How many of you have at least one thriving Bulbophyllum in your collection?

[Wendell Clump]

I've just recently picked up a Bulbophyllum Lobbii and a Rothschildianum at a flower show, They have settled in really well, the lobbii is growing really quickly and I've noticed root growth in the Roth. I grow mine under a 250w CFl with a reflector with a cool mist humidifier running for a few hours. I will be getting more soon, Love em 😃
Posted via Mobile Device

[citywildcat]

To Catt Mandu & Wendell: congratulations on your early success and steady success! Perhaps I fuss too much with mine. I just noticed today that the orchids that are the most difficult for me to reach in my mini greenhouse, are doing the best. Why do you suppose that is? My guess is that they rarely get moved, bothered, watered, or fussed with. Obviously, they get just what is required and not much more - or they wouldn't be alive, LOL. I have a Sobennikoffia robusta. Whete it was where I could reach it easily, it got spritzed more often. I noticed that the roots would rearrange themselves, climbing out of the pot because they were not happy. I moved it and now cannot get to it as often. I looked at it on Tuesday and discovered it has developed nice bright green new roots....PROBABLY BECAUSE I DON'T BOTHER IT AS MUCH. I truly believe that there are very, very few orchids that need constant attention (if they do, you have the wrong environment for them). I should have said "providing an orchid has the correct environment, very few need constant attention" and the more we fuss with them, the more for fatalities we'll have. THANK YOU BOTH AND ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT!

[78Terp]

This is my bulbo frostii. It is new to me in the photo but looks the same now (maybe a bit larger). Looks very healthy.

[citywildcat]

This is my bulbo frostii. It is new to me in the photo but looks the same now (maybe a bit larger). Looks very healthy.

That's just about the size I want. And yes, it looks pretty darn healthy! Seems REALLY green to me J/K... I think that's the species someone mentioned would be a good one for me to try. I've been so busy lately, I'm lucky if I can keep the ones I have alive! NO MORE BUYING until I have some time off where I can spend on repotting/remounting and re-organizing. Bulbophyllums are at the top of my list for the next one to buy...wait, how about Bulbophyllum pardolatum? Easy or difficult? TX, 78Terp!

[Wendell Clump]

I was looking at that very plant a few days ago, I'm considering getting a Frostii myself, that's a fantastic looking orchid, hope I get one that healthy, I love cream and maroon flowers that look like Dutch clogs. I might also order a Louis sanders aswell 😃
Posted via Mobile Device

[citywildcat]

I only own one: Bulbophyllum pardalotum x self. I bought it end of June 2014. It is mounted on tree fern plaque. It was beginning to be dehydrated so I wrapped some NZ sphagnum moss around the roots. It has bloomed twice and it is now set to bloom again. Mine came from a vendor in Hawaii. It was described as easy to grow.

mattwoelfsen, tell me more about Bulbophyllum pardolatum, conditions YOU are growing it under, and how you care for it. THAT'S THE ONE I WANT (after my initial failure, in which that Bulbophyllum medusae died in record time, about 4-5 day/NEVER had an orchid die that fast in my entire life/lead me to believe it was on its way out when I got it). I think I know who you got yours from and I've gotten several plants from that person as well, including an Epigeneium lyonii, supposedly not the easiest to grow (but now, 1 almost year since I got it, it's doing well. I had a minor "backslide" but now going forward again with it....super easy to care for but takes a long time to become BS.....see attached, NOT MY PHOTO)..OOOPS, got O/T again, sorry. I have that ADHD thing (not kidding).Attachment 73298

[Missanna]

I have an Elizabeth Ann Buckleberry (longissiumum x rothschildianum) that I got this summer from a friend who said it didn't like her conditions (she can't grow phals well either, but her catts are amazing).
It had a few roots that were ok and it had just started a new growth. Well, I read that they like phal conditions but I wanted to mount it so I would be sure that it's few roots wouldn't rot. I hung it about 6" below my t5 bulbs. It's growing insanely fast and putting out roots from the lead and previous growth. It's about 85 degrees where it is and although I have kinda low humidity there, it gets watered once a day and it's growing like a weed. This is supposed to be an easy one to grow however, and in my case, that has proved correct.

Anyway, I think anything is easy to grow if your conditions match those of a plant's native habitat and you give it water. So the best thing is to research those conditions and know your own and buy those that should grow well in those conditions. That really is the best thing to do. Phals grow like weeds for me under shop lights on a lower shelf because the temperatures there are perfect for them, but the cattleyas don't do as well because they are under hot lights in a house that doesn't get as cool as it should at night in summer so they are sometimes challenging because I'm always messing with my grow are trying to make them happier. But when I was lucky to have a window, they all did really well. It's not that I don't know how to care for them, it's just that I don't have ideal conditions for them. So if you like a challenge, get something a little more risky, but if you want them to be low maintenance, get ones with culture suited to your area.

[ctb]

I have probably 75 or so Bulbophyllums. I'm in Florida where it is bright, hot and sunny. They are in a shade house (50% )and in spag. moss and watered daily, some mounted, some baskets, but most in shallow bulb pots. I fertilize every ten days with 1/2 strength. I turn on a small heater if it is going to be below 45. They bloom and grow fast. They need to be kept wet and that wetness helps keep the humidity up.

[PaphMadMan]

I only own one: Bulbophyllum pardalotum x self. I bought it end of June 2014. It is mounted on tree fern plaque. It was beginning to be dehydrated so I wrapped some NZ sphagnum moss around the roots. It has bloomed twice and it is now set to bloom again. Mine came from a vendor in Hawaii. It was described as easy to grow.

As far as I can tell, you would have to make some effort to kill Bulbo. pardalotum. In a humid environment there doesn't seem to be any level of neglect that it won't survive.

My only Bulbo, I got it as a bonus plant and I actually forgot about it for a few months in a warm bright terrarium where I'm just letting Ficus pumilum quercifolia and a couple other things run rampant until I can get in there with a machete and take a bunch of cuttings to propagate. I removed most other things but somehow missed the Bulbo that was partly over-grown by the Ficus.

On a tree fern mount, it got only incidental watering and no fertilizer for at least 8 months. I can't say it is exactly thriving, but I've seen a lot worse for sale at orchid shows. Now that this thread made me go looking for it I gave it a soak in very dilute fertilizer solution and I'll try to remember to actually give it a splash of water along with the Ficus etc. when I open the terrarium every couple weeks, and I bet it will thrive.

[citywildcat]

As far as I can tell, you would have to make some effort to kill Bulbo. pardalotum. In a humid environment there doesn't seem to be any level of neglect that it won't survive.

My only Bulbo, I got it as a bonus plant and I actually forgot about it for a few months in a warm bright terrarium where I'm just letting Ficus pumilum quercifolia and a couple other things run rampant until I can get in there with a machete and take a bunch of cuttings to propagate. I removed most other things but somehow missed the Bulbo that was partly over-grown by the Ficus.

On a tree fern mount, it got only incidental watering and no fertilizer for at least 8 months. I can't say it is exactly thriving, but I've seen a lot worse for sale at orchid shows. Now that this thread made me go looking for it I gave it a soak in very dilute fertilizer solution and I'll try to remember to actually give it a splash of water along with the Ficus etc. when I open the terrarium every couple weeks, and I bet it will thrive.

GOOD and encouraging information for me... Thanks! Especially the part about having to "try real hard to kill it". Over time, I'm beginning to realize that you can "kill them with kindness as well". When I get my Bulbophyllum pardolatum, i'll put it in that corner that I can't reach very easily, LOL...thanks to all who posted about this topic!

---------- Post Merged at 06:10 AM ----------

I probably mentioned in another post that I have certain orchids that only get water from the ones above them got drip down on top of them - in fact, the Luicentrum Red Seagull (& Neofinetia cross) is one of those. It gets ALMOST full sun (as much as my Phal. & Encyclias, if not more). I think because of the slow but steady moisture gets from those above it, it keeps it from getting too dried out, which could happen in 2 days with the amount of sun it gets in mid summer. That takes us back to the philosophy that sometimes "less is more" (attention/fussing with orchids). DITTO! BTW, now that you've re-discovered it and promised to take better care of it, we are expecting to see some bloom photos soon :-D