Indoor Restrepias, Temperature

[markr]

Hi all,

I'm wondering if anyone would mind sharing their experiences growing Restrepias indoors.

I was recently given two, Restrepia guttulata and Restrepia condorensis (in bloom!), along with a few small Pleurothallis species, and I'm quite intrigued by these little orchids. I'd like to add more to my collection but I want to sort out some cultural problems first before I do. The orchids I received were grown in another part of the country in a cool greenhouse, but I'm forced to grow them indoors.

The problems I'm facing now are mainly temperature - I've got them in a small terrarium, quite humid with good airflow and Phalaenopsis-light levels, but temperature is a problem: with fans and tank placement, I've managed to keep the temperature to about 20C / 68F with the lights on (quite a feat, my terrariums are usually much warmer), and the coolest I can get at night is maybe 17C / 62.5F. I'm quite sure these temps are going to be a problem in the long-run. It is very difficult in my heated northern apartment to maintain low temps AND high humidity, especially in winter - I can manage one or the other, but difficult to get both.

So a few specific questions:
If you grow them indoors, how do you keep the temperatures down, particularly in terrariums?
I could get them much much cooler if I grew them in a window, especially in the winter (-30C here outside during winter), but I'd be sacrificing humidity - what do you think?
How cold do these typically have to get in the winter to induce flowers?

Anyway, thanks!
Markus

[Mahon]

Originally Posted by markr

So a few specific questions:
If you grow them indoors, how do you keep the temperatures down, particularly in terrariums?
I could get them much much cooler if I grew them in a window, especially in the winter (-30C here outside during winter), but I'd be sacrificing humidity - what do you think?
How cold do these typically have to get in the winter to induce flowers?

Marcus,

I'd suggest growing the Restrepia guttulata out of the terrarium. What are the approximate temperatures inside your house now and in winter? If they are fairly warm, try placing a shallow dish (or something that can retain about 2mm to 3mm of water), and keep the plant in a shady spot with plenty of ventilation, such as a small fan that is on for part of the day. Water about once every three days, or water immediately if the medium is fairly dry. The ideal medium for this method is VERY loosely packed Sphagnum moss.

If your indoor house temperature is cooler (from 60F to 70F), then just keep the plant in a shallow dish (same thing; 2mm to 3mm of water), and water once a day in slightly higher light, but NOT DIRECT SUN. Loosely packed Sphagnum moss is the ideal medium for this method as well.

As for Restrepia condorensis, this species may do nicely in the terrarium, if there is ventilation, such as a small CPU fan focused on the plant. It is also a high elevation species, but can thrive even in warmer conditions. This species likes water, but do not "flood it out".

To bloom your Restrepia, keep 'em hydrated! They know when to bloom... Pleurothallids are "smart"...

-Pat

[Restrepia]

Markus,

Restrepias are very forgiving. They are easier than Masdevallias and most other Pleurothallids. They are tolerable of higher temps and drier conditions.

I personally do not think that your night temps of 62.5 F are going to be a huge problem. We are experiencing quite warm weather here in the UK at the moment and I have guttulata along with many other Restrepias that are still flowering and with temps around the same as yours of a night.

All of my growing cases are near a window which allows me to open the windows which helps with lowering temps. If you can move your growing cases near to the windows you will find that this may help. Very important is plenty of air circulation inside the growing cases!

You said that it is hard to achieve humidity and low temps. If you really want to resolve this then my advice would be to install automatic misting system to your growing case.

But seriously Markus, I specialise in Restrepias and they are the most forgiving of any Pleurothallid orchid that I have ever grown!

[markr]

Thanks for the info. Both replies are quite encouraging.

The main problem I have is winter, not summer. Because it is so cold outside here during the winter (I'm close to the arctic circle), I can't open the windows during the winter. The apartment is warm and dry then due to electric heating. Within about a foot of unopened windows, the temperature can get around 15C / 59F which is fine but the room humidity is in the 20-30% range. With a terrarium, I can easily maintain 85% humidity and good internal airflow, but the temp rarely drops below 20C / 68F.

Anyway, I'll try a few things for a year and see how the plants do before I rush out to purchase more. It is my first attempt at keeping cool growers, but I hope they do well - they're beautiful little orchids.

Thanks again,
Markus