leaves that don't open

[monna lisa]

When I mist, I always try to wait for roots to get from white to green, in order to be sure they are filled with water. But maybe it's not enough...
I add fertilizer only once a week, otherwise I'm using R.o. water. I'll try to soak them once a week and see.

Here's a pic of my orchid case:



And two examples of what I meant for "reddish tinge"...leaves are simply slightly red spotted, but there aren't any sign of sunbuns.Sorry if Copper sulphate treatement covers all things.

[monna lisa]

I forgot to tell you that what you see in this old picture is a CFL light...I've been switching on MH light since one year and naturally I've raised the lighting device a bit...otherwise my C. intermedia would have backed...
Temperatures are:
summer: max 29 C°- min 22 C°
winter: max 24 C°-min 18 C°

[kavanaru]

ok, if the reddish tinge you mean is not more than that shown in the last two pictures, I would not worry at all... on thefirst photo, it looks more like a genetic reddish we have already mentioned here for some plants... on the second photo, it indeed looks more like light induced, but still ok (unless it disturbs you!).. however, if it is morethan that in most of of your plants, I would reduce the light a bit (eithe less light, which could have an impact on the plants on the bottom, or just plaving the orchids a bit lower in the orchidarium, which would be my preferred option, as I can see some high level plants like your Vanda are doing very well under the current conditions!).

now... water.. the leave of the plant on the second photo are obviously dehydrated and stressed.... I would focus by now in watering your plants better. Misting as usual, but include soaking once or twice per week... on the second photo, it also looks like the leave are getting smaller (could be effect of the photo), which would also suggest not enough nutrients available... you use RO water, right? Which kind of fertilizer do you use? One adapted for pure water or for tap water? using the wrong kind of fertilizer would have a big impact on the pH of the water and therefore also on the availability of nutrients for your plant (in extrem cases, having the same effect as not giving any fertilizer at all!)

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[monna lisa]

You're right kavanaru, leaves are smaller than normal, but I found that the issue was the too long lasting photoperiod (when I had the CFL lamp, I set the photoperiod on 16 hours of light, and when I changed lights to MH I left the same amount of light hours...so new leaves grew smaller. Now that I've changed to 12 hours of light things are getting better)
I'm using a fertilizer for R. O. water, very similar to the MSU one (Akerne's rain mix) and the water solution pH is around 6. The strength at which I use it is around 350 microsiemens for botanical orchids and 400 for hybrids. Vanda gets a 800 microsiemens solution.

[Stitzelweller]

Originally Posted by monna lisa

You're right kavanaru, leaves are smaller than normal, but I found that the issue was the too long lasting photoperiod (when I had the CFL lamp, I set the photoperiod on 16 hours of light, and when I changed lights to MH I left the same amount of light hours...so new leaves grew smaller. Now that I've changed to 12 hours of light things are getting better)
I'm using a fertilizer for R. O. water, very similar to the MSU one (Akerne's rain mix) and the water solution pH is around 6. The strength at which I use it is around 350 microsiemens for botanical orchids and 400 for hybrids. Vanda gets a 800 microsiemens solution.

monna lisa, will you please translate "microsiemens" into a meaningful measurement of light intensity? I'm old-fashioned; I understand foot-candles and lux.

thanks

[kavanaru]

Originally Posted by Stitzelweller

monna lisa, will you please translate "microsiemens" into a meaningful measurement of light intensity? I'm old-fashioned; I understand foot-candles and lux.

thanks

Stitz, with microsiemens she refers to the water and not the light. This gives you an idea of the minerals dissolved in the water: Reverse Osmose Water should have a very low value (as close to 0 µs as possible). then you adjust it with yourfertilizer according to your needs. Forexample, Vandas and Catasetinae are plants that need high dosis of fertilizer, but if you use the same concentration for Masdevallias (a plant that is very sensitive to to water quality and a low feeder) you will kill very quick!

[johnblagg]

Originally Posted by Stitzelweller

monna lisa, will you please translate "microsiemens" into a meaningful measurement of light intensity? I'm old-fashioned; I understand foot-candles and lux.

thanks

you need to read her post again she is refering to ppm of fert with that term not light levels

[Stitzelweller]

Ramón, Thank you very much for your diplomatic explanation.

[johnblagg]

Originally Posted by Stitzelweller

Ramón, Thank you very much for your diplomatic explanation.

OOps I did not mean to sound rude Stitz sorry if I did

[kavanaru]

You are welcome.. but I was neither trying to be diplomatic I was just providing information the same way we normally do it here in OB... You'd say you did not know what microsiemens were and I just explained it a bit further, in a (at least I think so) easy and understandable way...