# Some in-situ photos



## eggshells (Nov 6, 2014)

I was asked to share it with you. 






















Enjoy!


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## Drorchid (Nov 6, 2014)

Awesome! What species is it? It looks like some kind of parvi or brachy species in pic 3 and 4 (it is hard to tell from the photos)?

I also love that begonia species, awesome foliage (I also have a thing for Begonia's )!

Robert


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## eggshells (Nov 6, 2014)

Drorchid said:


> Awesome! What species is it? It looks like some kind of parvi or brachy species (it is hard to tell from the photos)?
> 
> I also love that begonia species, awesome foliage (I also have a thing for Begonia's )!
> 
> Robert



Hi Robert, It's Paph. rungsuriyanum.


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## Drorchid (Nov 6, 2014)

eggshells said:


> Hi Robert, It's Paph. rungsuriyanum.



Great, thanks! That is why I didn't recognize the foliage (I haven't seen that species yet in person...).
Robert


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## NYEric (Nov 6, 2014)

That's our baby rungsuriyanum. How high up from the bottom was that? Thanks for sharing send some to me!


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## cnycharles (Nov 6, 2014)

I would say that spot is 'very' well drained!


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## Trithor (Nov 6, 2014)

Great 'in-situ pics', thank you for sharing. It is always an honour to see these kind of pictures. Is there any kind of habitat description to go with these?
Altitude, orientation, temps etc?


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## Carkin (Nov 6, 2014)

Amazing! Thank you.


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## gonewild (Nov 6, 2014)

Pretty much looks like the species grows directly on limestone and the roots are covered with a little moss and lichens.


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## Silvan (Nov 6, 2014)

Thanks for sharing. I guess that I'd ought to try growing begonias in my environment before getting one of those. Since both plants looks happy ..lol


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## 17andgrowing (Nov 6, 2014)

Thanks.


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## SlipperFan (Nov 6, 2014)

Amazing how little detritus it take to allow an orchid to take root. Thanks for sharing.


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## Stone (Nov 6, 2014)

Very nice little colony. Look a bit like eburneums.


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## Stone (Nov 6, 2014)

gonewild said:


> Pretty much looks like the species grows directly on limestone and the roots are covered with a little moss and lichens.



Probably with the bulk of the roots in humus in the cracks where there is a little moisture retained or seepage. But interesting to see a few roots wandering over bare rock! These type of pics are very instructive.
I presume this is the dry season?


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## Ozpaph (Nov 6, 2014)

wonderful pictures - thank-you


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## polyantha (Nov 7, 2014)

That is awesome!


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## eggshells (Nov 12, 2014)

The photo was taken the week before I posted it. It is indeed the dry season. 

A couple more:











I will try to get answers of all the inquiries.


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## Trithor (Nov 12, 2014)

Ouch, that makes me thirsty just looking at it!


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## Lmpgs (Nov 12, 2014)

Very informative! Thanks for sharing.


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## Ozpaph (Nov 12, 2014)

look at those exposed roots crawling over the rock!


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## Stone (Nov 12, 2014)

These pics are great! Especially the first one of the second pot. ( thanks eggshells) As Oz mentioned, bare roots over bare rock. This can only occure if when the roots are growing, the surface of the rock would have to be constantly wet. Otherwise it could never happen. A big clue for the culture of these rock growers.

I think it is one of the reasons some of us are seeing improved performance when we sit the pot in a tray of water and keep things very wet right through the summer. I have put all (well most) of my brachypetalums and some others in rock and water trays and I have noticed some of them which have been stagnant for months wake up and start moving.

I made the mistake of listening to all the conventional wisdom of the old books " use an open mix and let them dry before watering'' One of my books says ''Paphs have lazy roots and you should not water them until absolutely necessary'' ''Whatever you do don't sit them in water!!''

Look at espice's bellatulum again. Have a look at the rockwool guy on Tanaka's site. These things need to be wet!

All you need is a couple of mm of water under the pot.
Thoughts?


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## cnycharles (Nov 13, 2014)

I think if they have the right temperature (warmer likely than most of us give), adequate air movement and good humidity and never burn the roots they can take up the water. If it's too cool or not enough air you get rots and if you burn roots once they rot. If you don't check the plant or roots, they may just keep growing and taking up water. Keeping solid air moving that is warm moves water through the plant


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## Ozpaph (Nov 13, 2014)

Mike, Im doing exactly the same thing.
Im also trying Ryans method of potting a few in clay balls with sphagnum topping; in cut off plastic 'drink' bottles with holes 2cm up from the bottom. His plants have great roots which may be submerged for a day or so at a time.

As an anecdote, over winter, I had a sanderianum and stonei growing in a mini 'hothouse' over warm water with near 100% humidity (water dripping off the bottom of the pots). To my surprise roots were growing out of the bottom of the pots come spring!


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## NYEric (Nov 13, 2014)

these do not do well sitting in very wet media!


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## gonewild (Nov 13, 2014)

Stone said:


> As Oz mentioned, bare roots over bare rock. This can only occure if when the roots are growing, the surface of the rock would have to be constantly wet. Otherwise it could never happen. A big clue for the culture of these rock growers.



The rock surface looks pretty dry to me. And there appear to be roots growing in air. So perhaps rather than wet rocks the environment is very humid, especially at night.


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## Stone (Nov 13, 2014)

gonewild said:


> > The rock surface looks pretty dry to me
> 
> 
> .
> ...


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## Stone (Nov 13, 2014)

Ozpaph said:


> > Mike, Im doing exactly the same thing.
> > Im also trying Ryans method of potting a few in clay balls with sphagnum topping; in cut off plastic 'drink' bottles with holes 2cm up from the bottom. His plants have great roots which may be submerged for a day or so at a time.
> 
> 
> ...


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## Stone (Nov 13, 2014)

NYEric said:


> these do not do well sitting in very wet media!



Don't tell me you killed one of these gems????? 
When you say very wet media, do you mean bark? Coz I think wet stones are quite different. I never have much luck with keeping bark very wet.


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## gonewild (Nov 14, 2014)

Stone said:


> My seedling brachys are all in one large tray. I drilled a few small holes about 2mm from the bottom and every 3 days or so I flood the whole with rain water. The bottom of the pots do not dry at all and top watering is not needed. (except to feed now and then) so far so good........



How is this different from Simi Hydro culture?


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## gonewild (Nov 14, 2014)

Stone said:


> Its the dry season and the roots would be dormant but yes I'm sure humidity would still be good



I don't think the roots go dormant. The plants continue to grow during the dry season but maybe at a slower rate. The point is that the rock face and roots don't have to be constantly wet.


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## Ozpaph (Nov 14, 2014)

Maybe the person whoo took the photos could tell us how wet/damp/dry the rock and roots were?


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## eggshells (Nov 14, 2014)

The rain has stopped now but the plants still get water through condensation at night. The moisture in the air is still high so it condense on the rocks at night because the rocks absorbs some heat during the day. Then it drys again in the noon - late afternoon then cycle starts again.


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## NYEric (Nov 14, 2014)

Stone said:


> When you say very wet media, do you mean bark? Coz I think wet stones are quite different. I never have much luck with keeping bark very wet.



 Mixed media, bark, tree fern fiber, sphagnum, aliflor, ...We can keep any media wet, unfortunately.


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## Stone (Nov 15, 2014)

gonewild said:


> How is this different from Simi Hydro culture?



It's not really. I just let the water evaporate away before topping up.


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## Stone (Nov 15, 2014)

gonewild said:


> I don't think the roots go dormant. The plants continue to grow during the dry season but maybe at a slower rate. The point is that the rock face and roots don't have to be constantly wet.



Here I must disagree. The white growing root tips of these temperate species seal off during the cold season and the plant goes into a fairly hard dormancy. They would survive on daily fog and the odd shower. Even in the niveum habitat which is tropical but very sesonal, Fowlie described the roots as being ''dust dry'' during the dry season.
No doubt this does not happen in Indonesia, NG etc.


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## gonewild (Nov 15, 2014)

Stone said:


> Here I must disagree. The white growing root tips of these temperate species seal off during the cold season and the plant goes into a fairly hard dormancy. They would survive on daily fog and the odd shower. Even in the niveum habitat which is tropical but very sesonal, Fowlie described the roots as being ''dust dry'' during the dry season.
> No doubt this does not happen in Indonesia, NG etc.



I was thinking about the species in the thread which I understand comes from Laos. I don't think Laos has a cold season that would cause dormancy.


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## Leo_5313 (Nov 19, 2014)

Thanks for sharing the pics!


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