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Specific additional cultural information
Philip C. Tomlinson © 1998
For basic cultural information, refer to the Cattleya Culture page. Seasonal cultural
information is also included with that data. The following page details specific cultural pointers
for the genus BARKERIA, and should be read with the basic information presented elsewhere.
THE GENUS BARKERIA
The genus Barkeria is a small one, both
as the size of the genus, and the general size of the plants Their bright attractive flowers produced from
small plants makes them desirable additions to most conniseurs collections, or just for anyone who enjoys attractive
flowers.
Out of growth the plants just look like a clump of dry twigs, but in the spring new growths
are produced which develop during the warm moist summers finally producing flowers in the autumn and early winter. The final period is dryer, and the winters are very dry,
when the plants loose their leaves, and are dormant. They naturally grow on small shrubs, and on small
branches of trees, with their roots freely exposed to moving air. Therefore a very open compost must
be used, which will require heavy watering during the spring and summer, but which can be kept dry during
the later autumn and winter while the plants enter their period of natural dormancy.
The main Barkeria species are barkeriola, chinensis, dorotheae,
halbingeri, lindleyana, malanocaulon, naevosa, palmeri, scandens, schoemakeri, skinneri, spectabilis, strophinx
and uniflora. The commonly cultivated species are skinneri and lindleyana.
The species mostly come from the Lowland Rainforest and Monsoonal Foothill Mountain habitats,
and information on these habitats can be usefully referred to.
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Barkeria skinneri
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CULTURE
The culture of barkeria is exceedingly
difficult for the unwary. However it is very simple if you are fully aware of their needs. As noted above
they naturally grow on scrub brush or on rocks. Any plant crammed into a pot in almost any kind of
compost rarely survives a second year.
They should be grown in pots with large drainage holes, utilising large sized media. Large
pieces of charcoal, bark and/or tree fern is suitable. Plants need to be heavily watered when in active growth,
from the time the new growths appear in the spring to the point of flowering in the early autumn, and kept in a
warm situation. From flowering it should be moved to a dry cooler situation, During the winter months
only mist occasionally, and plants should not be watered as such. Over the period of dormancy it can take
cooler conditions. Good light levels should be maintained, and intermediate conditions during growth
are appropriate. Some growers recommend mounting on cork or firm tree fern slabs.
For a detailed discussion of the genus,
refer to the Barkeria genera page.
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8.2.2000
