Can plants encourage each other?

[Skycat]

I have this one mini Phal that ended up losing most of its roots, and the leaves are dehydrated. But for a while, it's been working on putting out three new roots and a new leaf. Is it helpful that I have it near all my healthy Phals? I mean, obviously it can't guarantee anything (and obviously I'm doing something right to have most of my Phals be healthy in the first place), but it does seem like it could be a thing that happens, y'know?

[RandomGemini]

I know that grouping the plants together can increase humidity around them. Maybe that's why it's happier now?

[RosieC]

I think it could be the humidity thing. I like them grouped together, not sure why it seems to help though.

[Dante1709]

It has been proven/suggested that plants are capable of emitting pheromones, as a warning message when pests attack. I doubt this is relevant to your situation though.

[Optimist]

I think you are humanizing plants. Its a common thing to attribute emotion or behaviors to plants or animals. Its okay though. Plants do have a certain form of intellegence, only it is not human. At the base of emotion is chemistry. In animals, pleasure, pain, fear, anxiety and happiness are all chemical, but similar aparatus for giving and receiving that chemistry simply does not exist in the anatomy of a plant. One interesting thing is that without the innoculation of certain micofungii, orchid seeds do not develop. That micofungii protein is a lifelong resident in the velaman of the orchids roots. It is a growth factor. Whether it is safe or not, I put a chunk of another healthy root neer the root line of a newly devolping set of roots. Before cloning made the mass production of orchidspossible, the way to get hem to grow was to put an old healthy root from the parent plant in with them. This is something like newborns of the flesh kind taking in the colostrum from mothers milk in order to form an immunity system. Would you call that mothers love? Well, maybe on the level of chemistry. Just musing.

[ALToronto]

Seedlings in compots grow better than in dedicated pots. I have two flasks' worth of phal seedlings, and when I deflasked them, I put the biggest plants in their own pots, while smaller ones went into compots. They're no longer the biggest plants - a few of the compot dwellers have outpaced them. All the pots are together, and I move the pots around, so it's not location. I've read on other forums of people's similar experience with compots vs individual pots.

[Leafmite]

When reading about herbs (very old books), I read that people planted certain plants (one is Yarrow) to help encourage the growth of other plants. Some study (no idea where I found this or whether it was peer reviewed) looked at the growing of seedlings and determined that in some circumstances, they would encourage or discourage growth, depending on whether the seeds had the same parents or not.
Something to contemplate, at least....

[james mickelso]

Ommmmmm (Ok. Everyone hold hands).

[Dante1709]

Originally Posted by Leafmite

When reading about herbs (very old books), I read that people planted certain plants (one is Yarrow) to help encourage the growth of other plants. Some study (no idea where I found this or whether it was peer reviewed) looked at the growing of seedlings and determined that in some circumstances, they would encourage or discourage growth, depending on whether the seeds had the same parents or not.
Something to contemplate, at least....

I've heard of yarrow as well. I actually used to be a bit crazy about yarrow and whenever I see it now, nostalgia takes over.

[james mickelso]

I always found it best in a pipe. But that's another story not suitable for you children. (opps! Showing his age).