Saving three different plants from rot
Bought a Rhyncovola David Sanders as well as a Cyrtopodium paranaense from a vendor at a show at Fairchild tropical gardens in Early March. Three $10 plants later I had problems with the two I bought from the same vendor whose name I forget. The one mini Phalaenopsis plant I bought from Carib plants was ok, and had different rot issues as well, but it was not in a severe state of rot so I ended up treating with 3% hydrogen peroxide and it turned out fine so far, it just lost the fragrant blooms and 3 leaves. The other two were the last ones that the vendor had so it was either those or nothing...for $10.
I am not the only one unlucky enough to buy already rotting plants, but I was lucky enough to figure out how to save them. I have a photo of the David Sanders I saved, and maybe later once it gets bigger I will post the Cyrtopodium paranaense.
For the Rhyncovola, after cutting off the rotting pieces I was left with two leaves off of what looked like about 1 year deflasked seedlings (so it wasn't even blooming size) attached to pseudobulbs only. The plant with a node at the bottom of the pseudobulb but no dormant eyes ended up putting out a new plant that now has 1 root. the other leaf attached to a pseudobulb is alive in a high humidity environment but could only put out a keiki at the apex or next to the apex where the leaf joins the pseudobulb and hasn't yet.
For the Cyrtopodium, it seemed the rot had devoured the new keiki from the top and possibly made it to the interior of the 5 inch pseudobulb, but I just removed the dying keiki and hoped for the best after a soak in the liquid I made. It is still ok and 5 of the dormant eyes started to grow, two are just starting to put out roots but they are still very small.
Recipe. 1 clean plastic 16 oz. cup about 10 oz. tap water for each plant with a half clove of garlic sliced thinly into it and stirred. Add to that about a capful or half capful of liquid seaweed fertilizer (I use Alaska liquid kelp because it is available at home depot -- it is taken from the same source of seaweed that is used to make AGAR) and a drop or two of SuperThrive, stirring it thoroughly after adding the garlic, and again after adding the liquid ingredients. I soaked them for about 8 hours though even just 1 hour may still be effective.
I hope this helps someone trying to save their plants someday.
Last edited by gravotrope; 05-16-2014 at 08:21 PM..
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