ODD thing with Polyrrhizza - Page 4 - Orchid Board

gixrj18 · #31 08-31-2008, 11:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flhiker

I hope it works out for you Jasen, I would love to bring mine out of a tank.

Well, I tried the tank, and just hanging one in my shadehouse....and they have just slowly declined since the day they arrived, I even lost a leg or two on a couple of them. None of them have begun to grow yet, the least bit. Since they have been outside, they have regained their color, and seem to be healthier looking....not so pale and limp! I know that if they didn't like it, they would have let me know by now. I will keep you posted on the progress... hopefully I'll see some nice, light-green new growth soon!

jkhom · #32 09-01-2008, 06:52 AM

I'm surprised.... I thought the instruction sheet said low light.
I live in New Jersey. After seeing yours I've moved mine outside to a partially shaded area so as not to shock it, I'll see if I get better results. Live and learn.

martinvermillion · #33 09-01-2008, 07:59 AM

I think mine was deflasked enough pieces to look something like a plant were tied to a grapevine and shipped to me the very next day!Enough fussing!!! I think the bid on it's little sister is 30 plus bucks on e-bay this very second. Like I was saying got three new ones on the way.One is said to be 4" long and about 3 1/2 years out of flask. Hope it's true!! Think I'll put one on a swampstick,one on stainless screen and the other guy on some moss loose. That is the plan this second anyway. How would you guy's work lighting,airflow and all those other variables? It would be great to get them out of tanks and the like. Many way's seem to keep them alive I want to put a smile on their little root faces. Let me not forget to thank each of you for all the help if not for y'all I would have missed out on the pleasure I get working the plants and telling you guy's what happens everyday!!

Undergrounder · #34 09-01-2008, 08:20 AM

i still have mine all tucked up in flask, still haven't built up the courage to let them out yet, but they're so happy in there im loath to disturb them... at the moment they're sitting in their flask in the spot that will be theirs so they get used to the light..

I've actually been thinking of preparing a few larger flasks and replating the smaller ones on again into new flasks since they like the flask culture so much. I wonder if a flask with high BAP hormone concentration will make it form the new plants that others have described... or even if an excised root tip will form a new plant if dabbed in keiki paste for instance?

Anyway all goes well here, when i get the courage to deflask i'll post more pics.

martinvermillion · #35 09-01-2008, 08:48 AM

I can let you know if the small pieces make plant's. Have two little roots very alive wonder if they will? That could be a good thing.That flask looks nice replating is something I would do hear they love the flasks. How much light exposure does it get? I placed a bid on a flask it had a spot of ''contamination'' in it. Don't know enough at current time to buy one like that or not.I figure it's impossible to replate with any contamination? I did put a small dab of root hormome on the frag.s yesterday. Hope it helps them grow!!!!

gixrj18 · #36 09-01-2008, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Undergrounder

i still have mine all tucked up in flask, still haven't built up the courage to let them out yet, but they're so happy in there im loath to disturb them... at the moment they're sitting in their flask in the spot that will be theirs so they get used to the light..

I've actually been thinking of preparing a few larger flasks and replating the smaller ones on again into new flasks since they like the flask culture so much. I wonder if a flask with high BAP hormone concentration will make it form the new plants that others have described... or even if an excised root tip will form a new plant if dabbed in keiki paste for instance?

Anyway all goes well here, when i get the courage to deflask i'll post more pics.

Looks like you have enough to do some experimenting. I would like to get some in a flask, this is the only way to be sure they haven't been tampered with. I've heard horror stories that some of these places dip them in something (that causes growth to halt, or death eventually) before they ship them out. I was talking to a grower that was surprised mine was still alive, after hearing that I got it at Oak Hill. When you de-flask, let me know if you sell any of them....I would like to try one from flask, now that I'm getting the hang of it's culture.
At leat then I know it's not tampered with!

gixrj18 · #37 09-01-2008, 10:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gixrj18

The last one I kept that wet, died. The ones I have now (peices like yours) were in about 50% Fla. sunlight, hanging over a tray of water. They were looking duller in color every day, and not so healthy. A friend of mine told me they like high light, like a Vanda! I couldn't bring myself to try it, until about a week ago. I must say, I'm pleasantly surprised....I hung three of them outside on my V. sanderiana, where they get direct Florida sun from about 2pm-sunset. I placed one in direct sun (with a piece of screen wrapped around it, one on the side of the basket (where it gets direct sun at intervals between shade from Vanda leaves), and one in direct sun. It has been over a week that they have been out there, and they look healthier every day. I simply water them in the morning and afternoon, with my Vandas, and fertilize twice a week, and all three seem to be loving it! Personally, I am shocked! Just thought I'd share this, here's some pics:
Attachment 18052 Attachment 18053 Attachment 18054 Attachment 18055

I have to correct my earlier statement...now that I'm home for the day, I see that the sun breaks over the house much earlier than 2pm. Those ghosts are getting direct Florida sunlight from about 9:30am-sunset.....wow! Also, I just did a comparison (with the ghost that was kept inside...as a control), and the color and robustness (if that's a word) has definitely improved on the outside plants!

Ray · #38 09-01-2008, 11:09 AM

According to Mick's deflasking article, the "legs" can form new plants.

Anyone know how to contact him? I've had no luck via the web - just "Gone fishing"

Swamper · #39 09-01-2008, 12:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ray

According to Mick's deflasking article, the "legs" can form new plants.

Anyone know how to contact him? I've had no luck via the web - just "Gone fishing"

who is mick? is his article the one on orchidflask.com?

Undergrounder · #40 09-01-2008, 12:36 PM

martin: they get a 24W fluoro light at about 12 inches, and a 120W compact fluoro indirectly at about 1.5 metres away, both set for about 12 hours. I would love to know how those root pieces turn out, this has been an interest of mine now for about a week...

If the flask has a 'spot' of contamination, its a problem if the contamination has sporulated, ie: changed colour to green or black, because this means the spores would be all through the flask. By the time you get the flask this no doubt would have already happened. Maybe if you get the flask, you can deflask the orchids inside, harden them off and treat them with a fungacide and hope for the best, although i haven't had good results from flasks that have been contaminated.

gix: I probably will sell a few, although my main aim is to propagate them myself first, since virtually noone has them here in Australia.. oh yeah and that means keeping them alive, which i know will be a challenge..

Ray: Ardetti's 'Micropropagation of Orchids' doesn't list the polyrrhiza, or any leafless orchids in its list of orchids that have been propagated asexually in the past, so its hard to figure out what to do. Going off the methods for Phalaenopsis though (the closest monopiedal thing i can think of) there seems to be several methods at least possible, one of which would be excised root tips, and another would be excised sections of 'leafs' to form calluses (i guess the roots again might have special processes like leaves in this regard?)

If what Mick and other people say is true though, i would really really really like to know the mechanism of the 'legs' forming new plants is exactly. ie: whether the 'legs' have a central growing point at one end which forms the new plant, or whether the roots themselves, and the scale-like leaves on them have some special property of generating a new growing point when they are dissected? If i can manage to keep these ones alive long enough i will try a few experiments, though i want to read up as much as i can... all the people who talk about small plants hiding behind their main one, and 'legs' coming back to life, sounds to me like there is an obvious asexual method of reproduction that people like Oak Hill probably use to generate their countless plants..

If anyone has first-hand experience of 'legs' that have formed new plants, it might be possible to induce the process in a controlled way somehow.