Herself's Houseplants

Wilsonara (Cda x Odm x Onc ) orchids are crosses between Cochlioda, Odontoglossum and Oncidium orchids.

Wilsonara orchids require more light than most orchids. I give mine several hours of very bright, indirect sun. No direct sun.

Keep moist but not sitting in water. You’ll probably want to plant this orchid in sphagnum moss or potting soil.

Temperature should be above 50′F

This is an easy to grow orchid.

It is nice to see some new orchids coming to the local plant dealers.  This is the first Grammatophyllum I’ve had or seen.  Outside this plant wants light shade, which indoors means a bright, sunny window.

Temperatures can be as hot as 105′F These grow outside in Houston but it’d really be much happier if you kept the temperature under 85′F.  Nights should be around 55′F So find a drafty window or door to put it near.  Or place it outside in light shade when not in bloom.  It can tolerate an occasional light frost.

Watering should be frequent, water frequently but do not let it sit in water.

Grammatophyllums are from the rainforests of Asia, so keep the humidity as high as you can.

As you can see in the photo these are large orchid plants, so they are great for floor plants.

Watch for rust, give it more sun if you see the rust fungus on the plant and better air circulation.

The more sun it gets the more blooms you will get.

Fertilize regularly, most orchid growers are now using the time release pellets when they repot their orchids.  I still prefer my liquid fertilizers.

There are over ~ 2000 species in the Pleurothallis family.

The tripterantha are easy to grow  and bloom year round.

Because Pleurothallis tripterantha remains tiny and prefers temperatures between 60′F and 85′F it’s a great plant for terrariums.

Light should be shade to bright light, no direct sunlight.

These are epiphytic rain forest plants, found in Central and South America.  So keep the roots wet, humidity high, but do not leave sitting in water. I find mixing peat moss in with orchid soil helps to keep the roots from rotting.

I’m having a difficult time finding information on this plant, I’ll update this entry after I’ve been growing the plant a while and had more time to experiment with it.

Odontoglossum crispum, a white flowered odontoglossum was first discovered in the mountain cloud forests of Columbia in the early 1840s. It immediately became a rage in Europe and little is left of the forest where these plants once grew.

This is a cool growing orchid preferring temperatures between 50′F and 75′F. This makes it great for a drafty location in your home. Be sure if you live in a cooler area than I do now to put it outside for a good chunk of the summer if you are able.

Odontoglossum orchids are high light orchids like cymbidiums. So find this plant the brightest, sunniest window in your home. If the leaves start to turn white, it is too bright, but that is unlikely in most home settings. But watch it closely when you first bring it home.

Roots should be kept moist not wet at all times. When I first brought a couple of these home, they had been planted in bark and the psuedo bulbs ( thick area at bottom of leaves ) was wrinkled, a sure sign of water distress. They also dry out quickly in sunny windows. So I repotted my odontoglossum orchids in sphagnum moss. I think that is the best choice for this species.

With proper care you should get at least two, as many as a dozen when the plant gets old, stems of closely placed flowers. Some varieties are fragrant, some not. This one is not noticeably so.

Because I have them planted in moss, not soil or bark, I use fertilizer each time I water.

These orchids because of their shape and love of moist roots do very well just placed in large glass containers with moist moss kept about their roots.