regularly, they will thrive.

Hmmm, that IS a lot of attention required for such a small plant! But these are beautiful flowers. That alone makes them worthwhile.

[Optimist]

I am wondering if they can grow in the desert New Mexico. We sometimes get less than 10% humidity in the summer. I think it would be too hard to grow them here, but they are pretty. I will study them further.

[cbuchman]

Originally Posted by Optimist

I am wondering if they can grow in the desert New Mexico. We sometimes get less than 10% humidity in the summer. I think it would be too hard to grow them here, but they are pretty. I will study them further.

I suspect that you can be successful. These little guys like to dry out really fast at the very least by nightfall. I suspect that with humidity that low, you will need to mist them multiple times a day. Another idea would be to place them in a bathroom or above the kitchen sink where the humidity might be a little higher.

[Hawaiian Sunshine]

Here is another equitant that just bloomed. It is a new cross (Rodrumnia Just Delightful x Rodrumnia Winky) from Puanani Orchids blooming for the first time. The spike is about 12 inches tall with 5 flowers and 5 buds.


Rodrumnia (Just Delightful x Winky) by hawaiiansunshine, on Flickr

[WhiteRabbit]

Lovely!