Hi Reka,
The list just goes to prove a point, that if you have the
right conditions the orchids will grow. eg., I killed Enc. mariae!!
(Didn't know it was a cool grower?)
About your Laelia pumila, I have a seedling, have read where they
like to me mounted but if not, the key is in the potting mix. Need to
dry out between waterings, so use small rocks or stones as the main
ingredient. When mine is ready to repot, I will probably use pumice,
charcoal with very little bark.

--
Cheers Wendy

Remove PETERPAN for email reply

Reka wrote:
The following article comes from a Wichita newspaper, with the title
mentioning Martha Stewart. What do you growers out there think of
these suggestions, meant for beginners?
I myself am having a terrible time with L. pumila. #*§%$!!!

Mini orchids for different conditions

Make sure to select a plant that can grow easily in an environment
you'll be able to create and maintain. Keep in mind that you may have
to experiment with different locations to achieve the right
light-and-temperature combination.

Here are some guidelines:

• Heat lovers

Miniature warm-climate orchids, such as the white-flowered Aerangis
distincta (native to central Africa), welcome summer daytime
temperatures as high as 90 degrees Fahrenheit, with nights that dip
down 10 to 15 degrees. Their maximum winter daytime high is 80
degrees, with the same nighttime dip.

Others in this group include the Brazilian Leptotes bicolor, with its
twice-yearly white-and-fuchsia blooms; the fragrant Aerangis citrata
from Madagascar; the yellow-blooming Polystachya bella from Kenya; and
the Colombian Masdevallia herradurae, which has dark-red flowers.

• The in-betweens

Intermediate-climate growers, such as the Philippine Dendrobium
gonzalesii, with its purple-tinged flower clusters, favor a similar
day-to-night 10- to 15-degree drop, with winter days around 75 degrees
and summers only slightly warmer.

Scented Laelia pumila, a Brazilian with yellow-throated lavender
blooms, is also in this bunch, along with Epidendrum porpax, a
3-inch-tall dainty from Central America; the even smaller
Pleurothallis ornata, a native of Mexico with fringed flowers; and
Masdevallia infracta, which hails from Brazil and produces lavender
to copper blooms every season.
• Cool customers

The cool miniature-orchid group, which includes the Peruvian Cochlioda
densiflora, with its sprays of flaming blooms, prefers a daytime
winter range of 60 to 65 degrees and a summer daytime range of 80 to
85 degrees, both with a 10- to 15-degree decline at night.

Also included in this group are Encyclia mariae from Mexico, a
5-inch-tall plant with green flowers nearly as wide; the pink-blooming
Masdevallia uniflora from Peru; and Brazilian Sophronitis coccinea,
whose fiery-red blooms may keep growing after they open.