Suffering Leptotes bicolor

[Shizenyasuya]

I also have a suffering Leptodes bicolor. I got it about a year ago, and it was fantastic the first fall. I didn't get much of that sweet vanilla scent they're supposed to produce, but it looked healthy and put out 6 to 8 flowers. It's currently blooming again, but I've noticed the original spikes that were so healthy when I got it have started to shrivel, and one section is just straight up dead. When it arrived, it was potted with styro-foam packing peanuts and sphagnum. I asked the seller what they recommended for future care, but they didn't really provide much information. I did move it from the nursery center type plastic pot it came in to a more decorative ceramic pot, and I think that was my first mistake. The ceramic pot doesn't provide any drainage or airflow. I of course tipped out any standing water after watering it so there was never any standing water in the ceramic pot, but I think airflow was missing. It has only gotten worse since then though so I moved it to what I call my "orchidarium" aquarium setup. It is just a 10 gallon tank with that I've kludged together with a vented lid, some fans, and grow lights. Previously I had used this tank to revive struggling Phalenopsis orchids, and I currently have a few seedling orchids in it along with some Oncidium daughter bulbs I'm trying to start up... It sounds crowded, but somehow it isn't actually. There is also a thriving vanilla vine in there... Well I say thriving. surviving with no obvious problems is probably more accurate. As others have shared in this thread, the lack of air movement may be a key part of what's wrong. I have 2 computer fans mounted on top of the vented lid to blow air into the setup, and I can actually see movement on the leaves of a volunteer shamrock that came up in one of the corners and doesn't seem to be harming anything, so I just kind of leave it. until today, for about 2 months, maybe 3, after I moved it out of the ceramic pot, the Leptodes was sitting in a corner, upright, and I don't water this tank very often because I don't want root rot, but I did feel the moss today to test it, and it is still soaking, even though there's no water in the bottom of the tank. I moved the Leptodes onto a bark mount in the back of the tank and removed all dead pieces and as much moss as I could without harming the healthy roots. I'm hoping this will increase the airflow enough to perk it up before I add more moss for it to grow into.

I live in a fairly arid region (especially in the winter) in Washington state USA. The lack of humidity is why I set up this humidity tank, and it seems to work well for pretty much everything except my poor Leptodes so far. If anybody has any tips. Especially anybody with experience in arid locations with Leptodes, I'd love to hear it.

[camille1585]

Welcome to Orchidboard Shizenyasuya!

I have moved your post to it's own thread as you are more likely to get replies that way than posting in a 14 year old thread.

A few questions, you say it is blooming now, so it's not clear to me you mean by original spikes that are shriveling/dying. And what led to to conclude that the plant was doing poorly? Some photos would be of big help if you have some.

Sphagnum is a surprisingly good medium for Leptotes in dryish climates, providing you know how to water them. However, now that it's in a terrarium and mounted bareroot, I wouldn't change anything again. The terrarium conditions sound fine (light, good humidity and also fans for air movement). Do you have an idea of what the temperature and humidity levels are?

You might not need to add any sphag to the mount if it stays humid enough in the tank. Now what is needed is patience and see how the Leptotes will adapt!

As to th fragrance, it should be there if you sniff it at the right time. These are fragrant in the pre-dawn hours, and as soon as it gets a bit light, the scent quickly disappears. I get up early on weekdays and the fragrance is quite strong for a small plant, I can smell it from several feet away.

[Shizenyasuya]

Thank you, Camille,
I've lurked on this forum for years without ever signing up because I've just been able to read what other people have done and found it helpful enough I didn't need to ask or contribute anything myself.

To be more specific, I did not remove all of the sphagnum mos from the roots, I just removed everything that wasn't immediately touching a root, so it still has a small sphag ball around the roots. I thought perhaps allowing it to dry faster would avoid further rot.

Also, it seems the original spikes are losing volume and shriveling, but there is some new growth, particularly where the current single blossom is. I'll try to upload a photo soon. Please don't judge the water spots on the tank.

I noticed that where there was new growth, it seemed to be growing downwards, into the over-moist medium. This was when it was in the ceramic pot with no drainage or air movement. I don't think I can get a good photo of the new growth without disturbing it again ,so I'll just get a piccture of where it currently is.

I thought I should also share that it has blasted one of its spikes, one of the newest that isn't on the same new growth as the current bud. I suppose that is why I panicked and took of the excess sphagnum moss.

I don't have a hygrometer to check humidity, but the tank is in my bedroom, which I keep at 68 - 75 degrees during the day, and about 60 degrees at night.

EDIT:
When I checked it this morning, the moss felt quite dry so I did water it before I took the attached picture. (I hope the link works it's one of those 3-second picture videos that smartphones are doing now-a-days) I may have over-shot the mark on reducing the sogginess. I may have to go back and fill in behind that bark mount with moss and water crystals to help maintain humidity up the back of the bark so it doesn't dry out so fast.

Anyway you can see there are a couple of still fairly plump spikes, but there are also some really thin ones that have lost quite a lot of volume They were plump and perky about 6 months ago and have slowly declined in that time. they've also gotten quite a bit darker. I'm not sure if that's just normal aging on a leptodes, or if the light is wrong too.

EDIT 2:
the insert image didn't work with the picture video, so here's a direct link. please let me know if that is not allowed.

Shared album - TJ Jewett (Teej) - Google Photos

[estación seca]

Welcome to the Orchid Board!

[Roberta]

I'm not sure what you are referring to as spikes... Leptotes bicolor has succulent needle-like leaves, the flowers emerge from between the leaves (and only last a couple of weeks at best) , buds but I would not call them spikes and certainly nothing that lasts a long time. . Photo(s) would help.

---------- Post added at 01:44 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:39 PM ----------

For what it's worth (my conditions are very different form yours) I grow these mounted with no sphagnum, outdoors (winter lows around 40 deg F or a bit cooler, summer highs 85 to 90 deg F, occasionally a bit higher), humidity usually pretty modest (40% daytime common, sometimes single digit) Being mounted, watered daily but dry out fast.

[Shizenyasuya]

Originally Posted by Roberta

I'm not sure what you are referring to as spikes... Leptotes bicolor has succulent needle-like leaves, the flowers emerge from between the leaves (and only last a couple of weeks at best) , buds but I would not call them spikes and certainly nothing that lasts a long time. . Photo(s) would help.

---------- Post added at 01:44 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:39 PM ----------

For what it's worth (my conditions are very different form yours) I grow these mounted with no sphagnum, outdoors (winter lows around 40 deg F or a bit cooler, summer highs 85 to 90 deg F, occasionally a bit higher), humidity usually pretty modest (40% daytime common, sometimes single digit) Being mounted, watered daily but dry out fast.

You are absolutely correct. I was calling the succulent leaves, "spikes"; completely forgetting that spikes is also what we call flowing stocks. There is a link to an album with a couple of pictures in my second post. I don't seem to have any luck posting pictures directly in my posts.

Shriveling Leptodes bicolor in orchidarium. - Google Photos

[Roberta]

I think you may be keeping it too wet. Mine are dry most of the time. Others on the Board have had success growing it in pots on the warm side... as part of the latest "project" I have been growing one in sphag in a little basket in the greenhouse. It's not dying but not growing much either. While my outdoors mounted ones with practically nothing around the roots are growing very well (and I see buds, will have flowers in a month or two), Your orchidarium is very humid. I suggest removing all of the sphagnum that you have around its roots, the ambient humidity is plenty of constant moisture, once a day or every other day a spritz on the roots should be quite sufficient.

[c123anderson]

Hi fellow Washingtonian,

I have a Leptotes bicolor which I received in bark, and I mounted with some sphagnum, since I'm in a desert-y area of Washington, and there's not a lot of humidity.

I've seen mine look a little "shriveled", but, for the most part, it seems happy to be mounted. I'm like Roberta's "project", though: not much growing, either, for various reasons.

I didn't see in your post: how warm is your orchidarium?

[Shizenyasuya]

Originally Posted by c123anderson

Hi fellow Washingtonian,

I have a Leptotes bicolor which I received in bark, and I mounted with some sphagnum, since I'm in a desert-y area of Washington, and there's not a lot of humidity.

I've seen mine look a little "shriveled", but, for the most part, it seems happy to be mounted. I'm like Roberta's "project", though: not much growing, either, for various reasons.

I didn't see in your post: how warm is your orchidarium?

Thank you so much. It is invaluable to have the input of somebody who understands my growing conditions. I don't have a thermometer directly in the orcaderium, but I keep the room between 60 and 75 degrees most of the time. I don't like it too warm actually, so I rarely let it get up to 80 in the summer. And in the winter, it might get down to 52 to 53, but usually not that low.

If I could see a picture of yours, it might help me get an idea of what I should aim for. If you're willing to share I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you.

[c123anderson]

Originally Posted by Shizenyasuya

If I could see a picture of yours, it might help me get an idea of what I should aim for. If you're willing to share I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you.

Here’s my leptotes bicolor.