Podangis dactyloceras

Base Price: $0.00

Intro:
A very desirable species native to Angola, Cameroon, Ghana, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda and Zaire with stiff upright leaves. Compact short flower spikes appear at the base of the plants in late spring to early summer. The flowers are a curious translucent-glassy white. There can be as many as 50 to 100 flowers on larger mature plants. This is a warm growing plant that likes to be grown in Phalaenopsis conditions. They can be grown on slabs but also do very well in plastic pots and bark mix as long as you change the mix once per year.

Light:
Low to medium light leaning towards the medium end of things. From 1,000 to 2500 foot candles. East windows are ideal.
P.L. Lights systems are a great way to provide artificial light to your orchids. See our P.L. Lights page for more information on this great product we offer.

Temperature:
Intermediate to warm with day temps of 70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit in Winter and nights of 58 to 64 degrees. Summer temps can be a few degrees warmer.

Humidity:
This plant likes a relative humidity of 50 percent or higher.
The use of humidity trays or room humidifiers is beneficial.
We offer two products that can help increase humidity levels. The humidity tray offered in black or white, and the Mist Maker.

Water:
Water as the potting mix just dries out except when in bud or bloom, then water when the mix approaches dryness.

Overwatering can cause several problems such as root rot and infectious bacteria/fungus in the potting medium. One product we offer that can help these problems if caught at an early stage is Phyton 27 bactericide and fungicide.

Fertilizer:
Use Green Jungle Orchid Food, especially formulated to work with rain, distilled, reverse osmosis water or water low in alkalinity. Fertilize with Green Jungle every time you water if plants are planted in bark. Be sure to flush the mix with clear water only once per month to prevent fertilizer salt build up. For plants in moss or mounted on slabs feed every third or 4th watering as the moss holds a lot of nutrients

Or use GrowMore 20-10-20 Ureafree for municipal or well water. Use at the rate of ½ teaspoon per gallon. If using GrowMore with rain, distilled, or reverse osmosis water, add back in 5 - 10% municipal or well water to supply the necessary calcium and magnesium. Fertilize every other watering in the summer and every third watering in the winter.

Another fertilizer offered is: GrowMore 6-30-30 (Cymbidium and bloom boosting formula).

Flowering:
This plant can bloom off and on from the late spring right through fall. The glassy ¼ inch flowers last 1-2 months and are quite amazing in texture and color. There is not another orchid quite like it.

Repotting:
Repot in spring using a small grade bark mix or the plant can be grown on cork slabs.

We offer several different types of potting medium. Here are direct links to what we believe to be some of the best potting mediums available for orchids: Orchids Limited bark mix, New Zealand sphagnum moss, coco husk, coco peat, sponge rock, charcoal, tree fern fiber and cork slabs for epiphytic plants.