Read more of Cultivation of Jumellea anjouanensis (Finet) H.Perrier,
Light:
1500-3000 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. Hillerman & Holst (1986) suggested medium light levels for these plants, but reported that they flower well with fairly low light.
Temperatures:
Summer days average 84-85F (29C), and nights average 73F (23C), with a diurnal range of 11-12F (6-7C).
Humidity:
80-85% most of the year, dropping to near 75% for a month or so in late winter. Conditions may be more humid in the mountain habitat, however.
Water:
Rainfall occurs from late spring into autumn. Averages decrease rather rapidly into a dry season that lasts 4-5 months in winter and early spring. Cultivated plants should be watered often while actively growing, but drainage should be excellent and conditions around the roots should never be allowed to become stale or soggy. Water should be reduced in late autumn when plants are no longer actively growing.
Fertilizer:
1/4–1/2 recommended strength, applied weekly when plants are actively growing. Many growers prefer to use a balanced fertilizer throughout the year; but others 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 77-78F (25-26C), and nights average 67-70F (19-21C), with a diurnal range of 8-10F (5-6C). Rainfall in the habitat is low in winter, but additional moisture often is available from heavy dew and late-night mist. Water should be reduced for cultivated plants in winter, allowing them to become somewhat dry between waterings. They should never be allowed to dry out completely, however. Fertilizer should be reduced or eliminated until new growth starts and heavier watering is resumed in spring.
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. Growers generally use medium-sized fir bark or shredded tree-fern fiber and add varying amounts of chunky perlite and/or chopped sphagnum moss 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) reported that this species is almost constantly in bloom, at times carrying only 1-2 blossoms, but at other times displaying as many as 8-10.
References:
This information is quoted from a Charles and Margaret Baker culture sheet, with permission from Troy Meyers
Fl. Madag., ed. Humbert, Fam. 49, ii. 170 (1941) Hamilton, R. 1988. When does it flower? 2nd ed. Robert M. Hamilton, 9211 Beckwith Road, Richmond, B. C., Canada V6X 1V7. Hillerman, F. and A. Holst. 1986. An introduction to the cultivated Angraecoid orchids of Madagascar. Timber Press, Portland, Ore.
Photos/drawings:
Hillerman, F. and A. Holst. 1986. An introduction to the cultivated Angraecoid orchids of Madagascar. Timber Press, Portland, Ore. (Color photo)
