My sad pbulb story + help saving maxillaria tenuifolia poorly timed for move to S/H

[Niki]

What first brought me to this board was my first non Phal orchid plant, which I adored. I had two Phals and had grown them with no problems (honestly, they pretty much grew themselves) so I figured I'd try a different one.

My first orchid was from Smith and Hawkins (got it on clearance for $15). After less than 2 days one of the psuedobulbs started rotting.

I was worried maybe I had caused it to rot when I watered it (by not being careful and making sure no water drops got on the plant pbulbs because I didn't know that water on pbulb could cause it to rot) but many people told me that it was unlikely that I killed it in two days, less than 24 hours after I watered for the first time. (Plus, when I went to the store to about it's bad condition, they told me they only put plants in "distress" or ones "not doing well" on sale).

A week after doing everything everyone suggested (and too early to tell if my orchid was going to make it), I realized that the orchid was under warranty, so I exchanged it for a maxillaria tenuifolia. (note that Smith and Hawkins failed to tell me about this warranty when I went in).

My new orchid looked to be in good shape when I purchased it. I watered it very carefully with a special water can (making so NO water got on ANY of the leaves of pbulbs) and I waited for it to show new root growth before replanting it to S/H

Then I noticed two of the pseudo bulbs in the middle of the plant were rotting (what the heck??!!! I had not been over watering or letting it sit in water or anything)

Then I read that this can happen if the roots under it are rotten. So I repotted and found that while the top of the soil looked really good, the bottom pretty much mud and decayed wood. (I hate Smith an Hawkins and won't buy another orchid from them EVER, they're 0/2 currently)

I think I'm now with the camp that repots as soon as they get the plant....if I had, maybe I could have prevented losing 1/3 of my plant.

Anyways, when repotted today, I divided the plant into two plants with good bulbs (each with 4+ pbulbs, following the natural division of the plant like I read up online from a link someone posted to my Phal thread...I feel brave!), I threw away the rotting pbulbs, and then trimmed all the rotten root on the two divided plants, moved both plants to S/H (because I've read many threads that the pbulbs plants love S/H and because I don't care for traditional potting soil--too many variables)

Since the plant was poorly timed for the S/H, I soaked my media for several days with espisom salt and the calcium salt (from ray's orchids). then I rinsed with clear water several times, and did an overnight soak in KLN root grow

I read on the board that I should put the plants in low light to help encourage root grow. How long should I do this for and by low light, does this mean in a room with the shades closed that gets a little light? Or should I be shooting for near darkness (almost no windows)?

Also, should I water with just KLN root grow at first (if so, for how long) or should I water with both the MSU fert and a couple drops of root grow, like I do for my Phals in good shape?

Any other tips would be appreciated. I can't justify buying another of the oncidium hybrid I lost (Tiger Crow, which I ADORED) until I figure out how to grow my free replacement pbulb orchid. (especially since I'll be buying the Tiger Crow from a reputable orchid grower, and that won't be cheap!)

Thanks!

Niki

P.S. I really don't care for traditional media. I don't like not being able to see the roots. I also don't like dealing with decomposing media. And I really don't like worrying about overwatering them. I hope all the orchids I end up with like the S/H...Just my

[Ray]

Niki,

First of all, water on leaves and pseudobulbs is no problem, as long as it doesn't sit there overnight, as that is the way to grow an excellent crop of bacteria and fungi. Water early in the day, and the plants usually have plenty of time to dry out before nightfall.

Right now, you want to give your plants the optimum chance of surviving while it grows new roots. That means preventing desiccation (it really cannot take up a lot of water until it gets those roots) and increasing the growth rate. When we recommend low light, the idea is not favoring darkness, just avoiding the desiccating effects of bright light. Phalaenopsis-level lighting is probably fine.

Another important thing is to maximize the humidity around the plant. Dry air tries to suck the moisture out of the plant, much as it does to our skin in the winter. If you place the plant, pot and all, into a tall plastic bag, leaving the top open, that will trap some of the moisture evaporating from the medium. If you have a better way of "upping" the RH, go for it.

Don't bother with fertilizer, but you don't have to overdue the K-L-N, either. Rooting hormones are fairly quickly absorbed by the plants, and work pretty much instantly, but that does not mean the plant will immediately start growing roots as fast as Jack's beanstalk, and more hormones do not equal more- or faster-growing roots. Use a few drops per gallon each time you water until it gets established and growing.

Last, but certainly not least, keep it warm! Personally, I try to keep a minimum of 65° or 70° when I run into such situations. Warmth speeds up the plant's metabolism.

[blackorchid]

I have the same problem when all the bulbs of the Maxillaria tenuifolia turned brown and DRY up as it loose its leaves. What caused it? Right now, the new growth is replacing the old dried bulb, so I'm crossing my fingers. I want to know if anyone else has experienced this same problem so we can figure out how to prevent it.

[Niki]

Ray,

Thank you for all this info! I will try placing a bag around the orchids to prevent moisture loss and will keep them in low light. For now, I'll just water with KLN root grow.

How long should I wait before starting them on fert. again?

Thanks!

Niki

[Ray]

Wait until it starts actively putting out new growths.

[Niki]

Thanks, I have the Phals I just moved to S/H in a warm enviroment with the bags you recc. around them, and they're in my warmest room (~70F). the rest of the house is around 62F.

I noticed mold on the max. ten when I went to check on it today (I posted a new thread about whether or not I can reuse the S/H media since the orchid rotted from bottom up and molded). I figured that was bad news, so I decided to follow your sphag-n-bag as a last ditch effort to save it. I wanted to be able to more easily see what was going on with the plants. and when I pulled them out to put into sphag and bag, all the roots were rotten. I'm not sure it it will make it because when I removed the rotten, mushy, bulbs, it divided the plant further (it used to be one divisions--two plants each with about 5 pulbs). Now it's four plants, three with 2 pbulbs, and one with three (but the third looks like it's rotting). I know it's not good to have so few bulbs, but the other bulbs were so mushy and rotten that I didn't think leaving them would help the plant.

Niki