Cirrhopetalum Eliz. Buckleberry - Orchid Board

material girl · #1 08-07-2012, 02:53 PM

I am a new member to this board. I have just received a Elizabeth buckleberry plant. It has lots of brown roots and a few green. It is mounted on bark. Is there a problem with the brown roots? Could this be just from being shipped in dry materials ( Paper )? I mist every day. How often should it be drenched?

WhiteRabbit · #2 08-07-2012, 06:56 PM

Glad you found us!

I don't grow any of this genus, and don't know much about them - but generally in summer, mounted plants need more water than misting. The roots may have dried out being in the mail, without water. Depending on your climate, and if or how much moss is on the mount, it may need drenching AT LEAST once a day. Maybe more, maybe a bit less (like I said I don't know about the water requirements of this plant, your climate, or how much moss - if any - is on the mount)

Hopefully others can help out more, but I would suspect your plant needs more water.

Let us know what your climate is, and how much moss, if any, is on the mount.

material girl · #3 08-07-2012, 08:14 PM

Thank you for a quick response. It has very little moss,seems to be in distress from shipping. I'll take your advice and do more watering. Thanks again

james mickelso · #4 08-07-2012, 09:51 PM

Hi. Great you found us and welcome. One thing I might add to the suggestion on care which is in fact right on the money. If your water isn't fairly low in dissolved solids and salts, buy water for it. I get my water from the machine outside the grocery store. 30 cents a gallon and it's less than 50 ppm dissolved solids and no salts. Being on a mount concentrates the salts on the roots and leaves. And does so quickly. Once I started watering with RO water from the store, my mounted orchids have really perked up. Just a suggestion.

WhiteRabbit · #5 08-07-2012, 09:52 PM

I was thinking this was a relative of Bulbos, and seems Cirrhopetalums have been categorized into Bulbophyllum now

- anyway, a brief search for this one's culture (I think the correct name/spelling is (now) Bulbo. Elizabeth Ann Buckleberry (I'm not sure if Buckleberry is a cultivar name -single quotation - or part of the grex) ...anyway - seems these do like to grow moist! Warm and moderately bright light.

Good luck!

material girl · #6 08-07-2012, 10:43 PM

My Bulbo is on the lanai in FL weather. I did dunk it in the sink today. Will probably do often. I may add some moss to the mount. Let me know if there is anything else I can do. Thanks again

WhiteRabbit · #7 08-08-2012, 12:29 AM

cool- well I guess you have good humidity

Hopefully some other members with experience/more knowledge of this one will chime in

Bud · #8 08-08-2012, 02:22 AM

WELCOME ABOARD!

I have the same plant.
It is mounted on a wooden raft with moss ....it flowered last year and it is due to bloom any moment now....
I maintain high moisture so it is watered twice a day really drenched and soaked and let it dry all day and late afternoon do it again and let it dry all night....
I give it bright shade in south facing window
weekly weakly fertilizer and it is near a humidifier and a small oscillating electric fan
be careful with mites and scales; the plant can die if all the leaves are infested

RosieC · #9 08-09-2012, 06:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WhiteRabbit

I think the correct name/spelling is (now) Bulbo. Elizabeth Ann Buckleberry (I'm not sure if Buckleberry is a cultivar name -single quotation - or part of the grex)

It's Bulbo. Elizabeth Ann 'Buckleberry' FCC/AOS, so the Buckleberry is the cultivar name.

As others have said it likes to be moist, warm, and fairly bright. However mine is suffering just now from too much sun, I've moved it and I'm experimenting with growing it in bright Phal level light rather than with things like my Den which is in brighter light. Mine grows well, the small plant has several new growths, but the leaves are showing signs of light damage.