Hello all, beginner Peristeria elata in trouble! - Orchid Board

noseque82 · #1 06-28-2015, 10:50 AM

Hey guys and girls, I'm not much of a blogger, and upon suggestion from my husband I found this forum to see what i could learn from those with more experience than I seeing as how my main orchid guy is no longer with us. I have two Peristeria elata or white dove orchids for about a year and a half now. when i originally got them they had tall beautiful fern like leaves, nice healthy large bulbs and growing vigorously. It is now a year later, and I'm afraid that my inexperience has taken it's toll. I am willing to take any and all steps necessary to bring these guys back from the brink. these photos are fresh from this morning after watering. as you can see, the original bulbs are wrinkling and browning and the roots are rotting or shrinking away. the new bulbs growing out of the old ones are now starting to look unhealthy. can we remove these new bulbs and repot them? What can i do to bring these guys back to life!!!

I water once a week. and mist lightly twice a week.
feed them once a month
they are sitting in an orchid medium cocoa coir lava rock and cocunut husks they are sitting loosely in the pots, in an easterly facing window that gets bright indirect sunlight all morning and part afternoon. temperature stays fairly consistent between 70-80

I'm originally from panama and would be ashamed if I let them die!

Thanks

Zoi2 · #2 06-28-2015, 11:48 AM

Hello and welcome to the OB.
These are really not the best orchids for beginners but once you understand how they grow you should do fine. This link should help. Peristeria elata Orchid Care - Carter and Holmes Orchids Culture
Good Luck
Joann

noseque82 · #3 06-28-2015, 12:29 PM

HI joann thanks for the reply and information
Ive been doing my homework as well, I just have not been able to find any info on how to work with this new growth stemming from the tops of the old bulbs where normally the leaves grow from. was looking for information as to whether or not it would be beneficial to transplant the new growth with their roots

Leafmite · #4 06-28-2015, 01:00 PM

I do not grow these but what I would do is to get a basket-type pot and, after removing the old medium and soaking the entire thing well (to get those roots from the new growth hydrated) put the lower bulbs inside the basket pot, gently fill to the root-line of the top growth with chunks of lava rock. You can top it with your favorite medium if you wish. Hang it where it gets a nice breeze and water well while it is growing. Wait until the new roots grow a little before fertilizing. If you can get your hands on the seaweed stuff that everyone says helps with roots, I would give that a try. The rock and basket pot will keep it open enough to prevent rot on those old, wrinkled bulbs. and the old bulbs should continue to give energy to the new, top growth until they are self-sustaining. It will take a while for it to recover enough to bloom.

Hopefully, someone who grows these will give you better advice. This is just how I would do it. I've done this before with a Maxillaria tenuifolia and the old bulbs under the lava rock are still sending up new shoots....
Good luck!

noseque82 · #5 06-28-2015, 01:07 PM

Hey, thanks! that sounds like a good idea... would you suggest only filling the bottom with lava rock? and leave only the cocoa coir medium for the exposed root system? that's what I understood from your post.

---------- Post added at 12:07 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:05 PM ----------

also would you suggest cutting out the old root system as well before I bury the old bulbs?
sorry i'm asking so many questions, I'm very nervous about the whole thing, damn plants become so important to me!!!

Leafmite · #6 06-28-2015, 01:24 PM

Looking at the pictures, you have two of these? The one is sending out new growth in the normal way so you can just pot that one normally. The other looks like the old growths are over and done so I would concentrate on the top growth. Whatever set up you use, you want to leave the old growth to continue to support the new growth. If you use a basket pot (I will try to post a photo of one here) and then lava rock to bury the old bulbs, the bulbs will continue to support the new growth without rotting while the new growth can put roots into the medium that is best for your orchid. I don't know enough about this orchid to suggest what medium that might be. :|
The goal is not to rot the old bulbs and let them support the new growth but to let the new roots go into medium.
If the old roots are dead (which I think they are), you can cut them off. I usually soak an orchid for a while to see what roots will plump up.

Here is one of my neos in a basket pot so you can get an idea what type of pot or set up might work for you (you can always improvise).

noseque82 · #7 06-28-2015, 01:32 PM

Understood! on my way to grab some supplies now. wish me luck...
We do have 2, and yes the other seems to be sending out new bulbs in the normal fashion. For this one, would it be okay to cut out the old bulbs and roots that are dead and dry? and how do you go about soaking the roots? just place it in a container filled with water?

Leafmite · #8 06-28-2015, 10:13 PM

I usually use distilled water to soak new orchids before re-potting and I just put it in a bucket or bowl and soak it.
Anything that is very dead and dry can be removed. The bulbs that have a little life in them should be left to help the newest growths. Hope that helps.

Optimist · #9 06-29-2015, 12:10 AM

From what i get just browsing the growth conditions, they need 30 to 50 percent light, they need to be kept moist, they are terrestrial, so putting them in coconut husk and lava rock is not a great idea. It makes perfect sense why they are not doing well if they are terrestrial and potted like an oncidium.

I think maybe if you read a bit more on exactly what to pot them in, If terrestrial and not "semi-terrestrial" I'd put them in a very light moisture retentive soil (like Ray uses for Spathoglottis) but well draining (yes potting soil) then basically bag them (Put them in a fish tank or wardian case,) away from the windows, where they get some light but not full in the window light.

They are also warm to hot growing so depending on where you live, they may need a heat mat in the winter. They also need lots of moisture.