Mediterranean terrestrial orchid growing area

I've wanted to do the same, but with Australian terrestrials specifically. You'll have to keep us all updated. This is exciting!

 

VERY nice!
Keep an eye out for the Sept. issue of ORCHIDS magazine .!

 

Looking great! Just for your info, most constant current drivers for LEDs can reduce the AC/DC conversion efficiency when you are heavily "dimming" it down.

 

Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but did anything come of this? I live in an actual Mediterranean climate and made an attempt a couple of years ago at growing a Serapias outdoors in my garden from a tuber bought off of ebay.

It grew well and flowered the first season, but just that once. It barely sprouted the second year and never flowered again. I tried to replicate its dry summer dormancy (which shouldn't be difficult to do here) but with no luck.

Anyone have tips on these things?

 

What medium are you using? I have had some success with Mediterranean terrestrials with a mostly-inorganic mix (about 80-90% pumice, the balance a well-drained potting soil like cactus mix, give or take... I'm not precise) I prefer pumice to perlite because it is a bit heavier - you don't want the dry pots tipping over in a breeze. I'll start watering around October, once nights cool off somewhat. then water lightly until I see new growth, increase it while the plants are growing, then taper off and stop when they die back in the late spring. They need high light (a challenge for me since in winter most of my yard gets very little sun... I found one spot that at least gets some)

 

Very nice good luck and keep it up

 

This was a couple of years ago and I kept poor (IE, no) records, but my memory is that yeah I did do a mix of cactus-type soil and perlite, but I can't remember the ratio now. I'm certainly willing to try again, though, as long as it's possible to get them to come back for more than one season.

Do you have a source for these plants other than ebay?

 

My other source is myorchids.de ... but I have a friend who has the necessary import permit, who adds my order to his. I have been very happy with the ones that I got on eBay from the gal in Greece, who makes a point of mentioning that she propagates what she sells from her own plants.

 

I just got a new batch, 3/16" on Amazon, and that's the size that I have used in the past. It's pretty clean (there's some dust at the bottom, but most of it is what it says it is. So 1/8" isn't that far off, should work. I don't think the exact size is particularly critical.

 

One more little note... I have been repotting (or it's more like checking to see what's going on) each summer. No harm in putting them back into the same pot even with the old medium at least for the second year (it's mostly inorganic, nothing is broken down) but then it's possible to assess what to expect (and what might need replacing - if there is no tuber there will be no plant). Also, the tubers have a tendency to work their way to the bottom of the pot, repotting lets one reposition them. I suspect that behavior is a search for water. I know that if I don't repot my Pterostylis curta, they'll be growing out of the drain holes the next year, the most robust tubers are at the bottom.

 

I'm curious about your experience with the guy from myorchids.de. I ordered from him this year, and it took him nearly 2 months to ship the plants. Since then, they've been sitting motionless in the post office in Germany for over two weeks, and I'm officially pissed (although that's not really his fault). Communication has been awful with him, and I was wondering if this was normal...

 

These are not normal times... I have tubers in a group order that has been hanging up all month... supposedly they were delivered to USPS July 4, but didn't show up as having actually arrived in the US until a couple of days ago (now in customs) And we paid for shipping with DHL rather than just going the postal route. So still a work in progress. In prior years he has been very responsive. (Shipping doesn't happen until tubers are completely dormant no matter when you order, that part not necessarily unusual) The person who actually placed the order has had some communication with him, but not much... Have Dr. Beyrle put a trace on the order if you haven't already gone that route.

Why shipments from Greece seem to happen just fine, not a clue... my friend got an order in 10 days after ordering on eBay, I have one in the works that is moving quite normally.

 

Mine is through DHL, too, so perhaps I might be stuck in the same boat... We tracked the package, but haven't gotten anywhere from that. My hatred for USPS is endless and eternal, so I wouldn't be amazed if the package was actually in the US sitting in the back of some USPS warehouse... I might have to make some calls and figure out what they plan on screwing up this time... Do you think the tubers will still be alright in your order? I assumed that since everything is hopefully dormant, the package would be fine, but we'll see.

I got a Thai package a few weeks back, and there were nearly no issues with that, for the most part. You are correct, these are odd times, and different countries are dealing with it differently...

 

The tubers will probably be OK... most won't be coming out of dormancy for another couple of months. At least that's what I'm hoping... my order included a couple of Pterostylis that I'm somewhat worried about because they tend to wake up sooner. Have been promised a refund for anything that doesn't make it... but I would really like to get them.

 

Yes, I'm worried about those, too. I'm most concerned about the Habenaria, though... Well, I hope your package arrived soon and that everything is okay! Fingers crossed that mine will do the same.

 

Mine is still out there too... it cleared customs yesterday... still not showing a delivery date. So it's finally in the US... in the tender hands of USPS.