First postal bare roots orchids!

[Beausoleil]

Hi everyone!

I just made a big step into my orchid passion: going from 2 Phals and 2 catts brought at Lowes to buying some from ebay...

Ok, I bought 2 flowering size catts, 2 small phals and 2 small dend.(my first dend.) . I plan to try the SH on the catts and 1 phal and 1 dend. The other phal and dend will go on sphagnum.

Now, they are bare roots, looking healthy but a bit dehydrated. I have absolutely no roots that are green on the catts and the dends. . I don't know if it is normal or not... and surely not how to get them better and most of all survive...

This is what I have done so far: soak them in water with sugar and a touch of KLN. I read this in my one and only book on orchids!

Sorry I can't send pictures, my camera is dead right now...

So anyone with advices?

Thanks...

[neb]

Do whatever you can to keep the humidity up around the plants.

[stefpix]

I think with SH and sphagnum they will be moist enough... think Cattleyas with no roots can easily grow more. would maybe mist leaves in the morning.

[johnblagg]

have you got any new growth Pbs or new eyes activly growing?

I would use some rooting hormone mixed with a lanolin "or even lard" carrier and dab it on the base of the newes growth if its active....shoot me I would use it regardless it seems it can cause eyes to start active growth some times and I know on mine has worked great so far.

[wtamuboi]

I got a couple Cattleyas like that on eBay, and they recovered easily enough. I put mine outside in bright light in a bark-mix media. They get watered twice a week, and misted every morning. The other thing is that I'm in Houston, so I naturally have a good deal of humidity working in my favor.

Now, I did have a couple laeliocattleyas with dry-ish roots that didn't respond well to the light at all. After one afternoon they started burning. I moved those to one of the heavily shade-clothed areas where I keep phals outside and they seem to be recovering nicely.

[Beausoleil]

Thanks everyone!

this morning (the morning after the receiving/potting) the phals already look more solid. There is no more signs of dehydratation!

there are new and actively growing pseudobulbs on the catts, but I will tell you I was wrong at my first analysis: there were roots that were still alive!

They are all together on a low light spot. I put a plastic bag over the small phals and the small dend; but should I do it two for the catts?

thanks

[johnblagg]

Mine had few roots when I got them also and had new pbs in growth.

a little rootone mixed with a dab of lard and applied with a Q-tip and within a week I had new roots started ....2 months later they have lots and lots of roots some 6 or 7 inches long areial roots as well as lots in the pots I cant see but Im sure just as good.

I also use a drop or two of superthrive in my water every time yet ..It has a rooting hormone also