Sarco recovery advice?

[hypostatic]

Hey, so a few weeks back I received some Sarcochilus that were pretty bruised and unhealthy. I managed to try to keep them as healthy as possible in water, and I have been routinely disinfecting with phsysan, and cutting away dead/rotting tissue. It looks finally like they have reached a stable condition:



My question is, at this point, are they ready to be put back into sphag or some other media?

[SouthPark]

Nice one hypostatic. My first ever sarco is arriving very soon! I'll be growing mine in scoria. Finger's crossed.

Yours look more than ready to be potted.

Apparently, some growers here recommend roots spread across a surface layer of scoria. But I'm just going to pot mine 'normally'.

[Roberta]

I'd just pot them up... I have mine in bark, but sphagnum could work if it gets a chance to dry out between waterings. Basically, these are small, cool growing vandas... if you think of them that way you can choose what to do under your conditions. (When I say "cool growing" I don't think they require cool, but they can tolerate very cool winter temperatures, down to near freezing)

[hypostatic]

Hmm lava rock? odd.

I also ordered some (very healthy) sarcos from SVO some time ago. Those are planted in their "kiwi bark"


I'll probably do a sphag/bark mix

[SouthPark]

Originally Posted by hypostatic

HI also ordered some (very healthy) sarcos from SVO some time ago. Those are planted in their "kiwi bark"

That works nicely too. I got info about some growing techniques for some species ones from this link here: Click Here. The way they water is not going to be the same way that I water though.

Keep us posted with the sphag/bark mix!

[Roberta]

Here are some notes from Fred Clarke of Sunset Valley Orchids. Sunset Valley Orchids - Sarcochilus Culture

This advice works equally well for hybrids, and most of the species. A note, Sarco. ceciliae is more tropical than most of the rest of the genus, and so is not as cold-tolerant, but its hybrids seem just as cold-tolerant as the rest.

[Diane56Victor]

Another source for Sarc's is Kevin Western.
westernorchids.com.au
He has a huge building out the back of his place where he does his flasking service. Its a sight to see, hundreds of flasks. The shadehouse has hundreds of Sarc's too. I bought some when my local group had a visit.
Good speaker at orchid clubs too.

[SouthPark]

Excellent additional aussie link Diane! Thanks for sharing that one.

[SouthPark]

hypostatic - my sarco arrived just yesterday by post, and I de-mounted it from the mount it was already on, and potted it into scoria. I took some photos of it this morning - just a moment ago.

The orchid came with quite long roots. I had to add water to the roots on the mount to loosen their grip a bit first, before prying from the mount. All ok!

I ran some long roots along the surface of the scoria, and the rest are actually planted into the scoria, just like a regular orchid.

Fingers crossed heheh.

[SouthPark]

The leaves of mine are of a different sort - more like narrow grass leaf type. Will see how it goes!

If I don't report back in a few weeks or so, then it will mean everything should be ok