The sphag and Bag thing...

[CatzOrkidz]

Hello..

I've been a window growing orchid type hobbyist for the past few years now and doing okay.
Whenever I pick up a -- near dead rescue orchid I generally end up potting it in a mixture of sphagnum moss and rock. Of course this is after the O.R (operating room- removing dead root etc), cinnamon, physical exam and being dipped in root hormone...

I've tried the moist sphagnum moss and have killed more plants or cause more root rot than have helped them. Can someone give me some direction? Is there a single best practice with this method of plant rehab? I've tried all kinds of plastic bag, warm areas, cool areas, dry sphagnum in a damp bag, wet sphagnum in a dry bag- you name it! I've tried it.

Cheers and Blessings
Neo

[orchidsal]

Gee, I don't know if I can be of much help on this. I am bumping this along as I know there are people out there, at this forum doing frequent rescues! I can appreciate your revival attempts with these near dead orchids. The best of luck! AL

[Cjcorner]

I'm guessing the trick with spag and bag is air movement. You may need to add a small fan to the equation. I used to do sicko's and then after a couple times of them infecting my good plants...I now have a "sicko" section. I move all buggy or sick plants to an area away from my healthy plants, as soon as I find a problem. Then I check the plants that sit next to the infected/sicko to make sure it isn't spreading. If they somehow survive...they rejoin the others. Otherwise...it's the trash.

[cakedaddy]

I've done this with a couple of oncidium pbs that were pretty much goners and got new roots out of it and now I have a new plant. Used a large ziplock bag, no sphag. Opened it to air out for a while every night and then breathed into it and closed it for the day. Left it under the lower powered lights with my other plants. I am going to try this with a sad looking piece of bulbo that I clipped off one of my latest babes. Before I bag, I dose with superthrive.

[CatzOrkidz]

I've done this with a couple of oncidium pbs that were pretty much goners and got new roots out of it and now I have a new plant. Used a large ziplock bag, no sphag. Opened it to air out for a while every night and then breathed into it and closed it for the day. Left it under the lower powered lights with my other plants. I am going to try this with a sad looking piece of bulbo that I clipped off one of my latest babes. Before I bag, I dose with superthrive.

Hey yeah, thanx! Breathing into the bag sounds funny but, sure, the CO2 from your lungs gives the plant carbon and oxygen to aid in photosynthesis as long as there is light that is... (gosh, I wish I had some superthrive...) I'll yank the sphag from one bag as a control and leave in another to see how this all works. I've just never had any luck with the "sphag and bag" form of plant resurrection. Rescues are good for learning; I have recently just begun making purchases of quality plants and will be attending my first show in Chicago! Yay!!

[AtantaR]

hmmm...so personally i dont like the bag method....even if you breath in the bag and use a fan or whatever....ive always made the plant rot and sometimes i didnt have the time to pamper as this bag method requires it seems....i bought this cylinder like vase.....its clear glass about 1.5 feet tall and good size round....for a terrarium effect. The top stays open and i have a fan in the room ..Every time a plant is in distress , needs new root growth or just a wounded soldier, i put them in there.. It works so good for me for some odd reason.. it probably fits one medium sized plant or around 3 small plants..........i put a thin layer of rocks on the bottom and always half about a have inch of water in it..maybe i spray a mist in there depending on the species water requirements and....BaM!...new roots in about two weeks....no extras except bloom ferts (bloom ferts are high in phosphate which is good for root development and blooming) hasnt failed me yet.............................................** **warning****** results may vary :P ahahaha

[PBaez]

Andrew,

Just to clarify -- you don't mean bare root, do you?

[AtantaR]

when im trying to grow a back bulb or bare root ..yes i will throw some sphrag around the growth areas but loosely. Again depending on your plants culture and the amount of humidity you want...you might want more sphrag to hold the moister longer... if its a plant in a pot then it has its media so it wouldnt be bare root.....depending on how long you want it to stay wet you could throw a little sphag on top of your media.....but otherwise if its a rescue i would repot it then put in "terrarium" oh and i move it to a lower light area...somewhere behind the phals.....

[EMos]

Your technique seems very sound Andrew. I like the 'terrarium' effect, and with the kind of vase it is always a feature

[AtantaR]

thank you EMos......the vase "terrarium" is definitely a nice feature in my collection.....at the present time i have one vase for overall root growing/ repair......and Two other vases that i have are going to permanently have plants in them....im currently growing Ludisia discolor, Den.cuthbertsonii, Den. violaceum and a Doritis (noid till it flowers) in a vase.....granted the temp and culture is a big reach from a South Asian Ludisia to a New Guinea Dendrobium...lol.....so i have a cool growing and a warm growing vase....im pretty much re creating a cloud forest effect for my Dens.....for the type of plants i have and the humidity level that doesnt please me at all....it takes fine tuning of culture for a window grower.....cause anyone can grow orchids if you have a green house ......not saying i dont want one soon tho hehe