How do I encourage root growth?

[monivik]

Originally Posted by Ray

Monavik - you might find this to be of interest.

Thanks Ray, I think this is really helpful.

[camille1585]

Originally Posted by monivik

Hi. Yeah so I followed your advice and ordered it from Besgrow as you suggested and I've finally got it.

Now my problem is to know what proportions I should use, in regards to water. See the bottle says for "houseplants" now I'm going to go after this, 1:100 or 1:400. Now unfortunately I'm not very good at math

What exactly is that? I mean a teaspoon per litre of water?

An additional question, I know this has nothing to do with orchids, but... Can I also use this on a Calathea plant? I've got one that's unfortunately in really poor condition. There's not much left of it. During the hot summer temperatures I suspect it was the fact that it was standing next to the fan that affected the plant negatively.

I've been using Ray's suggested dosage of 4ml per liter, once a month. Not sure what that works out to be in teaspoons since I'm using a needleless syringe to dose it.

Yes, you can use it on your Calathea. The hormones will work the same way for most if not all plants!

[monivik]

Originally Posted by camille1585

I've been using Ray's suggested dosage of 4ml per liter, once a month. Not sure what that works out to be in teaspoons since I'm using a needleless syringe to dose it.

Yes, you can use it on your Calathea. The hormones will work the same way for most if not all plants!

Ok, thanks That's what I will do then.

Well, I have one of those small things or cups to measure medicine intake with, that I can use. It has the ml indicator, well it's for a 2,5 ml and 5 ml. Close enough I think. I use it when I'm measuring up fertilizer.

[Ray]

4 ml/L is a 1:250 dilution. 1 tablespoon/gallon is 1:256.

When I got my first samples, I asked what to use on orchids, and nobody knew, as their focus is food crops, turf and trees/shrubs. They suggests I start with 1:400 (more dilute does nothing), wait a month, and if that did nothing, try 1:300 and wait a month.

I’m not that patient, so chose an easy Imperial measure - a tablespoon - and tried it at two treatments a week apart on my vandaceous plants. Growing in baskets with no medium, I typically saw no more than about a half dozen new root tips when they started growing in the Spring. That year, the average was 40.

Now then. Any questions why I’m so enthusiastic about the stuff?

[monivik]

Originally Posted by SouthPark

For an orchid like the one you showed in the photo - in my tropical conditions here, I just pop that one into scoria in a big enough and deep enough pot. The humidity here in general is quite ok, and the moisture in the pot (due to wet scoria) keeps the humidity around the roots at satisfactory levels ----- for the roots to get moisture that is. No risk of 'over-watering' too.

What I've done with what I've got available to me, is a little greenhouse. I hope this works. I've got the wet spaghnum moss on each side, I hope that will create enough humidity.

[monivik]

Originally Posted by Ray

4 ml/L is a 1:250 dilution. 1 tablespoon/gallon is 1:256.

When I got my first samples, I asked what to use on orchids, and nobody knew, as their focus is food crops, turf and trees/shrubs. They suggests I start with 1:400 (more dilute does nothing), wait a month, and if that did nothing, try 1:300 and wait a month.

I’m not that patient, so chose an easy Imperial measure - a tablespoon - and tried it at two treatments a week apart on my vandaceous plants. Growing in baskets with no medium, I typically saw no more than about a half dozen new root tips when they started growing in the Spring. That year, the average was 40.

Now then. Any questions why I’m so enthusiastic about the stuff?

Thanks Ray. I've tried the treatment now. And got the poor orchids in this sort of small greenhouse that I've created. I hope it works.

[SouthPark]

Originally Posted by monivik

What I've done with what I've got available to me, is a little greenhouse. I hope this works. I've got the wet spaghnum moss on each side, I hope that will create enough humidity.

Looks good! Make sure there's some air-movement in there (to cut down or avoid fungus activity etc) - there probably is already (air movement).

[monivik]

Originally Posted by SouthPark

Looks good! Make sure there's some air-movement in there (to cut down or avoid fungus activity etc) - there probably is already (air movement).

The lid on the little "green house" has two openings on the top, that I closed. You can slide that green thing and close them or keep them open. Should I have kept them open? In that way some fresh air will come in.

Another question: Will it be enough keeping the orchids inside this? Will they get enough humidity or will I still need to water them as well?

[Ray]

You must to water plants; high humidity is insufficient to supply the water they need.

Consider the following: In order for a plant to grow enough to add 1 kg of mass, it must absorb and fully process about 500 L of water, but only about 10-12 g of fertilizer. Moreover, it must absorb more water to maintain turgidity as it loses water during respiration.

[SouthPark]

Originally Posted by monivik

The lid on the little "green house" has two openings on the top, that I closed. You can slide that green thing and close them or keep them open. Should I have kept them open? In that way some fresh air will come in.

Another question: Will it be enough keeping the orchids inside this? Will they get enough humidity or will I still need to water them as well?

monivik ------ I think that if the environment inside the green-house is prevented from fungal spores somehow getting into there, then ok to have the openings closed.

But on the other hand, having some ventilation can be very beneficial for sure - gentle air-movement - to prevent something like a humid bathroom syndrome thing - where fungal spores can grow when the bathroom is not kept 'aired out'.

And Ray made a great point about needing to open the little openings in order to water the plants. That is you must open those openings in order to water the plants hahaha. That is obvious hahaha.

Actually - that was only kidding hehe. I think that Ray was seriously meaning that in order for the plants to get water into them properly, it's actually necessary to not have super high humidity for most of the time. So that the transpiration process can work nicely - I think.

I know that some plants that live in regular fresh air can actually grow under water too, such as one of the nutgrasses like Cyperus helferi. And not sure how terrariums work exactly too - sort of like fully enclosed. But for orchids in general ----- pretty sure that they need to have a humidity level below a certain general value in order to get water into them properly.

Some people may even use a little DC (direct current) fan to help get some gentle air circulation within a growing container. That's to suppress fungal growth activity on leaves, stem etc.