Read more of Cultivation of Stenoglottis longifolia Hook.f.
Light:
Stenoglottis longifolia needs a light level of 20000-30000 lux.Plants require bright light to flower, but light should be filtered or diffused, and plants may need protection from direct midday sun. Strong air movement should be provided at all times.
Temperatures:
Summer days average 76-78F (25-26C), and nights average 64-66F (18-19C), with a diurnal range of 12F (7C). Because of the range in habitat elevation, these plants should adapt to conditions 8-10F (4-6C) cooler than indicated in the preceding climate table.
Humidity:
70-75% most of the year, dropping to near 65% for 2-3 months in winter.
Water:
Rainfall is light to moderate through most of the year, but is rather heavy from late spring into early autumn. There is a somewhat drier period in winter. Cultivated plants should be watered often while actively growing, but drainage should be excellent and conditions around the roots should never be stale or soggy.
Fertilizer:
1/4–1/2 recommended strength, applied weekly. A high-nitrogen fertilizer is beneficial from spring to midsummer, but a fertilizer high in phosphates should be used in late summer and autumn.
Rest period:
Winter days average 69-70F (21C), and nights average 49-52F (9-11C), with a diurnal range of 17-20F (10-11C). Winter minimum temperatures in colder parts of the habitat may average near 40F (4C). Rainfall is generally low in winter in most of the habitat, and some regions are quite dry. However, some additional moisture usually is available from heavy dew. Water should be reduced for cultivated plants in winter, allowing them to become rather dry between waterings, but they should not be completely without water for long periods. Occasional early-morning mistings between infrequent waterings should keep plants from drying out too much while providing the necessary dry rest. Hawkes (1965) reported that these plants must have a strict resting period after flowering. After the foliage turns yellow and withers, water should be virtually stopped. Care should be taken to ensure that the compost never dries out completely, however, or the tubers may become overly desiccated. Waterings should be resumed when the new shoots appear at the surface of the compost. Fertilizer should be reduced or eliminated until new growth starts and heavier watering is resumed in spring.
Growing media:
Hawkes (1965) indicated that these orchids are best grown in rather shallow, perfectly drained pots or pans, filled with a porous compost of shredded osmunda, fibrous loam, gritty sand, and chopped sphagnum moss. These plants should be disturbed as infrequently as possible, but as they are intolerant of sour conditions around the roots, they should be repotted if the medium becomes stale. When repotting is necessary, it is probably best done when the plant is dormant.
References:
This information is quoted from a Charles and Margaret Baker culture sheet, with permission from Troy Meyers
