Pleurothallid Orchid Care Guide

Pleurothallids are a vast group of mostly small orchids from the wet mountain forests of Central and South America. Our Masdevallia and Dracula are pleurothallids too, and have their own guides (Masdevallia, Dracula). This guide covers the rest of the group we grow: Restrepia, Dryadella, Platystele, Pleurothallis and Zootrophion. They differ in size and flower, but their culture rests on the same few principles.

What makes pleurothallids different

Pleurothallids have no pseudobulbs. Each growth is a slender stem carrying a single leaf, and the only water reserve the plant has is in that leaf and its fine roots. That one fact explains most of their care: they cannot ride out dry spells the way a Cymbidium or Coelogyne can, and they show stress quickly through wrinkled or yellowing leaves. In return, a well-placed plant grows steadily, stays compact and, in many genera, flowers repeatedly through the year.

Potting and mounting

Use small pots – just large enough for the roots – and a fine, moisture-holding medium. Sphagnum moss on its own works well for most of these plants; a fine mix of small bark, perlite and sphagnum also suits growers who tend to overwater. Clear pots, such as our 100mm clear orchid pots, make it easy to judge root health and moisture at a glance (see why clear pots make a difference).

Mounting on cork or tree fern suits some species, especially those with a creeping habit, but a mounted plant dries in hours rather than days. Only mount if you can keep humidity very high or water daily. For a full comparison, see mounting vs potting miniature pleurothallids.

Watering

Keep the medium evenly moist at all times – never soggy, never dry. In practice that usually means watering several times a week in warm weather and less often in winter, but the plant and the medium are the guide, not the calendar. Rainwater or reverse-osmosis water is preferred; these plants are sensitive to dissolved salts, and hard tap water shows up as blackened leaf tips over time. Water in the morning so foliage is dry by night. Our general guide to watering orchids covers technique in more detail.

Light

Shade to filtered light. As a starting point, aim for a little less light than you would give a Phalaenopsis: bright enough to read by, never in direct sun. Leaves should be a clear mid-green. Very dark, soft leaves suggest too little light; yellowish or reddish leaves suggest too much.

Temperature

Most of the pleurothallids we grow are cool to intermediate growers from cloud forest. A clear drop between day and night temperatures suits them, and summer heat is the main risk in Australia. Within the group:

• Coolest: Dryadella hirtzii, from cloud forest above 2000 metres. Keep it below the low 20s wherever possible.
• Cool to intermediate: Restrepia, Platystele misera and Pleurothallis restrepioides.
• Intermediate to warm: Pleurothallis quadrifida and Zootrophion atropurpureum, which tolerate warmer days and dislike prolonged cold.

When hot weather is forecast, increase shade, airflow and humidity together. Our article on preparing cool-growing orchids for Australian summer sets out a practical approach.

Humidity and airflow

Humidity of 70% or more suits most pleurothallids, and air movement matters just as much. High humidity in still air leads to rot; moving air in low humidity dries plants out. A small fan running continuously in a shadehouse, glasshouse or grow tent is the simplest way to provide both. If your conditions are dry, a terrarium or grow tent can work very well for the smaller species – see miniature orchids for terrariums and grow tents. A max/min thermometer and hygrometer take the guesswork out (monitoring temperature and humidity).

Feeding

Feed lightly and often: a balanced orchid fertiliser at a quarter to half the label strength, every second or third watering during active growth. Flush with plain water regularly to stop salts building up in the medium.

Repotting

Repot when the medium starts to break down, usually every one to two years for sphagnum. The best time is when new roots are just emerging from the base of the newest growth. Disturb the roots as little as possible and keep the plant shaded and humid for a couple of weeks afterwards.

Propagation

Clumps can be divided when they have plenty of growths, but small divisions establish slowly, so leave plants whole unless you need to. Restrepia is unusual in that it readily produces plantlets (keikis) from the base of a leaf, and even from detached leaves – see how to grow Restrepia orchids.

Common problems

• Wrinkled or folding leaves: the plant is short of water. Either it has dried out, or the roots have rotted and can no longer take water up. Check the roots before adding more water.
• Black leaf tips: usually salt build-up from hard water or overfeeding. Switch to rainwater and flush the pot.
• Leaf drop in summer: heat stress. Improve shade and airflow, and expect slow recovery.
• Rot at the base of growths: stagnant, wet conditions. Increase air movement and let foliage dry before night.

Browse our current range of pleurothallid orchids, including the species covered in this guide.