Over wintering Sedirea? - Orchid Board

Pilot · #1 08-13-2013, 12:44 PM

Ok guys-- you know I have an issue with my sedireas... mostly I like them way too much and have a hard time not buying them when I see them. However, I'm curious, what is a the cultural requirements for these plants when it comes to seasonal changes? For instance, Neos enjoy a "cooling off" period of dryer, colder temps. Since seds are japanese orchids, do they require the same cooling off and dryer periods?

ALSO:

How much fertilizer do these guys like? I ask because I keep stalling out my sed roots. My troubled minmaru-shima has been trying to grow new roots but then they turn dark brown to almost black and stop growing. It's infuriating, to be honest.

I'm trying so hard to get these guys to be happy and most of them are but the minmaru-shima in question as well as daruma chabo will often stall out their roots. I fertilize "weakly weekly" but thoroughly soak/drench the plants in their sphag mounds between fertilizing. I'm having a hard time recognizing any predictable or repeatable conditions that cause the roots tips to stall. At first I thought maybe the moss was staying too wet for too long, but while one root stalls the one beside it will dive into the moss. Then I thought I was hitting the plants too hard with fertilizer so I stopped for a time and it continued to happen. I didn't dare continue on without ANY fertilizer so I brought it back and it some roots continued to stall.

I'm seriously considering transitioning these plants to SH when I see new roots if I can't figure this out. Really wanting some input here.

Even with these issues, the seds I do have, sans the troubled one, seem to have done really well, especially a minmaru I got from seed engei, which seems to be pushing the upper limits of size and number of leaves it can grow in one season! It put on four new leaves since I adopted it, the leaves are larger than a quarter.

King_of_orchid_growing:) · #2 08-13-2013, 03:18 PM

I'd grow them more like a temperate Phal.

SH might be the way to go for you.

orchidsarefun · #3 08-13-2013, 04:13 PM

well my 2 seds dropped their lush green leaves over a period of about 4 days - one by one. I finally worked out the reason - the room got into the 90's. I then moved them into the basement, under lights. Temps don't go over 73/74.
One was too far gone to survive, but the other already has a new leaf growth.
I think I can safely say that they don't like high temps at all and I am going to keep them "cooler" all year round.

coffeecup · #4 08-13-2013, 07:12 PM

Ryan, I lost a Minmaru-shima AND a Daruma Chabo this year to something very similar. I would let try dry them out between waterings and make sure you have good airflow.

When I saw Satomi this summer, she mentioned that they tried using HB101 to save one of their plants as an "experiment." You unpot the whole plant and completely submerge it with water and a few drops of HB101. She said it worked for them, much to their surprise.

Then, a month or so ago, my Fusamaru started showing signs of dropping some of its bottom leaves. I quickly unpotted and since I had a sample of HB101 on hand, decided to try this out. I took it out of the bath after a day and repotted in new media. Let me tell you...it actually worked! All of the bottom leaves plumped back up again and the plant is healthier than ever. Could be worth trying...

Pilot · #5 08-13-2013, 08:27 PM

Ug. Ok. Was hoping to grow these guys in moss and not sh but I'm not sure I have a choice here. What confuses me is that all the others seems to love growing in moss but I'm not sure how it'll work out long term.

I found a tall, thin container for my ailing plant and moved it into sh. Since it barely has any roots anyway I figure its a good a time as any. Ill be keeping it warm and supplementing it with some growth stimulants for the next few weeks.

Pilot · #6 08-13-2013, 09:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by orchidsarefun

well my 2 seds dropped their lush green leaves over a period of about 4 days - one by one. I finally worked out the reason - the room got into the 90's. I then moved them into the basement, under lights. Temps don't go over 73/74.
One was too far gone to survive, but the other already has a new leaf growth.
I think I can safely say that they don't like high temps at all and I am going to keep them "cooler" all year round.

So they don't like it hot! Good to know. I just moved my whole set up to a new room and the temp gets up to 84. I'm guessing low 80s will be ok since it got about that warm in the old grow space.

Got to admit I don't have the bandwidth for this right now.

. Life has me work thin right now. I think i may have to scrap the whole room and start again. Grr.

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brn_thmbs · #7 08-13-2013, 10:07 PM

hmmm, I'm growing mine outside in a grow camp & we had some really hot days up here for more than a week (well into the 90s - yea, New England heat

). Anyway, outside of a small fan & regular watering, not doing anything special for them & they're popping out leaves & new keikis no problems. they're currently in orchiata bark, perlite, charcoal & sphagnum moss.
so no need to rip out your room

ps. wintered a bit cooler & watered when just approaching dryness

Pilot · #8 08-13-2013, 11:17 PM

Thanks...good to know. What amazes me is how these plants are a mystery. One root will grow and grow and go I and out of the moss and out the bottom of the pot while another one will grow, touch the moss, and stall. The minmaru shima in question is a pain in the rear. Seriously, just grow already! I'm battling with another majorly variegated Phal, too, with root loss. I've been soaking it in stimulant solution and keeping the moss it's in barely moist. So south of wet but north of crispy.

jeremiah.chua · #9 08-13-2013, 11:37 PM

I'm keeping my Minmaru and Nagoran in sphagnum moss just fine. Lots of new leaves have grown since I first got it and no dead leaves. I've encountered some pretty awful heatwaves that brought my temps up to the mid 90s with no bad effects, as far as I can tell. It's a pretty hardy plant, the only thing is, how do I make it bloom? o_O

Pilot · #10 08-13-2013, 11:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeremiah.chua

I'm keeping my Minmaru and Nagoran in sphagnum moss just fine. Lots of new leaves have grown since I first got it and no dead leaves. I've encountered some pretty awful heatwaves that brought my temps up to the mid 90s with no bad effects, as far as I can tell. It's a pretty hardy plant, the only thing is, how do I make it bloom? o_O

I think you have to do something drastic... Like sacrifices of livestock.

I've had amazing growth on my plants too save this one minmaru shima.... My second minmaru shima is even happily growing like a weed...so what gives? No idea.