Pectielis susannae

[mormodes]

I received a flask of Pectielis susannae from the Troy Meyers Conservatory. It was in his usual ziplock-like plastic baggie with some agar around the roots. I placed them in a compot using a blend of the techniques Troy and Bob Wellenstein suggest - that is to say I didn't disturb the roots very much just separated the easily separatable plantlets tucked sphagnum around them and placed the mass in sphagnum in a 6" plastic pot.

But I'm not sure moss is the appropriate medium for these terrestrials. So I come here looking for advice and experience. What medium would you suggest? And do I have to compot these? Can they be potted singly? The roots are relatively fat & thickened (sorry I don't have pictures) but no true 'corm' like what Disa developes.

TIA

 

[Rick]

I wouldn't be surprised that you could use several different types of media with success, including straight sphagnum.

I've grown a few other terrestrials in a mix of potting mix/chopped sphagnum/perlite Roughly equal parts.


You might see if there is an email address for the seed supplier on Troy's site and see if they can recommend a mix.

 

[KyushuCalanthe]

Great that you got seedlings of these! Most in cultivation are from wild stock. The mature plant grows an elongated tuber between 10-25 long and as much as 10 cm wide. A new tuber is grown each season and the old one dies, including the roots once the dry season sets in. I've grown mine in pretty standard tropical Pecteilis/Habenaria compost with reasonable success: two parts bark, two parts perlite, one part sand, and one part leaf mold. Since this species lives in grasslands that get fire, I add a bit of charcoal to the mix as well.

I'm not sure how the species will do in pure sphagnum. The tough part is getting the plant to form a nice tuber so it can go into dormancy and start a natural cycle of growth. If you keep it in sphagnum during dormancy you'll have to be sure it doesn't stay wet or even moist especially if temps fall below 15 C or it could rot.

 

[mormodes]

Rick and Tom, thanks for your answers. I had no idea the tubers got so big... I won't keep them in moss, I'll have to come up with a source of leaf mold, or potting soil-like thing. Jeeze it seems so weird to pot an orchid in potting soil. We spend so many years telling newbies *not* to put their orchids in potting soil, *G*

Thanks again.

 

[paphioboy]

Here in the tropics, I use burnt red earth (which has a granular texture) + charcoal + fernroot + LECA and limestone... I know someone who has successfully grown and bloomed pecteilis susannae using sphagnum + large pumice..

 

[Brian Monk]

I grow my Pect. susannae in Pro-Mix with added fine bark mix. They grow exceptionally well, but they (as are most tuberous orchids, tropical and temperate) VERY subject to rot.

Tom is spot on, these things need a significant tuber to succesfully withstand the relatively dry period they undergo. I would try to extend their growing season as long as possible, & fertilize the hell out of them with phosphorous during the growing season. Their moisture content over the winter will need to be closely monitored, and this is probably best done with them out of potting mix, or at least dug up an routinely checked during the dormant period. It is extremely important to not begin watering very heavily until they have significant leaves. I grow mine in 80-90% sun, water them very heavily during growth, and use bone meal in the media. I have lost as many tubers as I have grown, but have also succesfully had plants produce up to four tubers at the end of the growing season. I wish you luck, as I think these are the coolest plants around. I am glad to hear that you are getting seedlings!

 

[s1214215]

Hi Tia

The seed was donated to Troy by me. I sent him a white form and a form that remains green for some time before whitening.

I grow them in various media from spagnum and perlite to pure soil. They are not fussy. The do need to have a very distinct rest though, so while in growth they like moisture but not wet feet, and then when the plant has lost the leaves, a very dry rest (to about 10 celcius and not lower). Just a little infrequent watering to stop dehydration. They rot easily with too much moisture during the dormant phase

Brett

 

[s1214215]

Can I ask you to post pictures of the plants now? I would like to see how they are going.

Brett

 

[huiray]

Pecteilis susannae