Problem with Phrag QF Angel Wings

[richard.feldman48]

I have a Phrag QF Angel Wings with lots of healthy leaves but browning on some of them. I've looked at the St. Augustine site to try to identify the problem, but I find it difficult. I've attached two photos. The one of the leaf tip looks to me most like anthracnose. The other looks a little like one of their pictures of erwinia. But for all I know, it's something else entirely. Advice appreciated. Thanks.

Rich

 

[gonewild]

Test the TDS /PPM of the root zone substrate for high salt content.

 

[mrhappyrotter]

My assumption here is that the potting mix was allowed to dry out, but there could be other causes. Do you grow this plant sitting in water at all times? Did the saucer dry out at some point? Is that a new growth that's starting to climb out of the pot but which hasn't yet produced any viable roots? Is the existing root system in good shape?

Doesn't look like Erwinia to me, so I think you're okay there. Erwinia has a very distinctive smell, sweet fermenting, rotten scent. So, if you want to rule that out, give the rot a sniff.

The 78 photo of leaf tip die back could be poor water quality, feeding too often/heavily, unhealthy root system, and/or the media was allowed to dry too much. The damage in the 77 photo is what happens when a Phrag is not receiving enough water, was allowed to dry out too much / too long, and/or the roots are in poor condition.

 

[richard.feldman48]

Thanks for the reply. It's potted in semi-hydro. I water abundantly a few times a week with R/O water and fertilize once a week at 100ppm. I haven't taken it out of the pot, and it's hard to see the roots. But from what I can tell, they aren't great. That is a new growth climbing out of the pot on the left in the attached photo - the base of that growth is 2" above the top of the leca. In fact, the whole plant is coming out of the pot. There's another new growth that's not growing out of the pot that you can see on the right side of the photo. Time to repot, I guess.

 

[mrhappyrotter]

Phrags tend to handle semi-hydro very well and thrive it in, these types love consistent and constant access to moisture whether in an inorganic mix or not. Sounds like you're doing things right with the semi-hydro. Even if the roots near the surface look a bit iffy, it's entirely possible the roots down in the leca are fine. If you do unpot and find that the roots down in the leca are not in good shape, that probably warrants a little more reflection as to why.

What seems like is happening is that the older growths aren't able to provide enough water to the new growths and the new growths don't have enough of a healthy root system of their own to compensate. So, the leaves will develop this type of damage that I unscientifically call "vascular collapse" for ignorance of a better term. It tends to show up most often on more tender, newer leaves that are still developing, but sometimes also older leaves will develop leaf tip die back under the same conditions.

These climbers can be tricky to deal with. There are different approaches to dealing with them, wish I had more time to elaborate but hopefully others will chime in. You might also luck out if you search the forum. For now, I'd just focus on providing the new growths with an environment conducive to developing new roots. That would include giving the plant higher humidity (if not already) and then some method to provide the roots a moisture retentive place to grow.

One common method is to wrap a ball of Sphagnum moss around the base of the new growths, forming a mound of moss on top of the mix for the roots to hopefully grow into. Eventually if all goes well they'll find their way to the leca. Another method is to repot annually, and basically bury the base of the older growths or angle them in order to place the newest growths at the correct level. Those aren't the only 2 options, though.

 

[gonewild]

Definitely needs to be repotted lowering it so the rhizome is in contact with or slightly below the leca. New phrag roots don't like to travel through open air to reach the substrate.
If you can test the ppm and pH of the reservoir water that may tell you a lot about the leaves problems.
If you don't want to report now pile sphagnum moss around the surface high enough to cover the rhizome. Keep the moss moist and soon you will see new root growth.

 

[Morja]

I had a rootless phrag in semi hydro and it LOVED trying to float out of the pot, to my and its distress. I suggest tying or pinning it down somehow with stakes.

 

[richard.feldman48]

Thanks for the replies. I did take it out of its pot. The roots were not good. I've repotted it and was able to put it in its new pot at an angle so that the rhizome is in the leca.

 

[mrhappyrotter]

Good luck! I'm sure once it recovers and starts growing some new, healthy roots it'll be fine. Phrags, and especially the hybrids, are usually very quick to respond to improved conditions and tend to develop roots easily.