There is no doubt that sphagnum is the best media to get a plant back on it's feet. My rescue method is to use a clay pot and fill the bottom half with drainage material, then sphagnum moss. My theory is that it allows good air circulation within the moss and will keep the area where roots will be produced at or near 100% humidity. No other media keeps the moisture spread throughout the pot like sphagnum does. Hope all is well with you and yours.
Great plant comparison, Brad. Certainly orchids let us know their preferences in their own special way. I had lots of success with sphagnum moss and perlite for many years. Lately I find that even the high quality moss is losing its "spongy" quality too quickly and I'm having to change it more often. Just on cost alone, I've tried to cut moss down and trying to switch to perlite and lava rock. it works well for most, orchids but a few didn't like it. Don't think I'll find a one size fits all medium for all orchids.
WOW, what a difference! You said the main plant was growing in bark before you got it from the person, but it was doing really poorly. Maybe it was the bark why it was suffering so much. Fingers crossed it will bounce back once you plant it in moss. I'd surely like to see an update on these in the future.
I'm not an expert, but l would've gone in a different direction with the Den. in bark to generate roots...deeper plastic pot with no holes in the sides to keep in moister and humidity. I would've kept it in bark only. No moss on top, heat rises..Thanks for sharing and happy growing.
Hi Brad, I enjoy watching your videos, very informative, I always learn something. In this video you have answered my question should I repot my thyrsiflorum in bark or moss. I have two of them also and they are kind of big and I’m debating should I divide them or they are better if I don’t disturb them? Thanks for the info,
Hi Brad, I just ordered a Dendrobium thyrsiflorum. I'm not finding alot of information on this dendrobium; Can you tell me if this plant required a Cool, Dry Winter Rest ?
Bark is bugging me lately. It is too hard on the roots when repotting. It can get mouldy and smelly quickly and seems to be a magnet for bugs. Unpotted 15 phals yesterday. The coconut husk phals had long, almost neon green, Vanda-looking roots. Bark phals had snapped, short and discoloured roots with more root rot. Drawback of coconut is that it is a little light weight so I guess there is no "perfect media" for orchids - if only it was as simple as dumping them in some soil like normal plants!!!
Moss may be good for the initial new root growth but when the roots are reaching into well into the media it's really not beneficial any more. In my experience the thyrsiflorum is very sensitive to fertilizer burn the first weeks of root growth from the new bulbs. Older roots from previous growth handles fertilizer much better because of the more constant humidity inside the medium. The oldest canes will provide nutrients to the plant so it's perfectly fine to skip fertilizer for this types of orchids when they are in this growth phase. Flushing away salt buildup from the base of the plants and the top of the growing media seems to be crucial to save the new root growth. Remember that this type of orchid depends on setting new roots every season.
And just to clarify. I grow my orchids in my living room without any air humidifier. Root tip burn will be less of a problem in very humid growing conditions i would assume but it won't help you much if you have a substantial salt buildup on the surface of the growing media.
we have a spring now in australia and a lot of rain here, in brisbane... its growing new roots, now I will not apply fertilizer on the new roots.Do you think its ok to put seaweed fertilizer along with my cattleyas? I ve heard this orchid doesn't like repotting, that why I put it in bark instead of moss... the orchid really didnt flower a year after the repotting, and didnt do much anyway, despite she was flowering vigorously before. Fingers cross )
AOS has a great article on Cattleyas. I'm not familiar with this orchid but i have a few general tip on sympodial orchids and fertilizer. What's important to remember with this orchids is that the older leafless pseudobulbs acts like reservoars for nutrients and water. Older plants with a lot of old psuedobulbs will have plenty of reserves and can go on growing for years on just rain water while drawing nutrients from older canes and a bit nutrients from decomposing growth medium. Evaporation from the top of the growing medium will concentrate even the leanest fertilizer-water mix into a white'ish crust that will kill new root growth as soon as the green root tips touches the salt buildup. If you have a case of heavy salt buildup i would recommend a thorough cleanup on the base of the pseudobulbs with a soft painters brush or similar and flushing out the salt with pure rain water or reverse osmose water. If possible replace the top layer of the growing media. To avoid this mess for the future i would recommend starting the growing season with rinsing out salt buildup from last season and only adding 1/4 -1/2 of the recommended strength fertilizer mix when the new root tips is grown well down into the medium. And of course flushing with pure rain water at least two times before next fertilizing. Seaweed fertilizer will probably also cause root tip burn so i would hold back on any fertilizer until the root tips is inside the potting mix and no longer that affected by evaporating (concentrating) fertilizer mix. Hope this helps and remember to look up the AOS article i mentioned. :)
+Formula400Pontiac Thank you wery much! My orchids actually haven't got any salt buildups thanks to our subtropical australian climate. I grow them outside all year. Instinctively I always use half strength fert. for all my orchids and then rain flushes well. But last year I difinetly have burned the new roots on my thyrsiflorum. It managed to grow few new cans somehow and very top heavy. Its spring and it started new roots! Now its a problem how to keep it upright )
There is no doubt that sphagnum is the best media to get a plant back on it's feet. My rescue method is to use a clay pot and fill the bottom half with drainage material, then sphagnum moss. My theory is that it allows good air circulation within the moss and will keep the area where roots will be produced at or near 100% humidity. No other media keeps the moisture spread throughout the pot like sphagnum does. Hope all is well with you and yours.
Great plant comparison, Brad. Certainly orchids let us know their preferences in their own special way.
I had lots of success with sphagnum moss and perlite for many years. Lately I find that even the high quality moss is losing its "spongy" quality too quickly and I'm having to change it more often. Just on cost alone, I've tried to cut moss down and trying to switch to perlite and lava rock. it works well for most, orchids but a few didn't like it. Don't think I'll find a one size fits all medium for all orchids.
WOW, what a difference! You said the main plant was growing in bark before you got it from the person, but it was doing really poorly. Maybe it was the bark why it was suffering so much. Fingers crossed it will bounce back once you plant it in moss. I'd surely like to see an update on these in the future.
I'm not an expert, but l would've gone in a different direction with the Den. in bark to generate roots...deeper plastic pot with no holes in the sides to keep in moister and humidity. I would've kept it in bark only. No moss on top, heat rises..Thanks for sharing and happy growing.
With plenty of air circulation..
Thanks Brad. I rescued one a year ago but it's small and not doing great.
Hi Brad, I enjoy watching your videos, very informative, I always learn something. In this video you have answered my question should I repot my thyrsiflorum in bark or moss. I have two of them also and they are kind of big and I’m debating should I divide them or they are better if I don’t disturb them?
Thanks for the info,
Ok, that's interesting. I might try moss then. I've same problem with no roots.
That’s so interesting. I’ve got one of these that’s really struggling. Except that it just pushed out a big alien-looking bloom nubbin.
outstanding explanation of the environmental effects and using materials keep it up I really need that information.
Hi Brad, I just ordered a Dendrobium thyrsiflorum. I'm not finding alot of information on this dendrobium; Can you tell me if this plant required a Cool, Dry Winter Rest ?
how about 1/2 or 2/3 moss and bark or charcoal -- makes sense to me - but i haven't tried it - scared of moss.
Hello Brad what do you think of FWC ? Please give me some info on this subject, thank you.
Hi Brad,
I wacht you're show weekly from the beginning
Compliments for you're work
How are you wife and child doing ?
Hendrik(Amsterdam / Netherlands)
Bark is bugging me lately. It is too hard on the roots when repotting. It can get mouldy and smelly quickly and seems to be a magnet for bugs. Unpotted 15 phals yesterday. The coconut husk phals had long, almost neon green, Vanda-looking roots. Bark phals had snapped, short and discoloured roots with more root rot. Drawback of coconut is that it is a little light weight so I guess there is no "perfect media" for orchids - if only it was as simple as dumping them in some soil like normal plants!!!
start using kiwi bark it last forever and reduces repotting unless plant has out grown it's pot.
Hey brad is it me or did this greenhouse fill up extremely fast?
Moss may be good for the initial new root growth but when the roots are reaching into well into the media it's really not beneficial any more. In my experience the thyrsiflorum is very sensitive to fertilizer burn the first weeks of root growth from the new bulbs. Older roots from previous growth handles fertilizer much better because of the more constant humidity inside the medium. The oldest canes will provide nutrients to the plant so it's perfectly fine to skip fertilizer for this types of orchids when they are in this growth phase. Flushing away salt buildup from the base of the plants and the top of the growing media seems to be crucial to save the new root growth. Remember that this type of orchid depends on setting new roots every season.
And just to clarify. I grow my orchids in my living room without any air humidifier. Root tip burn will be less of a problem in very humid growing conditions i would assume but it won't help you much if you have a substantial salt buildup on the surface of the growing media.
thank you very much for the tip
we have a spring now in australia and a lot of rain here, in brisbane... its growing new roots, now I will not apply fertilizer on the new roots.Do you think its ok to put seaweed fertilizer along with my cattleyas? I ve heard this orchid doesn't like repotting, that why I put it in bark instead of moss... the orchid really didnt flower a year after the repotting, and didnt do much anyway, despite she was flowering vigorously before. Fingers cross )
AOS has a great article on Cattleyas. I'm not familiar with this orchid but i have a few general tip on sympodial orchids and fertilizer. What's important to remember with this orchids is that the older leafless pseudobulbs acts like reservoars for nutrients and water. Older plants with a lot of old psuedobulbs will have plenty of reserves and can go on growing for years on just rain water while drawing nutrients from older canes and a bit nutrients from decomposing growth medium.
Evaporation from the top of the growing medium will concentrate even the leanest fertilizer-water mix into a white'ish crust that will kill new root growth as soon as the green root tips touches the salt buildup. If you have a case of heavy salt buildup i would recommend a thorough cleanup on the base of the pseudobulbs with a soft painters brush or similar and flushing out the salt with pure rain water or reverse osmose water. If possible replace the top layer of the growing media.
To avoid this mess for the future i would recommend starting the growing season with rinsing out salt buildup from last season and only adding 1/4 -1/2 of the recommended strength fertilizer mix when the new root tips is grown well down into the medium. And of course flushing with pure rain water at least two times before next fertilizing.
Seaweed fertilizer will probably also cause root tip burn so i would hold back on any fertilizer until the root tips is inside the potting mix and no longer that affected by evaporating (concentrating) fertilizer mix.
Hope this helps and remember to look up the AOS article i mentioned. :)
+Formula400Pontiac Thank you wery much! My orchids actually haven't got any salt buildups thanks to our subtropical australian climate. I grow them outside all year. Instinctively I always use half strength fert. for all my orchids and then rain flushes well. But last year I difinetly have burned the new roots on my thyrsiflorum. It managed to grow few new cans somehow and very top heavy. Its spring and it started new roots! Now its a problem how to keep it upright )
so what is the white spots on the older leaves?
very nice video brad!
Brad - what is causing the spotting on some of the leaves? Are they supposed to look like that?
Nice video Brad I ve learn something from u..