tips for Pleurothallis cardiothallis (edema/watering isues)?

[Roberta]

Here's mine. It produces several flowers sequentially from each growth, and as it gets big with many growths, will be in bloom for several months.

Mine experiences temperatures a lot lower than that, but it has been living outside for many years so is acclimated. I'd suggest that when nights get up to around 55 deg F/13 deg C, move it outside, and then just leave it there - it will acclimate through spring to summer to fall, and then have no problem next winter, even if it gets to near freezing. This species can become quite large and robust. Not fragile at all, my plant has survived many beginner mistakes, and has grown well enough to have been divided and shared a few times. Small bark (or other water-retentive medium), keep damp, fertilize lightly (it isn't fussy at all). Bright shade or filtered sun.

[blob]

Originally Posted by Roberta

Here's mine. It produces several flowers sequentially from each growth, and as it gets big with many growths, will be in bloom for several months.

Mine experiences temperatures a lot lower than that, but it has been living outside for many years so is acclimated. I'd suggest that when nights get up to around 55 deg F/13 deg C, move it outside, and then just leave it there - it will acclimate through spring to summer to fall, and then have no problem next winter, even if it gets to near freezing. This species can become quite large and robust. Not fragile at all, my plant has survived many beginner mistakes, and has grown well enough to have been divided and shared a few times. Small bark (or other water-retentive medium), keep damp, fertilize lightly (it isn't fussy at all). Bright shade or filtered sun.

Gorgeous flowers, I think mine could be red as well, the dried petals left by past blooms look reddish.

I started using the foliar feeding I use for most of my plants: 20-30-10. But I got an orchid specific organic fertilizer a week ago, it doesn't show any number ratios, but all my orchids are growing like crazy since I used it and it smells just like vitamin tablets when I apply it. Its very effective. My Prosthechea varicosa backbulb is finally making new roots and a bulb since I applied it.

The bottle says to apply twice the first week and then once every week.

Yeah, theyre surprisingly hardy to be such a simple structure orchid. I got a division that i mounted in bark and sphaghum with coconut fiber and its doing way better than the potted mother. But i do mist that one a lot, no edema and new leaf growing healhy

[Roberta]

Foliar feeding doesn't do much for orchids... the leaves have a waxy cuticle that sheds water (one of the "strategies" that epiphytic orchdis have evolved to avoid desiccation when it isn't raining.) Any value the plant gains when you put fertilizer on the leaves happens when it eventually gets washed off and ends up in the root zone. Much more useful to put the fertilizer in the root zone in the first place.

Also note that orchids grow very slowly. You typically won't see results one way or the other for months. If you see new growth right after you start a new fertilizer, it is coincidence. (Spring is approaching, that is a prime time for new growth. Even if you do nothing) Correlation does not necessary equal causation.

[blob]

Originally Posted by Roberta

Foliar feeding doesn't do much for orchids... the leaves have a waxy cuticle that sheds water (one of the "strategies" that epiphytic orchdis have evolved to avoid desiccation when it isn't raining.) Any value the plant gains when you put fertilizer on the leaves happens when it eventually gets washed off and ends up in the root zone. Much more useful to put the fertilizer in the root zone in the first place.

Also note that orchids grow very slowly. You typically won't see results one way or the other for months. If you see new growth right after you start a new fertilizer, it is coincidence. (Spring is approaching, that is a prime time for new growth. Even if you do nothing) Correlation does not necessary equal causation.

No, i was applying foliar feeding before i knew about that, then i changed to this one and im applying as the bottle says i do mist the roots.

But yeah, must be spring, everything is coming back to life

[Roberta]

Don't just mist the roots, WATER them. Let the water run through the pot, which pulls eair into the root zone and flushes out the "bad stuff". (I do suspect that this species, actually the whole genus, will do much better potted rather than mounted especially in your dry climate)

[blob]

Originally Posted by Roberta

Don't just mist the roots, WATER them. Let the water run through the pot, which pulls eair into the root zone and flushes out the "bad stuff". (I do suspect that this species, actually the whole genus, will do much better potted rather than mounted especially in your dry climate)

The bottle has a mist setting and the bottle says to mist the roots with the fertilizer. I fertilize after watering. As the bottle says.

[Roberta]

OK, roots are getting their "bath".

---------- Post added at 09:10 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:05 AM ----------

Fertilizer is the smallest cultural factor in orchid-growing. Temperature, light, air, watering techinque are far more important. An epiphytic orchid gets tiny amounts of nutrients from decayinig matter and such that washes down from the canopy when it rains. They are very efficient! Fertilizer is "vitamins" not "food" - the "food" part comes from phytosynthesis (the carbs). Fertilizer provides minerals to build new tissue, which orchids do very slowly.