Taking inspiration from another grower, I decided to carpet the bottom with Utricularia sandersonii, so that it would make a bright green mat of leaves and, when blooming, add interest. It also helps keep the humidity up. J&L Orchids was having a good sale, so I purchased a few minis (Lepanthes gargoyla, Salpistele brunnea, and Scaphosepalum rapax) and mounted them on a piece of cork bark. This is how it looks after a few months of growing out:
It wasn't too difficult to set up. I added silicone to the bottom to seal the leak, since the Utricularia wants it wet. The LED fixture that came with the tank was way too dim, so I bought a Jungle Dawn 13W LED. It's bright. More than enough for these orchids. In fact, the Lepanthes colored up within a few days. There isn't much air movement, but I haven't (yet) had to combat fungus or mold. I suspect that the lid, which isn't very tight, allows for some movement as does the daily misting I give the plants.
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| Utricularia sandersonii carpet |
But my favorite one in the tank is Lepanthes gargoyla. This is a fantastic, tolerant, and vigorous miniature. It produces two different kinds of leaves: short, smooth, more or less upright leaves that don't bear flowers, and longer, pendulous, fuzzy leaves that bear magnificent little flowers. I can't get enough of this one and wish I had a better camera to capture its beauty.
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| See the little gargoyle face? |
It blooms sequentially; a new bud starts developing soon after the flower fades and drops off. Lepanthes is perhaps my favorite genus (next to Oeceoclades; I know, apples to oranges). Unfortunately, many are cool to cold growers and wouldn't last long in my intermediate to warm conditions. Lepanthes gargoyla is one of the more tolerant species.
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