Jim,
Many years ago I had a Dendrophylax lindenii growing on its original limb with one end standing in a 20" deep pale filled with wet peat. It lasted many years and bloomed. So I don't think the problem is dead wood releasing chemicals only after it was dead.. The problem is humidity! If it is not around 80-90 % at all times the plants will not live. If you had ever observed them in the wild you would understand. The plants grow generally at about 4-6 feet up the trunk of the trees ( yes I have seen them lower and much higher). The trees they grow on are standing in several feet of water and the capillary action pulls water up the tree bark, so the roots are moist and seldom if ever dry out totally. If the humidity were low then the tree bark would not retain enough water to keep them growing. To keep them in cultivation you must duplicate these conditions.
icones
Subject: [OGD] Florida orchids
The February/March 2005 issue of National Wildlife (National Wildlife
Federation) Wolrd Edition has an article about south Florid's orchids. The
article is entitled "Delicate Affair", pgs 35 - 43. It states that the Ghost
Orchid, Dendrophylax lindenii, grows on pond apple trees and that if a limb
with the plant is cut from the tree, the dead wood will release chemicals
that kill the plant.
My question - does the living limb give anything to the plant other than some structural support? I have a couple of seed grown D. lindenii that I purchased. The linger on but not really making much progress. Any ideas?
Jim Pyrzynski
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