Epidendrum Orchid

[maninair]

Hi friends

Yesterday one of my friends gave me some orchids. One of them is Epidendrum Holy Cross. Today I mounted it on a teak wood with some spagnm moss near the roots. I would be grateful if anyone can tell me the care to be taken. Do I have to water twice. Here the climate is very hot now with high humidity. What about its fertilizer requirement. I have got worm tea. Is it okay if I mist it with worm tea? Which medium is best - spagnum moss or pine bark? Please help.

Mani

[patticake]

I love the name. I'm not sure on the medium to use, but I would say to water/mist it whenever it approaches dry. Post a picture if you can...I love mounted orchids. Worm tea never hurts, either!

[sarahplo]

Hi maninair. I have a pretty new Epidendrum too and I recently posted a thread where some more experienced growers and I discussed potting medium, water, and light. The thread is called "My Epidendrum" and although mine is probably a different type I think the care information will be the same. Hope it helps!

[maninair]

Dear Patticake, I am attaching two photos of Epidendrum Holy cross. Now please tell me the exact variety.

Thanks

Mani

[amersault]

hi, Maninair -

here is the post Sarahplo was referring to:

My Epidendrum

there is an on-going discussion of how to care for Epidendrums. in your case, since it is hot, you might want to keep the plant well misted to keep the moss from drying out.

also, since this is a newly mounted plant, i would place the plant facing inside the railing you mounted it on. i'm just thiking the sun might be too strong for the new transition.

is it monsoon season now? the sudden drenching by downpours will help it along.

[patticake]

Originally Posted by maninair

Dear Patticake, I am attaching two photos of Epidendrum Holy cross. Now please tell me the exact variety.

Thanks

Mani

Wow, they're beautiful, but I'm afraid I can't tell the exact variety. That would be very hard to do. I love how you have them mounted. They look really nice!

[maninair]

Thanks Patticake and Amersault. Here in Mumbai the day is vry hot now, but in November and December we expect a cooler day and night. I am watering the orchid morning and evening. Dear Patticake I have googled for exact variety and found it in wikipedia the link is below. Thanks

Epidendrum radicans - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[maninair]

One of the leaves of my epidendrum has turned yellow. It is in the east window getting full sun in the morning. I am watering it morning and evening. What could be the reason for the leaves turning yellow? Please help.

Regards,

Mani

[jerrymeola]

re-planting an orchid will often lose leaves. It is not important unless it starts losing a lot fast.

Your Epi is usually referred to as a reed Epidendrum. They are easy to grow. They are climbers so they will like your mount. In a year or two you may have to all more wood so it can go higher.

I use worm tea on everything - all orchids, my wife's vegteble garden, and my bushes and trees.

[maninair]

Thanks Jerrymeola - Now I am relaxed after reading your reply. I got my own worm bin and can prepare worm tea. So from today onwards I will feed my Epis with worm tea.

Regards,

Mani

[maninair]

Dear friends, there is no sign of new leaves. It is planted since 1-1/2 months. Is it normal for epidendrum radicans?

[digitalgate]

hmmm... most of your plant grow very slowly. I suspect humidity is low. How many hours of direct morning sunlight do you have?

[maninair]

Sunlight no problem - all my orchids get four hours morning sunlight. I think the temperature is very high here in Mumbai. Humidity is O.K. since we live near to Mumbai which is a coastal city. To increase humidty what I have to do?

[kmarch]

Originally Posted by maninair

I have googled for exact variety and found it in wikipedia the link is below. Thanks Epidendrum radicans - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Well it could be Epi. radicans, or it could also be Epi ibaguense or altissimum, calanthum, cinnabarinum, imatophyllum, or a few others. It could even be a hybrid as these types of reed-stem epidendrums were and are extensively hybridized to get different colours. Few if any formal records have been kept on these hybrids.

Also a positive ID (if it is indeed a species which we do not know for sure) can only be made through a detailed comparison of the full plant and its flowers with the botanical descriptions that were originally made of these species. Googling a Wikipedia orchid article (many of which I have found to contain mistakes) is not quite enough to confirm a positive ID of your orchid.

It looks healthy and hopefully you will be able to get it to bloom. Once we see what kind of flowers it has we'll be able to narrow down the possibilities but even then a positive ID is unlikely.

Earlier in your first post you used the name Epidendrum Holy Cross for your orchid. There is no hybrid registered with this name. One of the common names for this orchid is the "cruifix orchid." I suspect someone somewhere along the line confused this with a formal hybrid name.

[FLBob]

I live in SW Florida and grow several Epidendrums. I grow them as terrestrials, using rich, light potting soil. My original radicans, has become landscape planting under many a tree.
The cuttings I gave my mother-in-law has grown to outrageous (10x10x3) proportions, which gives me a hint at what the optimum growing conditions may be. Her plant is on a north west corner of the house, near a roof valley. While the plant receives good light, it never gets the strong western sun as it is shaded by a Christmas palm and a pigmy date palm. The night time dew drips off the roof leaving the area moist.
My epidendrums grow and bloom well during the hot summer months, and I fertilize with 1/2 strength liquid fertilizer weekly, since we receive regular downpours. Hope that helps. Good luck.

[maninair]

Dear flbob, what kind of fertilizer epidendrum radicans likes? Here in Mumbai the winter is very mild (18 C in night and 28 C in day) and for a short period. all the leaves have turned brown. is it due to the cold?

[kmarch]

maninair, did you get your orchid positively ID'd?

[maninair]

Yes. it is positively ID'd as it is gifted by my friend and I have seen the plant and flower. It is Epidendrum radicans only. We locally call it as Holy Cross orchid since it flowers during the Easter.

Thanks
Mani

[FLBob]

Originally Posted by maninair

Dear flbob, what kind of fertilizer epidendrum radicans likes? Here in Mumbai the winter is very mild (18 C in night and 28 C in day) and for a short period. all the leaves have turned brown. is it due to the cold?

I don't think it's the cold since my radicans survives over night temps that are near 5 C. and the leaves are dark green. My Mother-in-laws (I was just over her house this morning) is just starting to bloom on at least 50 spikes. She uses a water soluble product called Miracle-Gro 28-8-16 plus minors. She uses it twice a month.

[kmarch]

Is it in direct sun? Could the leaves all be sun burnt?

[FLBob]

Originally Posted by kmarch

Is it in direct sun? Could the leaves all be sun burnt?

I have all mine growing in full sun during part of the day, I can't imagine all the leaves burning, unless the plant is not well leafed to begin with and just got moved into the sun.

[lmartiny]

I bought a cutting of a radicans and put it in mostly dirt after I learned it is terrestrial. About two years ago. It sits outside. in dappled sun, which is pretty much what I have in my yard. No blooms yet. I think they like some higher light. Mine is retaining too much moisture I think and I'm going to repot to an orchid pot. I'd stuck it in a regular pot. It grows wildly. I've shared cuttings with two friends.

[maninair]

Originally Posted by kmarch

Is it in direct sun? Could the leaves all be sun burnt?

Yes, it is facing the direct Sun and getting 4 hours of light in the morning. I have mounted it on a piece of wood with some moss.

Thanks

[maninair]

Which is the best. Growing radicans in soil or mounting it on a wood with spagnum moss. Mine is mounted on a wood. It is two months and still no sign of leaf growth, although there are new roots growing.

[norris]

4 hours of morning sun doesn't seem like too much light, that is what mine gets also, and it is doing good. I think it might be better in a fine orchid mix though, they seem to like a lot of moisture.

[lmartiny]

Being a terestrial, I would also think it would do better in a pot than as a mount.

[kmarch]

It's not really a terrestrial as its root structures are epiphytic in nature not terrestrial but it is commonly found growing in fields or along roadsides in South America. I would not mount it, though I believe some have been successful with this, I'd grow it in a pot in a semi terrestrial mix like one might use for Cymbids.

[maninair]

Thanks Kmarch. I will plant it in a pot filled with moss and pine bark. But is it okay if I transplant it now.

[FLaCo]

Originally Posted by FLBob

I live in SW Florida and grow several Epidendrums. I grow them as terrestrials, using rich, light potting soil. My original radicans, has become landscape planting under many a tree.

This i pretty cool because I too grow them in soil. Now, I am not suggesting to do this but my mom cut a few that have had aerial roots and just mounted those on to trees. No moss, nothing. I wasn't too optimistic, but you wouldn't believe, they took hold, lol. They probably went dormant or something.

By the way, my folks and I fertilize everything with Peters 20-20-20 every week in the summer and every 2-3 weeks in the winter. It's just easier for my parents and I.

[FLaCo]