# Uncertain with Tolumnia



## Orchidnut57 (Mar 3, 2011)

I received a Tolumnia (keiki) Irene Glissom as a gift from a very generous orchid grower and was told to pot it in a small pot with crushed tree fern fiber. Is this the popular potting medium for Tolumnia? Any other recommendations?


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## Paph_LdyMacBeth (Mar 3, 2011)

Tolumnia's like a free draining medium -more so than many orchids. I would think tree fern fiber would provide this, but it would also depend on your conditions. 
Personally, I struggled to find a good potted medium for my Tolumnia's and have had much more success with them mounted.


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## Orchidnut57 (Mar 3, 2011)

Paph_LdyMacBeth said:


> Tolumnia's like a free draining medium -more so than many orchids. I would think tree fern fiber would provide this, but it would also depend on your conditions.
> Personally, I struggled to find a good potted medium for my Tolumnia's and have had much more success with them mounted.



I agree But I grow indoors so mounts are not so easy
Thanks a bunch


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## Erythrone (Mar 3, 2011)

I grow many Tolumnia in bark mix for years in clay pot. They were very tough since I neglected repotting for a long time.

Now some are are in bark mix and others are in pure Leca, in clay pot too. I tried to grow them mounted, without success. 

They are very easy for me. Nearly impossible to kill under my condition (except... when mounted!!!)


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## Eric Muehlbauer (Mar 3, 2011)

Bark in a pot is fine indoors. My very first orchid ever was a Tolumnia, and I was in an apartment. I didn't know anything about orchids, and it was in a pot with large bark chips and charcoal. I didn't think it was getting enough water, so I'd soak the pot for hours at a time in a bowl of water. Well, it lasted for years and did pretty well.


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## SlipperFan (Mar 3, 2011)

I have my Tolumnias in coconut fiber in clay pots -- they are doing very well, being watered 2x a week. The fiber allows them to dry out between waterings.


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## TyroneGenade (Mar 4, 2011)

Hi,

I use coconut fibre (coir) but in platic baskets or pot which holes burnt into the side. I water 2-3x per week and spray daily. So far so good. I have nice root growth and all the plants are pushing out new growth. I'm a bit worried about the winter as I don't have a hot house. Temps get as low as 4o C in Winter here (tropical by N. hemisphere standards). Anyone have any idea on how low the modern hybrids can go, temperature wise?

Oh, and its Tolumnia Irene Gleason, a very lovely hybrid!


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## NYEric (Mar 4, 2011)

I am now trying some in Leca, traditionally I put them in pots with coarse 1/4" stones from the aquarium store. I have about 20-25 tolumnia species and hybrids.


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## goldenrose (Mar 4, 2011)

Orchidnut57 said:


> ... I grow indoors so mounts are not so easy...





Erythrone said:


> I grow many Tolumnia in bark mix for years in clay pot....Now some are are in bark mix and others are in pure Leca, in clay pot too. I tried to grow them mounted, without success. They are very easy for me. Nearly impossible to kill under my condition (except... when mounted!!!)





Eric Muehlbauer said:


> Bark in a pot is fine indoors.... I didn't think it was getting enough water, so I'd soak the pot for hours at a time in a bowl of water. Well, it lasted for years and did pretty well.


I'm gonna be a big help ...
I kill them potted, even clay pots.
Tried again this fall, bought a mounted one - doing just fine, so my vote's for mounted! 
Tree fern in a clay pot sounds good to me, I'd prefer to hang them, no bench space required! They're also getting the higher light levels & air circulation.


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## fbrem (Mar 4, 2011)

semi hydro media in clay pots with daily watering and summers outside in near full sun works really well for me, they just need to dry thoroughly between waterings. Tolumnias do better for me than any other group of orchids outside during the Memphis growing season. And since were in the same city what works for me should work for you too.


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## Erythrone (Mar 4, 2011)

TyroneGenade said:


> Hi,
> 
> I use coconut fibre (coir) but in platic baskets or pot which holes burnt into the side. I water 2-3x per week and spray daily. So far so good. I have nice root growth and all the plants are pushing out new growth. I'm a bit worried about the winter as I don't have a hot house. Temps get as low as 4o C in Winter here (tropical by N. hemisphere standards). Anyone have any idea on how low the modern hybrids can go, temperature wise?
> 
> Oh, and its Tolumnia Irene Gleason, a very lovely hybrid!



Good question. I think they far are more cold resistant that what we read in books. I have grown Tolumnias outside in Summer for many years and they grew very well... I must add that the nightime temps are sometimes very low in Summer here! 10 C (50 F) is common in July, the hottest month of the year ! Sometimes, it is only 5 C (41 F)!!


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## SlipperFan (Mar 4, 2011)

Erythrone said:


> Good question. I think they far are more cold resistant that what we read in books. I have grown Tolumnias outside in Summer for many years and they grew very well... I must add that the nightime temps are sometimes very low in Summer here! 10 C (50 F) is common in July, the hottest month of the year ! Sometimes, it is only 5 C (41 F)!!


Taking and growing well are quite two different things. Personally, I wouldn't take them below 55ºF (13ºC) much if I could help it, and especially not below 50ºF very often.

There are some excpetions: Tolumnia pulchella, Tolumnia triquetra, & Tolumnia tuerckheimii are cooler growers, and Tolumnia urophylla has a wider range than most (according to orchidspecies.com)


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## Paph_LdyMacBeth (Mar 4, 2011)

goldenrose said:


> I'm gonna be a big help ...
> I kill them potted, even clay pots.
> Tried again this fall, bought a mounted one - doing just fine, so my vote's for mounted!
> Tree fern in a clay pot sounds good to me, I'd prefer to hang them, no bench space required! They're also getting the higher light levels & air circulation.



Dito
I also grow mine in a spare room. I wrap thin wire around my shelving rack and leave the other side hanging so it acts as a "hook" for my mounted plants. 
I found potted they were either too wet or too dry and I could never figure out what they needed. Mounted with sphag, I submerge in water ~weekly, and mist daily.


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## Brian Monk (Mar 4, 2011)

I grow my Tolumnias outside, in Ft. Lauderdale FL. I grow in small clay pots (none over 3 inches), with very little media. I use ust about anything, as long as it is chunky, dries very quickly, and can stand long term use without breaking down. Orchiata bark is something I haven't tried yet, but I think it will work well. I use bark, charcoal, and LEca. I won't use tree fern, because I think it breaks down too fast in my climate. 

The average day temps in summer are over 80F; nights are 75-80F. In winter, the average days are around 70F, and 65+F at night. This year, the coldest on record, the temps dropped below 45F for over 14 days in a row. The Tolumnias did very well, and continued to produce inflorescences. The main branch of these died, however the remaining branches continued to grow. Here is an example of one that has 5 spikes:


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## TyroneGenade (Mar 5, 2011)

Thanks, all, for the temperature advice. I will bring mine indoors to escape the winter rainy season.

Brian, that is a stunning flower!


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## SlipperFan (Mar 5, 2011)

Wow, Brian -- that is one of the nicest Tolumnias ever!


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## Orchidnut57 (Mar 5, 2011)

All great ideas and advise. I have been wanting to try semi-hydro so I will try an experiment in which one in SH, another in large bark inside a small clay and mount one.
Thanks to all and keep the conversation going! :clap:


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## Erythrone (Mar 6, 2011)

Not sure that it will grow well in SH... 

Did anybody try it?


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## Brian Monk (Mar 6, 2011)

This is one group of plants that I don't think would grow at all in SH. They need to dry out. COmpletely. Any excess mositure at their roots, and you get rot rot rot.


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## SlipperFan (Mar 6, 2011)

Brian Monk said:


> This is one group of plants that I don't think would grow at all in SH. They need to dry out. COmpletely. Any excess mositure at their roots, and you get rot rot rot.


I agree -- I think they would rot very quickly in S/H. I wonder if Ray B has tried these...


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## NYEric (Mar 6, 2011)

remember, most of the species come from the Carib, Cuba, or Hispanola; early rain then warm sunny all day long. !


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## goldenrose (Mar 10, 2011)

Erythrone said:


> Not sure that it will grow well in SH...
> Did anybody try it?





Brian Monk said:


> This is one group of plants that I don't think would grow at all in SH. They need to dry out. COmpletely. Any excess mositure at their roots, and you get rot rot rot.





SlipperFan said:


> I agree -- I think they would rot very quickly in S/H. I wonder if Ray B has tried these...



Make that 3!
My GH has nighttime lows 50-55 & they've done fine.


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