new to dens!! help

[aries23]

Originally Posted by RosieC

The Dens are best of in the west so put them in the windowledge.

The Phals probably want to be kept back from the window but still with some light reaching them. They want indirect light so if all you have is west windows don't put them directly in that. Having said that over the winter they may be alright in the window.

I think I made a mistake I think all my windows are east facing with small ledges and no other furniture pieces to mount them on... I think Ill just keep them in the living room tables where my patio door brings some light in the morning and the lights on the tables in the evening.


With my phals I was fairly disappointed alot of the roots were getting mushy on the one that is blooming. It now has no roots.

The other one some aerial roots and I was wondering what was that hollow thing growing straight up?

With the dens I cut some of the ugly leaves off, one of them is kind of stripy towards the inside? Why is this?

Thanks everyone for your inputs

[LarryAJ]

Originally Posted by aries23

With my phals I was fairly disappointed alot of the roots were getting mushy on the one that is blooming. It now has no roots.

Sorry to hear that, BUT not is all lost. I got two from the neighbor across the street that had no roots. I managed to keep them alive for most of a year by keeping the root portion - bottom section where there were roots - in water. I suspended the plant using a stick (like a popsickel stick) and a tie (like for a garbage sack). One died so I decided drastic action was needed to save the other. It had several leaves so I sacrificed one by pulling it off so it would expose clean fresh "flesh" on which I put Rootone a growth hormone. It took a long time but now I have new roots and leaves.

The note is one I added so Janine would know what it was. (She is the secretary that got me started in orchid.)

[aries23]

Originally Posted by LarryAJ

Sorry to hear that, BUT not is all lost. I got two from the neighbor across the street that had no roots. I managed to keep them alive for most of a year by keeping the root portion - bottom section where there were roots - in water. I suspended the plant using a stick (like a popsickel stick) and a tie (like for a garbage sack). One died so I decided drastic action was needed to save the other. It had several leaves so I sacrificed one by pulling it off so it would expose clean fresh "flesh" on which I put Rootone a growth hormone. It took a long time but now I have new roots and leaves.

The note is one I added so Janine would know what it was. (She is the secretary that got me started in orchid.)

Im quite confused aout putting it in water wouldnt it rot? well what I did with my phals for now is suspended them in the pot and put styrofoam on the bottom of the pot and mixed sprgm moss and styrofoam for medium so its not too wet and not too dry....i hope this works!!

[aries23]

I have no idea what type of windows i have?? all I know is when I wake up the sun is shinning on the opp side of my building and all through the day... so I give up with the sun.. Ill just use my lamps!!

[quiltergal]

If the sun never shines directly though your windows then you may have north facing windows. Not optimal for orchid growing. Grow lights should vastly improve things.

[aries23]

Originally Posted by quiltergal

If the sun never shines directly though your windows then you may have north facing windows. Not optimal for orchid growing. Grow lights should vastly improve things.

Thanks for that disappointing news... I have a big patio door and i do have lamps so Im guessing that should be enough

[LarryAJ]

Originally Posted by aries23

Im quite confused aout putting it in water wouldnt it rot?

No, not necessarily, rot, or the bacteria that causes it, needs air. If you have ever had a wood fence or something held up with a wood post, what you would find is that the post rots the MOST a few inches above and below the ground line. That is because that is the region that cycles between wet and dry. Below a few inches it will stay wet and above and few inches it will dry out too fast for the bacteria to proliferate well. If you go to the beach you will see this same effect on piers, etc. where the wood that is submerged and that well above the water line is solid and rots very slowly when it does. But at the water line the most decay and rot occurs.

When I use the "put the roots in water" technique, I remove all the dead roots and fiber I can so there is less for any rot to live on. Then I watch the water level to keep it as constant as I can. Putting a cover over the container will keep the moisture in and water level constant. I try to keep any leaves out of the water but on orchids like a dendrobium where the stalk is devoid of leaves, I will allow the lower part of the stalk to stay in the water.

I have rooted woody hibiscus, figs and even got a rose to root this way once. So that is how I came to try this on my orchids. Given that orchids do not like to "have their feet wet", I do this mostly to orchids that have NO roots - after all they will die anyway with no roots - so desperate measures for desperate situations. Once I get a big enough root system, I will then pot it. I currently have two phalenopsis that lost all but one root. I have them still potted BUT they get special treatment. Every AM and PM I mist the leaves top and bottom so they are wet just to the point of dripping. keeping water out of the crown (top where the top leaves start). If they fail to respond, then they will get the "in the water" treatment.