Baby phrag

[Tmai]

Way back in early April we adopted a very young phrag potted in s/h clay balls. After a brief trial and tribulation period we got the baby on the road to health -thanks to OrchidTalk folk!. My question is about the growth rate of phrags. Other than the roots, which are doing great, our leaf growths seem very slow. Can someone tell me where I can learn more about this?
Ya'll be sum fin fo'k to sher how gro bes fleur
Tmai

[Piper]

Hi Tami,

Any plant has a fixed reserve of 'power.' Yes, think of Scottie and his warp engines - Captain, I canna get ya more power to the engines. I'm not a miracle worker; that's the best I can do!

You can maximize the amount of available power to the plant's engines with optimal growing conditions: light, water, fert, air (to both roots and leaves), temp. But at any given moment, whatever you've got is all that you've got.

Your orchids have a choice as to where to spend their energy: root growth, leaf growth, or flower development. Sort of like: warp speed, photon torpedoes, or life support. Under normal growing conditions, you generally get a bit of all three to varying degrees.

But when conditions change markedly ie, a Romulan attack the plant may drastically alter its priorities. Damn it, Jim! I can't tell you what it's thinking - I'm a surgeon; not an orchid psychiatrist! For instance, if you overpot an orchid, where it's roots aren't in contact with the pot wall, the plant will virtually shut down leaf growth and flower spike formation, sometimes for a year or two. It will grow new roots like crazy in the meantime, but it seems to stall above the pot level.

Likewise, some plants aren't strong enough or mature enough to support a large spike with many blooms and they'll tap into their emergency reserves to try and keep the spike going. Cut all power to life support! They'll suck the life out of their leaves, trying to nourish the flowers. We refer to that as the plant suiciding - cut the spike to save the misguided plant!

I'm guessing that with the change in your potting conditions, your plant has focused all its attention on its roots for the time being. That's not bad. Be patient. When the roots are comfortable, leaves and spikes should resume their normal growth habits (and all the more, given a larger, healthier root system to supply more power.) Sort of like a dilithium crystal upgrade!

Julie
Kirk out.

[orchid-man]

we have a trekie on board.

hehehehehe

[Jmoney]

plants will sometimes have a tendency to grow roots to fill up the pot and then concentrate on leaf growth and blooming.

[Tmai]

AH,yes, Jason, that appears to be the case.
Julie, you amaze me. You should transport this thread to the new growers general section. Energize!Do you correlate mealys with horta? Oh, the pain! Anguish!!I'm a surgeon, Jim, not a bricklayer!So what you're saying is s long as it's healthy blood sample, Chekov, skin sample, Chekov, soon I will run out of samples! and there is root growth readings, Mr. Spock? I shouldn't be concerned about the lack of leaf growth. How do the sensors read now, Uhura
As long a s the conditions remain constant Spock, you are in a black box tied with light rays to a complex control panel and there is healthy growth do not take the controller! Bones, get going on that tranquilizer she should be ok.

[Hoa Tony Nguyen]

Another stupendous post, Julie!
So much fun reading your stuff! I am a trekkie too, can't you guys tell? Seriously I went to Star Trek convention before and got some autographed stuff. I wonder where I kept those momentos?

Cheers. Hoa.

[Gin]

Beam me up Scotty! the Klingons are after me ..

[Tmai]

Ah, yes, Hoa! A trekkie! got an autograph visor cap from Q myself. Showed up at the convention VERY late, ran past the registration desk after a day of fishining (without paying, and yes, I smelled) and got in line for the 'Q' autograph. Didn't buy the picture he was autographing but just handed him the fishing cap I'd been wearing that day (ewwww). Well, he signed it and out I ran!

[orchid-man]

isnt Q the munitions guy out of 'James Bond'

[Tmai]

Yes, that is Q also. Q of Star Trek fame is of the q continuum. Played by fussy John de Lancie, he annoyed the heck out of Piccard. A fuzz past Kirk but just as entertaining.