Tips/Tricks for a 1st time user of the Sphag n Bag

[NewGrower]

Hey guys!
I recently checked up on my baby orchids and the roots havent started to look much better (they werent looking so great when I got them but looked to have gone slightly downhill) so I decided to try the sphag n bag trick ... I put them both in seperate clear bags with a damp paper towel (I read that this will work as well...and I am not a huge fan of sphag) and set them on my patio where they would normally sit in their pots.

How long should I leave it? Is this a good place for them to stay (it gets some indirect sunlight in the morning and afternoon)?
Also once I take them out, any suggestions on helping their new roots grow? I am only potting in rocks as of now (because I tend to overwater) and would prefer to keep all my orchids in rocks (if its an option)...

Thanks!

[brazilianfernie]

i'd love some extra info on the sphag and bag too, i tried it with one of my "sick" plants and it just got really moldy in the bag. I even put a couple of holes in to bag for airflow but the mold (white and fuzzy) still grew. I ended up throwing it away.

[nybz]

Originally Posted by brazilianfernie

i'd love some extra info on the sphag and bag too, i tried it with one of my "sick" plants and it just got really moldy in the bag. I even put a couple of holes in to bag for airflow but the mold (white and fuzzy) still grew. I ended up throwing it away.

This sounds like one of my little guys I'm trying to save, any info before I toss it would be great too!

[BGGraham1]

Hi!

I remember seeing a couple of posts regarding this method, but I could not find them quickly enough to link here. Look through the Orchid Care Cultivation thread, and you will find what you are looking for.

I did see at least one thread where some of the more expert members stated that they did not care for this method very much, and that they would pot the plant in sphag. I did that with one of my phals that had 1 good root left, and now I have 2 good ones and more coming every day. I keep a fan on in the room they are in for circulation, and use the skewer method for watering.

Good luck!

[NewGrower]

Thanks for the help... I think I saw the older thread about it with a link but all it said was "set it in a shaded warm spot and walk away" nothing about how long....

I am concerned now it might not be the best idea so I think I wont leave them in there very long, maybe a few days!
Any other advice is appreciated!!

[Brooke]

You keep it in the bag with the damp paper towel until new roots form. You cannot put a time limit on it because they grow roots on their schedule. It is important to keep the plant hydrated during this period of time. To do this, soak the entire plant in fertilizer water every couple of days., dry out the crown with a paper towel and put it back in the bag on the damp paper towel.

Be sure to keep the bag open at the top and make sure NO direct sunlight hits the bag or you will cook the plant. It could take months before the roots appear.

If you use rocks you will probably have to water it daily or every other day.

Brooke

[Micky]

Will roots grow well if potted in volcanic rock and a slow release pellet type root stimulator sprinkled over the rock so it dispurses when watered?