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Thread: Need some help on a big project

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  1. #1

    Default Need some help on a big project

    Hello everyone,

    So like normal I joined both because I love orchids and I am running into a problem.

    I've mounted 4 orchids on a huge piece of cork bark. Things are happening - I think they're bad, tell me what you think. So to start =>

    Here's the setup:
    Huge Blc. Sanyung "tweng-wen" (Left side)
    Cattleya Amethystoglossa (bottom right)
    Vanda denisoniana (Tiny one in the crotch)
    Phalaenopsis lueddemaniana (Top right)
    Two 840 Lumen - 5,000k or 6,000K LEDs
    Automatic daylight timer (automatically adjusts to time zone)
    2ft x 2ft cork bark crotch (Internal reinforcements via metal plates, epoxy, and expanding foam)
    Located in my plant room for the moment (70% RH @ 80-85F daytime and 69-74F night time)



    Here's the situation:
    Huge Blc is doing fine. Slight sunburn from accidental exposure to my 1000W grow light. Healthy roots and looking good even after splitting it in half to mount it. Mounted on sphag and misted daily with spring water.

    Catt is doing ok. All roots (bare root purchase) were nearly DOA. All but two areal roots died. New growth is still growing. The leaves closest to the cut end are having issues. One leave is nearly dead - the other is a bit crinkled. The only leaves not wrinkled are the last three stems. The stems are very ribbed for some reason. Mounted on sphag (Sphag moss stuffed in every area around the rhizome which itself looks healthy) and misted daily with spring water.

    Vanda is looking good. Two leaves were half ripped but are still green. All areal roots look good. Mounted on sphag and misted daily with spring water.

    The phal is a different story. Came with a single areal root - broken one inch from the leaves. Both leaves were in sad shape. Mounted it on the moss and spray it daily with spring water. The leaves have hung in there for 2 weeks and the bottom part of the root isn't dead. It hasn't gotten any better yet though. Leaves are dark green, light green and almost yellow. The big leaf is having a hard time and is still floppy. The little leaf looks MUCH better.


    So, the questions.
    Is everything going to die?
    Too much light? Wrong kelvin?
    Too much heat?
    Too much water (All are sprayed in the morning)?
    Too many orchids?
    Am I eventually going to loose one of these or a few?
    What suggestions do you have?


    This is for a 1st anniversary gift to my wife. We had orchids at the wedding, but they were all cut and now dried. I wanted to get her live orchids and make it pretty for her.

  2. #2
    Real Name
    Connie
    My Grow Area
    Porch/Patio.
    Favorite Orchid(s)
    Mini Vanda, Schombs &Encyclia.
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    West of Tampa, FL
    Posts
    9,271
    Member's Country Flag

    Default

    First, separate them and get them on separate mounts. The first two, make sure the pot is size appropriate for the roots. I have lost many catts to overpotting them. If you mount them, leave them down lower for a couple weeks since after repotting or remounting they are "moody". Tiny vandas like lots of water....wayyyy more than those cattleya. And they rot very easy so keep up on weekly spraying for fungus, molds and bacterial infections. The last, species phals are great but fussy. My one and ONLY phal species...I tore up really big chunks of Styrofoam and put it, plastic basket and all down into a clay pot. The last five years it has bloomed happily...until it threw what we call a suicide spike up the middle. It hasn't died yet but is declining...so I put it on a log and am hoping for keikei's.
    Lighting...i'm not a pro at but if your leaves are turning red they are getting a ton of light. Look your species up before you order them for growing conditions as they are way different than those grocery store phals...way different. Best of luck...hope I helped a little. Side note, baby vanda's and baby orchids in general are a serious pain. I have been at it for a decade almost and still only do near blooming size plants because I want to enjoy the entire process of blooming and not worry about nursing along babies. I encourage beginners to only buy plants in bloom and a few at a time. That way you learn about each one and it's needs, and you will end up with a collection that blooms year round. If you buy them all at once you will only get blooms at that time of year. Hope this helps...

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