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Just ordered a "potluck" of seedlings online, are there any general care tips/issues that pertain strictly to seedlings?
Gotcha, so ask again when I know what i've got?
But in general, water more frequently?
Yet again its trying to strike that even balance of watering successess and failures. Yes they are prone to dehydration striking their own genetic instinct of taking in water to equal the loss due transpiration. Yes the leaves are smaller but in our individual home grow areas its something to be monitored.
I ve had a mixed bag of good and bad results and can compare it to the general mortality rate of adult orchids. Any wrong move unnoticed and its challenge time but atleast with maturer plants existing leaves/ pseudo bulbs are available to sustain plant. But seedlings have little or no potential to recover after an error.
Pot culture is a no no for me and mounting or improvised mounted situ is more ideal. This is where BD advizes a more specific match of care to the right orchid. As phals are so easily prone to complications when adults ( many growers will agree with this), as seedlings can be more complex.
They are vulnerable when moist media is in direct long contact and little air flow. having a pad of moist moss within very close proximity to seedling can help as long as the YP is position with a 0.5/1cm gap. The high humidity in this zone is beneficial . Semi hydro has been a more celebrated method of care for seedlings.
To summarise, fungal and bacteria threats are close by when seedling in situ with organic matter. Same goes for poor air movement. Moisture and cool temps def. not good.
If at anytime I fell upon a chance to gain a flask of seedlings of an orchid I particularly show interest I would still attempt it again though. But here in UK I would not choose this time of year. I certainly woulnt opt to rid of all orchids and stop buying them because my noid phals gets root rot.
Well these are in 2 1/2" pots, so they aren't quite that new, but they've yet to arrive (i presume due to the holiday) so i'll see how they look when they arrive.