Eria ornata - culture

[tawv]

Hello - I am looking for info on the care of Eria ornata. I have a seedling, but all I can find on the web is "daylight, room temperature" - nothing on water, fertilizer or general orchid care. Anyone who can help?

Thanks!
Alfred

[paphioboy]

I grew one seedling but sold it because it seems to take forever to reach maturity. It is quite a tough plant and likes to ramble. Moisture as for coelogynes (relatively fine/medium sized growing medium) and relatively bright (grew mine with bulbophyllums and phalaenopsis). Seems to prefer drying out between waterings. The fuzzy red roots can rot if kept too wet.

[Robert]

It was hard for me to explain but i hope nobody mind i post a photo here to show how it grows in the wild. Just by looking you can see how bone dry where it grows on the tree, shaded by trees. I don't grow one but i was told it was a slow grower.

Temp and humidity wise it was around 30⁰C and humidity 65% in the day, and night 26⁰C and humidity 80%. Based on this info you can roughly provide yours with the right environment. I think any fertilizer sold by vendors will do as long as it was for orchid and spray a weak solution once a week.

[mykidschids]

I just bought one this evening and I can't wait to see it. Thanks for sharing the picture Rob. It's beautiful I heard this is very rare.

[tawv]

That's great Robert, I better plant it on a slab then and do my daily spraying! ☺

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Thanks P - will see if and how I can make this work ;-)

[paphioboy]

Interesting info, Robert. Thanks for sharing. I have seen pics of it growing in the wild, but in thick moss and leaf litter, not on dry tree trunks. The nursery I got mine from originally planted them in semi-hydro in perlite.

[Robert]

most welcome Alfred and Paphioboy.

[tawv]

Hey, I just 'dug up' the Eria and the roots do not look like aerial roots. Instead, they are very fine & delicate. Should I still put it on a slab of cork?

BTW: have you ever heard of Eria odorata? This is what my supplier labelled this plant, but I cannot find any trace of that species anywhere, so I am guessing it is an Eria ornata. The leaves do look like the ones in your - great - pic. Any thoughts?

[paphioboy]

Hey, I just 'dug up' the Eria and the roots do not look like aerial roots. Instead, they are very fine & delicate. Should I still put it on a slab of cork?

Roots that have established in moist fine media will be thin and hairy, like coelogyne roots. The developing aerial roots will be tougher. I guess you could stick a short log into the pot for it to climb upwards but plant it with fine/medum sized media that retains moisture. Use a log that is more resistant to decay so you don't get any rot problems.

[Robert]

Hi Alfred, when i took the photo i have noticed the roots are not like thick and green as in most orchids but dark fine roots hanging around. I'm not sure the difference between E.odorata, someone here maybe able to help.