Preparing to repot new 'cambria's

[RosieC]

Originally Posted by Rowangreen

I've got some 3% hydrogen peroxide, but it says it also contains phosphoric acid and phenacetin. Anyone know if they are OK?

I've used this and it seemed fine.

[Rowangreen]

Great! Thanks. Just keeping fingers crossed for now... hopefully get hold of some of the rooting stuff, but will take a while. Nothing seems to have died in the last couple of days, but I think it's too soon to tell really!

[Rowangreen]

An update: the phal with no roots is already growing new ones! I brushed back some of the bark and there they were...

Hoping my oncidiums are doing the same... I did brush away some bark, but didn't see anything, and didn't want to root around too much. The pulbs are still looking shrivelled to various extents, the pink flowered one is still looking a bit yellow... I think they might be a bit firmer in the pots, (unless I'm kidding myself) and the leaves are still standing up firm so I'm hoping.

I'm awaiting delivery of rooting hormone still... When I did the phal I did put some rooting powder on briefly, and then washed it off, so I'm wondering if that actually did help. Didn't use any on the others though.

[Rowangreen]

My KLN is at the sorting office... yes, it took rather a long time to get there! Since I don't want to water when I get it tomorrow, am I right in thinking I can use a mister to spray it on the leaves?

The orchids are still with me. Pagan's pulbs look extremely shrivelled, but it does have a leaf that's growing. The pink one still looks much the same to be honest, maybe very slightly yellower on some leaves.

The last few days they've been having some suplemental light (my cat free room is dark...). For quite a few days now they've had a daylight bulb on all day, and the last couple of days a 45 watt CFL 6400k has been on close to them for a couple of hours each evening (don't like to leave it on while I'm out, and I also don't want to overdo it for them!)

Hopefully some pictures of the pink one. Really asside from having cut off the flower spike it looks little different. I don't have pictures of Pagan (card run out... another thing to get ordered!)

[silken]

KLN should be applied at the roots as far as I know, so just use it next time you need to water. I think you will be wasting it on the leaves. Also oncidium type only put out new roots on the new growths. So the old pseudobulbs won't grow a bunch of new ones. Hopefully the new growth will hurry up and get lots of roots to support the rest of the plant.

good luck with your orchids.

[Rowangreen]

I don't know if there's more than one type, but it turns out the KLN I've just collected from the sorting office is a rooting compound that does not contain any rooting hormones. Grrrrr. Not what I expected.

[RosieC]

The level of rooting hormones is so low that it doesn't show up on the bottle... but it is in there. I think Ray here knows/knew where to find the values but I'm afraid I don't remember where he found them.

This is one of the reasons for using KLN rather than some of the powder compounds. The powders are just too strong for orchids and will inhibit roots. The levels in KLN are much more suitable for the gentle encouragement of roots on orchids.

[silken]

Originally Posted by Rowangreen

I don't know if there's more than one type, but it turns out the KLN I've just collected from the sorting office is a rooting compound that does not contain any rooting hormones. Grrrrr. Not what I expected.

Is it a liquid form made by Dyna-Gro? If so, I'm sure it's what everyone in North America refers to as K-L-N and much recommended for orchids with root problems.

[RosieC]

The stuff I bought in the UK called KLN was from Dyna-Gro, so I would assume this is what Rowan has a well.

It's imported from the USA when you get it here. I don't believe we have a different product with the same name.

[Rowangreen]

Yes, it is the dyna grow. Maybe I've got it wrong then: you'd think if there were hormones in it they'd be listed, along with the potash and b vitamin!