Read more of Cultivation of Aeranthes arachnites (Thouars) Lindl.
Culture:
Light:
1000-2000 fc. Light should be filtered or diffused, and plants should not be exposed to direct midday sun. Strong air movement should be provided at all times.
Temperatures:
Summer days average 85-86F (29-30C), and nights average 71-73F (22-23C), with a diurnal range of 12-14F (7-8C).
Humidity:
75-80% most of the year, but averages fall to 65-70% for a few months from early spring to early summer.
Water:
Rainfall is moderate to heavy in summer and autumn, but averages are somewhat lower in winter and spring, with the driest months occurring in spring. There is not a severe or extended dry season, however. Cultivated plants should be watered heavily while actively growing, but drainage must be excellent, and conditions around the roots should never become stale or soggy.
Fertilizer:
1/4–1/2 recommended strength, applied weekly when plants are actively growing. Many growers use a high-nitrogen fertilizer from spring to midsummer, then switch to one high in phosphates in late summer and autumn.
Rest period:
Winter days average 75-76F (24C), and nights average 62-63F (17C), with a diurnal range of 13F (7C). Rainfall is lower in winter and spring, but there is no actual dry season. Water should be reduced for cultivated plants in winter and spring, but the should not remain completely without water for long periods. Fertilizer should be reduced when water is reduced, with both increased gradually when new growth starts.
Growing media:
Plants may be grown in shallow, well-drained containers or mounted on tree-fern slabs. Mounted plants need high humidity, however, and during hot, dry weather they may need several waterings a day. If it is difficult to keep mounted plants moist enough, they may be grown in a shallow pot or basket filled with a very open, fast-draining medium that has excellent drainage, is well aerated, and allows the medium to dry fairly rapidly after watering. Hillerman & Holst (1986) recommended potting in medium-sized fir bark. Shredded tree-fern fiber may also be used, and varying amounts of chunky perlite and/or chopped sphagnum moss may be added to the potting mix to keep the medium open and retain some moisture. Including charcoal in the mix also holds the medium open and prevents souring in the pot. Plants should be repotted immediately if the medium starts to break down or whenever the plant outgrows its container. Repotting should be done just as new roots start to grow. This enables the plant to become reestablished in the shortest possible time.
Miscellaneous notes:
Hillerman & Holst (1986) report that these plants remain in flower "continuously throughout most of the summer and fall."
References:
This information is quoted from a Charles and Margaret Baker culture sheet, with permission from Troy Meyers
