New Leaf Growth on Masdi veitchiana seems strange - is this normal? - Orchid Board

RosieC · #1 (**permalink**) 10-12-2009, 05:35 PM

[Edit]Ok, added a pic now[/Edit]

When I bought my Masdi veitchiana in August it had the start of two new leaves. This being my first Masdi I watched their progress every day.

BUT...

As the new leaves grew I noticed that the largest was folding up inside it's sheath. It seemed like it could not break out of the sheath and as it tried to lengthen the growing pressure from the sheath caused folds.

I carefully (very carefully) slit the sheath and freed the leaf, it continued to grow and is now a reasonable size. If you know where to look you can tell where it was kinked but you need to know where to look.

Thinking that it can't be normal to have to do this (no-one in the wild to do it). I left the second new leaf. It seemed to get fatter inside the sheath for a while then stopped. Finally when I decided to slit the sheath I found it had rotted.

So then, quite close together after this 4 more new leaves started. I could see that the largest two were doing exactly the same and folding over. I again decided to slit the sheath and actually found one of them had two sheaths right to the tip. I slit one first and when it still would not break free slit the other. Soon after I slit the one on the 2nd largest leaf.

These two are very kinked, you can see the largest in the center and the other one is on the left. It's been a couple of weeks and they have not really straightend, but they have grown noticablly and are starting to open the two halves. The larger leaf behind the center one is the first one I removed the sheath from. It is open but on a shorter stem than the older leaves.

It seems like the sheath is just too thick for the leaf to break through and I'm puzzled how this is suposed to work

Of the two which started arround the same time one is growing well and appears to not have got caught at the top of the sheath but seems to be extending out of it (this seems more normal to me). That's the one on the right behind the old leaves. On the other the sheath is completly enclosing the tip and I can't decide if this one is growing still or not. That can just be seen at the bottom of the center ones.

I noticed this morning a further 3 growths just starting. These are too small to see how they will develop.

So...

Anyone any ideas why this Masdi seems to need intervention for the leaves to grow?

The enviroment is as follows...

Temp - 11C to 20C for the last 6 weeks, but it was getting up to 28C when I first bought it. The last few weeks it's been closer to 11C to 15C.

Light - Unsure exactly but it's getting the same light as my Phals. It is in an east facing window with no artificial light.

Medium - A very small pot of moss. The moss seems good quality with very long strands. The pot is one of those mesh ones which is more holes than pot. It dries in about a week and I water it when the moss gets just crispy feeling. I check it twice a day to see if it is ready for watering.

Other - it should get some air movement as it is next to a slightly open window, just on the catch so it's still locked. The window is left wider open some evenings and at the weekend. (I'm trying to let the temp get cold in that room for this Masdi).

ronaldhanko · #2 (**permalink**) 10-12-2009, 08:52 PM

Needs more humidity.

King_of_orchid_growing:) · #3 (**permalink**) 10-13-2009, 12:24 AM

removed

RosieC · #4 (**permalink**) 10-13-2009, 05:59 PM

Thanks Guys,

I had wondered about humidity and watering, but the crinkling did not happen on it's own, it was because the sheath was so thick and it could not break out. Could that still be because it's too dry?

Average humidity arround here is arround 79% so I don't usually have a problem with that.

I am probably letting it dry out between waterings too much though so I can up that. I'm still always worried about over watering so have a tendency to underwater.

cirillonb · #5 (**permalink**) 10-13-2009, 06:42 PM

I have the same problem on 2 of 8 Masdies. I have tried to be more obsessive about watering but I can't do more than I am with humidity. I noticed those I moved to net basket/pots in sphagnum seem to have less problems but are more demanding on watering.
Nick

RosieC · #6 (**permalink**) 10-14-2009, 06:58 AM

Thanks cirillonb,

Did yours seem unable to break out of the sheath as well?

I had wondererd if it could be to do with temp because it had got a bit warm during August.

Anyway I'm going to up my watering. It's in net pot with sphagnum so it stays damp quite a long time but I think I've been leaving it to dry too much before watering again.

camille1585 · #7 (**permalink**) 10-14-2009, 08:37 AM

I don't think it's heat related. My Masdie bicolor grew some leaves this summer and they were normal, even in the 40°C heat. It was doing the same thing as yours in late winter/early spring, and if I remember right the humidity wasn't very high (40% instead of the usual 60-70) and because I was so busy at that time I wasn't watering as often, so it got dry between waterings. As soon as I picked up a normal watering schedule again it seemed that the problem solved itself. Mine's in a plastic pot with sphag.

cirillonb · #8 (**permalink**) 10-14-2009, 09:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RosieC

Thanks cirillonb,

Did yours seem unable to break out of the sheath as well?

I had wondererd if it could be to do with temp because it had got a bit warm during August.

Anyway I'm going to up my watering. It's in net pot with sphagnum so it stays damp quite a long time but I think I've been leaving it to dry too much before watering again.

I guess you could say it is in a "sheath" but I suspect that is the way the leaf normally unfolds. But to answer simply, yes.
My condo rarely gets above 75 deg F.
Nick

Ross · #9 (**permalink**) 10-14-2009, 10:45 AM

I don't think it's heat or humidity either one. I believe the pleating occurs with salts buildup. I've reduced most of mine by dropping the fertilizer (I now water with pure RO water for 4-5 times then very weak fertilizer the 5th or 6th time) Very weak is 125ppm nitrogen. This is about 20% of the nutrients that the other 'chids get on a routine basis.

camille1585 · #10 (**permalink**) 10-14-2009, 11:08 AM

Mine gets watered weakly with frequent flushings. My other orchids get 125ppm N 3 of 4 waterings, and the Masdie gets 80ppm N, usually 2 of 3 waterings, or less. That seems really low to me even for a masdie, but it's still growing great (quadrupled in size in less than a year) and I had 'leaf stuck in the sheath' problem anyways.