Sarcochilus 2025
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NIcely grown, Darlene.
Sarcochilus Jacqueline (Kulnura Taser x Kulnura Opus)
Please ignore leaves. I saw some leaf spotting and treated the collection. It is a strange time of year when the temperatures in the growing area can vary dramatically and cause issues.
Please ignore leaves. I saw some leaf spotting and treated the collection. It is a strange time of year when the temperatures in the growing area can vary dramatically and cause issues.
I don't want to forget this cutie. Sarcochilus Hanni Lauger
While I wanted to get rid of my Sarcochilus last year, I am glad to see these bloom again and see Hanni Lauger for the first time.
While I wanted to get rid of my Sarcochilus last year, I am glad to see these bloom again and see Hanni Lauger for the first time.
All nice. I have killed every attempt. What's the secret to your succes?
The closest thing I have to a secret is almost freezing them in the fall/winter. I keep them outside until the temperature falls into the 30s. Then they go into my little greenhouse and experience nights into the low 40s until January when the outside temps are in the teens and single digits. It is too hard and too expensive to keep my little greenhouse running. One year I will upgrade to something better than can function year round. For now this is the process. I keep them drier during the cold period, but it is not a hard dry rest.
When it is warm enough, they are outside and receive morning sun followed by light shade the remainder of the day. I will stick them and my Aussie dendrobiums outside in another week or so.
Thanks. Do you stop watering them in the winter?
I continue to water. Maybe 1-2x week depending on the weather. Northeast Ohio can be pretty gloomy in the winter. When the sun does not make much of an appearance, i only water once per week.
You are growing them very well.
Tom499
Well-Known Member
Love these!
Wish they were more popular (and easier to find) in the UK.
Wish they were more popular (and easier to find) in the UK.
Nicely done Darlene!
I too have a love hate relationship with my Sarcs.
I too have a love hate relationship with my Sarcs.
I would really love to grow them but it's a genus that always dies on me. I'm in Chicago so I could probably approximate your weather. Could you write up a detailed instruction? Lol. A lot to ask. I must be doing something VERY wrong because they die so quickly.
mrhappyrotter
Grand Chupacabra
Back in my early orchid growing days, a vendor in my area who is no longer in operation, used to have a bunch of different Sarcos for sale. I always enjoyed seeing them in bloom, especially the ones with more red toned flowers. If I recall, some of them are fragrant, too, correct?
I didn't know they had a reputation as being a bit finicky, but based on your description of how you grow them, it sounds like they'd do just fine in my conditions and with my care routine. My greenhouse is tiny, but that was intentional, since I wanted to be able to keep it above freezing in winter using a standard 110v / 5,000BTU heater and within my ability to afford the electric bill. Sarcos are small enough, I'm sure I could find the space for one to try it out.
I didn't know they had a reputation as being a bit finicky, but based on your description of how you grow them, it sounds like they'd do just fine in my conditions and with my care routine. My greenhouse is tiny, but that was intentional, since I wanted to be able to keep it above freezing in winter using a standard 110v / 5,000BTU heater and within my ability to afford the electric bill. Sarcos are small enough, I'm sure I could find the space for one to try it out.
They don't give me much trouble outside of needing that cold for blooming. They started performing much better when I let the nights go into the low 50s/40s for 6-8 weeks. I will write more details later.
How are they dying on y'all? Root issue? Mine are vulnerable to fungal spotting and I have to keep an eye on that.
How are they dying on y'all? Root issue? Mine are vulnerable to fungal spotting and I have to keep an eye on that.
Your plants are gorgeous! I am so happy to see this info. I just ordered a sarco that I will pick up in a few weeks at the Asheville show. I had no idea about the cold temp needs. I grow indoors so this may be a challenge. Maybe I can rig some lights in the garage. What kind of light requirement do they need; and is humidity an issue?
How are they dying: I buy be and bring it home. I treat it like my very stressful Paphs. It starts to go bad immediately. Brown leaves that fall off one by one. Murder is fully completed by week 4.
I treat these like cool growing Phals. Technically the media should be kept moist, but I am a constant under-waterer, especially in the winter when things are inside. So, I know they won't die from drying out. In the winter they dry out regularly but I try not to let them stay dry for a long time - maybe 3 day or so. This is not by decision but by circumstance. My goal is to water once a week when they are kept cold (40s) in the greenhouse. 2x a week underlights inside. In the summer between the rains and me watering, they are closer to consistently moist, but never wet like my phrags.
In the summer, they are outside under bright shade after a couple of hours of morning sun. This is truly a shadier area in my outdoor growing space. Summer temperatures range between 75-85 in the day and in the 60s-70s most nights. Typical Northern Ohio temps with the occasional high 80- low 90s a few times a season. As long as they are shaded, they do just fine.
When the weather turns cool in the fall, my sarcos are one of the last plants to move under shelter. Once temps are in the low 40, especially if it is rainy, I move them into my 6x8 harbor freight greenhouse where the minimum temp is 45. They stay there for 6-10 weeks depending on the weather. When outdoor temps are in the low teens or single digits it is too challenging and expensive to keep up the heat in that little greenhouse. So, everything comes inside and goes under lights.
Most of my sarcos are in fine bark mix. I am playing with sphag, since I under water. So far I don't see a difference in the two media. I fertilize pretty much all year. 100ppm N is my target. I use RO inside and need some fertilizer so that the RO won't damage the plants. I flush with plain water every 3-4 waterings. K-lite and Peter CalMag are the main fertilizers in my rotation. As plants go outside in the spring, I use a time released fertilizer from Greencare. I am only one year in with this brand but I like what I see. It rains so frequently in May and June that is it hard to fertilize regularly. My thought is that the time release stuff is a stop-gap for that rainy period.
The only problem that I fight with the sarcos is a fungal spotting that prefers the new growths and can cause some serious damage if not addressed. I remove impacted leaves and growths, if necessary. Then treat with Pageant or whatever else is in my arsenal.
What else would be helpful know?
In the summer, they are outside under bright shade after a couple of hours of morning sun. This is truly a shadier area in my outdoor growing space. Summer temperatures range between 75-85 in the day and in the 60s-70s most nights. Typical Northern Ohio temps with the occasional high 80- low 90s a few times a season. As long as they are shaded, they do just fine.
When the weather turns cool in the fall, my sarcos are one of the last plants to move under shelter. Once temps are in the low 40, especially if it is rainy, I move them into my 6x8 harbor freight greenhouse where the minimum temp is 45. They stay there for 6-10 weeks depending on the weather. When outdoor temps are in the low teens or single digits it is too challenging and expensive to keep up the heat in that little greenhouse. So, everything comes inside and goes under lights.
Most of my sarcos are in fine bark mix. I am playing with sphag, since I under water. So far I don't see a difference in the two media. I fertilize pretty much all year. 100ppm N is my target. I use RO inside and need some fertilizer so that the RO won't damage the plants. I flush with plain water every 3-4 waterings. K-lite and Peter CalMag are the main fertilizers in my rotation. As plants go outside in the spring, I use a time released fertilizer from Greencare. I am only one year in with this brand but I like what I see. It rains so frequently in May and June that is it hard to fertilize regularly. My thought is that the time release stuff is a stop-gap for that rainy period.
The only problem that I fight with the sarcos is a fungal spotting that prefers the new growths and can cause some serious damage if not addressed. I remove impacted leaves and growths, if necessary. Then treat with Pageant or whatever else is in my arsenal.
What else would be helpful know?
You were not joking then. What are your temperatures like? Do you think this is fungal issue?
