Help with Eulophia petersii
 

Hello all,
I hope that everyone is well and happy and that your plants are happy, too.
I bought an Eulophia petersii about a year ago. I researched prior to purchasing this plant and it is not, NOT doing what the research tells me. It is putting out a new pseudobulb and the roots are not attached to the soil. I have it potted in gravel, LECA, pertlite chunks and lava rock. I've followed suggestions on this board and on sites dedicated to orchid growing. I just bumped this plant and it literally fell out of the pot! GRRRR. What the heck is going on? I'm going to repot, obviously, but is the plant confused? Or did I make a poor choice here? The plant seems healthy, at least the leaves do. The roots are firm, but they haven't adhered to anything. Please help!!!! And thank you in advance.

If the plant has grown a new pseudo bulb then I would think it hasnt any major problems. :twocents: Is this pic of the plant after it fell out of the container it was in? Maybe you could try mounting it. Just a thought. Good luck with it!

Thanks Waterdog111, I appreciate your reply!
Yes, this is the plant after it fell out of the pot. I'm concerned that it hasn't attached to any of the media. I would have thought that some roots would be holding onto parts of the media. I'll keep my fingers crossed!

This species grows VERY slowly. The root system isn't large relative to the plant and the medium is loose as it must be. So the plant is pretty top heavy. You might consider staking it when you repot it.

Thank you, Roberta! Of all the things to not consider doing, lol! I appreciate your help!

Well... here it has an enormous and vigorous root system, exactly resembling that of a standard Cymbidium, and requires a larger pot than you might use for most orchids for best growth. It can grow very rapidly for an orchid if it's warm enough, and gets enough water and fertllizer.

Your plant is a division with old roots. The new growth hasn't made roots yet. Some orchids root as new growth occurs; this species waits until well along in development of the new growth.

It can tolerate winter temperatures down to almost freezing if dry. It grows best with hot to very hot temperatures and plenty of light. After a winter indoors you should be able to move it gradually into full sun for the summer. It will not tolerate my full summer sun, but people in more northerly climates grow it in full sun.

I pot mine in a mixture of pumice and local decomposed granite soil. Your mix should be fine, too. It should also do well in any Cymbidium mix.

Once hot weather starts I keep mine moist to wet, never letting it dry out. If it dries out it stops growing. If kept moist it will make multiple flushes of new growth each summer. My mixture is very well aerated. I have never had problems with root rot, even watering almost every day during the hottest time of our year.

I fertilize with ammonium sulfate or 20-20-20 with micronutrients at the rate of one tablespoon per gallon (15 ml powder per 3.78 liters) at every watering in summer. Sometimes I use plain water.

Edit: Now that I reread your post, I think your potting mix is too open and loose, unless you water almost every day. This plant really will not grow at all unless its roots stay fairly moist. I would add perhaps 25% of bagged potting soil.

Sounds like Roberta and ES have some really good tips. Also, are you giving this one full sun? The best ones I've seen here in Texas get full sun with little to no shade.