Need help, My Aeranthes is not happy! - Orchid Board

Becca · #1 12-04-2008, 03:26 PM

Hi Everyone!

I know I have posted questions before on my Aeranthes ramosa and even bugged a few people via pm's to get some additional info.....but my Aeranthes just isn't doing so well....I should have listened to Ray when he told me I was doing the beginners purchase based off of looks and not considering growing cultures or level of difficulties for growing.

Anyways, I now understand why the leaves looked so tattered when I first received it. I battled several rounds of bacterial infection on the tender new leaf growths but I seemed to have gotten through it and it has been a while since I have had this problem.

But now, starting a few months ago one of the lower leaves turned yellow and died. I repotted since I had a feeling that the potting medium had went sour. I used medium sized bark chunks with a tad bit of a finer bark mix with perlite in the middle, but not much. I think most of the roots were not good, but wasn't sure, they felt firm but I hadn't seen roots like these before, they were sort of wiry and stiff if you now what I mean and were a off white color, so I wasn't sure if they were really good or bad roots and I tried the pull test to, which worked some. Anyways I repotted it into coarse bark, I read several different threads to use fine, bark, coarse bark, etc....so I was pretty confused and that is why I sent pm's to a few individuals for advice.

Anyways, I was watering the other day and realized one of the lower leaves was breaking off and then I saw it was all dark colored. It was hard to see at first glance because the leaves are so dark green and I was told to give them more light. And upon further inspection I noticed the lower leaf on the opposite side had the same color. The base of the stem is also yellow. I am sure this is due to the roots, but I have already repotted (about a month or so ago) and I am just hoping there is something I can do for this poor baby. I really don't want to lose it but I don't think it is looking so good. I have attached several pictures. Can anyone help me or give me advice?

P.S....I had trouble with the photo sizes even after resizing them. I can attache the pictures as a pdf if that will work ok for everyone? I have never had this issue before with resizing and I was using the tool I downloaded off of here

Ross · #2 12-04-2008, 03:43 PM

Aeranthes ramosa is an Angraecoid epiphyte from Madagascar. As such it requires medium light, very humid conditions and prefers to be mounted (it's an epiphytic orchid.) But it is always found growing in mosses on trees in it's habitat. From this I would conclude mounted on a stick with sphagnum around the roots, misted or watered daily and even throw in our trusty MSU 125ppm mix. I would aim for 1000-1500 foot-candles. I am suggesting the leaf yellowing and other matters may be related to dryness. Let me remind you my Angraecoides, for the most part, are kept at humidity above 90%. I don't have this one since it is too large for my tank. Hope this helps.

As for the photos, I always resize mine to 640 pixels on long side of image. That seems to work. Feel free to e-mail image to me if you need further evaluation.

Becca · #3 12-04-2008, 03:57 PM

Thanks Ross! This would be a very large size 'chid to mount and I don't have that kind of space for a mount in either of my orchidariums. Would potted in sphag moss perhaps be better then what I have now?

I'll email you the pictures to see what you can do with them. I have tried resizing to small, handheld PC, etc and I can't get it to work for some reason. I keep getting the message that the file size exceeds the limit or else the size isn't correct.

Ross · #4 12-04-2008, 04:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Becca

Thanks Ross! This would be a very large size 'chid to mount and I don't have that kind of space for a mount in either of my orchidariums. Would potted in sphag moss perhaps be better then what I have now?

I'll email you the pictures to see what you can do with them. I have tried resizing to small, handheld PC, etc and I can't get it to work for some reason. I keep getting the message that the file size exceeds the limit or else the size isn't correct.

Got the PM. Moss is probably a better choice, but I worry about humidity. See, these guys grow on tree trunks in humid forests in Madagascar. They grow at 1000-1500 m on highland plateaus. So the combination of events is what Ray was alluding to. Cool temps, high humidity, relatively constant moisture (the wiry roots description sounds correct - they don't have fat roots at all) and steady supply of very weak fertilizer throughout growing season. Since they are able to bloom anytime during the year, I would assume fertilzer throughout the year. Can you do this outside either of your tanks? A pot (maybe a shallow pot) might be fine, but rather constant humidity at the leaves might be a problem. I definitely see why Ray questioned the choice.

Becca · #5 12-04-2008, 04:57 PM

Well I keep my humidity around 80%. The night time humidity has been going up to 90% or more and I didn't want to have bacterial/mold/fungus problems so I have been cracking the doors open at night and the humidity drops back to 80% or 70% sometimes at night. I would have more of a problem with cooler temps, I thought this one liked intermediate temps and that is what I have been giving it. Cool temps here are impossible inside the home. My humidity would be to low outside of the orchidariums for it.

Becca · #6 12-04-2008, 11:26 PM

Well I got the pictures to upload, I don't know what was wrong the first time, but I had no problems this time. Thought others might like to see them as well.

Ross, I am looking for a place to buy Thiolym I have only found one or two places. I was hoping not to pay the same price in shipping of what the product costs. If you don't have any recommendations then I will just have to suck it up and order it from Clan Orchids (Camp Lot A Noise Tropicals). I see Green Barn Orchids sells it as well but they don't list what the shipping cost is, I would have to call them for it.

calvin_orchidL · #7 12-05-2008, 03:07 AM

Hey Becca

I have an Aeranthes grandiflora (not ramosa though) that had some rot problems as well. These guys seem kind of prone to this - I tried hydrogen peroxide to no avail...ended up resorting to phyton 27 which stopped everything in its tracks and leaves have been coming clean since then.

Mine is potted in a relatively finer bark mix - the roots are pretty thin (I think ramosa is the same) and they enjoy the finer bark. I may have considered mounting it, because when I got it, it was really loose and wobbly in the pot. But I didn't because it was getting way to big. I'm glad I didn't because it seems to enjoy the mix and has grown an extensive root system that I can see above the bark. I'm not sure if humidity is that big of an issue - maybe while you're trying to get it back on it's feet you could use the extra humidity. I had mine on a shelf in a place with 40% humidity for over half a year before I got the tank up and running. The thing ended up blooming for me...of course, I'm sure it's happier under the humid conditions. But with grandiflora at least, I think it's tolerant.

Surprisingly I think these can take more light than recommended - at least I know the increase in light since I moved mine to the T5s stimulated a much quicker rehab (put out two new basal growths and gazillions of roots). Your photos show leaves that are kind of dark - perhaps you could increase the light?

breeindy · #8 12-05-2008, 04:22 AM

wow it does look sick doesn't it. Looks like it's the potting medium and rot. Did you just water it before the pics? as the medium looks shiny or something, where's the bark from?

Becca · #9 12-05-2008, 10:55 AM

Breeindy.....Yes, I did just water it, actually I think I had just misted the top before taking the picture, I only water once a week. The bark is fresh as I just repotted it probably a month or so ago. I buy it from rePotme Orchid Supplies - Orchid Mix - Orchid Pots - Orchid Fertilizer and it is a Medium Monterey Pine Bark. All of my orchids love it so far although I have never potted anything in just bark before, so that is why I mixed in a little bit of a finer grade bark mixture, but I didn't really add that much.

Oops...just looked at the time and I gotta run to work, Calvin I will respond to your comments as soon as I get a chance to today!

Becca · #10 12-06-2008, 08:03 PM

Sorry I never replied back to your response Calvin!

I have some pretty bad news. Ross was right. When I sent him the pictures to try and resize he informed me I had an advanced case of rot. I ordered some Thiomyl upon his recommendation on Friday and it shipped today and I won't have it until probably Tuesday and that isn't going to be enough for this one. I took the 'chid out of the bark and trimmed back the black leaves. I think what happened is when I trimmed back a leaf that had gone bad a month ago that water was getting into the part where I couldn't completely take the rest of the leaf off unless I had peeled the leaf off instead of cutting it. So after completely removing these left over leaf parts today I saw how bad it was. There is a blue black starting at the base of the stem where the roots start. I don't think there is any saving it since I have to wait for the Thiomly to arrive. In desperation I soaked it in hydrogen peroxide not know if it would be good or bad to do, but I figured it couldn't get any worse then it is now...lol.

I am soooo bummed! At least I'll have the Thiomyl for future problems!