Dying terete. Please help - Orchid Board

Orchitty · #1 06-08-2018, 01:43 AM

Hi all. I'm relatively new to Vandas. I bought a few vanda-type orchids last Fall and most of them are doing ok. Two have bloomed. I have one that I think is a semi-terete that is not doing so well and I'd like some suggestions. Firstly, I'm not sure if I was sent the correct orchid. With one order, I bought: Vanda Roberts Delight Red Fuchsia, Orchid Vanda Kapoho Fire, and Ascda Suksamran Gold Spots Dhong Pusavat. Since the humidity is not very high here and I can't water every day, I unpotted some and put all of them in glass vases for semi water culture. So... I lost track of which tags go with which plant. The other two I got with this one are strap-type vandas. A while back, I went online to search their names for pictures and I don't think any of them are supposed to have thin leaves like this one. Am I right? I wintered these guys under a grow light and while the others did well, this one was slowly drying out. My orchids have since been out on the patio under shade cloth in 80-95F daytime weather on large humidity trays. All the others are doing great with new growth and new roots. This guy continues to dry out though. About 2 days ago, I put it back in this basket with loose bark and clay balls to see if it might do better. Any suggestions on how I might save it? Thanks.

Ray · #2 06-08-2018, 06:10 AM

That is not a terete-leaved vanda, it looks like it is SO dehydrated that the leaves have folded as they collapse. Terete-, and even semi-terete vandas, to some degree, have pencil-like leaves.

I suspect the roots are in really bad condition, and the plant is simply unable to take up water.

Orchitty · #3 06-08-2018, 08:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ray

That is not a terete-leaved vanda, it looks like it is SO dehydrated that the leaves have folded as they collapse. Terete-, and even semi-terete vandas, to some degree, have pencil-like leaves.

I suspect the roots are in really bad condition, and the plant is simply unable to take up water.

You're right. The leaves are not pencil-shaped. But they were always mostly folded like this. That's why I thought it might be a cross between the two kinds of vandas as I've never seen them before. This was probably a young plant then. And yes, the roots are not doing so well. It came to me with just 4-5 short ones that barely came out of the basket.

Ray · #4 06-08-2018, 10:30 AM

I honestly don't know if it can be saved, but the best route to doing so is to get the thing to grow more roots, quickly.

Consider KelpMax.

Orchitty · #5 06-08-2018, 03:03 PM

Thanks for the replies. I need to get some KelpMax. Keep hearing about it. Well, I've decided to pull it out of the bark/clay medium because the dampness might just rot the roots faster. Will just try to soak it more often. I did soak it in water with small amount of Superthrive and Rootone. I'm thinking maybe the plant was too young with too few roots to be in the dry environment I had it in over the winter. I had it sitting in a vase about 1.5-2 ft under a 400 W LED grow light.

Leafmite · #6 06-08-2018, 09:59 PM

Good luck with it!

King_of_orchid_growing:) · #7 06-08-2018, 10:19 PM

I recommend foregoing the KelpMax, Rootone, or the Superthrive. It is not likely to show significant improvements with these products.

Instead, try soaking it for no more than 24 hours and then growing it in a clear pot with large grade bark. Water when roots become completely dry, but do not allow the roots to stay dry for more than a day between waterings. See if this will work. If you don't see some tiny bit of improvement within a week, just chuck it up for a loss.

The hybrids you mentioned are not strap leafed Vandas crossed with terete leafed Vandas. Their heritage belongs only to strap leafed Vandas.

If it came in with pinched and/or wrinkly leaves, it should've been grounds for a return and/or refund of some sort.

Ray · #8 06-09-2018, 01:41 PM

I have to disagree with Philip - and not just because I sell KelpMax. If you do that soak he recommended with KelpMax, it will hydrate the plant and stimulate it to grow roots, which it definitely needs.

King_of_orchid_growing:) · #9 06-09-2018, 02:02 PM

Let’s be dead honest. How likely do you really believe this plant will make it if there are no significant improvements made in 1 - 2 weeks regardless of whether or not Kelpmax is used. I believe you even mentioned it earlier.

Ray · #10 06-09-2018, 05:02 PM

That's true, but if one is going to put in the effort to try and revive it, why not do everything you can?