Phrag resurrection process

Slippertalk Orchid Forum

Help Support Slippertalk Orchid Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Morja

ST Supporter
Supporting Member
Joined
Aug 24, 2023
Messages
382
Reaction score
292
Location
Idaho, USA
Yes this is about my rootless almost dead phrag Acker's Fu Manchu (my fault) that is coming back to life by pushing not one, not two, but three growths- and I know I should just stop looking at it. šŸ˜‚
However!
I was considering focusing more on foliar feeding being that it has no roots. I feel silly "watering" it (which I do just to keep humidity up and the medium ready/flushed fresh for roots that I know will come). At the same time, if I were to actually soak it I would probably need to unpot it and disturb it further, which we determined is not ideal (Ie, STOP LOOKING AT IT šŸ¤£) But then also, it might be a little shallow in the pot and I could nestle it deeper if I messed with it... What should I do? When might I expect roots on a new growth? If roots will appear soon from one of these growths, I may not do anything different.
When I water the medium it's also wetting the new growths, which probably helps. I just feel bad for the main plant, which is doing all this on leaf power alone. I have it parked next to my humidifier at least.
New growths, and the poor leaf:
1000029989.jpg
20240728_124324.jpg
 
Kudos on the resurrection.

I am spraying my Disa with normal Miracle Grow once a week (the things hate fertilizer) and it is going well. I got the suggestion and info from John Marcotte: 1 mL scoop per 1 Liter of water with 1 mL scoop of Epson salts. Spray the plants once a week and then flush with RO or distilled water. I expect you cold spray daily and then rinse regularly. I doubt much if any of the P & K will get into the plants but the urea component of the N in the miracle grow will do so.

Good luck!
 
Kudos on the resurrection.

I am spraying my Disa with normal Miracle Grow once a week (the things hate fertilizer) and it is going well. I got the suggestion and info from John Marcotte: 1 mL scoop per 1 Liter of water with 1 mL scoop of Epson salts. Spray the plants once a week and then flush with RO or distilled water. I expect you cold spray daily and then rinse regularly. I doubt much if any of the P & K will get into the plants but the urea component of the N in the miracle grow will do so.

Good luck!
Thank you! You're right, I could just spritz it. That's an idea! Lol.
Thanks for the fertilizer amounts. I've been using K lite twice a month (one of those times with Kelpak root stimulant and a probiotic) and Epsom salts once a month at one tablespoon/gallon. I flush in between with RO water.
 
To rescue a plant in that condition, I would immerse the entire thing in a 1 oz/gal Kelpak solution for about an hour, then pot it up, anchoring it with stakes or clips to keep it immobile, and watering it in with the Kelpak solution. Iā€™d then invert a plastic bag over the plant and pot (leaving it open at the bottom) to maximize the humidity and slow water loss.

I really donā€™t see much of a need for fertilizer until it has reasonably recovered.
 
To rescue a plant in that condition, I would immerse the entire thing in a 1 oz/gal Kelpak solution for about an hour, then pot it up, anchoring it with stakes or clips to keep it immobile, and watering it in with the Kelpak solution. Iā€™d then invert a plastic bag over the plant and pot (leaving it open at the bottom) to maximize the humidity and slow water loss.

I really donā€™t see much of a need for fertilizer until it has reasonably recovered.
That is exactly what I did before the new growths appeared! I've had a bag over it much of the time, but it keeps trying to grow mold on the moss if I leave it for too long so I have to take it off periodically. Any thoughts about how to prevent that?
It makes sense not to fertilize.
 
If your ambient humidity is even just ā€œadequateā€, maybe you donā€™t need the bag.

My plants are typically in 90F, 90% RH all summer, and I see no mold. Maybe itā€™s my use of probiotics?
 
If your ambient humidity is even just ā€œadequateā€, maybe you donā€™t need the bag.

My plants are typically in 90F, 90% RH all summer, and I see no mold. Maybe itā€™s my use of probiotics?
Haha, I wish my humidity was that high. RH is currently 42% next to said plant. Though, I can move it to another spot that is consistent 50-80% and runs a little cooler. Maybe I should do that.
I do use your probiotics on my plants, but I don't think this one has had a dose since I repotted it.
I can also just remove the pieces of sphagnum on the top of the pot since they get moldy first. They are not currently doing much.
 
There are tricks to increase ambient humidity around the plant without putting it in a bag.

Option 1: Get a large plastic tub or jar, put some gravel at the bottom and place the plant pot on that. Put water in the bottom of the tub/jar. To keep fungus at bay, mist the setup with some 3% hydrogen peroxide from time to time.

Option 2: take a plastic bottle that is about the same diameter as the pot, cut off the top and bottom and use the plastic to make a collar that wraps around the pot so the base of the plant is now far from the rim of the pot. This will also increase the ambient humidity around the plant. Hydrogen peroxide to manage fungus.

Good luck
 
Back
Top