I'm naming this Jewel Orchid "Lazareth"

[jrodpad]

Last year I bought a really nice looking Jewel Orchid, my first terrestrial, to see if I could grow it in a tiny glass terrarium. It was an experiment that went well... perhaps too well.

In no time the little guy was blooming and I was so captivated by the little white flowers that I did not heed the grower's advice to cut the flower stalk before the blooms opened. Well, the chid put so much energy into supporting the flowers that the whole orchid nearly died off. I finally admitted defeat and cut the flower stalks, but alas, it was too late. I was only able to rescue the rag tag group of pitiful bits of leaves that you see in the picture below. I gave it about six months to grow new leaves that might replace the beaten up looking leaves from the picture - but it didn't do anything. No growth, no sign of improvement, no sign of decline - stasis. I had given up on the orchid and resigned myself to replacing it once I came across a suitable Jewel Orchid that would fit the space.

I was watering it this weekend and I saw the coolest thing - if you look at the foreground of the first photo you will see a tiny, new jewel orchid growing all by itself on the far side of the terrarium! Also, one is sneaking in horizontally from under the lip of the terrarium on the left side of the photo. How cool is that! Do Jewel Orchids creep underground like this? Is this normal? Will the older growths grow new leaves after all or should I expect only new growths like this?

Any info you can give will be helpful as I have only anecdotal knowledge of Jewel Orchids.

Thanks!

- J

[johnblagg]

Now that is a question you will have to tell us the answer to....it looks to me like it is getting ready to go to town ...and jewel orchids can be started from cuttings also so any stem under the soil could grow I would think

[RosieC]

Mine does creep underground as does the one I've been looking after for my MIL over the summer and just taken back to her.

Both of these two Ludisia discolour Jewel Orhids are sending stems underground which then pop up with tiny sets of leaves showing. On my MILs they are quite well established, on mine I was aware of the stem just below the surface but it's only started leaves in the last couple of weeks.

[RosieC]

Oh and on the question of the old growths, again both mine and my MILs are putting out side shots from the old growths. I'll try and find a pic of it for you in a momment.

[RosieC]

Ok, here are the pics. These were taken about a month ago and all have grown since then, but it gives you the idea.

The first pic is a new growth just emerging from the side of an old one. The side of the old stem seemed to split open to reveal this emerging growth.

The second shows a similar new growth that had progressed further. Both of these now have leaves which are curled into a tube. From my MILs (which was ahead of mine on growth) I think these leaves will get much biger than the tiny ones on the growth from under the ground before, before they uncurl.

My final pic is of the growth coming out of the soil from mine. I forgot to say above, that I repotted mine and could see the stems growing under the soil starting from somewhere connected to the old growths.



Finally, mine as a healthy plant seemed to do nothing for a long while, and I was really starting to think it would just sit there doing nothing, when it finally started these growths.

[jrodpad]

Rosie -

Thanks so much for the help - the pictures really make a difference. I was expecting new leaves to pop out of the crowns - like every other orchid I have. I'm going to have to really look them over tonight and see if there's anything popping out of the sides of the stalks. How cool is that!!!

Again - I really appreciate the time in responding with pics. I'm so psyched that I have another chance with these guys.

- J

[RosieC]

I didn't know what to expect either until I actually saw it, which is why I though the pics would help.