Donate Now
and become
Forum Supporter.
Many perks! <...more...>
|
06-25-2008, 10:47 AM
|
Senior Member
|
|
Join Date: May 2007
Zone: 4a
Location: Houghton Lake, MI
Age: 46
Posts: 872
|
|
Unhappy Phals :(
I know there are loads of OB members that are having great success with phals in s/h. Unfortunately I'm not one of them and I really need some advice and suggestions. Last summer I repotted 4 of my phals into s/h. I did my research first and repotted only when I had lots of new root growth. All the plants were healthy and growing in bark before I changed over.
For a long time it seemed like they were sulking a bit and had really floppy leaves. But then I started getting new roots growing above the primeagra and a few new leaves so I thought they were adjusting. However, 2 of them have really went downhill. I moved all my orchids under fluorescent lighting almost 5 months ago and while everything had a growth explosion, the phals in s/h have not grown any new roots and they are losing bottom leaves one right after the other. I know that can be normal w/ phals but the 2 I'm concerned with have only 3 leaves left (that don't look too good either) and they were big(ish) and healthy before.
Yesterday I moved them onto the floor next to my orchid rack because the leaves are really purple and completely limp. I have a light meter and they were under about 800 fc which shouldn't be to bright for them and other phals under that kind of light are doing fine.
I water with distilled water and use MSU fertilizer for pure water at 125ppm. I also use 2 drops of KLN per gallon everytime I water. The humidity in the room where they are kept is around 60-65%. I have a fan going 24/7 and temps range right now from 70-83F. I have been watering once a week because thats when it starts to look like it's getting dry. Could that be part of my problem? The last few weeks I've been trying to water them every few days or so to see if that helps. From the appearance of the leaves it looks like I haven't watered them in months.
I would LOVE some suggestions on what I'm doing wrong. Obviously phals seem to like s/h for other people so I have to be doing something wrong. What's frustrating is that I have a Sharry Baby and Brassia that I moved last year as well and they are doing great and have been since day one. I'm just worried if I don't do something soon I'm going to lose the phals. I mean it's been a full year, shouldn't they be doing better and not worse?
Sorry this has gotten so long. I'm just trying to cover everything so someone can point out all the stuff I'm doing wrong. TIA
|
06-25-2008, 11:52 AM
|
Senior Member
|
|
Join Date: Apr 2007
Zone: 9b
Location: Monterey, California
Posts: 170
|
|
With good air movement, my phals respond very well to watering every morning while in S/H when I am able to.
|
06-25-2008, 01:29 PM
|
Senior Member
|
|
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Bergen.
Posts: 342
|
|
I moved several phals into S/H a while ago, and theyre all doing fine, exept one(but this one was struggelig before the transfer, and seems better now).
I mist the air-roots every morning, and i also mist the top of the medium on everyone, regardless if they have air-roots or not. And i have a fan going some hours every day(more on warm days than on colder days). Its not on 24/7.
I realize this may not swolve anything, but its my rutine, and my phals seems to like the S/H better than ordinary bark-mix witch i have on the rest.
But, i have to water more often with S/H, about twise a week, i run water trhu the pot and fill up the reservoir. I also fertilize weakly weekly, but do not use any form of hormones like KLN. I only use "ordinary" ochids fertilizer.
All of mine phals gets pretty mutsh light... but not direct sunlight... I do belive they thrive well in good light, as long as its not direckt sunlight.
|
06-25-2008, 02:03 PM
|
Senior Member
|
|
Join Date: Mar 2008
Zone: 10a
Location: San Diego, CA
Posts: 664
|
|
Caseydoll, I also gave s/h a chance with a phal that was recovering from root rot... it didn't like it either .
It also grew roots, but never into the media. I followed the instructions, but eventually the root tips turned black, and I decided to change it back to a bark/LECA/sphag moss mix, it hasn't grown new roots since (is been about 2 months now) but the leaves perked up .
I really wish I could've got it right the first time, just remember, if it's not broken, why fix it, right?
Just my I hope they recover soon
|
06-25-2008, 06:14 PM
|
Senior Member
|
|
Join Date: May 2007
Zone: 4a
Location: Houghton Lake, MI
Age: 46
Posts: 872
|
|
|
06-25-2008, 07:22 PM
|
Senior Member
|
|
Join Date: Mar 2008
Zone: 10a
Location: San Diego, CA
Posts: 664
|
|
|
06-27-2008, 12:15 AM
|
Senior Member
|
|
Join Date: Apr 2007
Zone: 8b
Location: Southern Oregon
Age: 70
Posts: 6,016
|
|
Sometimes no matter how well you follow the directions the plant just plain doesn't like it. I have an Slc. that was in S/H for 9 months. It would start to grow roots and as soon as the touched the LECA they'd either stop growing or grow up and away from the medium. I finally took it out. It's a rootless wonder that's currently being S&B'ed. I have a feeling it's not going to make it.
Don't feel bad Sarah. Maybe try putting a light dressing of sphag on top of the aerials. If your weather is hot and/or dry it may help keep the humidity up near the top of the pot. It sounds from what you have described like you are doing everything right. Not sure what to tell you.
Maybe when Ray gets back he can weigh in.
|
06-27-2008, 11:47 AM
|
|
Senior Member
|
|
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Oak Island NC
Posts: 15,066
|
|
Greetings from the Outer Banks!
I don't know if I agree that "some plants just plain don't like it".
As many have said, timing of repotting is important, but even if you do that perfectly, a plant needs stress-free conditions while it gets established - typically a warm and buoyant atmosphere, and shade.
I have seen similar "cattleya expereinces" to the one Terri mentioned, but found that if I had nice, clean LECA, watered with no fertilizer, and made sure the conditions allowed the medium to stay moist all the way to the top, they plants ended up getting quite nicely established.
Once again - "semi-hydroponics" does not define the entire set of conditions....
|
11-02-2008, 01:18 AM
|
Jr. Member
|
|
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 7
|
|
|
11-06-2008, 03:41 PM
|
Jr. Member
|
|
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 11
|
|
Is there a reason for the DI water? Phal roots don't strike me as the sensitive type (at least the ones I have).
I use tap water and my three phals (two P. amabilis in actual SH - with about 1/4" of a reservoir in a 8 or 9" plastic container - and a P. mannii in a net plastic pot with the hydroton). I water the P. manii daily since it dries out so quick, and the other phals get neglected (maybe once a week they get watered - but the top layer of hydroton gets 'soaked' with a spray bottle almost daily (which also has really dilute fertilizer)) to keep the upper layer of the container more moist.
Since they have sufficient light and warmer temps, maybe water more. For me - I found that too much standing water in S/H is the enemy so I tend to water more and drain the already-small reservoir every time I do.
Also, is your fan blowing directly on the plants?
|
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
|
|
Thread Tools |
|
Display Modes |
Rate This Thread |
Linear Mode
|
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
All times are GMT -4. The time now is 04:08 AM.
|