My New Experiment
 

Awhile back a friend gave me a cymbidium plant that was severely overgrown. I chopped it up (gasp) into smaller plants and kept a few leafless bulbs to try and root inside.

Well, three of the bulbs have new growth on them and one has three roots on it which is less than an inch each. Would you believe they are growing in a recycled container that has been cut down shallow and the medium I used was shredded damp newspaper? These bulbs were just placed on top of damp paper. To be honest with you, I didn't expect them to grow at all.

I was thinking since my leafless bulbs will grow like that, why not try a phal? Today, that is what I have done. I have a rootless phal that was a rescue which is probably on it's way to the grave because it's starting to show signs of dehydration with wrinkling leaves. I failed with another one. lol.

As I type this, I am wondering if I should put a plastic bag over it, but then I think this would encourage rot. I guess I'll let it go a few days and see what happens. At this point, I really don't have anything to lose, except the money initially invested. :rofl:

I really would like to see this plant survive because the leaves are really big.

I'm not 100% sure, but I think pseudobulbs store more moisture than phal leaves - what you've done with the cymbidium backbulbs is pretty standard procedure for propagating from backbulbs (although the newspaper is novel!).

Not sure how well this will work with a sad phal - will be interesting to see, as you say, but with the leaves already showing signs of wrinkling, I guess they're already pretty dehydrated; if the newspaper keeps the immediate environment damp enough, this just might work out! Otherwise, there's always the old sphag 'n bag...!

Good luck!

You are right about the method being the same. I didn't want to go out and purchase the moss in case the experiment failed. I like the old saying "if there is a will, there is a way." Hmm. Doing more with less? lol.