Troubleshooting Phrag. besseae - Orchid Board

Dart21 · #1 01-03-2014, 10:41 AM

Beautiful!

I just picked up a besseae a few days ago. In the greenhouse it seemed they were having some mold issues on the foliage (these were potted in fine fir bark and sitting in a saucer of water). Intuitively, I picked up the one with no leaf mold that happened to have just arrived from Hawaii. It was potted in a very course bark/perlite/charcoal mix. On top of the mix there was some moss and it immediately started growing mold once I got it home.

I freaked out and repotted it very carefully as it was in bud and just about to bloom (don't worry it's in bloom now) in a finer mix with some added aggregate, set this in a glass saucer with rocks and water to provide humidity (bottom of pot is not submerged). This is proving to "control" the mold so far... but I can see small strands of hyphae creeping around, I need to rethink the mix, anyone have any recommendations? Have expanded ceramic available (similar to hydroton, I am considering as I know that no mold will make it in this), charcoal, medium grade orchiata bark, coarse perlite... Just want to get rid of this mold and allow this Phrag. to get as much water and nutrients as she wants...

Any other solutions welcome. I know besseae are very sensitive to water quality so spraying solutions could be out of the question... not sure. New to Phrags.

jeremyinsf · #2 01-03-2014, 11:17 AM

A bit of mold isn't a huge problem. Phrag besseae like tons of water, so if you keep flushing it, and not allowing it to remain stagnant, most of it should resolve on it's own.

You could spray it with Physan 20 to tap down the issue, I just wouldn't allow that to become a permanent solution.

WeirdGuySeattle · #3 01-03-2014, 12:58 PM

I just got one also - never seen mold on it though. Mine came in coarse perlite and med size fir bark - seems pretty happy. yeah, I'd just pick the mold off - I don't think it will hurt the plant at all unless it smothers the bark / leafs

Dart21 · #4 01-03-2014, 01:40 PM

Ah thank you both, yes I thought the flushing fresh/pure water through frequently would resolve it. Needed some extra confidence before starting though. Prefer no spray unless absolutely essential.

jeremyinsf · #5 01-03-2014, 01:43 PM

You cannot over water this plant. Give it as much as you'd like to flush it out.

Dart21 · #6 01-03-2014, 09:52 PM

Noted, I will be sure to get it flushing multiple times in the day. Thank you much

ron-in-norcal · #7 01-04-2014, 12:42 AM

I've seen photos and read about them growing next to streams where their roots grow right in the water. Of course, it's running water, so that helps. When I was in SF I grew mine where I had a stream trickling down into a goldfish pond, it seemed to love that, always had water splashing on it, and probably got a little extra fertilizer from the fish being in the water (though I don't know how much there would be after going through the bio-filter). At some point down here I want to have a similar stream going to some koi or goldfish and arrange a shady spot in the stream to grow them that way again.

Dart21 · #8 01-05-2014, 10:01 AM

That sounds like a great setup, I wish I could have something outdoors like that... Up here in Philadelphia our temperatures have been going wild the past week or so ranging from the coldest in 20 years 7 degrees F to 50 degrees F the very next day... it's making me question if my hardy plants will even be impacted!

---------- Post added at 10:00 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:53 AM ----------

Okay now this time, I couldn't help myself but to pick this baby up because I just love the bloom... there seems to be some minor leaf spotting going on... the grower I picked it up from once again had it in standing water and I'm thinking an easy solution will be to run pure water with very very light feed and a little Kelpak (once) through it daily as opposed to having it in standing water.

Also the grower had it in 100% medium grade fir bark, I am thinking of putting it in a more coarse mix of Orchiata/Lg. Perlite/Charcoal.

Anyone have any opinions on this one? The grower also recommended making a cinnamon paste and brushing it onto the spots.

---------- Post added at 10:01 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:00 AM ----------

Forgot to mention this particular besseae is a 'Haven' x 'Smokin' self-hybrid.

silken · #9 01-05-2014, 10:49 AM

I only have 4 Phrags but one is a primary besseae cross and all of mine stand in about an inch of water. I pot them all in a course mix of bark, perlite, charcoal and try and change the water often and flush water thru frequently. As mentioned above, these love water and it seems hard to over water them. I find mine do prefer rain water to our tap water which has a high pH. They don't seem very picky for me and are good bloomers.

Vanda lover · #10 01-05-2014, 11:46 AM

I have a phrag Supergrande that is doing so well in s/h in lava rock that I am planning to put my Eric Young that I just got into s/h as well. There is no mold or rotting to worry about. I flush the Grande a couple of times a week with clear water and add a little fertilizer now and then, usually about once a month.