Laelia lobata v. Alba - active root tips, but shriveled new roots

[tuandatn]

I have plenty of strong coffee around! I'll search the boards a bit more to see if I can find a good strategy. Haven't seen any snails recently, but good to be prepared in case they're hiding.

Perhaps I will consider outdoor growing once my plants are more robust. Not sure how they would hold up to the elements after being babied...but they do just fine in nature I suppose!

[Dusty Ol' Man]

For the particulars about the coffee treatment, brew a pot of strong coffee. (Preferably something cheap that you wouldn't normally drink. Yes, I'm a coffee snob ) Let it cool to room temp. Water the plant with fresh water. Pour the cooled coffee through the pot, saturating the medium well. Wait 20 to 30 minutes, the flush the pot with fresh water.

[tuandatn]

Thanks for the rundown! A bit of a coffee geek myself...just got into espresso but I suppose we'll stick to drip for the orchids! Very excited about the prospect of a solution that does not involve repotting...in the past I've repotted orchids at the first sign of snails. Excited to try this (though hope I don't have to anytime soon....)

[isurus79]

Caffeine certainly helps with the snails! Ultimately, once they're in your collection, they are there forever. Pick em off when you can. You can also drop your plants in a bucket of water and the snails will climb up out of the media and you can pick them off. I don't do anything for my snails and we all coexist just fine, though I do squish them when I see them in the mornings!

[tuandatn]

Originally Posted by isurus79

Caffeine certainly helps with the snails! Ultimately, once they're in your collection, they are there forever. Pick em off when you can. You can also drop your plants in a bucket of water and the snails will climb up out of the media and you can pick them off. I don't do anything for my snails and we all coexist just fine, though I do squish them when I see them in the mornings!

Stephen, I saw one of your videos recently where you talked about pests (I can't remember if it was about mealybugs or scale...) where you shared the same sentiment...basically, if the plants are strong enough and culture is good, they can withstand the occasional pest. I like this philosophy, though find it hard to adopt myself. Perhaps it is a disposition that comes with experience.

I read a book not too long ago: the sound of a wild snail eating. It was quite the dissonance, reading a book about the delight of having a wild snail as a companion vs the dread of finding a snail among orchids!

[estación seca]

I have a L. lobata alba seedling in S/H with LECA. It has tolerated outdoor temperatures to 105 F / 41C with no problems. It tolerates more sun at these temperatures than most other orchids.

[isurus79]

Originally Posted by tuandatn

I read a book not too long ago: the sound of a wild snail eating. It was quite the dissonance, reading a book about the delight of having a wild snail as a companion vs the dread of finding a snail among orchids!

Ha! Sounds like quite the read!

---------- Post added at 02:25 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:20 PM ----------

Originally Posted by estación seca

I have a L. lobata alba seedling in S/H with LECA. It has tolerated outdoor temperatures to 105 F / 41C with no problems. It tolerates more sun at these temperatures than most other orchids.

Mine gets daily temps that warm for several months each summer! No problems!

[estación seca]

...outdoor temperatures to 105 F / 41C....
Mine gets daily temps that warm for several months each summer! No problems!

I brought it in because we got a lot hotter, have humidity mostly under 15% and night temperatures have been above 84 F / 29C for a few weeks. I do think it grows better in the higher humidity of my sunroom.