Tolumnia

[oncidiumlover]

so I've been totally drooling over the some of the tolumnias on hausermanns blooming list, but I've never actually seen one before. Is it part of the oncidium alliance? does it require the same care as my sharry baby or twinkle? I have heard that they do not like s/h.
Does anyone have one of these? How do you take care of it?

[mehitabel]

Originally Posted by oncidiumlover

so I've been totally drooling over the some of the tolumnias on hausermanns blooming list, but I've never actually seen one before. Is it part of the oncidium alliance? does it require the same care as my sharry baby or twinkle? I have heard that they do not like s/h.
Does anyone have one of these? How do you take care of it?

I've been seeing those at Hausermann's, too. They are very tempting, that's for sure. Tolumnia are definitely droolworthy. The flowers are charming, and they bloom for a very long time.

However, they do require very different care from ordinary oncid like Sharry or Twinkle. I believe they are not properly Oncids, tho they used to be called Equitant Oncids a while back.

Here's the AOS culture sheet for Tolumnia-- it will give you an idea of their needs.

AOS | Tolumnia

They're not hard, but they need what they need, and they won't compromise.

[lmartiny]

Yes they were Equitant Oncs. Now called Tolumnias.They want to dry out between. I near killed one and it is coming back. I just got a new one. Funny, the one I had did fine on managed neglect, until I paid too much attention to it. Then it nearly died..

[syndywindy]

I don't live to far from Hausermann's and go there maybe once a month. They have a very nice selection of Tolumnia's; very nice healthy looking plants. And it seems like they are always in bloom. I don't have one myself even though I stand over them for quite a while debating if I should take one home with me.

[oncidiumlover]

Thank you Mehitabel, Yes the care is quite different isn't it. I see why they should not be potted in s/h.
I'm going to have to try one! I love the looks of the genting orange, ooh la la! lol.

[jerrymeola]

Tolumnia like to grow very dry but do better with frequent to daily watering. The issue then is how to dry them in one day.

clay pots with 100% charcoal works best in Florida with frequent watering that can dry in a day. I have seen people grow them in clay pots with no medium. This is harder to start but can work well. They also do well mounted.

Be careful when buying from pictures since the colors can vary from plant to plant. A named variety will vary greatly from plant to plant. If you are ordering by mail be prepared for great variations in the flowers. The same named plant can be red or white spotted from the same seed batch. If you can be satisfied with a different color than you ordered you will get a charming plant.

[dtje2000]

I've got quite a few tolumnias, most mounted on something or another. Those few that are potted are in either charcoal or leca, and my next plan is to start one on a tree fern chunk. As Lynne mentioned, managed neglect is the way to go. My first one was a NOID, fluffy yellow flowers that turn reddish at the edges as it matures, and it's still my absolute favorite. My disclaimer...I'm S. FL, so grow outside all year.

[patticake]

I LOVE Tolumnias! I grow mine in small pots- I have one mounted- They like to be thouroughly watered, but must have perfect drainage. Dry fairly quickly-They are such a joy!!! Try them- you'll like them!

[oncidiumlover]

I'm definitely going to try one, I'm waiting for that sale at Hausermanns that someone mentioned. Yay, new chids!lol.

[jim blanford]

I got my first one at the Chicagoland Orchid Fest. in Sept from Oak Hill. it's doing real good still in bloom looks great I'll see how I do with it over the winter, a lot of good information here, thanks guys....... Jim.
Pretty 'N' Pink.

[trinigirl]

I have 6 tolumnias. They are all mounted. 2 are in spike. They are small plants, which I really like since they take up less space. The blooms last a very long time also, which is really nice.

You will like having them.

[Danelady]

Originally Posted by lmartiny

Funny, the one I had did fine on managed neglect, until I paid too much attention to it. Then it nearly died..

I've just experienced the same thing with one of mine. I have 2. I've not rebloomed either. The one I've had the longest did better with what you call managed neglect! It's potted. I moved it to my kitchen window sill where I could "keep an eye on it". I watered it more, then noticed, almost too late, that it wasn't drying out quickly enough. Now, I'm watering less, again, and I think it may recover! The other is mounted and also in the kitchen window sill. I run it under the faucet daily and it's doing well.

[dtje2000]

Jim, that Pretty in Pink is to die for!

Does anyone know if there is a white tolumnia? That would be fun...

Billie Jo, you let us know what you get...I'll be eager to hear. I saw a really cool display of a variety of tolumnias on a grapevine spiral at the Fort Lauderdale show this past spring. It was amazing!

[Brooke]

dt do you mean something like this?



This is Ionopsis utricularioides which is native to FL. Here is a full picture of it.



With the circulation fans in the g/h, it looks like a moving cloud. I got it from Oak Hill a couple of years ago.

Brooke

[dtje2000]

I think I may have swallowed a fly and a few gnats while sucking in my breath!!!!!

Brooke, that is awesome!!! I have an Ionopsis and it did bloom for me, but it was a baby so I only got about 7 or 8 flowers...not all at once...and mine were more pale purple tinged with pale yellow than your mostly white with the touch of purple near the center. If mine does even half that next year I will be sooooo amazed. Also...where's my wishlist....

What an beautiful little plant.....is it within the Oncidium alliance?

[evagentry]

Good thread , lots of information here. I have been thinking of these too, do they grow in catt. light?

[lmartiny]

That is so pretty Brooke.

[Brooke]

Yes dt it is in the Oncidium group. The above picture was taken last year. This year there were four spikes, two from each new growth. I hope this year each blooming growth will also produce two growths. The display next year should be

Yes Evangentry they will grow in catt light.

The only problem I've had with Tolumnias is if water remains in the crown when it is cool, you might get crown rot like a phal. The good news is if you have multiple growths on the plant, it only affects the one growth. Ask me how I learned that

Don't cut the spikes until it turns brown. You can get branching for additional blooms and I also got a keiki once on prionochila which I secured to the same mount so it could immediately attach.

I grow my Tolumnias on mounts, in small clay pots without media and six in clay pots using tree fern as the media. The easiest to grow are the clay pot/tree fern because I only water them about every three days. The other two ways I water daily if the sun is shining.

Anyone wanting to venture into deflasking something should pick Tolumnias as a good first candidate. You put them in a small clay pot and they grow. They also will start blooming in under a year.



Brooke

[dtje2000]

Thanks for the info, Miss Brooke!

And your red/white is another fine example of a beautiful Tolumnia.

So, Miss Billie Jo, I'm guessing the question is not IF you'll get one...but how many!!!

[oncidiumlover]

You sound like you know me all too well! lol.

[hm8080]

I actually like tolumnias but have little luck with them. Bought a few in early 08 but they all decided to commit mass suicide. Mounted one on a tree and it did well for a while but eventually decided to jump cliff too.

[oncidiumlover]

Okay, got these last week. they are so cute and tiny! They are in teeny weeny little clay pots with what appears to be a little bit of bark and charcoal. they fit perfectly in little espresso cups to keep them standing, they're definitely a little top heavy. I got the popoki and genting sunshine from hausermanns and the red berry from parkside. The sunshine is huge, compared to the others, and has two spikes!!!!
:w oot:
I've been watering every other day, seem to be happy so far.
The popoki looks like it might open in a week or so.

[orchidea]

Congrats!!!!! They are soooooo cute! The best thing is that they don't take too much space. I'll have to go with espresso cup size orchids soon as I am running out of space...
Good luck growing them and please keep us posted.....

[jim blanford]

Here's one I saw at our show last year, the name Tolumnia variegata, as I remember it was awesome. They can be good size specimem plants if grown right, I'm becoming a fan also. ENJOY..... Jim.

[oncidiumlover]

Thanks for the pic Jim, that is one fabulous plant! Do you remember what size pot it was in?
Orchidea, I have over 50 now, and I just keep thinking about a post from digitalgate saying he once had over 700 chids in a tiny one bedroom apartment, every time I bring that up my boyfriendhe gets this horrified look on hs face, and I laugh and laugh!

[willowbanks]

Here's the answer dtje2000 about white Tolumnia.


Tolu. Erma Warne


Tolu. Keysha 'Oka'


Tolu. Keysha 'Oka'

[davetheorchidaddict]

At least now I know what people are talking about, I have two mounted that are growing like weeds. Each has added 4 new fans of leaves in this year alone.

[hera]

Brooke

The ionopsis is just amazing. I'm drooling and planning my next purchase. All the Tolumnias are so pretty. I think I'm going to try some when the next show comes around.

[sunshine]

I saw these little cuties at my last trip down to Woodspirte. The one I over was yellow and red. It was in a real small pot on some type of a hanger. I thought. "How cute hanging on the curtain rod in my kitchen window" But I didn't know enough about the culture to get one. But now definitely I do use the managed neglect program and it's working quite well

Brooke, your Ionopsis does look like a fluffy white cloud. It's so dainty and pretty.

[Stelios]

i have 5 of them in little clay pots. The have multiple fans and a couple of them really outgrew their pots. I am thinking to mount them. I give them bright light but they haven't bloomed for me yet. I am thinking i should put them near my Onc. Sweet Sugar in direct sunlight for an hour or so in the early noon. They will burn or bloom.

[oncidiumlover]

You show those chids whose boss, Stelios! My boyfriend says 'don't you let those chids push you around, you show them whose boss!' lol! but I'm a push over really! lol!

[Stelios]

lol
Well i guess both my orchids and I are strong minded. So they usually try to push me around so i will keep taking care of them and buying them new friends to play with. So sometimes i get determined to have them at least bloom for me, so i take drastic measures... more/less light/water/temp etc. So far the only one that doesn't respond to anything is a gongora. It really hates me.

[Ladyofthelakes]

What a great post.

I have one Tolumnia, sunset something, it's out in the kitchen on the windowsill.

Hmmmm after reading this entire post I am weakening. Maybe buy another 3 or 4 of these little guys just to have a group and MORE importantly, to have them staring at me to remember that these are not in my new plan of buying only cool orchids for the north.

....ughhhh, well if I bought and had a small group of these tiny little guys then it would remind me that they will need very different care......right, don't you think is that good reasoning?

I just knew you all would agree.

(let me dig out that credit card)