Reddish bulbo echinolabium

[OrchidIsa]

If someone could help me with this bulbo echino... I got it in April, with only green leaves. A few months ago, some red freckles appeared on 2 leaves and one turned yellow and died. A new pseudobulb grown and now, its leaf begins to turn red too. I repoted a month ago (sphagnum moss, bark and perlite). The grower told me that maybe it was receiving to much light so I moved it in a lower part of the orchidarium but I don't know if light is really the problem.

Does someone have an opinion on the subject? Thanks!

 

[Rick]

Fast growing bulbos like this species do tend to turn over leaves as they put on new growths. Turning red like this often means its pulling nutrients out of older leaves to make new ones. My first guess would be problems accessing phosphorus.

What is your feeding regime? It's easy to overdo it with baby bulbos, and overfeeding looks like underfeeding. If you are not overfeeding then try some light doses of something like a high P bloom boost to up the P, Mg, and SO4.

It might be time to invest in a TDS meter given root problems with Phrag (besseae) and leaf problems in bulbos.

 

[SlipperFan]

And I do agree that it may also be too much light.

 

[Cheyenne]

I think it isto much light also. I have a big one and when I bring it in for the winter it gets put off to the side of the room. Not much light at all. It blooms great every year. Theyreally are shade loving bulbos to me.

 

[fbrem]

I'd go with Rick on this one, a problem with the phosphorus ratio. more info on your feeding regime could indicate if P is too low or the others are too high. Also, it's tough to cause leaf burn in a bulbo without very strong natural sunlight. I grow my echinolabiums up with my cattleyas in very bright natural light and seldom have I seen leaf burn

 

[OrchidIsa]

I water with rain water and use MSU fertilizer (13-3-15-8Ca-2Mg), Plant Prod 20-20-20 and Plant Prod for orchids (25-10-10), alternately with a week of only rain water. (am I clear or just confusing? a week of water only, a week of one of these fertilizer) I try not to put too much fertilizer because I've been told to be carefull with fertilization when plant is in sphagnum moss). About the doses, I go with the recommandations on the package: 1/3 tsp per gallon for MSU (for example).

About the light, I don't know if it would really be a possibility because the red zone is growing slowly but surely... I really don't know. It's my first bulbo like this, the other one I have is a Hirundinis and it grows really well.

I've been told that this echino is blooming size. Opinion??? I saw some in bloom and the plants were SO MUCH bigger!!

 

[SlipperFan]

That's about the size of mine, which is spiking now.

 

[OrchidIsa]

You are so lucky, Dot! I hope mine will bloom soon... If I can give it the right conditions!

How do you grow yours?

 

[Rick]

I water with rain water and use MSU fertilizer (13-3-15-8Ca-2Mg), Plant Prod 20-20-20 and Plant Prod for orchids (25-10-10), alternately with a week of only rain water. (am I clear or just confusing? a week of water only, a week of one of these fertilizer) I try not to put too much fertilizer because I've been told to be carefull with fertilization when plant is in sphagnum moss). About the doses, I go with the recommandations on the package: 1/3 tsp per gallon for MSU (for example).

When you say a week of one thing or another, do you mean daily applications or one application a week.

If you are only giving this plant one watering a week (regardless of whether or not it has fert added) I think you are massively under watering this plant.

If you are giving this plant daily feedings over the course of the week at 1/2 tsp per gallon, then you are massively overfeeding this plant. Even with a week off in between.

All my bulbos (including echinolabiums) are doing very well with almost daily feedings of the equivalent of roughly 1/16 tsp/gal. Conductivity is about 50-80 uS/cm. And that is with a low potassium application.

Also sphagnum moss will hold and accumulate potassium between feedings even if you pour a lot of straight rain water through it for a week.

I would change out the substrate and cut your feeding way below the label recommendations.

 

[OrchidIsa]

I water it once a week, with fertizer or not (depends on the schedule) and keep it moist with spraying the substrate every day, in the morning with pure rain water.

You think I should cut the feeding even if I use some only once a week?

You suggest to change the substrate. What should I use?

Thanks for your answers

 

[SlipperFan]

You are so lucky, Dot! I hope mine will bloom soon... If I can give it the right conditions!

How do you grow yours?

It's growing in small clay balls, watered 2x a week, fertilized (K-lite) once a week, and growing bright intermediate.

 

[Rick]

It's growing in small clay balls, watered 2x a week, fertilized (K-lite) once a week, and growing bright intermediate.

I grow all my bulbos mounted or in baskets (with either moss or bark). Dot's system is fine too.

Probably just feed once a week at 1/4 tsp or less, and water all the rest of the time.

 

[OrchidIsa]

Thanks to both of you

 

[Dane]

I would say salt build-up on the roots, bulbophyllums are very sensitive to water quality. They only need to be fed like once a month otherwise they get these markings. Water it with pure rainwater or RO water to ensure that the new leaves don't also become marked..

 

[OrchidIsa]

I would say salt build-up on the roots, bulbophyllums are very sensitive to water quality. They only need to be fed like once a month otherwise they get these markings. Water it with pure rainwater or RO water to ensure that the new leaves don't also become marked..

That's what I always use, rainwater...