Tolumnia mount?

[patlee]

Does anybody grow Tolumnia? I bought a couple at a show this weekend and had a great time smashing the tiny clay pots that they were growing in Now I have them in small cone pots, but I think they might do better in a slatted wood basket or even mounted on a slab of something--I love these little babies and want to make them happy Any ideas or advice would be much appreciated.

PhalPal, didn't you get a couple a few months back How do you grow yours?

[slippery_biscuit]

I've two of these little guys and they do extremely well mounted. One was on a small cedar shingle which I moved to a bit of coconut shell. It is finishing a dbl spike bloom just now. Another smaller plant obtained this winter, I mounted on cork. New growth coming our and roots starting to look for a bite.

I plan on getting a few more of these. Best of luck!

[sandra]

Originally Posted by patlee

Does anybody grow Tolumnia? I bought a couple at a show this weekend and had a great time smashing the tiny clay pots that they were growing in

patlee, I've got several, about 10 plus and I love smashing their little pots too. I've grown them all in a variety of ways. I've grown them potted in little Vanda baskets, bare of media, with a little charcoal and also potted in sphag. which, I just last week transferred all of them back into. Especially now that the weather is getting warmer, they can get very thirsty so, sphag. in little clear plastic pots (2") and then inside of the Vanda baskets is how I'm doing them these days. All the ones in this link In bloom...I purchased last year and currently all in bloom (except one which is about to burst) and it seems like they've doubled in size, especially the couple I had in sphag. all along so I've decided to keep all of them in it from now on, year round.

Enjoy! They really are delightful little cuties.

[Anton]

All mine are on cork blocks, but the grower i got them from has some of the larger species in pots.

[Rocinante]

I just yesterday bought a Tolumnia Red Berry, and I agree the little flowers are just beautiful. It's potted in the same little 1 inch clay pot with just a couple of tiny chunks of bark. I guess I'll follow Sandra's suggestion and re-pot in sphag. Somebody tell me, how often do you water these little guys? I'll post a picture tomorrow...

[sandra]

Originally Posted by Rocinante

I just yesterday bought a Tolumnia Red Berry, and I agree the little flowers are just beautiful. It's potted in the same little 1 inch clay pot with just a couple of tiny chunks of bark. I guess I'll follow Sandra's suggestion and re-pot in sphag. Somebody tell me, how often do you water these little guys? I'll post a picture tomorrow...

It depends on the weather and what you've got them in Rocinante. I repotted mine into little clear plastic, multi slit pots and they've been needing watering about every 4 days, so far. When the weather gets warmer, then probably more often. I put them into a community tub and let them drink up instead of watering in to the pots. It prevents the sphag from getting too weighed down and heavy. You want to keep the sphag. fluffly and the air flow going.

[FLaCo]

At least with my pepper seedlings and tomato letting water be wicked was the best method. The plants love it.

[Anton]

Cork mounted need to be sprayed more often than potted plants.

I give mine a light spray with rain water in the morning and when I get home from work. The fan in the GH stops them staying wet, and they seem happy with this regime.

Every weekend I give them a soak feed with a weak feed solution as well.

[patlee]

Thanks, everybody...I think I ,too, will go the route of the vanda basket and sphag. The only thing that concerns me is that everything else I have is in a bark mix and I tend to over water in sphag. But I am determined to do right by these little sweethearts, so I guess I'll just take it slow and easy and learn...)

The man I bought them from said he had trouble growing them, but one of my orchid books said they were "confidence builders". Wish me luck--they're sooo cute. Thanks for all the advice...

[sandra]

patlee, it's very easy to tell when to water with the sphag., especially when they're in these small pots. The weight is significant from needing to and just watered. The texture of the sphag., as well will tell you when. You can also use the skewers.

[articuno75]

Patlee~Just think to yourself, miniture Oncidium Kind of treat it like you do the Twinkle. They do get a little thirstier than the Twinkle. I agree with the use of spagh. Maybe mix it up with some charcoal and perlite to keep it sweet and loose. Aren't they cute? You have to post pics of yours.

[arleneg]

Another important note to keep in mind...

let Tolumnias dry (not bone dry) between watering!

I have one (and planning to buy a few more ) which I bought last summer and it's mounted with a ball of sphag (about golf ball size) around the roots. I soaked that thing 3-4 times a week, due to our hot summers. I lost a few new growths...almost lost the 'mother'. I then cut back. It did better. Now it has one flower spike and getting ready to bloom.

Another to keep in mind, Tolumnias will die in s/h.

[patlee]

Sandra, I can understand "water weight". I've been using that ever since I started growing ordinary houseplants. Great tip!!

Jenny, Miniature Oncidiums is a perfect explanation. I think I know how to grow them now. (And I just ordered another one from Jerry because of all three of you ladies!)

Arleneg, I haven't had the nerve to try S/H yet, but thanks for the tip. Do you think mounted is better than a Vanda basket w/sphag?

[kazjak]

I'm with you Patlee. I also ordered one from Jerry and I'm conscerned about care. Do you have anything mounted in your house already? I can't seem to keep enough humidity in the house to have a mounted plant. I tried mounting a phal last fall and it seemed like I would dip the plant in the morning and by evening the sphag was so dry it was almost crispy. I might have to leave it in the little pot with a few more pieces of bark. I had my hands on a couple "red berry" tolumnias this winter but passed due to $$$. Thanks Jerry for making me take the plunge!

[arleneg]

Pat -- potting a Tolumnia in a basket with sphag moss should be fine. Just make sure you water when the moss is dry, not crispy dry, and don't pack the moss to much. However, I've let my moss dry out to crispy. My Tolumnia is still doing rather well.

With Tolumnias, I think, it's better to err on the dry side.

[Vivienne]

I'm making the Tolumnia purchase from Jerry as well. I plan to do the basket with sphag. Fingers will be crossed!

[PhalPal]

Patlee I have two and both are mounted on cork bark. I can't over water them, they are wet in the morning and dry by late evening. Every morning I give them a good spray to soak the moss on the mount and they are very happy. One of them has a great spike on it right now; I counted 11 buds. It's the first time blooming for me and I can't wait to see the blooms.

11 buds on such a tiny plant!!!

[articuno75]

Originally Posted by Vivienne

I'm making the Tolumnia purchase from Jerry as well. I plan to do the basket with sphag. Fingers will be crossed!

I was going to make a post on a should I or shouldn't thing, but why bother so I did and got another from Jerry, hehehe Just couldn't pass it up darn it. They're cute!!!

[patlee]

Thanks everybody, for all the growing tips I didn't realize so many of you grew Tolumnia or that it was such a popular little plant. With all your advice, I should have no trouble getting these darlings to thrive. And PhalPal, please post pics when yours blooms. Eleven buds on a spike sounds gorgeous... If you can bloom them with your low humidity, I should have no problem.

Kazjak, We are pretty much in the same area of the country. I have no mounted plants. Honestly, the Vanda baskets and sphag sound easier to me. Just by grouping my plants together and using humidity trays, I get about 60% humidity. I think these babies will be happy enough with that. Of course, when they go outside for the spring/summer, that figure will go way up... There are so many successful growers on this forum that I am not too worried about culture any more. Here's to our success,too

[Rocinante]

A few days ago I promised a photo of my Tolumnia 'Red Berry', it was hard to get a clear picture of the flowers (because I'm a hack photographer) but here they are...