Kefersteinia tolimensis is native to the state of Tolima (from where its name derives - tolimensis) in Colombia, but it is also found in Venezuela and Ecuador. Its natural habitat is the wet mountain forests, where it grows low on the trees at an altitude of 1300-2100 meters...
Kefersteinia tolimensis also called as The Tolima Kefersteinia, is a species of the genus Kefersteinia. This species was described by Rudolf Schlechter in 1920.
IDENTIFY KEFERSTEINIA TOLIMENSIS
Kefersteinia tolimensis is native to the state of Tolima (from where its name derives - tolimensis) in Colombia, but it is also found in Venezuela and Ecuador. Its natural habitat is the wet mountain forests, where it grows low on the trees at an altitude of 1300-2100 meters.
It is a miniature to small sized, hot to warm growing epiphyte, which reaching 10 cm in height, with a rather short stem enveloped completely by distichous, imbricate, leaf bearing sheaths and carrying broadly oblanceolate to broadly oblanceolate, acute or slightly acuminate, long attenuate basally, 10 cm long, 3 cm wide leaves.
The Tolima Kefersteinia giving rise to an axillary, erect to pendant, 8 to 13 cm long, single flowered inflorescence that blooms in the spring, summer and fall. The flowers are 3.5 cm in size and are densely marked with red specks over cream, the lip is nearly solid red.
KEFERSTEINIA TOLIMENSIS CARE AND CULTURE
Cultural information should only be used as a guide, and should be to be adapted to suit you. Your physical location; where you grow your plants, how much time you have to devote to their care, and many other factors, will need to be taken into account. Only then can you decide on the cultural methods that best suit you and your plants.
Light:
Kefersteinia tolimensis needs a light level of 9000-10000 lux are more than enough. The recommended photoperiod is 12 hours in summer and 10 hours in winter. In case of need, it is necessary to use the lamps to guarantee 10 hours of light a day.
Temperature:
The thermal regime to choose depends entirely on the humidity of the air that we can give to the orchid. In conditions when humidity remains above 75%, this species adapts quite well to intermediate-hot temperatures: in summer 23-26 ° C during the day and 18 ° C-20 ° C at night, in winter 20- 22C ° day and 16-17 ° C at night. If instead it is grown on the windowsill, with the humidity lower than 60%, the temperatures must be intermediate: in summer 20-23 ° C and 16 ° C at night, in winter 17-18 ° C during the day and 15 ° C at night.
Humidity:
This orchid depends very much on the high humidity of the air: for its well-being, at least 75% is indispensable if it is grown on a raft, ideally 80%. If its cultivation is in pot, the humidity can be about 60%, but only in conditions of intermediate temperatures that do not exceed 23 ° C.
Substrate, growing media and repotting:
In conditions of high humidity, it is ideal to cultivate Kefersteinia tolimensis with a bare root, on a raft covered with a thick layer of moss or sphagnum. The roots of the orchid must be immersed in the moss, because in nature it grows just like that. If the humidity is lower than 80%, it is better to use the pots, because the plant suffers a lot from the lack of moisture. A mixture of sphagnum and perlite (in proportion 2: 1) or of bark and sphagnum (1: 1) is used as the substrate.
Watering:
This orchid gets water when the substratum is almost dry. Never allow the plant to remain dry. The water must be low in mineral salts, because the roots of this species are very sensitive to mineral residues and they burn immediately. If the orchid is grown bare-root, it needs daily watering in the morning (never in the evening).
Fertilizer:
It is fertilized every three waterings, using 1/3 of the dose indicated on the bottle of a special liquid fertilizer for orchids. Before fertilizing the plant, it is essential to water it, because the contact of the fertilizer with the dry roots causes the burns on their surface.
Rest period:
Kefersteinia tolimensis does not require any period of rest either for its correct development or for flowering. The favorite period for blooms is summer.
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