Pleurthallids in trouble

[Jakob]

I've come upon a number of Pleurothallids (number is 8), and beacuse they were a bargain, i took them.
As I expected, some of the plants are in subideal conditions. A Dracula lost all the leaves and most of the roots, but the base of the plant and the leave bases are still firm, so I hope it'll bounce back in time.
Scaphosepalums and the pleurothallis and the other Dracula (it's benedictii, and of the five Draculas and Masdies, the only one that didn't fall apart ) are in good condition, but the Masdies are pretty bad, but except for one that lost all but one leaf, salvageable i hope.

I generally know how to go about ICU orchids, but not with Pleurothallids (all I got are doing OK, no need to ICU).
Any tips on how to not kill them ?

Currently I'm drying them, as the main problem was, thay were shipped moist (subideal, i know, but the other possibility was that they dry out (which in retrospect would have been a better Idea. A lesson learnt. I still got some awesome plants dirt cheap, though).

First thing, has anyone desinfected the plants by dipping them in dillute vinegar for a minute or two - before you say it's stupid- vinegar is a pretty good disinfectant and is especially effective against mould - that's why I'm thinking about it.

Secondly will it help if I overnight them in the fridge? They are next to an open window, with ouside temps being 5-10°C in the night and up to 20°C.

They'll be potted in (or the rootles beggars, lain on) sphagnum in clay pots (i like clay pots, they cool stuff down). (I'm waiting to dry them off overnight, and inspect the dry material)

Sounds OK?

[estación seca]

I think drying out a healthy Pleurothallid just once may kill it.

I have used food vinegar to kill weeds.

[Jakob]

Yes, but living it soggy after it's been rotting is worse, isn't it? + it's in a cool, humid room, so they won't dry out, just dry off.

Ok, so no to vinegar i guess.

[estación seca]

I don't know any more than that about these plants. Others here do - I hope they write.

[No-Pro-mwa]

I wouldn't use the vinegar either. Just wait and see if they start growing.

[Leafmite]

I do not have any of the ones you are growing but I do have a few other Pleurothallidinae, including a Dracula papillosa. First of all, when you pot them up, make certain that all but the roots are above the moss. That helps prevent fungus issues when the medium needs to stay damp and the air very humid. Secondly, you want to make certain that the air is circulating around your plants. This can be accomplished by using a fan in your terrarium or making certain your terrarium allows for air to circulate. Some Pleurothallidinae need lower temperatures and will die if temperatures are too warm so you should check the temperature requirements. And, most of these fare better with rain water or distilled water.

I think that if you are giving your Dracula the right conditions, it should recover. Draculas tend to be quite vigorous. Good luck!

[Paul]

Actually, shipping them dry would likely have been worse. Best would be in lightly damp sphag.

For your mold concerns, you might try soaking with a strong chamomile tea. (Brew strong then allow to cool completely. It has natural anti-fungal properties.

As Leafmite mentioned, not all pleuros want the same temps so research the ones you have.

I would not let them dry overnight. I would pot up with damp sphag and place them where some moving air could dry off the leaves after drying the leaves with a paper towel first.

[Jakob]

Yeah, I don't actually know what would be worse - too dry or too wet. In this instance I regret the fact I don't film my orchids, as the unpacking was spectacular. three of the orchids dropped all the leaves immediately upon unpacking and media was't just damp, it was wet.

and I have't let them dry out, i just let the transition from soppy wet to just fairly damp.

Now they are in sphagnum , mostly in clay pots. Clay pots are in turn standing in wet sphagnum, so that the clay is constantly damp. It cools the down wonderfully.

For the species I got, ecuagenera says they are cool to intermediate growers, they are going out at the end of april if I see some growth (and will be promptly escorted back inside in the cellar if (more likely when, as it looks like) we have an abnormally hot summer).

They are next to an open window. And It's windy in Vienna. Air circulation is not a problem - humidity is, but I hope I solved it by putting the pots into 5 cm of wet sphagnum ( no standing water, no pooling) at least for a time until I go back home.


So how it looks like:

Pleurothallis angustipetala: It got here in the best shape and had a relatively OK root system:


Dracula benedictii: Looks Ok too, had some living, but cut back??? roots. needs staking:

When it recovers, I know it's going to need to go into a basket, as spikes go down. But I don't expect them soon.

"Masdevallia amabilis" i put it in quotes, because it most certainly is not even a Masdevallia, despite the tag. It's very Pleurothalis-y (or one of the genera split of recently) there's two plants (was one, the part between died), one OK, the other one is getting dehydrated - roots were in bad shape on both, but the smaller seems to have taken it badly:


It has keikis. At lest those should make it. It also has old spikes, that arise from the ramicaul on the bottom, like a masdie's would. A weird plant, really hope it makes it.

Scaphosepalum portillae: Plant fell apart into three. The big one will probably make it, the roots were bad on all:


Masdevallia persicina: I'm not sure on the species, but it is a masdie - it had dried up buds. Hasn't got any roots


Scaphosepalum triceratops: I had to have this, because name . No roots, but leaves seem ok, as is the base.


Dracula mopsus and Masdevallia filaria. For the Drac there's still some hope, the base dried up (not rotting), there's some roots, so fingers crossed, this masdie's dead. Fr reserach purposes i'm going to care for it until it rots, maybe it still has a living eye