Monday, August 03, 1998
I've been growing Stanhopeas here in Tampa since the early '60s. Got my
first ones from Vince Mueller (now desceased) of Pinecrest Orchids, long
out-of-business, now. He had a wonderful S. tigrina that I inherated from
him which I have given the cv. name 'Umbersol'. It opens with the sepals
and petals almost horizontal, but slightly decurved, like an umbrella.
Flowers are about 5 to 6" in diameter with extremely wide segments. I am
hoping that it will bloom at the time of a local show or for our AOS
regional judging so it can be evaluated. So far it seems to know this and
always blooms several days before or after suitable dates so the flowers
have either faded by then or open the day after! 

I have about fifteen or so species of stanhopea, half a dozen gongoras,
and one or two each of acineta, cirrhaea, polycycnis, sievekingia,
a paphinia primary hybrid, and Lueddemannia pescatorei. 

All are grown out-of-doors under trees, with protection from cold only
when necessary by putting them under roof. I have 9 gph mist heads that
operate intermittantly, allowing the breezes to distribute the moisture
around the growing area somewhat randomly. I have put most of the smaller
plants into NZ sphagnum, but I had the most success with the stanhopeas in
wire baskets lined with melaleuca bark (punk tree) with either sphagnum or
osmunds as the substrate. The papery bark conserves the moisture, and
does not break down in the presence of it, yet allows unrestricted passage
through it of the emerging spikes. The bark also allows the sphagnum,
particularly, to not have to be packed tightly (by keeping it from falling
out from between the wires of the basket) so there is aeration of the
roots, yet a good supply of continuous moisture for them. 

In nature I have seen them growing (in Costa Rica) on scrub oak about six
feet above the ground in the canopy understory exposed on branches about
3" dia. in phalaenopsis light. In this position they grew their roots
upward like catasetums, to 'trash' themselves with twigs and other fallen
detritus which obviously both raised the the humidity surrounding the
plant and provided them with a trash-dump of nutrients.

I tried recreating this with S. saccata on corkbark slabs, by draping
strands of sphagnum randomly across the plant and, up came the roots
through the moss. Eventually after an inch of loosly draped moss, I
dropped some gleaned pigeon manure on top of the plants, about a heaping
teaspoon on each one. It was still in little clumps and all I did was
gently water it in. The response was three or four flushes of spikes
during the blooming season, on three different individuals (clones) of
the species.

The same was true for G. galeata, except one would have feared for that
plant's survival, it put out 30 to 35 spikes or more on a 15 bulb plant
over a 3 1/2 month period. 

Alas, the pigeons are routed and gone from under our eaves, but I bet
chicken manure would do much the same.

Regards,
Paul

Wm. Paul Mitchell --- pmitchel@bayflash.stpt.usf.edu
USF-Bayboro Campus
140 - 7th Ave S - PSD 001 "Time wounds all heels." -Frank Case
St Petersburg, FL 33701 ("Tales of a Wayward Inn")