At my wits end with these sedirea

[Pilot]

I realize seds are now considered phals but everyone in neos knows seds and can possibly help.

It's about my minmaru shima. They just look bad no matter what I do. The one that was ailing so badly is Ina down turn again, one it cannot afford. And then there is the one with plenty of roots looking dehydrated and for what? It gets plenty of moisture.

Now, I have removed them from the seemingly sterile media of hydroponics because the dang roots rot there too. Instead I've opted to plant then in Eco web cubes, quartered again, and put into a tall container so they never sit I water. I have reduced their light as well. They have 75% rh and stay warm at 84 f during the day and 72 at night.

So this is my last attempt. If I lose them so be it, I just can't stand not being able to fix this and they seem determined to die.

My non variegated minmaru seem perfectly happy even thought hey too have root issues. These plants might drive me insane.

[s.kallima]

Are you not giving them too much water/moisture?
Finger crosses, mine are doing well (Minmaru, Minmaru-shima, Seigyokumaru). The Minmaru has been growing in pure Orchiata bark since last summer (2012) and is nice and growing roots ans leaves.
The Shima and Seigyokumaru are still in the moss mound from Seed-Engei as I got them only this summer. Both are growing roots and leaves now. I treat them like my Neos, water once a week (or when moss is crispy dry), them don't have a lot of moisture (humidity is around 60% in my place) and they are under T5 fluorescent lights or on the windowsill.

My general intuition about Sedirea is that they can withstand way dryer environment than Neos, because they have very fleshy leaves (almost succulent!) and thick roots. If they have been re-classified in to Phalaenopsis, I believe it is a sign... treat them as you would a Phalaenopsis.
I think you should try to take them out of your growing room, put them on a windowsill without direct sun, and forget them a little... I hope you can save them!

[rangiku]

Ryan, you are not alone. Looks like I am on my way to killing my second Seed-Engei Minmaru-shima purchased in June. I only water when the moss is crunchy and dry underneath, and they are way back in a west window. It's starting to lose a middle leaf from the axis and perhaps one from the top. Minmaru-shima got me into Neos; just want to be able to grow these precious gems.

[Pilot]

Adrienne it is heartbreaking isn't it? Especially when you look back and see what all you've grown and grown so well! But these guys seem determined to perish. I hate to say it but if these don't survive I will need to seriously consider just wishing everyone else well with them and stick to what does respond to my usual treatment. It is just that they are so unusual looking and quite beautiful but what can you do? There has to be a trick or situation in whichever hey thrive otherwise they wouldn't be so beautiful when they arrive at our homes. What that is, I could not tell you.

[Pilot]

Kallima, you make a good point that I am probably keeping mine too wet. My standard care for phals does too but the phals respond well, where these do not. It's infuriating. I removed them from the hydrogen medium as they would just rot int hat stuff right now. Instead I placed them in these ecoweb cubes that hold very little water but seems to keep enough to have a good dose of localized humidity for a time. It's also very open and airy.

Upon inspection this morning, there is striking difference between the two shimas. One has nearly no roots and seems to be on its way out. The other has plenty of roots so I'm hopefully a change in culture will preserve this one. Having just purchased this Eco web and aqua cloth, I may experiment by cutting the cloth into strips and mounting the plant on the Eco web, wrapping it in these strips of cloth as if they were moss. The cloth is inert and again holds water but doesn't soak the plant. I've see it'd send recently to great affect so I'll see what I can do.

Adrienne, let's not lose heart, ok? If we lose our plants, let's rally and dedicate ourselves even more to these orchids. Maybe not shima but others. Did I tell you my Phal gig is in dire straights too? I've had bad luck with my chids lately. The good new is, I have some plant quite happy, too...my Fugagku I got form SE that I discovered had no good roots when I got it (I'm not blaming her but just saying I allowed myself to believe it'd had decent roots) is actively growing roots in her new sh set up. Me and moss...we're not on speaking terms.

[Jayfar]

Originally Posted by Pilot

Adrienne it is heartbreaking isn't it? Especially when you look back and see what all you've grown and grown so well! But these guys seem determined to perish. I hate to say it but if these don't survive I will need to seriously consider just wishing everyone else well with them and stick to what does respond to my usual treatment. It is just that they are so unusual looking and quite beautiful but what can you do? There has to be a trick or situation in whichever hey thrive otherwise they wouldn't be so beautiful when they arrive at our homes. What that is, I could not tell you.

Is this happening with just the miniature variants of Sedirea or regular ones as well? Forgive me for not being able to keep straight the names of all the varieties.

EDIT: Reading the thread more carefully, I guess the problems are only with minis. I haven't got around to trying one of those yet.

My regular Sedirea japonica seems to be surviving okay. I got it in spike in April. It lost one lower leaf to normal senescence, but grew a new top leaf in that time. This one is from SE and is in a solid moss mound inside a 3" net pot. I water only when crispy and the pot feels light, but mist the exposed part of the roots most days. Light levels are relatively low. I just have one of Ray's 13W LED lights above this one Phal table (plus spill-over light from nearly adjacent terrarium).

But again, mine isn't one of the mini variants. I wonder if there's something in the genetics of those that makes them especially fragile.

[Pilot]

Originally Posted by Jayfar

Is this happening with just the miniature variants of Sedirea or regular ones as well? Forgive me for not being able to keep straight the names of all the varieties.

EDIT: Reading the thread more carefully, I guess the problems are only with minis. I haven't got around to trying one of those yet.

My regular Sedirea japonica seems to be surviving okay. I got it in spike in April. It lost one lower leaf to normal senescence, but grew a new top leaf in that time. This one is from SE and is in a solid moss mound inside a 3" net pot. I water only when crispy and the pot feels light, but mist the exposed part of the roots most days. Light levels are relatively low. I just have one of Ray's 13W LED lights above this one Phal table (plus spill-over light from nearly adjacent terrarium).

But again, mine isn't one of the mini variants. I wonder if there's something in the genetics of those that makes them especially fragile.

My issue is with the minmaru shima, which are the variegated mini types. I have a Chabo as well, that is super small, and while it is still having some root issues it seems fine to me. I think I still need to change up my culture on that one too. Anyway, the minmaru, non variegated type that is also a mini, are growing fine. My standard sed is growing fine, too. It's just these shimas and really just one, although both seem to be missing the vitality of a plant that wants to live.

[rangiku]

Is Minmaru-shima really a mini? Smalller than Nagoran, I guess, but much bigger than Chabo.

Ryan, thanks for your thoughts - you know how much I appreciate them. Don't want to test third time's the charm...

[Pilot]

Originally Posted by rangiku

Is Minmaru-shima really a mini? Smalller than Nagoran, I guess, but much bigger than Chabo.

Ryan, thanks for your thoughts - you know how much I appreciate them. Don't want to test third time's the charm...

I'd consider them mini because they're so stinking small. Chabo is micro! Lol.

Do you have any minmaru? Mine seem quite healthy and openly mock my shimas. Chabo is so small I sometimes forget I have it. I may need another Chabo.


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[rangiku]

I have a Nagoran keiki that my sensei gave me after I killed my first Minmaru-shima. It's doing okay. Should have picked up a Chabo when Satomi spoke at our OS in June, but they went quick!