My very first Roth bud watch!

[PaphLover]

OH, the anticipation!!!!!

[DeaC]

Great...but now you can catch up with those novels you've been wanting to read or paint the rooms 3 times over or...!

[billc]

Looks like a nice fat bud on a well grown plant. Is that the only growth? Or is there a start on the other side?

Bill

[PaphLover]

Originally Posted by DeaC

Great...but now you can catch up with those novels you've been wanting to read or paint the rooms 3 times over or...!

I guess that means I'm in for a long wait, huh?

---------- Post added at 05:54 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:50 PM ----------

Originally Posted by billc

Looks like a nice fat bud on a well grown plant. Is that the only growth? Or is there a start on the other side?

Bill

Yes, another growth popping up from the media. It's just begun though. I bought it at the end of October. Glad it's at least happy enough with me and its transplant into semi-hydro to produce a bud.

[estación seca]

What great news!

My small Roth seedling in S/H is doing well. I hope it blooms before I, well, uh.... It probably will, I'm young.

[smokinjoe1952]

I am playing the same waiting game with a Paph too!

I noticed the rocks on top of the LECA. What is it, and why do you use it. I am considering doing something like that to prevent the top layer of LECA from getting too dry and desiccating the upper and aerial roots.

I was wondering if that is why you do it.

Thanks,

SJ

[PaphLover]

Originally Posted by smokinjoe1952

I am playing the same waiting game with a Paph too!

I noticed the rocks on top of the LECA. What is it, and why do you use it. I am considering doing something like that to prevent the top layer of LECA from getting too dry and desiccating the upper and aerial roots.

I was wondering if that is why you do it.

Thanks,

SJ

It's lava rock. The LECA (different types from different sources) I've found tends to float, so when I go to flush the pots I lose a bunch of LECA if I'm not careful. Plus, it tends to move around too much, which isn't good for new root production.

The lava rock is heavy, keeps the plants and LECA in place, and provides some nutrients (I believe) when I flush with water. The plants seem to love it too.

[smokinjoe1952]

I was going to try some smaller river rocks that would accomplish the same thing. It just means that separating the rocks from the leca will be more difficult if you want to re-pot and save the leca.

Do you think the lava rocks help the upper leca layer stay a little more damp, thus protecting the roots from drying out?

If you are not having that problem, then I would be interested in knowing what the relative humidity is in your growing area. My thinking is that if it is humid enough, then drying of the leca is not a problem.

I am in the process of raising my day/night % humidity from the 45/55 range to the 65/75 range. Maybe the dry leca problem will go away without the rocks with higher humidity, but I like the idea of them holding the leca in place.

Thanks in advance,

SJ

[lilydale]

Originally Posted by PaphLover

OH, the anticipation!!!!!

Same with me too - waiting in anticipation. The bud is taking so long to elongate. I have seen that roth flower stalks are really long and am a bit worried mine will be stuck at the axils. From your experience how long does it take on average from the time when you see the buds to the time it really takes off and the stem elongates? Do I increase light to make it grow faster? Its grown indoors in the depths of the gloomy UK winter now.....

[Optimist]

So, someone who knows, is this the stage at which we would give the plant a "blooming" fertilizer???