Help my Encyclia Kennedyi

[james mickelso]

We all have our recipes for things. Some work for others and some not. I use cinnamon because it cauterizes the wound and seals it from any further fungal or bacterial attack. I use a QTip and gather a bunch or cinnamon on the end and dab this on the cuts. I use enough to absorb all the juices flowing from the wound and make a scab out of the mess. Alcohol does a great job sterilizing the wound but not cauterizing and sealing it. Try both. Can't hurt.

[tellmewhy]

Thanks Leafmite and James!
I will report back if I can save this little orchid.
I love this one very much and search for how to care for it but still can not do a good job. maybe I am just a bad mom.

[Leafmite]

Winter is a tough time for most plants when growing with natural lighting. Less light = more stress. The good news is that if your orchid doesn't recover, you can try again. It is, after all, only a plant.

[peeweelovesbooks]

I have mine mounted. It's doing great. I find that my encyclias prefer that over potting. You've received wonderful advice.

[james mickelso]

Pee Wee, do you water every day or is your Florida RH enough to last a couple days? Do you have any problem with calcification and other mineral deposits on the roots from the water evaporating? I know you have nice plants.

[peeweelovesbooks]

Originally Posted by james mickelso

Pee Wee, do you water every day or is your Florida RH enough to last a couple days? Do you have any problem with calcification and other mineral deposits on the roots from the water evaporating? I know you have nice plants.

Awwwww! Thanks for the compliment! In the summer, I water the mounts almost daily, along with everything else. In the fall, every other day or every 2 days. In the winter, way less. The humidity takes care of the rest.

I have no problems with calcification or other mineral deposits.

You know, I've killed every encyclia I've ever bought UNTIL I started to mount them! I plan on exploring encyclias now that I see there's a method wherein they won't RIP immediately upon entering my home.

[tellmewhy]

Hi Pee Wee
I have a question on mounting?
Which wood is better? driftwood or grapewood ?TIA !

[catherinecarney]

Hi Tellmewhy--

Welcome to the board....

You've gotten some good advice on your Enc. kennedyi and I hope it pull through for you.

There's a section on the board dedicated to growing orchids on mounts, and I know there are a couple of threads about which wood to use that could be helpful for you.

I do grow some cattleya and dendrobium alliance orchids on mounts, and I've pretty much used what I had on hand, including grapevine, hardwood branches (mostly maple, oak, apple, and hawthorn), locust bark, and cork bark.

I haven't tried driftwood yet, though I did collect some from Lake Erie last summer with that in mind. If using driftwood from an ocean source be sure to leach all the salt out before using, though....

Hope this helps!

Catherine

[tellmewhy]

Thanks Catherinecarney!
I will search for it.
So many to learn, my eyes are so tire from reading too much.

[catherinecarney]

This site is a goldmine for orchid (and other plant) information! Read a little bit every day and don't give up on growing plants that you like.

Remember that part of learning how to grow these plants is learning what works for you--there don't seem to be too many hard and fast rules.

Good luck!

Catherine