Paph Insigne with no roots rescue

[Blueszz]

Email this company.
They sell Kelpak to people in the Netherlands (they are located in the Netherlands). Ask if they are willing to ship to Italy?

Besgrow Europe B.V.

[Ale_V]

Thank you very much for all your answers and sorry for my late reply. I'll check with Besgrow!

So, just to recap if I understood correctly...
About fertilizing:
- Plants in normal pots --> Once a week at 75-125 N ppm.
- Plants in pots with water reservoir (self watering pots or S/H) --> 25 N ppm.

Some more questions:
In your S/H method, how do you flush and water the plant? I mean, as the holes are loceted 3 cm from the bottom, if you water the plant from the top you can't be certain to change the water completely. Do you capsize the plant holding the leca and plant in place?

Is it normal that the top layer of leca is totally dry?
I attach some picture of a second vase I've made on Sunday and left out the greenhouse (and oncidium I had to separate from the rest of the plants which is now throwing out roots). In two days it has lost 1cm of water.

Thank you very much!

[Ray]

Originally Posted by Ale_V

Thank you very much for all your answers and sorry for my late reply. I'll check with Besgrow!

So, just to recap if I understood correctly...
About fertilizing:
- Plants in normal pots --> Once a week at 75-125 N ppm.
- Plants in pots with water reservoir (self watering pots or S/H) --> 25 N ppm.

Yes, that is my regimen.

Some more questions:
In your S/H method, how do you flush and water the plant? I mean, as the holes are loceted 3 cm from the bottom, if you water the plant from the top you can't be certain to change the water completely. Do you capsize the plant holding the leca and plant in place?

If you flood the pot rapidly, the medium is flushed, saturated, and the reservoir chemistry refreshed all in one step.

[qoute]Is it normal that the top layer of leca is totally dry?
I attach some picture of a second vase I've made on Sunday and left out the greenhouse (and oncidium I had to separate from the rest of the plants which is now throwing out roots). In two days it has lost 1cm of water.[/QUOTE]Normal for dry growing condidions, yes. Preferred? No, but not critical.

There is a moistuire gradient - 100% wet at the bottom, getting drier and drier as the effect of evaporation increases from the top, down. Water loss to evaporation means precipitation of minerals, but with low concentration solutions and frequent watering - you cannot overwater a plant well established in semi-hydro culture - it's not an issue.

Go to the Free Information at my website (URL in signature) and you'll find a lot of info on S/H culture.

[Ale_V]

Thank you Ray for the clarifications!
I've taken some time to get back to you so to go to your website and read. I've read pretty much everything concerning basic culture, S/H and light I'm now heading for the others topics.

I'll surely have some more questions in the near future, that I'm writing down while they come to my mind but, for the moment, just two question.

For the rescue plant the bath was 10ml of KelPak for 1lt of water, on regular basis, instead, I've read the dilution is 1/250 right? That makes 4ml Kelpak / 1 lt of water.

Also, still for the rescue plant, for the second watering, shall I put some 10ml/1lt Kelpak solution in a spray bottle and apply it directly on the leaves in addition to watering the vase?

Thank you very much,

my best,


Ale

[Ray]

Paphs have waxy cuticle layers on their leaves that slows water loss. They also slow uptake, hence the reason the first treatment is an extended immersion.

You can try spraying the leaves, but I honestly don't know how effective that will be.

[Ale_V]

Two weeks have passed, and yesterday, unfortunately, I accidentally bumped the plant, causing it to fall out of the substrate (since it has no roots...). I’ve noticed that its condition hasn't changed, and it hasn't developed any roots. Should I give it another soak, submerged for a couple of hours in a Kelpac solution, and then replant it?

[Roberta]

Another Kepak soak might be a good idea. 2 weeks is nothing in the life of an orchid. Progress will be measured in months not weeks. Orchids teach patience...