Angraecum sesquipedale growth

[groundpounder17]

I have a Darwin’s orchid that is quickly becoming one of my favorites. I received this orchid on September 13th and it has done exceptionally well! It has already grown over an inch and I thought this was supposed to be a slow growing orchid. I also noticed that when I started giving it kelpak that one of the new growth roots started to grow two roots. I know it’s nothing wrong with it, but I wonder what causes this? Could it be the kelpak or is that just coincidental?

I didn’t realize how much I would enjoy this one. I actually had wanted one, but it wasn’t at top of my list. I added it to the cart as an afterthought. It’s now the one I’m most fond of. Who would’ve thought?

[Roberta]

If you got it Sept 13 of this year, any changes you see are what the plant "planned" on doing before you got it. You got a good one! Orchids don't respond dramatically to treatment in just a few weeks. Over the long haul that kepak will certainly help, but I don't think you can give it the credit for the rapid growth you are seeing. That plant is a keeper! It is a very young plant (a baby!) , so keep up the good work.

[groundpounder17]

I don’t think the kelpak is responsible for the growth of the plant. It was doing great and only when I added the kelpak did I see the root start forming the two that you can see in the second pic. I just thought maybe the kelpak could have caused that, but also realized it is likely coincidental. I’m mostly curious as to what causes a new growing root to start forming two roots and stop the growth of the original

Edit: I don’t think I’m at all responsible for this btw. I think I just got lucky and it likes the growing conditions. I keep the humidity at 65% and the heat is high during the day reaching up to 95 and at night gets down to around 67

[Roberta]

Keep on doing what you're doing!

[estación seca]

These grow much faster than they're reported to when they're warm and get plenty of water. They like fertilizer, too.

[groundpounder17]

Originally Posted by estación seca

These grow much faster than they're reported to when they're warm and get plenty of water. They like fertilizer, too.

I kept reading about slow growth and that is not what I’m seeing. I really think the humidifiers have been the best investment I’ve made growing orchids indoors. All of my plants like the humidity

[Dusty Ol' Man]

Well, on this one I'm going to have to disagree. When using Kelpak on new plants I have noticed consistent quick new root production within 4 weeks of treatment. Before I started using it new roots would take a very long time unless there was a new growth an the plant when I received it. It is mind boggling how this product has affected my plants. Now, every new plant gets a Kelpak soak upon getting it home.

[Dalachin]

I have two of these, and when they are happy they are either growing a root or a leaf or both. I watered the whole collection with a dose of kelpak a couple weeks ago and I did think that might be why both sesquipedales put out two new roots each. But it could be a coincidence! On the other side of the coin, when I was treating the whole collection for mealies with imidacloprid, their newest roots turned yellow (but did not seem to stop growing or wither). I skipped them on subsequent retreatments. So yes i do think they are very responsive!

When I got my larger one, I potted it in a spag and bark mix and it did nothing… and started gradually losing leaves. After six months I unpotted it, and it had no new root growth. I repotted into semi hydro and it started growing new roots like crazy. It hasn’t stopped growing since, it seems to love having a resevoir of water.

They haven’t bloomed for me yet… high hopes that I’ll see some buds this winter.

[nemesis]

[QUOTE=groundpounder17;1009914]I have a Darwin’s orchid that is quickly becoming one of my favorites. I received this orchid on September 13th and it has done exceptionally well! It has already grown over an inch and I thought this was supposed to be a slow growing orchid. I also noticed that when I started giving it kelpak that one of the new growth roots started to grow two roots. I know it’s nothing wrong with it, but I wonder what causes this? Could it be the kelpak or is that just coincidental?


Welcome to my World.

[groundpounder17]

Originally Posted by nemesis

Welcome to my World.

I’m now trying to figure out which Angraecinae I want to add to my collection next