The most frustrating plants u hav ever owned...

[Rick]

I had a Phal Newberry Parfait Picotee.... it seemed quite happy for about 6 months, and then suddenly all the roots disappeared without trace, not rotted, over one weekend. I took it out of the pot, and new roots grew, so I repotted in new bark (from another supplier, just in case...) only to see, or rather not see, the roots vanish again. It continued for several months, growing roots while suspended above a pot, but losing them the moment they touched the medium - until finally it got so stressed that all the leaves fell off. At that point I gave up! Maybe I should have mounted it

I've been growing orchids only since 2001, and started out with a phal (my wife gave it to me for Valentines day). besides the slippers and bulbos and all the other stuff I've been growing over the years, I've always been keeping phales (mostly species). Until recently I've never been successful at growing phals potted (only mounted) and going through the same symptoms as what you detail for those I insisted on keeping in pots.

But since I started cutting fertilizer (primarily to reduce the potassium contribution) I've been having some phales do pretty good in pots. The mounted ones are doing even better too.

Bark and moss mixes retain and concentrate potassium from your fertilizing regime to the point where it produces antagonistic effects to the plants. Simple flushing of the potting mix will not help unless the water you flush with has a lot of calcium and magnesium in it.

I enjoy growing my plants mounted anyway, but if you prefer to keep them potted I would suggest changing to a regime that reduces K but increases calcium and magnesium.

 

[FlowerFaerie]

since I started cutting fertilizer (primarily to reduce the potassium contribution) I've been having some phales do pretty good in pots. The mounted ones are doing even better too.

Bark and moss mixes retain and concentrate potassium from your fertilizing regime to the point where it produces antagonistic effects to the plants. Simple flushing of the potting mix will not help unless the water you flush with has a lot of calcium and magnesium in it.

I enjoy growing my plants mounted anyway, but if you prefer to keep them potted I would suggest changing to a regime that reduces K but increases calcium and magnesium.

Thank you Rick, I will change my orchid feed with that in mind.
I think mounted orchids are beautiful. Unfortunately I don't have the facilities for that but I now have a couple of "rescue Phals" growing very happily in vases (would you call that "Delusions of Vanda"?). Wish I had known I could do that a couple of years ago! :sob:

 

[Rick]

Wish I had known I could do that a couple of years ago! :sob:

I wish I had figured this out 8 years ago

 

[orchideya]

I read thorugh the whole thread, it is amazing how something is growing well for one person and just doesn't -for the other. I didn't have much time to be disappointed with any of my slippers yet, but I really had it with phalaenopsis species. Most of them (except maybe few) proved to be fussy and inappreciative for me. They sulk, they stall the spikes, they blast the buds.
But of course when any of them finally does bloom - it makes the flowers more precious.

 

[Ross]

Strangely, I thought I had replied to this thread. My most frustrating Paph is Paph Uncas 'Columbia' HCC/AOS. I purchased a division around 2002. The plant grows new growths, goes into bud every year, and then the buds blast. It nearly died a two years ago, but started making a come back in the greenhouse last year and went into bud this winter. Result: bud blasted!

 

[The Mutant]

I'm too new to the entire orchid world to have managed to find certain genera and/or species that refuse to grow. At the moment I only have Phals (some of which I've had for more than five years) that all seem to be doing rather well, including the few species ones I have (I stick to the easy ones and I haven't had them for long ).

Plants that I've never had any success with though are:

African violet
Pelargoniums
Roses
Hoya Carnosa

Said about these plants; easy to bloom! Yeah, sure. Easy to grow! Right, when they're not busy dying!

I had much more success with the various Marantaceae I had...

 

[cnycharles]

I had always heard that if you could grow african violets you could grow phal hybrids (relatively same conditions and watering). often people try to do too much with african violets, often too much water. my aunt could grow them very cool and dry, and they grew and flowered for decades. at work, when we still had african violets that were sold to the grocery stores, we were supposed to grow them 'wet wet wet', with liberal applications of fungicides. let them be a bit drier and they are happier (think airy moistness, like the inside of a phal pot/media

 

[nikv]

Dendrobium cuthbertsonii. I look at them and they die.

 

[Stone]

Has anyone grown and flowered Pescatoria cerina? I have one which has attempted to flower three times and aborted buds each time just before they open!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[The Mutant]

I had always heard that if you could grow african violets you could grow phal hybrids (relatively same conditions and watering). often people try to do too much with african violets, often too much water. my aunt could grow them very cool and dry, and they grew and flowered for decades. at work, when we still had african violets that were sold to the grocery stores, we were supposed to grow them 'wet wet wet', with liberal applications of fungicides. let them be a bit drier and they are happier (think airy moistness, like the inside of a phal pot/media

Oh, I really don't like African violets so I won't get another one. It was my mother's that I killed and I honestly think I hated it to death! :rollhappy: She had plants all over the house, including in our rooms, but we took care of those that were in our room. Or killed them apparently. I think I let "my" African violet dry to death...

 

[cnycharles]

hmmm,.... torture! it takes a long time to completely dry out a violet if it's in a cool place

 

[Marc]

It isn't causing frustration yet but I have issues with Paph lawrenceanum and sukhakulii.

Bot seem to be unhappy in their medium and want to grow up out of the substrate. Tried repotting with another substrate but that didn't help.

http://www.slippertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=22642&highlight=lawrenceanum

 

[The Mutant]

hmmm,.... torture! it takes a long time to completely dry out a violet if it's in a cool place

I believe it was in a South-facing window, but it sure was torture! Barbecued to death! :rollhappy:

 

[Pete]

anything "cool growing" hates life at my place.
ive been growing draculas with horribly spotted leaves that really struggle in my heat for years and years just because i love the flowers.
i can bloom armeniacums and malipoense no problem. micranthum = not even a chance. thats always killed me.

 

[Kavanaru]

Laelia anceps! I love this species, had 5 of them and decided to give 4 away... I kept one to keep trying... Heat, cold, water, no water, light, shade, I have tried almost everythin... They grow but do not bloom.... :-(

 

[Tom499]

Paph. gigantifolium x (Paph Michael Koopowitz)

Had it few years now and it has done absolutely nothing.

Just sits on a south facing window. I think I can't keep it warm enough.

 

[tenman]

Phaius. I've likked fthree Phaiocalanthe kryptonites and my tankervilliae album is dying. I have three others, all of which are doing what others did before dying: Putting out dozens of grasslike new growths that will only get a few inches high. Roots are fine. AGIving medium light, keeping moist.

 

[quaker]

Paphs !! The one that I have never seen on the show bench --Fairriaenum!!
Bought three seedlings 4 years ago, they all started with new growths after 2 years but didn't increase n size. The original growths have now died off and I am now left with----- 3 seedlings!!! For the last two months I have been using maxi-crop and Akernes Rain mix and ( fingers and everything else crossed) I do believe they are growing -- or--- or ---!!!!!!

Ed