Cut Spikes on Dtps. Taida Salu "Alisan" - Orchid Board

adlemsi · #1 05-11-2008, 03:02 PM

My sisters and I gave my mother a Dtps. Taida Salu "Alisan" for Valentine's Day this year. The blooms dropped and I cut the spikes (it was a double) down close to the crown, leaving about 1/2". I was just wondering if I should put it in a shady spot to promote growth...that's what I'm doing with three orchids I repotted yesterday. I placed them in shady spots around my apartment.

quiltergal · #2 05-12-2008, 12:38 AM

Phals can take a lot more light than people think they can. Mine are all in a southwest window shaded with blinds and supplemented with T5 grow lights. They are getting somewhere around 1500-2000 fc. They aren't in direct sunlight, but pretty close. If they don't get enough light they won't bloom. Find a nice window with a sheer curtain or blinds.

adlemsi · #3 05-12-2008, 10:57 PM

I left it on our dining table, which gets a lot of filtered sunlight. We use solar shades on our windows to lower the amount of UV rays coming in. We'll see how it does there.

Ray · #4 05-13-2008, 06:53 AM

Warm temperatures is what promotes growth in phals.

adlemsi · #5 05-31-2008, 02:07 PM

So I finally decided to repot my mother's Dtps. Taida Salu "Alisan". Unfortunately, the moss was VERY deteriorated and the roots were all goners, only having the surviving aerial roots. I went ahead and followed Ray's Sphag-and-Bag instructions, using a moist folded Bounty instead of moss.

Hopefully this will help the plant. I will keep you posted.

adlemsi · #6 06-07-2008, 10:23 AM

It has been a week since I put this orchid in Sphag (moist paper towel)-N-Bag treatment. It grew a bit of white fuzzy mold so I treated it with Physan 20 and dusted it with cinnamon. While I was treating the mold one of the lower leaves broke close the crown. It didn't break off so I dusted it with cinnamon and set it carefully back in the bag. I used a fresh plastic bag and a changed the moist paper towel.

adlemsi · #7 06-09-2008, 09:40 PM

It's only been two days since I treated the fuzzy white mold on this Dtps. Taida Salu "Alisan", and it's back

I'm a bit hesitant about treating it again in such a short period of time because I don't want to overdo it and stress the plant even more. Any suggestions? I used a new plastic bag and replaced the moist paper towel with a fresh one.

adlemsi · #8 06-14-2008, 10:51 AM

It's been two weeks since I put this orchid in sphag-n-bag (bounty-n-bag

), and it has grown crazy white fuzzy mold

I have taken every precaution to keep the moist paper towel from being in contact with any part of the orchid plant. I treated it with Physan 20 twice and changed the bag and the paper towel several time. I'm going to try the Physan 20 treatment again, but I'd appreciate any other suggestions anyone may offer.

priz_m · #9 06-14-2008, 03:17 PM

Hi adlemsi, personally I've used sphag-n-bag before with a 50% survival ratio (only did it twice) and I came to the conclusion that the 'chid I lost was due to a bag that was too small and the condensation came in contact with the plant and got the best of it.

Therefore I can only suggest bigger bag and little openings...

Best of luck, hope this helped

adlemsi · #10 06-14-2008, 06:39 PM

Thanks, priz_m! I'm using the 3-mil plastic bags from First Rays, which are about 6.5" diameter by 24" tall. I roll the opening closed and staple it once to keep it in place, then I cut the bottom corners to let some air in.