HELP!!!! Rhyncatt. Dal's Nugget

[Queenslander]

[ATTACH]
Given to me as a "gift". Has been like this for 12 months. No roots, one leaf. Is this orchid still alive, it has been comatose for all this time. Anyone help with any suggestions. Unpotted and now lying on a bed of damp spagnum moss. Last rites being written up as I post this message.

[Zoi2]

Can you tell if there are any eyes on the leads? If not, I'd say it was toast.
Joann

[tucker85]

I think it's time to get rid of that one. Sorry.

[Silje]

Well...it's not completely dead yet (although it looks like it is well on the way). As Zoi2 asked: Do you see any live eyes or leads? If so, there might still be enough energy left in the 'healthiest' bulbs to send out some roots.

I wouldn't throw it just yet. But then again...I never throw any orchids until they are, without doubt, completely rotten or mummified.

[dounoharm]

same as above...pot it up in dry bark and water it every two weeks and see what happens.....maybe it will pop out with a new growth, maybe not....after another 6 months of this its time for the garbage....

[Queenslander]

I think I can see something there. It is coming into Spring here, so, I have dipped the greenest part of a pseudobulb in indolebutric acid gel, suspended it over some spanish moss. 6 months more I will give it, then off to the bin.

[BettyE]

It may take six months to a year, but I DO SEE GREEN on this orchid. Now, this is just MY opinion, but if it were mine, I'd pot it up in a mix of 60% large ( soak overnight, first) bark, 20% perlite & 20% horicultural charcoal. Soak every week, and give a little less light than a normal, healthy cattleya. Anytime there is still green left...there is hope! Good luck...BettyE

[james mickelso]

This can be saved. But don't pot it up. Do this (see pics). This didn't take that long to grow roots. Good spagnum moss, thin wire or string, patience. The last picture (I think) is what this started out as and you can see the progression. Wrapped spag around the dry pbulbs and just hung in a warm place with good sunlight. Kept it damp but not wet.

[Queenslander]

Originally Posted by james mickelso

Wrapped spag around the dry pbulbs and just hung in a warm place with good sunlight. Kept it damp but not wet.

James, thank you for your advice. This is wonderful. I am so happy for you. What a terrific exercise. How long did it take from start? Your starting point, just looks like mine, except mine has 1 leaf. Too late to do tonight, so I will try your way tomorrow. At the moment, it is suspended over moss, but I like your way better. So the trick is to just keep the spag.moss, just damp, not wet?

[james mickelso]

I started this from a 4 pbulb very old group. One of the pbulbs was rotted so I cut it off. I put cinnamon on the wound. I wrapped the rest in spagnum moss and the middle one just died so I cut it off so as not to have a place for rot to start. I hung the two wrapped pbulbs in a bright warm place in the GH and dunked it every day or two. Whenever it felt dry. A bud came out after about two months and then just sat there. In spring it started to grow and then it put out a root. Then another and then the two you see beklow. From start to now was about 8m months. I started the whole thing in winter. As long as there are eyes or latent buds and some starch left in the pbulbs to feed the latent pbulbs then it should take off. Whenever I divide I always keep the bbulbs because you can get the latent buds to grow and once they get mature, they will flower. Room for all the extra orchids is the impediment for most. But I grow them and give them away. I just can't throw away anything that is still alive. But "alive" is the optional word here. Let me know how you do. I'm always interested in helping people grow their orchids.