Grrrr! STUPID MOSS BALLS!!!!

[Kimbubbley]

My poor Nelly Isler! Without Tapatalk on my phone I've been away from here for ages. Now it's back I was searching for Nelly grow tips as mine I bought at beginning of October is looking a bit wrinkled no matter what I do almost every post said look out for the dreaded moss balls... So today I unpotted to check.... cross is an understatement!!

I bought this at an orchid society show so I didn't repot when I bought her cos I couldn't imagine it would have moss coming from an orchid society... I was wrong! soggy moss killing my roots... even tho I've been using a skewer and waiting ages to water

So I've picked out all the moss and dead roots.... THANKFULLY there are still some nice healthy firm ones, so I'm hopeful!....and reported with hydroton and bark mix to try and keep it open as the pots a little bit big now :s

Just got to keep my fingers crossed now that I caught it in time... all thanks to OB members giving me the heads up!!

[Gage]

Good save! I need to check mine since it just finished blooming. This would be a sad loss to anyone's collection. And how bout that fragrance?!

[Merlyn]

Please explain what a "moss ball" is !

[Kimbubbley]

Smells lovely Gage, sort of sickly sweet citrus, mostly in the mornings for me before the wrinkles! Lol

I think moss ball is the medium the growers bring their babies up in... but when they repot they don't take it off, just tuck it in a bigger pot with bark round it. Consiquently when u water, the moss stays soggy in the middle and rots out the roots,and the heart of the plant..... when PBS go wrinkled u water it more making it worse :s

Makes u feel rotten when u realise a simple repot was all it needed, Merlyn

[Bud]

That happened to me twice...and now, no matter what: I repot everything when it arrives...they are dehydrated from travel so might as well wash the roots and refresh the mix.

[Gage]

Originally Posted by Kimbubbley

Smells lovely Gage, sort of sickly sweet citrus, mostly in the mornings for me before the wrinkles! Lol(

I like your description, I would have just said sweet and fruity LOL! Mine seemed to be fragrant during the daytime and strongest in the early-mid afternoon.

[Kimbubbley]

Exactely Bud in future I will do it no matter where it's come from!

I got a paph at the same time, So I'm wondering if I should check that too?... However it's thriving rather than fading... It has a bud developing and a current bloom, plus 2 new fan buds for next years flowers!

Not sure if I should unpot to check it :s

[WhiteRabbit]

To me your plant doesn't look excessively wrinkled - older pbulbs will wrinkle a bit ... but hard to tell from the photos, and even if they are/were wrinkled from root problems, they don't usually replump when the situation is corrected (in my experience anyway)

Either way - good you discovered the moss before severe damage was done.

[Kimbubbley]

I'm glad u mentioned the bulbs are unlikely to fatten up again Rabbit! I will have to resist trying to fatten them up

The second pic is the newest PB it only has 2 and a back bulb stubb. It's hard to see but there is a baby PB growing that looks ok so far... just have to wait and see what happens next I guess hopefully roots!

[WhiteRabbit]

Originally Posted by Kimbubbley

I'm glad u mentioned the bulbs are unlikely to fatten up again Rabbit! I will have to resist trying to fatten them up

The second pic is the newest PB it only has 2 and a back bulb stubb. It's hard to see but there is a baby PB growing that looks ok so far... just have to wait and see what happens next I guess hopefully roots!

It's possible the pbulbs may plump SLIGHTLY - I haven't noticed this tho.

If the new growth has smooth foliage (not pleated or crimped), it's doing good now. New growth should start roots when they are bigger. New roots will only come from new growth.