Pleurothallis Restrepioides

[philoserenus]

hey guys

i just got one of these from the SOOS Valentines show. the vendor i was speaking to seemed to be quite knowledgeable since he specializes in mas., drac., resp., and pleuro..

but i'm just wondering if anyone else is growing this in a home environment and if anyone can drop me off some hints and tip since itz my first pleuro and itz a genus i've never tried until now.

thanks

 

[Rick]

Most of the pleurothallids I have are very sensitive to low humidity, and not too happy about warm temps.

Try to keep the humidity 70 to 80 percent, and consider a fogger.

Room temps are good, especially if you let your house get into the 50's and 60's at night.

Florescent lighting is fine for most of them. Up in Canada you should have a good edge on these conditions.

 

[Kyle]

I have 3 of them, but they have never bloomed for me. But honestly, I give them more neglect then I do attention. I can't remeber the last time I watered two of them... But don't take that as they like being dry! I have 2 of them under a bench in sphag, so it stays wet, but I forget about them.

They are really tough!

I read on another forum that the secret to getting them to bloom is to give them a few day of really cool nights. Like single digits. So in April or may, leave them outside for the night. Otherwise, these guys can tolerate the high end of intermediate. But need the cool to bloom.

If the cool nights kill your plant, send me a PM and I'll send you one of my spares.

Kyle

 

[philoserenus]

haha thanks kyle.
tonite, i have my space heater cranked on max and my room is barely above 20*C... when i go to skool, the heater is off and if outside is cold, my room can go to 15*C in a blink of an eye. and if that aint cool enough, i just hafta leave then on the window sill. it drops to about 7-10*C there. kept my den.kinganium there for the winter. they got chilled alright, they are quite purple now but still no flowers yet =(

 

[NYEric]

Good Luck. Who was your vendor?

 

[philoserenus]

i got the pleurothallis from an ontario vendor called "Marsh Hollow Orchids" but they dun have a website. but does have an email [email protected] (Mario Ferrusi)

 

[NYEric]

Good info for you Canuck people. I would think that Pleuros do well in the cooler north country.

 

[Kyle]

Everybody forgets about our really hot summers, at least where I live.

Kyle

 

[Ron-NY]

I will have to give that a try. My plant is large but I only get an occasional spike. I keep mine fairly bright, humidity about 60%

 

[philoserenus]

yes i saw one at the show and it was huge and it had so many blooms that it was crazy. but at the same time, the vendor had a sample and it was tiny and it bloomed too

 

[Kyle]

The kiekies can bloom when still attached to the parent plant.

Kyle

 

[philoserenus]

i guess they also act like phals in that way too, haha. btw kyle, do u have any pictures of ur pleuro in bloom or just overall size etc? i saw one at the show but it was sooo far in the back of the display that i didnt get to have a good look at it

 

[moraru]

I have one in the "cool" end of my greenhouse.. Since I also have phals, the temperature never drops below 62 F.. It does very well. Is a vigorous grower - and will flower easily at this temp. The key is humidity, humidity, humidity.... (LOT's o'Humidity!)

 

[philoserenus]

i dun have a hygrometer so i duno watz the relative humidity at home in my room, but all i know is that my phals are quite free flowering with wat it has ^^"

 

[Sue]

I actually put my P. restrepioides outside for the summer along with the rest. It's the only Pleurothallidinae I treat like that.

Grows ok, but no blooms this year . . . but I traded the main plant, and only have a couple of keikis, so that might be the issue.

Anyway, I'm sure it'd prefer cool temps. It'll take some abuse is, I suppose, my point. It's a good starter Pleuro!

 

[philoserenus]

true, i did hear that it tends to be the tough one of the pleuros and being able to take a lot of beef before it croaks due to long term stress. my only concerns would be in the summer. toronto can get very hot in the summer. but i guess experimentation is always the way to do after a little research.

and ya, maybe ur keikis are just still young and not blooming b/c of that factor. good with u ^^