Tip exchange/rant area for orchids that just won't grow for you

Lycaste and Miltonia.
Both was gifts and I never ever want to know about those again.
They always show a great improvement or tons of new growth and then it all went soft and ugly.

 

Systemic infection. Are they big box plants?

 

Bulbos grow enticingly well for me, popping out beautiful fat shiny new growths at the good clip, always looking like blooms are right around the corner.......but they never come. Same for Den. kingianum. Hell, those grows even better then the bulbos. The usual refrain is more light, but I'm already growing them stupid bright. One kingianum plant I have is basically a bonsai but using high light rather than trimming to dwarf it. Really taking off to a new level since a transition to lava rock media so hopefully they turn off a new leaf (with blooms) next year. Max. tenufolia is another culprit. S. cernua is currently circling the drain for me. If it wasn't such a beloved plant, it would have been trashed long ago but I'm still holding up hope. Only bloomed of me once in 2 1/2 years but I just love the growth habit.

 

FWIW, my kingi is planted in pumice, Catt light. Still small (gift Keiki) but blooms reliably.

 

I have a Paphiopedalum that was my first orchid I ever purchased that REFUSES to bloom for me. I've owned her for 3 years and have tried everything I can think of. She grows leaves like nobody's business, but refuses to put out a spike. I suspect she is getting too tall with all these new leaves and is due for a deeper pot. If anybody has advice I'll take it!

Oh, and militoniopsis!!! I've seriously just considered tossing the thing in the trash. GRRR! She's so fickle. Too hot, too cold. Too dry. Not enough air movement. Go 6 hours without enough water and she shrivels and krinkles like a fish in a desert. Ok, that's a bit exaggerated, but its close. I put her into semi-hydro this March and she's toying with the idea of a spike and a straight leaf. Jury is still out though. I'll believe it when I see it.

 

It sounds like the miltoniopsis has taken a turn for the better.

You might try moving the Paph into S/H as well, but I have to ask first, what is the species or hybrid? Many paph species will put out a new growth and bloom within a year, and some more often, while others can take a decade or more to mature.

 

Paph. "Magically Wood"
'Magic Pops' Pink Portfolio x Wood Wonder "Oz Note 1"

To clarify, the paph is currently in semi-hydro culture, but the pot is a bit shallow. The plant sits up out of the medium a bit as opposed to being nestled down a little. I've read that they prefer this?? The problem could be something entirely else though.

 

I would move it into a taller pot, so the base is right at-, or barely below the top of the medium.

In order to give any meaningful advice though, you're going to need to share more about the conditions it is in, and your watering and feeding details.

 

First, "1/4 to 1/2 strength" is meaningless. 1/4 to 1/2 of what? What is the formula of the fish emulsion fertilizer?

Second, what does "every watering" mean? Twice a week? Once a week? Once a month?

When you water, are you filling the pot to the top and letting it drain, or just refilling the reservoir?

How long has the plant been in the medium?

 

I have a Vanda tessellata that is refusing to make new leaves, but makes A LOT of growing roots. I do not think it grew one leaf this year. This one baffles me...

While I have another clone that is next to it, and it grows roots like crazy, new leaves, and two flower spikes. They both get the same treatments.

 

They can grow relatively warm if they have a drop in night temperatures..and *very* good constant air movement. I don't bury the roots too and let the orchid roots find its way into the media.

 

You haven't heard about our Australian terrestrials like the caladenia genus yet..now THOSE have hardly to no roots and need mycorrhizae to grow . Needless to say, for 3 decades people have tried and there's only a few who succeeded consistently

 

I have a feeling its to do with your humidity and temperature. What's your set up?

 

Yup, full sun and consistent warm temperatures year round (especially at night). So if you're having cool nights..no dice Of course in Singapore they grow and flower like weeds!

 

Dendrobium laevifolium still NEEDS to dry out a little bit and is a intermediate to warm grower..not cool growing. Unlike other oxyglossums it doesn't really tolerate wet conditions very well though it likes it pretty humid. If your plant is a good size it'd probably do better in seedling bark (keep it moist but not wet)

 

Hello! If you're going to pot falcolorostrum, better to use sciora or inorganic media. If not it does better mounted. One more thing, it comes from pretty high elevation (1500m) even in our temperate regions so its definitely not a dendrobium speciosum...this means it needs to be kept in high humidity and cool especially through the summers. The plant needs good light too!


As for Frosty Dawn, it could be a number of things but most likely your humidity as mentioned or your potting media. Nigro hirsute dendrobiums especially dislike stale media...even if your bark decompose a little bit its enough to send these things to heaven. I have friends who potted these in sciora with good success.


As for paphs...too much to explain but I raise my paph species seedlings indoors.
Pictures speak a thousand words so I'd let them do the talking....just to let you know they get almost full morning size from 8am to 10 am

 

I'd like to ask did you sterilise the pots? If one seedlings is growing fine and the other is going backwards, check the roots and the media of the ailing seedling. It sounds like a classic case of root infection/fusarium.