Macodes shoots dying! - Orchid Board

ceropegia · #1 08-15-2010, 02:48 PM

My macodes petola recently flowered, and the spike and old leaves have all died off. A few new shoots started coming off the parent rhizome (which is starting to turn white and die) and they were doing well.

Now they are turning white and one has rotted off the rhizome and died. What can I do to save the remaining ones? The macodes is in a glass jar with 1 1/2" gravel on the bottom and is resting in a thick bed of sphagnum moss, which is very moist.

Any ideas?

RosieC · #2 08-16-2010, 06:20 AM

Sorry I can't help. Just giving you a bump

Gin · #3 08-16-2010, 09:59 AM

Might be not enough air flow if in a jar , that is usually the reason for new rotting .. Gin

littlefrog · #4 08-16-2010, 10:33 AM

For me, Macodes petola grows best in a sealed terrarium with very high humidity. I keep it relatively warm but not hot. In those conditions it is an absolute weed. But, it can take a while to get established.

It sounds like a pretty good setup for your plant. Tell me a bit more. Do you fertilize? You probably shouldn't fertilize this one, or if you do, very weakly no more than once a month. How much light are you giving it? You say you are using sphagnum moss, is it good quality long fiber moss?

Rob

Imperial_Exotics · #5 08-18-2010, 04:49 PM

It can sometimes be a balancing act to get the right amount of airflow going. Too much airflow and you remove the humidity and dry out the plant, too little and you risk rot and mold and fungi.

While a glass jar, gravel and moss sound fine, you have given no indication of temperature or humidity which are both crucial factors.

As someone else stated, in a terrarium these things are almost like weeds. Young growths do need very high humidity, in the 85% percentile or better is best. With decent ventilation. a good cross draft supplied by a small fan or window would be perfect.

Mine are kept in a stable 85% humidity, approx. 80 temps, with slight circulation. Lighting is supplied by grow lights that are on roughly 9 hours a day.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ceropegia

My macodes petola recently flowered, and the spike and old leaves have all died off. A few new shoots started coming off the parent rhizome (which is starting to turn white and die) and they were doing well.

Now they are turning white and one has rotted off the rhizome and died. What can I do to save the remaining ones? The macodes is in a glass jar with 1 1/2" gravel on the bottom and is resting in a thick bed of sphagnum moss, which is very moist.

Any ideas?

terrestrial_man · #6 08-20-2010, 08:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ceropegia

My macodes petola recently flowered, and the spike and old leaves have all died off. A few new shoots started coming off the parent rhizome (which is starting to turn white and die) and they were doing well.

Now they are turning white and one has rotted off the rhizome and died. What can I do to save the remaining ones? The macodes is in a glass jar with 1 1/2" gravel on the bottom and is resting in a thick bed of sphagnum moss, which is very moist.

Any ideas?

To me it sounds like a lost cause. Rot has probably penetrated to all parts of the plant.
If, when, you try again do not use sphagnum moss as it is just too wet for the orchid. On top of the thick gravel bed use a blend that would replicate a forest floor:
cypress barks, assorted twigs, crumbled up leaves (oak or another hardwood), pine needles (chopped or partially decomposing) and some leaf mold. Blend well. Cover the gravel with about three inches that is then tamped down (should be at least two inches thick). Water with distilled or r/o water to top of gravel.
Then get some live green moss (or use natural dried not dyed moss) but not sphagnum. Try to find something that is prostrate . Sometimes eBay has some for terrariums. Pillow moss could be used if nothing else is available. Get enough moss to cover the forest blend substrate. Determine where you want your Macodes (or other similar Jewel Orchid, to be placed then take off the moss in that area and tear it apart so that you can place the stem of the orchid between the two sides of the torn moss but not under the moss but with the orchid's roots sticking out the bottom of the moss. Carefully make it possible for the orchid roots to be inserted into the forest blend, I use a pencil to move the blend aside and then recover, as I hold the orchid's stem with one side of the moss in one hand placing the orchid wth moss side onto the forest blend. Then place in the other side of the torn moss. Mist very lightly and leave the lid to the terrarium slightly ajar. What you want is some condensation to occur but not saturation. Place in a warm lit spot. Monitor daily to get the humidity right before fully covering the terrarium. This is the part that I find hard as too much humidity and the plant rots out.
Another approach I have read about involves keeping the substrate drier when it goes into flower and just maintaining sufficient humidity to keep the stems from wilting off.

Imperial_Exotics · #7 08-21-2010, 01:14 AM

There is absolutely nothing wrong with using Sphagnum moss for Jewel Orchids, in fact it's pretty commonly used. If it's not being saturated, it drains pretty well staying just moderately moist.

If it is misted with a pump sprayer regularly as opposed to being saturated, it is fine.

My juvenile Jewel Orchids are all in those 10.5" x 20" nursery trays with the plastic domes, bottom filled with nothing but New Zealand Sphagnum moss, misted a couple times a day. I keep them in humidity domes until they are about 3"-4".

Jewels LOVE extremely high humidity. 85% or higher. Their native habitats get higher than that on a regular basis, However humidity MUST be balanced with proper airflow. Otherwise you will get fungus and rot. Little computer fans make great ventilation on a tank, jar, terrarium etc.

And it is really not necessary to use complicated soil mixtures, Jewel Orchids are very simple plants. I use an organic soil mix that I get at Home Depot, and mix it with 50% coco soil.

setup is easy....

lowest level/bottom of tank is covered with about 1.5 inches of Hydroton.

On top of that is a layer of spahgnum moss, about 1.5 inches thick, topped by a layer of the organic soil mix I get at home depot, (it's full of nice "junk" like twigs and bark and other detritus) mixed with 50% coco soil.

Next step, plant to your personal taste in design aesthetics.

ceropegia · #8 08-27-2010, 08:10 PM

Bit of a late reply...I just got back from NYC.

The temps here were extremely hot (90s in my room since I have no AC ;_; ) so that probably helped speed up the rot. It's been around 60 at night these days and around 70-80 during the day.

I think the moss was too wet? I really doused it when I first put the macodes in the terrarium but I might have overdone it. Since I've been back I leave the jar open during the day and close it at night, and the moss looks a little less wet. I haven't fertilized in a long time either.

I've also noticed that one of the shoots has a white leaf and a teeny tiny green one...maybe there's hope? I guess I could leave the jar open most of the time and mist regularly (which I already do with my other plants) and hopefully that one shoot will pull through.

Imperial_Exotics · #9 08-29-2010, 03:19 PM

Yeah, dousing not good.

Misting better.

the moss should feel slightly moist, not dripping wet.

Good luck on what appears to be new growth. I personally try to give a plant, no matter how hopeless it looks, a chance. Sounds like it might pay off for you.