Ludiscia discolor-need further advice

[mimigirl]

This guy just finished blooming. It was looking worse and worse as it bloomed. It never gets any bigger and loses leaves but this is the worse. I want to repot in fresh spaghnum and more of a shallow pot. Should i do any pruning? There is a stem on the side still alive but at a total standstill.

[Leafmite]

Good luck with it! I am really not an expert with these. I have had exactly one for a little over a year and it grows in a basket pot with styrofoam peanuts and NZ sphagnum moss. The pot is set in a cylindrical clear container to help with the humidity. If it wasn't so cold, I would offer to send you a cutting of it.

[mimigirl]

I appreciate that Leafmite. I dont know what is up with this guy. Has never gotten bigger. Blooms and looks like this. I may cut it and take my chances. I will wait to see if i get any other answers. Thanks

[Ferns Daddy]

It looks like your over watering it, the leaves starts to turn brown when its over watered, I've been growing mine is potting mix and I keep it damp but not wet, they don't like a lot of sun but do well in filtered light, the temps in my plant room is around 70f day time and 60f night time humidity is 65/70%. They seem to take for ever to grow but the next thing you know their taking over the window.

[mimigirl]

Ferns Daddy houseplant potting mix? Wow that is good to know. I havent repotted yet. Should i cut anything off?

[daveh_sf]

I don't think that's Ludisia discolor. The markings on L. discolor are almost entirely parallel to the sides of the leaves with little or no branching or zig-zag lines. It looks more like an Anoectochilus species, maybe A. albo-lineatus. I find Anoectochilus much fussier than Ludisia discolor. In any case I would have cut off the flower spike until the plant was stronger. You might try a bit warmer, low light, high humidity, and constantly moist but not soggy.

[Ferns Daddy]

Here a picture of mine last year at this time, lots of blooms on it, this year seems to be a off year it only has 2 spikes. its in a west window but never gets direct sun. it hangs there all year round.

[mimigirl]

daveh sf i wrote down the wrong name! If i take a close pic of under the leaves do you have suggestions on potting and cutting? There is a live stem that is doing nothing. Potting media? Thanks to both of you.

[Paul]

Spidermites might be another possibility.

[Maryanne]

Hello Mimi:
Ludisia discolor is like the African violet of the orchid world. It is a terrestrial grower and not an epiphyte, so potting soil mixture should work. Although, it should never be a sopping wet soil.
Mine seems to be able to tolerate some cooler temperatures - down to 55 F - a very cool room. (Keeping it there to slow the maturation of spikes)
And this last summer, I left mine in nearly full sun and it had no sunburn but developed shorter stouter stems and is now in spike. I also have a smaller L. discolor in my work office in an east window - you can tell it gets less light because it is "leggy" and floppy.
I feed mine dilute fertilizer to which I add seaweed extract. It seems to like it, and is now in spike.
Since these get "leggy" in low light, and also send under ground runners, I moved it to a wider bulb-pan type of clay pot (about 8 to 10 inch diameter) and I pinned down the longer stems into the soil to hopefully root.

Good luck - I hope yours pulls through - try a little seaweed extract - sort of like geritol for plants ; -)
Maryanne in WMass