Not so lovely Elizabeth

[Dollythehun]

This ugly, expensive, Bulbophyllum "Lovely Elizabeth" came home today with three friends ( who are much better looking). I quizzed the vendor about her looks and that black "beauty mark" on her PB. He said repeatedly to give good air circulation and she would be fine.

She has been sprayed with Physan and Bayer 3 in one. The media is so bad, it literally stinks. If any of you would have brought this home I would have shamed you...So, give me thoughts on rescue procedures please.

[estación seca]

That's very iffy but it may recover. I learned from reading Bulbophyllums: The Incomplete Guide; From A to Why? by Bill Thoms. I bought it from him at Bulbophyllums.com . I recommend it to people wishing to grow Bulbophyllums.

He says they have very thin roots, thus most need prolonged, soaking, daily watering. They do best for him in sphagnum moss in baskets. He had much less success with mounted plants. He recommends wooden baskets due to the heavy weight of his enormous plants. He puts a mount of foam packing peanuts in the center of the basket, then mounts wet sphagnum over it. He settles the plant in the sphagnum.

He waters his plants every day, sometimes twice. If they don't get enough water, new growths turn black. It's not fungus. It's underwatering.

He also says a small basket may be left sitting in a dish of water so the sphagnum stays wet. The foam peanuts permit air to the roots. Most of his baskets would need a wash basin to set in.

I would immediately unpot your plant and remove all the old medium. Swish it around in the water to get rid of the old stuff. Repot into fresh sphagnum. If you don't have that, use a small-grade potting mix. Keep the plant moist and water every day.

I killed almost all mine because I didn't water them enough. I can't forget even one day or they dry out fatally. I have put some small seedlings into a terrarium where it takes longer for them to dry out.

[Optimist]

This may amuse you: I got so fed up with losing my bulbophylums that the last one (a Medusa cross) I placed in a walmart dog dish with a zip tie, over first rocks/bark mix, then moss. I drilled only about 8 holes in the bottom (on the edge), so that the drip off would be very slow. Like Estacion Seca, I am in the desert and here the humidity is very low. Even this bulbo in this kind of pot gets to spend summer outside.
Picture taken a few minutes ago. The dog dish planter.


The dog dish has low sides, but keeps the moisture inside due to thick plastic walls.


Not a lot of holes drilled, and that is the zip-tie, holding plant in. The plant basically just sits on the surface of the moss.


(Personally, I would not have sold a plant in such bad condition. That seller should be ashamed of him/herself)

[Leafmite]

It looks like it has a new growth so that is a good sign.

I have all my Bulbos currently mounted but I have grown them in shallow pans, too. I am not sure what this one needs as I have not grown it. Bulbos are a large group from a variety of areas so they can vary a bit on what they prefer. Some of the ones I grow need to stay constantly wet with very high humidity while others like to dry out between watering (but not too much) and do fine with 'decent' humidity. The general rule for them is to keep them warm, give them good humidity and to see that their roots are kept damp but have plenty of air exposure so that they won't rot. That is why mine are all now mounted and the ones that need to be kept damp have the end of the mount sitting in shallow water. It makes things easy. All but the baileyi are either in an open vase or table-top greenhouses (the baileyi doesn't seem picky about humidity). All of mine like the warmth.
Good luck with it!

[Dollythehun]

"Personally, I would not have sold a plant in such bad condition. That seller should be ashamed of him/herself)"

I think women are a little different in this regard. I quizzed him a couple of times, about some dead material on it, about the black, spot and there are some faint spots in one leaf. He pointed out the new growth also and assured me with good air circulation, it would be fine. You almost feel bad about him digging it out, explaining about it, and then you walking away. Men, probably not, plus, he is a mom and pop place and spent a lot of time with us on a day when he was sick. So, those are my reasons, which are not good, I know. Plus, there is the thought that you might be successful, and how many of us haven't thought that?

---------- Post added at 11:43 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:36 AM ----------

Leafmite, Optimist & Estacion: thank you. My plan is to get the rotten media off it, rinse it and put it in a basket or net pot with large fir or wine corks at the base and either fresh sphagnum or fine bark on top to nestle it in. I understand the roots are shallow. Then it will sit in a leca/ water filled tray until the quarantine period is over. Humidity should not be a pribkem, running 50-60%. Light might be an issue, how much do you give yourself Leafmite?

[Salixx]

It's not dead and has leaves, so you have a chance, IMO. I got a an Bulb. lasiochillum from orchids.com last April that didn't look much better. Its progress has been slow, but steady. I used a method not totally dissimilar to what estación said (though I did try others first), but not quite the same either. I use bird suet cages filled with sphagnum (a big one for my big Bulb. maxillare and a little one for the lasiochillum. I also use plastic bags to create a reservoir on the bottom to wick moisture up so I don't have to water daily . You can kind of make it out in this old pic:


My Bulb. auratum came with a similar set up so I haven't repotted it yet.

I wouldn't have bought it, personally, but you have a relationship with the owner and that can make a difference. I wouldn't have sold it either - if you are a repeat, good customer, I would have at the very least given it to you at cost, if not just straight out given it to you. If I couldn't mark it down, financially.... well, I think I would give it the TLC it needs before trying to sell it. Of course, I'm not the one making a living selling plants, so he may have had his reasons.

[Leafmite]

Light can vary depending on the species/hybrid. I have one that likes Cattleya light, two that are in between and three that like shade. However, hopefully, this will help.

Here is a link from Googling:
http://orchidnature.com/orchid-ident...n-buckleberry/

[Dollythehun]

Thanks you two. I've been doing a bit of googling on this myself! I might go with a tree fern pot and spag.

[jkofferdahl]

I'm not sure I've ever been in the same greenhouse as a Bulbo, but even to me that's a scary looking plant. Still, I understand why you took it and I think you can recover it. You have a project that needs TLC and a soul that gives it. That plant will have flowers within two years.

[Dollythehun]

Bless you, John.