To Find Great Books on Orchid Culture try
Orchid Culture Sheets
Cattleya
Masdevallias
Dendrobiumden
Paphiopedilum
Oncidiums
Lycaste
Phalaenopsis
Bulbophyllum
Cultural tips for Bulbophyllum
From Greek Bulbos Bulb and phyllon leaf
Bulbophyllum ( Bulbos ) is a pantropical genus centered in southeast asia, spreading east to New Guinea and Australia, west through India, Africa into the tropical areas of the Americas, including the southern tip of Florida. The largest number of Bulbophyllums are found in the Far East. New Guinea has recorded over 700 distinct species within its borders.
GENERAL CONDITIONS
In our experience most Bulbos are in continual growth, except for a brief rest in the cool of the winter. They usually bloom on the matured new growth. If there is a peak bloom period it would probably be spring and early fall
WATER, POTTING MEDIUM AND CONTAINERS
Bulbos prefer to be evenly moist, except a slight drying in the winter. During growth period, the Bulbos should be given heavy waterings, so they are never dry.
Because of the wet conditions loved by the Bulbos, fungus can be a problem. A monthly preventative spray of your favorite fungicide is desirable to ward off problems.
Good air movement is a must to keep leaf fungus down, because of the heavy watering regime.
Most BULBOPHYLLUMS, including the CIRRHOPETALUMS, are easier to grow mounted and to us present a more natural appearance. Most are rambling growers and resent being disturbed; however, they do not seem to mind an occassional clipping of a few unruly leads to keep them neat.
In growing most Bulbos, we have found sphaghnum moss pads mounted on the back side of cork slabs to be an excellent growing method. The recurved shape of the cork retains more moisture in the moss pad, which the Bulbos love. We have found the easiest method is to tie the plant with 6 lb test nylon fishing line. There are almost as many ways of mounting Bulbos as there are Bulbonuts.
After the plant has recovered from its self imposed pout and the new roots have gained a foothold, the nearly invisible fishing line can be removed. The fishing line does seem to injure the Bulbos, and is usually left in place. Other mounting materials are wood slabs, driftwood, cactus wood, tree fern plaques, TF pots, TF totems, and TF balls. Wood baskets with moss or osmunda pads are a close second choice.
If a potted Bulbo is your choice, they will enjoy any loose well drained media. The bulk of Bulbos have numerous short roots which do not penetrate the media deeply, so shallow media is a must to avoid root rots.
TEMPERATURE
The majority of Bulbos are comfortable in a temperature range of 45 F to 95 F. Some of the higher elevation Bulbos, such as those from the Himalayas and New Guinean mountains prefer cool temperatures for part of the year and can be a little difficult in warmer areas.
LIGHT
Preferred light conditions are bright shade. If adjusted slowly, full morning sun up to noon is enjoyed by most Bulbos. If you can comfortably read a newspaper without squinting or straining to see then you have the right light.
FERTILIZER
Fertilization is simple - Bulbos love to eat. 1/4 strength at each watering is sure to keep them happy. We have found organic fertilizers, such as fish emulsion, cow manure teas are enjoyed. The fertilizer formula should match the potting medium. We prefer non-urea based fertilizers at half strength. Non urea fertilizers provide 100% immediately available nitrogen, which urea based fertilizers do not. We recommend Grow Mor fertilizers , which also has micro nutrients, to provide strength for the new growth, as well as support for the flowers. If you use the urea, salt based fertilizers ensure no salt residue are left in the roots. Always flush, with clear water, monthly to protect the short tender roots from fertilizer burn.
PESTS
While not insect resistant, bulbos seem to rarely be bothered by insects other than an occassional scale or mealy bug infestation, which can be easily handled by a 70% isopropyl alcohol and soap drench, or your favorite insectidide.
Repotting Orchids
In general, most orchid plants that are growing in pots will break down the medium within one to two years. When repotting, remove the old mix from the pot, being careful not to break or crush too many roots.
Orchids are epiphytes, which are plants that naturally grow attached to other objects (usually trees). It is in their nature to send roots everywhere looking of more points to anchor themselves. Therefore, due to their nature, you will never be able to keep all of the roots inside a pot.
Also the roots are alive providing nourishment to the plant. Do not cut off roots growing outside of the pot! If you happen to have root rot these may be the only roots the plant has. Some people try to bury the roots that keep growing out side of the pot. This is not a good idea to do.
There are two main types of roots, aerial and underground. All the roots consists of a central wiry thread which is surrounded by a moisture retaining part which in turn is coated by the white papery covering, called velamen. If you bury aerial roots they will suffocate and rot, if you expose underground roots to the air they will dry out and die.
That said, there really are times when orchids do need to be repotted. The main reasons you would want to repot your orchid include:
1. A plant that has outgrown its pot (there is no room left for the next growth).
2. When the potting medium is breaking down and decaying.
3. If the orchid has developed root rot.
4. If there is a visible salt buildup on the potting medium.
The best time to repot your orchid is after it has completed blooming and begun to produce new growth. The new roots should be about 1/2" long. Unless your orchid is sick, I recommend that you do not repot an orchid while it is in bloom. First assemble what you need to repot your orchid.
This includes the potting medium (soaked if needed), peanuts, pots, something to sterilize your cutting tools with such as a small torch, bleach water and some sulfur to dust the areas that you cut.
You should also have some small stakes and ties to anchor the plant in the pot. Of course, don't forget new labels for your plants so they don't become no-names. Water your orchid before potting. This helps to loosen it in the pot and makes the roots more pliable causing less damage to them during handling.
Now that you are ready, tip the pot on its side and gently pull the plant out of the pot. Hopefully, the plant will come right out of the pot. If not, you may have to tap the bottom and sides of the pot to help loosen a stubborn plant or you may even have to break the pot to free the orchid. Once out of the pot, if your orchid has been planted in a natural medium such as bark, try to remove all of the old medium from around the roots.
The best way to remove the medium is to use your fingers to gently pull the roots apart to loosen the root ball. If the potting medium is rocks or a man-made material, you will still want to loosen up the root ball if it is very tight.
Some orchids will have a massive root ball (for example Cattleya) and others will have many roots but not entwined together (Paphiopedilum). Trim off all roots that are black, dark brown, mushy, or that look like a piece of thread. Healthy roots will be white or light tan-brown.
Types Of Orchid Medium
Bark potting mix, cork slabs, spahagnum moss, coconut husks/chips/bricks a more.
Sphagnum Moss
For those using sphagnum moss, we recommend using slightly damp moss and wrapping it around the roots (sphagnum collar) lightly before placing it into the pot. This way you don't have to worry about air pockets in the bottom of the pot. After repotting, the plant sometimes needs to adjust from shock. One tip we recommend is not to water the plant for about 3 to 5 days. This will give the roots a chance to recover.
RECOMMENDED READING
All About Orchids, by Charles Marden Fitch
Home Orchid Growing, by Rebecca Northen
Growing Orchids - Book Four, by J. N. Rentoul
Encyclopedia of Cultivated Orchids, by Alex D. Hawkes
The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Orchids, by Alec Pridgeon
The Specialist Orchid Grower, by J. N. Rentoul
Expanding your Orchid Collection, by J. N. Rentoul
Orchids of Borneo, Vol 2 by J. Vermuelen
Suggested References:
Periodicals:
Orchids Magazine - The magazine of the American Orchid Society
Awards Quarterly - The awards journal of the American Orchid Society
Orchid Digest - A publication devoted to orchid growing enthusiasts
The Orchid Review - A publication of the Royal Horticultural Society
Books / Publications:
Masdevallias; Gems of the Orchid World - Mary E. Gerritsen and Ron Parsons - Timber Press
Understanding Orchids - by William Cullina - This is the new basic guide we've all been longing for - Congratulations for a job well done, and thank you!
All About Growing Orchids - Ortho Books, San Ramon, CA 94583
Encyclopedia of Cultivated Orchids - Alex Hawkes, Faber and Faber Limited, London.
Cultivated Angraecoid Orchids - Hillerman and Holst, Timber Press.
Exotica - Alfred Graff, Roehrs Company, Inc.
Home Orchid Growing - Rebecca Tyson Northen, Simon & Schuster.
The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Orchids - Alec Pridgeon, Timber Press.
The Manual of Cultivated Orchid Species - Bechtel, Cribb and Launert, the MIT Press.
A Masdevallia Cultural Guide - William Ames Rhodehamel, Indianapolis, IN.
Miniature Orchids - Jim and Barbara McQueen, Timber Press.
Miniature Orchids - Rebecca Tyson Northen, Van Nostrand Reinhold Company.
Native Colombian Orchids - Colombian Orchid Society, Compañía Litografica Nacional, S.A.
Native Ecuadorian Orchids - Calaway H. Dodson, Rodrigo Escobar R., Compañía Litografica Nacional, S.A.
Orchids of Venezuela - Dunsterville and Garay, Botanical Museum of Harvard University.
Thesaurus Dracularum - Carlyle A. Luer, Missouri Botanical Gardens.
Phylogeny and Classification of the Orchid Family - Robert Dressler, Dioscondes Press.
Thesaurus Masdevalliarum - Carlyle A. Luer, Verlag Helga Koniger, Munich.
A Treasure of Masdevallia - Carlyle A. Luer, Missouri Botanical Garden.