What's going on with this Tolumnia?

[vlhart]

Hi everyone--

I've left this Tolumnia Red Berry alone pretty much since I got it and never repotted because it was so stuck to this tiny pot.

Now I'm wondering about the leaf discoloration and the black marks on it, which are also on some new growths.

In one of the pictures--Sorry about the awful focus--there's a little black "bead-like" thing embedded in the leaf that reminds me of a deer tick.

Currently it gets a lot of morning light and may also get too hot in the morning. I spray it thoroughly every day and it dries out by night time but always seems both to be sort of rotting and too dried out at the same time.

Any ideas /suggestions on what thing or things might be going wrong? I'm assuming I should repot as well?

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[cbuchman]

It looks good to me, but a bit desiccated. See the wrinkling in the leaves? That can indicate not enough water. Consider giving it a good soak every few days.

As for the black spot, I can't say. If it is getting bigger, remove the leaf; if it is staying the same size, take no action.

It looks like you have growing roots. Is there any media in the pot? Hopefully not. They are often grown with no media in clay pots or just a bit of charcoal. If there is media in the pot, can you remove it with tweezers?

[vlhart]

Thanks--I'll water this guy a bit more than the others then.

I don't believe there's any media in the pot at all--but there is some old algae that was covering the top. I'll work on cleaning it up when I soak it.

So should I not be concerned about all the brown and black on the edges of the leaves at the base and the tips of the leaves? I have another Red Berry in a different location that has the same thing going on with something that looks a bit like a brown/black scar coming from the base of the plant upwards.

[UnstuckinTime]

The two Tolumnia I've purchased have come exactly as you have it. After it finished blooming, I tore (yes, tore!) it out the pot. The minimum media was just two pieces of bark, which seemed right for a Tolumnia. I grow mine mounted, and used all the brown roots as one might use sphagnum to wrap and secure the plants in place.

I suggest that you remove the plant and wash the roots. If you wish to continue to grow in in a pot, I would cut off a lot of the dead roots. Be extra careful of those tender new roots! They look really good! But then, return the plant to the same little pot (after washing), and maybe use some little lava pebbles as a medium.

[vlhart]

Thanks @ UnstuckinTime. I think I'll do just that and will probably put it back in the pot or maybe on a branch I just sterilized.

Did yours also have blackish/brownish edges and leaf tips? That's the other thing I'm concerned about..

[UnstuckinTime]

It did not have the blackish spots, no. But I agree with cbuchman that it probably isn't a concern unless they get bigger/more abundant. The blackness on the new growth is *slightly* concerning, but I think that once you clear out the dead roots and what not, that will clear itself out. The blackness likely won't go away, but it wont get worse and new leaves wont have it.