I'll check out the web site and compare my plant to the photos. Thanks,
Kenni!

Sarah

"Kenni Judd" wrote in message
.. .
Sarah: If the leaves are wide and thick, and esp. if the plant is spiking
or flowering now, it's probably gigantea. Rhy. coelestis is a
summer-bloomer and looks more like a "typical" vanda; retusa is far less
common. I suspect you can find pics of all 3 on Jay Pfahl's Orchid
Encyclopedia site and ID it, even if it's not in bloom.

Assuming it's gigantea: we give these a lot less light than most of our
vandaceous, and they are also one of the few vandaceous that we sometimes
pot, rather than leaving bare in the basket. They will grow either way
here, but the potted ones seem to do a little better. Our potting medium
is
coarse [big chunks] lava rock with a bit of coconut fiber layered in.

--
Kenni Judd
Juno Beach Orchids

http://www.jborchids.com
"Sarah Huff" wrote in message
...
I wish I knew. It doesn't have a tag.

"Kenni Judd" wrote in message
...
Which Rhynchostylis? We treat gigantea rather differently than we
treat
coelestis, and haven't yet tried retusa.

Whoa! I obviously need to update that info. I HAVE tried tolumnias in
S/H - DON'T DO IT!

--

Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com
Plants, Supplies, Books, Artwork, and Lots of Free Info!

.. . . . . . . . . . .
"Sarah Huff" wrote in message
...
Joanna, YOU ROCK! Thanks for all of the websites and information. I
really
appreciate it!

Sarah

"J Fortuna" wrote in message
...
Since I really enjoy Web research, and I love to find out more about
different orchid types that I had never heard of before, couldn't resist
looking for this one. The simplified answer I got from a preliminary Web
search seems to be "Rhynchostylis will tolerate care that is just like a
Vanda's only less light." In answer to your question about s/h culture,
I
went to First Rays' site (http://www.firstrays.com/hydro.htm) and
noticed
the following statement that I think applies here "I've not had the guts
to
try tolumnias or vandaceous orchids as yet, but I'll get there
eventually.
"

A few links on Rhynchostylis ca

Do a Find on "Rhynchostylis" in the following page to get to the
paragraphs
on care of the 3 types, further down the page:
http://www.bribieislandorchidsociety...ews_may_03.htm

There seem to be more culture sheets for Rhynchostylis giganthea out
there
than for either of the other two, so if you have a giganthea, here are
some
culture sheets specific to it:
http://www.orchidculture.com/COD/FREE/FS998.html
http://dahliafarm.com/orchids/zgr15.htm


"Kenni Judd" wrote in message
...
Which Rhynchostylis? We treat gigantea rather differently than we
treat
coelestis, and haven't yet tried retusa.

--
Kenni Judd
Juno Beach Orchids

http://www.jborchids.com
"Sarah Huff" wrote in message
...
Hi everyone! I just acquired a rhynchostylis and would like some
tips
on
caring for it. I know it should stay moist, but what type of medium
does
it
prefer? Will it grow well in s/h? Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Sarah

Kenni Judd wrote:
Sarah: If the leaves are wide and thick, and esp. if the plant is spiking
or flowering now, it's probably gigantea. Rhy. coelestis is a
summer-bloomer and looks more like a "typical" vanda; retusa is far less
common. I suspect you can find pics of all 3 on Jay Pfahl's Orchid
Encyclopedia site and ID it, even if it's not in bloom.

Rhy. retusa looks, plant-wise, somewhat intermediate between gigantea
and coelestis. The leaves are wider than coelestis and longer (but
shorter than those of a large-sized gigantea), and have some subtle
lighter veining like gigantea (and unlike coelestis). Retusa blooms
in spring/summer, as does coelestis, while gigantea blooms in the
winter.

---Prem

S/H sounds expensive?with all the dyno grow etc!
kenty
"Sarah Huff" wrote in message
...
Thanks, Doris! I might have to try s/h.

Sarah

"Doris Salzmann" wrote in message
...
.
"Sarah Huff" wrote in message
...
Hi everyone! I just acquired a rhynchostylis and would like some tips
on
caring for it. I know it should stay moist, but what type of medium
does
it
prefer? Will it grow well in s/h? Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Sarah


Hi Sarah, I have several Rhynchos. 2 are in baskets and one is in S/H .
The
latter was struggling in it's basket last year and it loves the S/H
culture
. I let roots that start higher up just grow outside the pot. They get
misted together with the Vandas.

Doris

S/H sounds expensive?with all the dyno grow etc!
kenty
"Sarah Huff" wrote in message
...
Thanks, Doris! I might have to try s/h.

Sarah

"Doris Salzmann" wrote in message
...
.
"Sarah Huff" wrote in message
...
Hi everyone! I just acquired a rhynchostylis and would like some tips
on
caring for it. I know it should stay moist, but what type of medium
does
it
prefer? Will it grow well in s/h? Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Sarah


Hi Sarah, I have several Rhynchos. 2 are in baskets and one is in S/H .
The
latter was struggling in it's basket last year and it loves the S/H
culture
. I let roots that start higher up just grow outside the pot. They get
misted together with the Vandas.

Doris

Semi-hydroponics expensive? Actually, not at all.

Yeah, there's an investment up front for the medium, but as it's totally
reusable, in a short time it ends up being far cheaper than the use of
"disposable," organic-based media.

As to the chemicals, let me just say that with the exception of osmunda,
orchids get essentially the same nutrition from all media - none - so you
have to add it via the nutrients you apply. Plants in Semi-hydro have the
same nutritional demands as those in other media, and if you're serious
about growing your orchids well, then nutrition is a serious concern.

Look at it this way: you spend a lot of money on these silly little plants,
why not try to do what's best to keep them healthy, thereby protecting your
investment? You wouldn't buy a new car and then not change the oil or have
it mechanically maintained, would you?

The use of additives, media pretreatments, etc. are likewise not unique to
S/H culture, but again, it's just a matter of trying to give the plant the
best shot at being the best they can.

Maybe what has happened in the case of S/H is that when folks started seeing
how successful it was for me and inquired about it, I described everything
that I do concerning my orchid growing. Folks accepted it as a package,
rather than looking at the combination of the media and the pots as the real
difference between my general orchid culture and my S/H cultural
methodologies.

--

Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com
Plants, Supplies, Books, Artwork, and Lots of Free Info!

.. . . . . . . . . . .
"kenty ;-)" wrote in message
...
S/H sounds expensive?with all the dyno grow etc!
kenty
"Sarah Huff" wrote in message
...
Thanks, Doris! I might have to try s/h.

Sarah

"Doris Salzmann" wrote in message
...
.
"Sarah Huff" wrote in message
...
Hi everyone! I just acquired a rhynchostylis and would like some
tips
on
caring for it. I know it should stay moist, but what type of medium
does
it
prefer? Will it grow well in s/h? Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Sarah


Hi Sarah, I have several Rhynchos. 2 are in baskets and one is in S/H
..
The
latter was struggling in it's basket last year and it loves the S/H
culture
. I let roots that start higher up just grow outside the pot. They get
misted together with the Vandas.

Doris