Disa Foam 'San Francisco' FCC/AOS

[Rick Barry]

Disa Foam 'San Francisco' FCC/AOS

If I only grew one Disa, this would definitely be my choice. It really must be seen in person to appreciate the intensity of its color. It produces new plantlets in profusion, each of which blooms in approximately 2 years.

Regards,
Rick

 

[Heather]

Love it! How do you grow it please?

 

[Yoyo_Jo]

Beautiful!

 

[paphioboy]

Congrats on blooming a disa... Heard that they are very difficult to grow, and must be kept always wet...

 

[NYEric]

Thanx for posting. I am definitely going to place an order for disas w/ Gore Conservatory before the summer is over!

 

[Ross]

Stunningly beautiful!

 

[SlipperFan]

That is gorgeous.

 

[rdlsreno]

Nice But can't grow them!


Ramon

 

[Rick Barry]

Heather,

I grow it outdoors year-round (low 30's F to 100 degrees F temperature extremes) under light levels appropriate for Catts. It stands in a container of RO water which I try to maintain at about 1" deep. It grows in sphagnum moss which I replace yearly (late Summer or early Fall).

I think the key to Disa culture is water quality. They are very intolerant of dissolved solids. It is recommended that growers use reverse osmosis, distilled or rain water. They should be fed only rarely with highly diluted fertilizer, perhaps 1/10 the recommended dosage. I limit feedings to twice a year.

Disas do have a reputation for being difficult, but I have found that Disa uniflora and hybrids closely related to it are relatively easy, provided they are kept constantly wet and provided very pure water.

Regards,
Rick

 

[cnycharles]

heather, you say that your conditions are usually too cool for phal species. if your temps stay fairly cool and you can get some bright light and clean water, you could probably grow some of the hybrids. bugs like them though... (aphids) and if you don't keep fresh water and don't have air movement it is a good idea to use periodic fungiciding

very nice flower!

 

[Greenpaph]

Super photo!

:clap::clap:

 

[NYEric]

Thanx for the info everybody.

 

[goldenrose]

Red is the best! Nice job!

 

[Kevin]

I'm trying Disas now. I was told that the roots need to oxygenated, either by being grown on a flow table, or watering every day. You keep yours sitting in water?

Also, if a seedling blooms the first year, will it die? I was also told that, if the plant does not put energy into making a tuber, and blooms instead, it won't survive. I have a Disa uniflora that I belive is a seedling, and is blooming. Will it come back?

 

[John M]

Will it come back?

Probably not, Kevin. You'll know for sure when the blooming is done and the mother plant begins to die off. If there are no new "pups" growing up at the same time, you're probably going to lose the plant. You'll know for sure when you repot in the fall and you can see if the plant made a tuberoid. Good luck!

 

[Kevin]

Yeah, that's what I figured. I'll wait until fall. But, three other Disas that I have started growing 'pups' in the spring - I thought they were supposed to grow in the fall. They are all seedlings, so am I doing something wrong or right?

 

[John M]

But, three other Disas that I have started growing 'pups' in the spring - I thought they were supposed to grow in the fall. They are all seedlings, so am I doing something wrong or right?

I don't have a lot of experience with Disas yet; but, as long as you get new growth at some time of year, you're okay. The big concern is that a plant puts all it's energy into a blooming without developing any new plantlets or tuberoids as well. In these cases, the plant just dies after blooming. It's true that the general rule of thumb is that they produce new growths in the fall, after blooming; but, there are lots of exceptions. I had a small flurry of blooming Disas in January and February. I have no idea why they initiated so early. By May, the mother plants were dying and the "pups" were well on their way up to replace them. I always understood that this was supposed to happen in August or September. I'm not going to worryt as long as I do get new plants from the old ones before they die off.

 

[Kevin]

Thanks! I won't count mine out quite yet - it might still form a growth. BTW, how long should I expect it to stay in bloom?

 

[Rick Barry]

Kevin,

You should view Disa like you would a Tulip or a Hyacinth. New tuber development happens below the surface of the medium. The old flowering growth should reproduce itself over the course of the growing season, and will probably die off during the winter. The flower itself should last about a month.

When you repot later in the year try to maintain the connections between the old growth and the new ones. If new growths break off they are still viable as new plants as long as they have developed tubers. Try to maintain the depth of the tubers when you repot. New, tender growths enjoy the protection of the substrate when the are developing and are sensitive to premature exposure. They are also particularly sensitive to salts, so I highly recommend avoiding any fertilizing after repotting.

The negative effects of fertilizers should continually be stressed. Disas have such a low need for feeding that you can skip it entirely as long as you use a good quality sphagnum moss. I've tried that and I'm not sure there was any difference in growth at all.

If the plant fails to produce new growths, and your cultural practices are adequate, it is probably due to genetic factors. If so, don't give up on Disas, find yourself a better plant. The better uniflora crosses reproduce themselves without fail.

Good Luck,
Rick

 

[biothanasis]

Excellent flower and thank you all for the info... You have put me into buying a disa (or more..)