Well this is my first post in the forum. Thanks for having me :clap2: I need culture advice for this species. As of now I have about 30 deflasked and growing,(sustaining life) horizontally mounted on cork slab with apiece of screen placed over the slab to give the seedlings something to grab onto. I mist them often. They are about 6 inches from my 40 watt flouros and I keep the humidity around 75 % and the temp @ around 80 deg f.

I should have also noted that I have just applied mychorrizal fungi to them also by mixing 1/2 tsp to 1/2 gal of h20.

Not a clue in hades, Mike, just wanted to say welcome to the best forum in existance! :welcome:
I'm sure someone here will be able to weigh in, or we'll just consider you the local expert on the ghost. :wink:

Hi Mike,

I also don't have a clue but I have actually seen them in the Everglades when I lived in Palm Beach county. Pretty neat looking roots!

Welcome aboard!
I have only met one person who grew and bloomed these well. He grew them on an oak log that had water constantly dripping on them, about a drop every couple minutes. He kept the temp above 75 degrees at all times with humidity always above 70 % as well. He also swore against using ANY air movement. Hope this helps, as his grew quite extensive roots and flowered with about 4 flowers at a time once a year.

Jon

I agree with Jon, I have not attempted to grow these myself, but I have read you must keep them humid and wet, and relatively dark as well.

Ed Merkle has done well with these I believe. If I remember corectly they seemed to grow beter on plastic screen than the cork bark. I also think Robert Fuchs (RF orchids) has got some good culturing advice on these guys.

I live just down the street from the Merkle's nursery maybe I'll stop in and see what he has to say. Thanks

I do have several of these that I deflasked about two years ago. I have them mounted...some on cork and some on some other wood, don't know what it is. I keep them in a small terrarium with grating in the bottom filled with water. The only thing that I do besides lots of misting is put some liquid calcium into the mister once in a while to supplement. So far so good. No bloom as yet...can't wait.

I live just down the street from the Merkle's nursery maybe I'll stop in and see what he has to say. Thanks


Must be a different Merkle. Ed is here in Nashville TN.

But RF orchids is somewhere in Florida

2 merkle's ..amazing!!!

2 merkle's ..amazing!!!

Aren't they cousins or something? I thought I read somewhere that Ed met his cousins in Florida at Redlands. Am I making that up? :confused:

2 merkle's ..amazing!!!

Aren't they cousins or something? I thought I read somewhere that Ed met his cousins in Florida at Redlands. Am I making that up? :confused:

I don't think you are, but I never here him talk about orchid growing cousins. :confused:

Ed is related to the Florida Merkle. I remember him telling me that. I thought I heard the Merkle's was going out of business.

Hey Mike Welcome to the slipper Forum.

Welcome to the board!

I understand that few people do well with the ghost orchid because they just can't provide the necessary conditions. I see that there is quite of bit of cultural information online.

Mick from Florida grows and sells lots of this species. He has some information at: http://www.rickstropica.com/culturepolyrrhizalindenii.html

I recently saw a few photos from Oak Hill Gardens showing rows of mounted ghost orchids. They are great folks and I'm sure they would share cultural information. http://www.oakhillgardens.com/

Good luck and we've love to hear of your progress! It sounds as if you're doing very well so far, especially with young plants just out of flask! Maybe you'd better keep doing what you're doing!!!

Garland