Temperatures and Semi-Hydro

[uncasteeb]

I have a Paph venustum in s/h & it,s growing really well but mine is multi-growth so a lot bigger than yours.I used a taller pot so the top does dry out , also i have quite strong air movement which may dry the top layer out .
When i decided how high the res had to be i let the roots hang down straight & put the res in just below the end of the roots.Watch fertilizing the P. venustum as it does seem to be slightly prone to leaf die back(tips turning black & then the black gradually moves further down the leaf).

[bench72]

Hi uncasteeb,

funny you mentioned the fertilising and leaf die back... since posting previous message, and after waking this morning, I noticed a dry brown spot on one of the leaves. When I first watered the plants I used water mixed with a 'hydroponic fertiliser' at half strength. Maybe the whole thing is too much of a shock to the little tyke... Will try and flush the medium with water and hope that removes the leftover fertiliser.

cheers
tim

[Cinderella]

Tim, when I have a tiny seedling and want to use s/h, I use one of those plastic drinking cups, suggested to me by another fabulous Forum member. I burn holes in the bottom using a heated nail, about an inch or so from the bottom. Works like a charm.

[bench72]

geepers, that's a great idea.... that would be so much better in terms of space as well... I don't think I could have put all my plants in s/h if they were gonna take up so much space... thanks Cinderella

cheers
tim

[uncasteeb]

Another good s/h pot is plastic pint glasses.

[Slipperhead]

I just had a good case of leaf die-back on a nice phrag. The tips burned so I cut them off at an angle. Then the cut tips begin to die and the whole thing began to move down the leaf. I soaked and flushed and soaked and flushed the media (s/h) with clean water to wash out mineral buildup, fertilizer, etc. The die-back seems to have stopped. I'm almost convinced that it was too much fertilizer...hence, fertilizer burn that I was seeing.

This plant drinks water much faster than any other plant I own. I was continually topping it off with 1/2 strength fertilizer every other day or so! WAY too much in my opinion. We'll see what happens but it is looking like the burn has stopped. I'm keeping my fingers crossed! I have not had fertilizer burn with any other plant. I am now religious about fertilizing weekly (that means Mondays) at 1/2 to 1/4 stregth!

I'll supply a photo is anyone is interested.

I also had a small paph seedling not long out of flask submit to classic "damp-off". It turned brown at a leaf tip, started on another leaf, and the plant was toast in 3 days. This plant was in a short pot and was not getting any kind of air circulation. Perhaps if I had seen it early enough I could have treated it with cinnimon, Physan, etc. and saved it!

I'm having trouble maintaining decent humidity inside the house with these dry days!

[Cinderella]

I would very much like to see the photo.

[bench72]

Hi Garland,

Same thing with my newly repotted Paph venustum. I cut the leaf that had the brown spot (actually half the leaf but in the middle part). Then flushed the whole pot with water, about three times. The leaf with the 'burn' kept dying after I had cut it back to the green bit, but at least now, none of the other leaves are showing the same signs... I can only put it to a new fertiliser which I got becoz I was told at the hydroponics shop that it was good for growing plants by hydroponics.

Good luck with the phrag.. hopefully it gets through it...

Cheers
tim

[LJA]

Thought I'd throw in a few cents here.... Leaf tip die-back isn't always caused by applications of too much fertilizer. It can also happen if you let a plant's roots get too dry and then you water. The sudden moisture intake will rush the dissolved solids *already inside the plant* to the leaf tips, so make sure, especially with phrags, that you keep the moisture levels as even as possible. Same goes for tiny seedlings: a series of wet-dry cycles instead of consistent dampness is a no-no.

[Piper]

Good info, Louis - thanks!

Julie