Culture Information

Where are you growing? Do you have multiple “levels” to your growing area? Are you growing in windows? Which direction do they face? Do you grow in your basement under lights? Are you renting space in the back corner of a commercial nursery?
	*(list of culture sheets at bottom)* Culture Information Our care advice is based on our success in our growing environment. You will need to “taylor” this advice to your environment. Guidelines Every growing area has microclimates; corners or areas that are always a little cooler or warmer, wetter or drier than the majority of the space. We use these to our advantage. Being aware of these microclimates allows us to grow a wider range of plants and enables us to keep the plants we do have growing happily. We don’t always have the luxury of time to move plants around during the year. Placing them in the right microclimate can mean the difference between life and death for some orchids. Take the time to know your microclimates! We’re in Montana There’s hardly a winter we don’t get temperatures below zero. When it’s that cold out, we heat to keep the temperature at a minimum of 58°F. On cold, cloudy winter days sometimes our daytime highs in the greenhouse are the same as our nighttime lows. There are variations depending on the location within the greenhouse. Near the outside walls (like near a window in a home) the temperature will be more like the outdoor temperature. A few degrees can make a big difference to some plants! We frequently get stretches of heat in the summer that exceed 100°F. We do our best, with water and air movement, to keep the maximum greenhouse temperature at 94°F. More Guidelines Some important considerations when choosing your orchids are temperature, light, water with other variables to consider like type of potting or plaquing. To some extent, you can “make” the right spot for the plant you “need” but it’s much easier to pick a plant that will like the environment you already have. That said, one of us really wants to grow a Dendrobium cuthbertsonii. We do NOT have the ideal conditions for a Dendrobium cuthbertsonii. But every few years one of us buys a Dendrobium cuthbertsonii in hopes that with enough tender loving care and a spot in that other area of the greenhouse that it might live. One of us has spent a good bit of time, money and frustration on Dendrobium cuthbertsonii. I just smile and feel happy that my favorite “must have” orchids [aerangis] thrive in our environment. I do know that it’s nearing that time to try a Dendrobium cuthbertsonii, again... *Click on Name for Cultural Information* (more will be added) • Dockrillia (fleshy leaved Dendrobiums)