Read more of Cultivation of Erasanthe henrici (Schltr.) P.J.Cribb, Hermans & D.L.Roberts
Light:
1000-1500 fc. Plants should be grown in fairly low filtered or diffused light. Strong air movement should be provided at all times.
Temperatures:
Summer days average 83-85F (28-29C), and nights average 65-66F (18-19C), with a diurnal range of 17-20F (9-11C).
Humidity:
75-80% most of the year, dropping to 65-70% for about 3 months in spring.
Water:
Rainfall is moderate to very heavy from midspring to early autumn. Averages then decline rapidly resulting in a dry season that starts in late autumn and lasts into early spring. Cultivated plants should be watered heavily while actively growing, but drainage must be excellent and conditions around the roots should never be stale or soggy. Water should be reduced in autumn after new growths mature.
Fertilizer:
1/4–1/2 recommended strength, applied weekly when plants are actively growing. Many growers use a balanced fertilizer all year. Others, however, use a high-nitrogen fertilizer from spring to midsummer then switch to a high-phosphate formula in late summer and autumn.
Rest period:
Winter days average 73-75F (23-24C), and nights average 53-55F (12-13C), with a diurnal range of 19-22F (11-12C). Rainfall in the habitat is low for about 5 months from late autumn until the following spring, but moisture is available from very heavy dew and late-night mist during most of the dry season. Cultivated plants need less water in winter, particularly if they are being grown in the dark, short-day conditions common in temperate latitudes, but they should not be allowed to remain completely without water for long periods. Somewhat regular early-morning mistings between infrequent light waterings should provide sufficient moisture in most growing areas but still provide the necessary dry rest. Fertilizer should be reduced or eliminated until new growth starts and heavier watering is resumed in spring.
Growing media:
The pendulous inflorescences and the need for heavy watering and excellent drainage, suggests that Aeranthes henrici is most easily managed if mounted on a slab of tree-fern fiber. 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, perfectly drained hanging 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 and Holst (1986) reported that all of their attempts to grow these plants in pots failed. Hawkes (1965) reported that for the genus in general, plants grown in containers grow best in tightly packed osmunda or shredded tree-fern fiber. Bechtel, Cribb, and Launert (1986) recommended mixing 6 parts fir bark, 1 part perlite or pumice, 1 part of coarse peat, and 1 part of charcoal. These plants rot easily if conditions at the roots are stale, so they should be repotted before the medium starts to break down. Repotting is best done just as new roots start to grow which enables the plant to become reestablished in the shortest possible time.
Miscellaneous notes:
In the habitat, however, these plants flower in autumn. Hillerman and Holst (1986) reported that they have found this species difficult to grow even when mounted.
References:
This information is quoted from a Charles and Margaret Baker culture sheet, with permission from Troy Meyers
Bechtel, H., P. Cribb, and E. Launert. 1980. Manual of cultivated orchid species. MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass. Hamilton, R. 1988. When does it flower? 2nd ed. Robert M. Hamilton, 9211 Beckwith Road, Richmond, B. C., Canada V6X 1V7. Hawkes, A. [1965] 1987. Encyclopaedia of cultivated orchids. Faber and Faber, London. Hillerman, F. and A. Holst. 1986. An introduction to the cultivated Angraecoid orchids of Madagascar. Timber Press, Portland, Ore. Pridgeon, A. ed. 1992. The illustrated encyclopedia of orchids. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Photos/drawings:
Hillerman, F. and A. Holst. 1986. An introduction to the cultivated Angraecoid orchids of Madagascar. Timber Press, Portland, Ore. (Color photo) Pridgeon, A. ed. 1992. The illustrated encyclopedia of orchids. Timber Press, Portland, OR. (Color photo)
