New growth purple then dies - Page 2 - Orchid Board

markbudde · #11 12-10-2008, 08:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by orchideric

Hey Mark,

Your plant is in trouble but don't panic. There is the mother growth in the center but the tiny leaves at the tip don't look so good. Then you have the two sets of tiny brown bracts where 2 growths used to be. Then you have what looks like a healthy growth going off to the right - that is there and healthy because it is replacing the mother (which will probably not grow again but neither should it shed its leaves).

Then finally you have the mystery purple object which is not a growth - that is a new root - that is what we must save and help along.

My advice is to find a tall, narrow pot that will just hold the longer roots without breaking them. And I emphasize j u s t hold the roots. Picture in your mind taking it off the mount and gently pushing the roots a little bit together - that is the inside dimensions of your new growing container. If you can't find a pot then be inventive and find something plastic that you can melt some drainage holes into. Try the spices in the kitchen and any medicine bottles that might be available. The important thing is that older roots will find their way, that new purple root is what will really bring the plant back to health. Sick plants should always be potted down to the size of their root mass and it should always be a tight fit.

Pot it in your moss to just the base where that purple root is emerging - don't worry if you bury the bases of the nearby leaves - that's a little deeper than you have now.

Once it bounces back - and you'll know it - you can eventually repot in any manner.

Hope that helps, Eric

Thanks for the advice everyone. I have been convinced to pull it... Eric, do you think a clear disposable plastic cup/gatorade bottle will be the right size? Also, would you suggest moss or primeagra, as those are the only substrates I have.
Thanks again,
Mark

Ross · #12 12-10-2008, 08:32 PM

Mine is in a tank with really high humidity and isn't doing the same thing. Mine is reddish because of the high light. It is in front of a fan with 24/7 air movement. I really don't think you have a problem with the environment. I think it might be air movement, too much light, etc. Mine looks like this

It is much larger now (this was last March) and has way more roots. But I think you get the picture. These guys love Orichidariums! So I don't think you need to remove yours, just figure out the cause of the purple.

markbudde · #13 12-10-2008, 09:05 PM

Interesting. Ross, how many foot candles does yours get for how many hours a day?
-mark

Ross · #14 12-11-2008, 10:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by markbudde

Interesting. Ross, how many foot candles does yours get for how many hours a day?
-mark

Mark, mine gets approx 1800 foot candles for 11.5 hours a day (right now in winter) up to 14 hours in summer. It also gets misted for 5 seconds every 4 hours when the lights are on. At night, a through-the-wall 3" fan exhausts the tank to dry things out a bit (it's pretty cool at night as well.)

Here it is now. Right up under the lights, directly in the fans (2 of them), directly exposed to the misting nozzle, fertilized every-other day, red speckles all over the leaves (sign of high light).