You made me smile when you mentioned the pink lady slipper with such excitement. I'm from Maine, USA, and we are fortunate enough to have the beautiful Northern Pink Lady Slipper as our only native orchid. They are what started my love affair with orchids in the first place. :)
Teresa Brockett Showy Lady's-slipper (Cypripedium reginae) This is Maine's largest lady's-slipper. The plant has become increasingly rare due to over collecting and habitat reduction. It has a tall, leafy stem that bears 1-2 white-petaled flowers with a brilliant pink pouch, blooming in late June and into July. It is found in constantly moist habitats, including cedar swamps and cedar glades. It prefers a pH near neutral and some sunlight. The plant's hairs along the stem and leaves may cause a rash on the skin similar to that of poison ivy.
Thanks for a good discussion. You answered an important question for me: whether to try semi-hydro with my mottled-leaf terrestrials. I will be leaving them in a bark mix medium where they are healthy. Appreciate your videos.
Thank you for the info on the Phrags yesterday. As all my orchids are outside together 24/7/365, I have now placed some sphagnum moss in with them and think this will solve my dry back problem. They seemed happy, just not getting enough water, so will give this a try with some extra waterings. VERY good 2 part series!
Thank you my molted leaf paph has been a challenge and is my oldest. So today is paph day and I'll go back to see your older videos and the posts. I have 2 new green leaf paphs which I repotted in terrestrial mix although wanted SH but felt from you and Michael trying best to do terrestrial mix. They seem fine so will wait out until they need repotting in future with more knowledge in hand.
Fair discussion! So you are going to change the last one in semi hydro to organic media! As long as they do well in a media , we should follow their preference! Thanks for sharing.
I have one these spotted leaf slippers they are super pretty as house plant even when they are not in flower, i used water from my fish tanks to water it always has some nutrients in it from the fishes. It is in bark and i neglect it and it happy not too much light or watering and its growing away near other plants I am hoping it will flower again and for sure has new leaves coming . I would trim that black or dead leaf with clean scissor if it were on mine cos I don’t like seeing disease on leaves. I haven’t repotted it yet as I tend to do that yearly. We have very hard water here so no calcium issues. For crushed shell check out chicken feed shops because you can get crushed shells for hens.
Hi. Tomato plants start rotting if they don't have enough calcium in the ground. Easy fix is, to grind egg shells and place it on the ground around the plant. Could be similar with these plants.
Nice and informative video! By the way, do you still have Cymbidiums? I remember seeing them in old videos and it would be cool to see an update on them if you still do.
Oh no! I've got one in semi-hydro. He's only a small baby and he's got a second leaf growing in the six months that I've had him so I'm tempted to try mixing leca and bark for my mottled leaf paph and see if he does any better. I appreciate the update since I've been wondering what to do with mine!
Agree, seems environment is a key factor as to what medium and orchid is better. Environment changes when we move including orchids even sometimes in the house.
Hi Danny, great information on this I was wondering if they would grow in leca. I left mine in bark mix so far. I have a question that is not relevant to this video so here it goes, I received a mini palmer vanda orchid seedling and was looking around to see how big they get and oh my, so huge. So I was wondering how long it would take to bloom? I hope not 5 or 6 years because I would rather have one more mature if that is the case, so I would appreciate your input on this. I just have to tell you, I really like your video's they have helped me out so many times with different orchids. Thank you and have a good day
Hi, well if it is quite a tiny seedling then yes.. 4,5,6 depends on how you treat it. Depends on its size now, but Vandas grow slow generally. I would invest in a near flowering size one (1,2 years from blooming) or a completely mature one :)
Dani, the dieback you’re seeing I was getting last year and turned out to be calcium deficiency. Interestingly, I was using a fertilizer with calcium at the time. I supplemented with more calcium (gypsum) and it all resolved. Possible that the terrestrial mix provides more calcium somehow.???
Considering the issue went away with a medium change there are 2 possibilities: 1. Air pockets 2 ph. If I add more calcium to an air pocket medium I will not make the paph absorb it. If I add more calcium to a high ph medium the paph would not absorb it. How would adding even more calcium to sh help in this instance?
Good info. Was thinking about what to do with my new paph... hi I have a paph that has a stem growing taller and taller with leaves in the crown. I did some research and found out that it is a new growth from the crown instead of a flower spike... what Should i do with this new growth? It has root tips along the stem but all dead because the stem is in the air...thinking about cut it and pot it but don’t know if the baby plant can survive without roots at all. But leave it there the baby won’t grow roots and has to take nutrients from mother plant, which the mother plant is a young plant, and I am afraid the mother plant won’t produce new growth at all as there is nothing growing besides that crown baby plant.
Would be interesting to see the result if you add more calcium to the one left in semi hydro to see if the problem resolves. Of course your theory could be correct since every growing environment is different. That’s what makes growing orchids so interesting, right?
If I add more calcium I would over dose it as I already am dosing calcium amongst others and, if it is happens to be an absorption issue, create a build up which will cause burns.
What size LECA are you using? I have mine (only one) in semi hydro 2-4mm . It was a seedling when repotted & is doing great 👍 -new growth & healthy leaves. I plan to leave it in place, watch it & observe. If it continues to thrive I’ll buy more & grow them in semi hydro.
Hi, they did do good 2 years ago in just seramis and clay pot.. but after 1 year, as the roots grew and absorbed more water, I could not keep up with their drinking needs and some got dessicated. The clay pot would start drying them when there was no more moisture in the pot. So in a less hot and prone to fast drying environment I'm sure they's do better than for me :)
Great video, as always. I was looking at your NoID vinicolor and are you sure that it's a complex hybrid? By the size of the plant and the dark glossy foliage with the reddish tinge it reminds me of the species delenatii var. vinicolor or often referred as Dunkel. Could help the culture of your plant to look up a culture sheet of this species. :)
Hello Danny, i have question about aerial roots. They are dry and they broke so easily and also she grows new ones + she is blooming after year now. Can i cut those dry aerial roots or should i wait till last bloom fall?
If the inorganic medium has a high pH, wouldn't that tend to make calcium and magnesium less available? Raising the pH is one way to remove hardness from water.
Hi, the inorganic medium doesn't have a high pH :) if you have a re listen to what I said you'd see I mention the leca is a lot more pH stable now and doesn't raise pH, been noticing this for a few months now, and the control paph got damaged even with stable pH (yes the water I use is acidic).
Good video-- but it makes sense semihydro is too wet for these plants. If you consider how they grow nature-- semihydro seems itd stay too consistently moist.
Hi Danny! Do you still add perlite to your leca when repotting into s/h? I remember seeing you do it in one video but I didn't see it in a more recent one you posted (I think April)? Thanks!
aww sorry danny! i must have been dreaming lol. i repotted my very first phal today after the blooms all wilted and i cut back the spikes. i used your instructions for removing sphagnum moss and only had to snip three small dead roots! i put it in leca and will do the weakly weekly :) your channel is my fave for orchid tips! thanks for teaching an orchid newbie like me!!!!!
Hello sorry I have a question so I just received an Orchid like 2 months ago and the spike turned red! I’m terrified I follow all your videos and your advice be haven’t found anything about a red spike. I have 2 orchid roots with 2 spikes each but only one spike is turning red. I’m really worried! Is she okay?!
Please include average temp, sunlight, medium, humidity, and sunlight info. But it could be from bright light (look up "anthocyanin"), or magnesium deficiency
Ai încercat să masori ph-ul la cele aflate în substrat organic? Sa faci o comparație între ph-ul la bilele de argila și substratul organic(nu știu de ce zici substrat terestru... fiindcă nu-i pământ...) 😀 Eu cred ca este o problema cu absorbția nutrientilor din cauza ph-ului...
Mai, treaba e in felul urmator: paphu nu absoarbe calciu din cauza phului. Bun. Paphu multifloral il absoarbe in aparenta. Cattleyele care consuma mult calciu vara si unde se vad deficientele de calciu in veselie, parca si ele absorb calciu. Restu orhi nu se pun ca nu au probleme. Intrebare intrebatoare: este corect sa zicem ca paphu nu absoarbe calciu de la ph? Da/nu treaba fiecaruia, eu am raspuns cu nu, sti de ce? Pt ca, chiar daca ar fi absorptia calciului, dar eu nu faceam legatura cu substratul si ziceam deficienta de calciu, (ceea ce vad ca face toata lumea mai nou lol) puteam sa bag la calciu in el pana imi cadea mana ca tot nu rezolvam problema. Schimband substratul impusc 2 proverbiali iepuri: 1 absorptia calciului din cauza ph, 2 air pockets ;) tot ce am zis mai sus tot nu conteaza pt ca ph in rezervor deja statea lejer la 6,6 ph. Dar iti exemplul de exercitiu de gandire.
Hi Danny, I have a problem with an orchid. I recently divided a brassidium and the rise zone has a purple ring. My orchid is a healthy specimen with very good root growth and all the new growths reach the same size. Do you know what caused the purple ring? Also there is an error in the title I’m pretty sure about, shouldn’t it be modeled not mottled.
Hi, the purple ring around the ryzome is caused by a fusarium infection according to articles on the subject, maintain the orchid stress free and careful with hygiene in your collection. Some orchids with fusarium decline fast if stressed, some don't. Oh, title is correct ;)
You made me smile when you mentioned the pink lady slipper with such excitement. I'm from Maine, USA, and we are fortunate enough to have the beautiful Northern Pink Lady Slipper as our only native orchid. They are what started my love affair with orchids in the first place. :)
I would love one of them. Iowa orchids are impossible to get
Teresa Brockett Showy Lady's-slipper (Cypripedium reginae)
This is Maine's largest lady's-slipper. The plant has become increasingly rare due to over collecting and habitat reduction. It has a tall, leafy stem that bears 1-2 white-petaled flowers with a brilliant pink pouch, blooming in late June and into July. It is found in constantly moist habitats, including cedar swamps and cedar glades. It prefers a pH near neutral and some sunlight. The plant's hairs along the stem and leaves may cause a rash on the skin similar to that of poison ivy.
Thanks for a good discussion. You answered an important question for me: whether to try semi-hydro with my mottled-leaf terrestrials. I will be leaving them in a bark mix medium where they are healthy. Appreciate your videos.
Thank you for the info on the Phrags yesterday. As all my orchids are outside together 24/7/365, I have now placed some sphagnum moss in with them and think this will solve my dry back problem. They seemed happy, just not getting enough water, so will give this a try with some extra waterings. VERY good 2 part series!
Thank you my molted leaf paph has been a challenge and is my oldest. So today is paph day and I'll go back to see your older videos and the posts. I have 2 new green leaf paphs which I repotted in terrestrial mix although wanted SH but felt from you and Michael trying best to do terrestrial mix. They seem fine so will wait out until they need repotting in future with more knowledge in hand.
Fair discussion! So you are going to change the last one in semi hydro to organic media! As long as they do well in a media , we should follow their preference! Thanks for sharing.
I have one these spotted leaf slippers they are super pretty as house plant even when they are not in flower, i used water from my fish tanks to water it always has some nutrients in it from the fishes. It is in bark and i neglect it and it happy not too much light or watering and its growing away near other plants I am hoping it will flower again and for sure has new leaves coming . I would trim that black or dead leaf with clean scissor if it were on mine cos I don’t like seeing disease on leaves. I haven’t repotted it yet as I tend to do that yearly. We have very hard water here so no calcium issues. For crushed shell check out chicken feed shops because you can get crushed shells for hens.
Orchids are Diva's!
Hi. Tomato plants start rotting if they don't have enough calcium in the ground. Easy fix is, to grind egg shells and place it on the ground around the plant. Could be similar with these plants.
Nice and informative video!
By the way, do you still have Cymbidiums? I remember seeing them in old videos and it would be cool to see an update on them if you still do.
She left them on the balcony sometime then something happened which caused them to die, I’m not a hundred percent sure about what happened.
Oh no! I've got one in semi-hydro. He's only a small baby and he's got a second leaf growing in the six months that I've had him so I'm tempted to try mixing leca and bark for my mottled leaf paph and see if he does any better. I appreciate the update since I've been wondering what to do with mine!
Hi, just because they don't do good for me doesn't mean they won't do good for you too, we live in different environments :)
Agree, seems environment is a key factor as to what medium and orchid is better. Environment changes when we move including orchids even sometimes in the house.
I add ‘ Dolomite’ with calcium and magnesium and they grow / bloom like crazy...for the rusty spots on the leavers, I use ‘ Dragons Blood’.
Hi Danny, great information on this I was wondering if they would grow in leca. I left mine in bark mix so far. I have a question that is not relevant to this video so here it goes, I received a mini palmer vanda orchid seedling and was looking around to see how big they get and oh my, so huge. So I was wondering how long it would take to bloom? I hope not 5 or 6 years because I would rather have one more mature if that is the case, so I would appreciate your input on this. I just have to tell you, I really like your video's they have helped me out so many times with different orchids. Thank you and have a good day
Hi, well if it is quite a tiny seedling then yes.. 4,5,6 depends on how you treat it. Depends on its size now, but Vandas grow slow generally. I would invest in a near flowering size one (1,2 years from blooming) or a completely mature one :)
Thank you
Dani, the dieback you’re seeing I was getting last year and turned out to be calcium deficiency. Interestingly, I was using a fertilizer with calcium at the time. I supplemented with more calcium (gypsum) and it all resolved. Possible that the terrestrial mix provides more calcium somehow.???
Considering the issue went away with a medium change there are 2 possibilities: 1. Air pockets 2 ph. If I add more calcium to an air pocket medium I will not make the paph absorb it. If I add more calcium to a high ph medium the paph would not absorb it. How would adding even more calcium to sh help in this instance?
Good info. Was thinking about what to do with my new paph... hi I have a paph that has a stem growing taller and taller with leaves in the crown. I did some research and found out that it is a new growth from the crown instead of a flower spike... what Should i do with this new growth? It has root tips along the stem but all dead because the stem is in the air...thinking about cut it and pot it but don’t know if the baby plant can survive without roots at all. But leave it there the baby won’t grow roots and has to take nutrients from mother plant, which the mother plant is a young plant, and I am afraid the mother plant won’t produce new growth at all as there is nothing growing besides that crown baby plant.
Would be interesting to see the result if you add more calcium to the one left in semi hydro to see if the problem resolves. Of course your theory could be correct since every growing environment is different. That’s what makes growing orchids so interesting, right?
If I add more calcium I would over dose it as I already am dosing calcium amongst others and, if it is happens to be an absorption issue, create a build up which will cause burns.
What size LECA are you using? I have mine (only one) in semi hydro 2-4mm . It was a seedling when repotted & is doing great 👍 -new growth & healthy leaves. I plan to leave it in place, watch it & observe. If it continues to thrive I’ll buy more & grow them in semi hydro.
maybe in your seramis-leca mix they would do great... no big air pockets... in my for me they do amazing (small seramis + leca)
Hi, they did do good 2 years ago in just seramis and clay pot.. but after 1 year, as the roots grew and absorbed more water, I could not keep up with their drinking needs and some got dessicated. The clay pot would start drying them when there was no more moisture in the pot. So in a less hot and prone to fast drying environment I'm sure they's do better than for me :)
MissOrchidGirl abd how about in plastic pots... then it would not dry out too fast?
Plastic would keep things too wet I suspect, but with some ventilation slits it might work :)
MissOrchidGirl yes that was the idear maybe that would work for you or so.. thanks for the conversation ... have nice day ;)
Manuels Plants how are they now? 🌱
Great video, as always. I was looking at your NoID vinicolor and are you sure that it's a complex hybrid? By the size of the plant and the dark glossy foliage with the reddish tinge it reminds me of the species delenatii var. vinicolor or often referred as Dunkel. Could help the culture of your plant to look up a culture sheet of this species. :)
I like this type of learning videos. thanks. may be you can use seramis instead of bark here as it is less airy than semi hydro.!?
My paphs do great in semi hydro now that I’m adding more cal mag in addition to my fertilizer.
Hello Danny, i have question about aerial roots. They are dry and they broke so easily and also she grows new ones + she is blooming after year now. Can i cut those dry aerial roots or should i wait till last bloom fall?
I learned a lot...thanks!
Great video, AGAIN! : ))
If the inorganic medium has a high pH, wouldn't that tend to make calcium and magnesium less available? Raising the pH is one way to remove hardness from water.
Hi, the inorganic medium doesn't have a high pH :) if you have a re listen to what I said you'd see I mention the leca is a lot more pH stable now and doesn't raise pH, been noticing this for a few months now, and the control paph got damaged even with stable pH (yes the water I use is acidic).
Good video-- but it makes sense semihydro is too wet for these plants. If you consider how they grow nature-- semihydro seems itd stay too consistently moist.
Hi, the idea of this video is that semi hydro is not wet enough for these orchids :p
Hi Danny! Do you still add perlite to your leca when repotting into s/h? I remember seeing you do it in one video but I didn't see it in a more recent one you posted (I think April)? Thanks!
Hi, I'm affraid it wasn't me, maybe a different youtuber :)
aww sorry danny! i must have been dreaming lol. i repotted my very first phal today after the blooms all wilted and i cut back the spikes. i used your instructions for removing sphagnum moss and only had to snip three small dead roots! i put it in leca and will do the weakly weekly :) your channel is my fave for orchid tips! thanks for teaching an orchid newbie like me!!!!!
Hello sorry I have a question so I just received an Orchid like 2 months ago and the spike turned red! I’m terrified I follow all your videos and your advice be haven’t found anything about a red spike. I have 2 orchid roots with 2 spikes each but only one spike is turning red. I’m really worried! Is she okay?!
Please include average temp, sunlight, medium, humidity, and sunlight info. But it could be from bright light (look up "anthocyanin"), or magnesium deficiency
Ai încercat să masori ph-ul la cele aflate în substrat organic? Sa faci o comparație între ph-ul la bilele de argila și substratul organic(nu știu de ce zici substrat terestru... fiindcă nu-i pământ...) 😀
Eu cred ca este o problema cu absorbția nutrientilor din cauza ph-ului...
Scoarta are fo 6.5 noua, in timp poate ajunge si la 4, asta e cea mai acida valoare masurata vreodata de mine la capitolul scoarta.
Mai, treaba e in felul urmator: paphu nu absoarbe calciu din cauza phului. Bun. Paphu multifloral il absoarbe in aparenta. Cattleyele care consuma mult calciu vara si unde se vad deficientele de calciu in veselie, parca si ele absorb calciu. Restu orhi nu se pun ca nu au probleme. Intrebare intrebatoare: este corect sa zicem ca paphu nu absoarbe calciu de la ph? Da/nu treaba fiecaruia, eu am raspuns cu nu, sti de ce? Pt ca, chiar daca ar fi absorptia calciului, dar eu nu faceam legatura cu substratul si ziceam deficienta de calciu, (ceea ce vad ca face toata lumea mai nou lol) puteam sa bag la calciu in el pana imi cadea mana ca tot nu rezolvam problema. Schimband substratul impusc 2 proverbiali iepuri: 1 absorptia calciului din cauza ph, 2 air pockets ;) tot ce am zis mai sus tot nu conteaza pt ca ph in rezervor deja statea lejer la 6,6 ph. Dar iti exemplul de exercitiu de gandire.
Hi Danny,
I have a problem with an orchid. I recently divided a brassidium and the rise zone has a purple ring. My orchid is a healthy specimen with very good root growth and all the new growths reach the same size. Do you know what caused the purple ring? Also there is an error in the title I’m pretty sure about, shouldn’t it be modeled not mottled.
Hi, the purple ring around the ryzome is caused by a fusarium infection according to articles on the subject, maintain the orchid stress free and careful with hygiene in your collection. Some orchids with fusarium decline fast if stressed, some don't. Oh, title is correct ;)
Thank you.
Thank you.
My bad, I accidentally pressed reply a lot of times.
Might be size of lecca. I use really small lecca and thus far all is well.
Hi, that is a valid point, I'll try it out with the first ocasion :D