Ludisia discolor (jewel orchid)

[Sea_Sun88]

I was looking at my moms plants and found a ludisia discolor (jewel orchid).
I took a smal cutting( with her permision of course hehe)
I heard that they are terrestial orchids. But her's in Spaghnum moss.
It seems to be doing good .

How can I get the cutting to root.
And when its rooted can I place it in regular dirt or it has to be a special kind of mix.


NOT MY PIC BUT THE CUTTING IS ABOUT THIS SIZE. FOUND IN
http://www.dkimages.com/discover/Hom...nials-088.html



Thanks for your help

Chelsea
sea sun

[Sea_Sun88]

Corrections. I check her medium hehehe and it has dirt on the bottom. The spagh is on top to keep the dirt moist.

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

Dirt is a bad word in the orchid world. I don't even use it on my true terrestrial Chinese Ground Orchids. I think you might use some house plant potting mix. That is mostly organic stuff, and a great deal lighter than real dirt. I'll bet your mom has hers in potting mix, not dirt.

[Sea_Sun88]

Originally Posted by Cynthia, Prescott, AZ

Dirt is a bad word in the orchid world. I don't even use it on my true terrestrial Chinese Ground Orchids. I think you might use some house plant potting mix. That is mostly organic stuff, and a great deal lighter than real dirt. I'll bet your mom has hers in potting mix, not dirt.

Yea she does. lol I never knew that dirt was bad in the orchid world. But I learned something new. Yea she has hers in potting mix with some round looking things, I suspect its perlite not sure. and on the top she has spaghnum moss.

[tom499]

just keep the stem moist, slightly buried. You can use rooting hormones if you want, though i dont use them.

Not sure what others say but putting it in a cup of water can work too. It stops any chance of rot etc because the stem is submerged so theres no oxygen.

Once its rooting and the cut wounds have healed you can pot it up.

[Sea_Sun88]

Originally Posted by tom499

just keep the stem moist, slightly buried. You can use rooting hormones if you want, though i dont use them.

Not sure what others say but putting it in a cup of water can work too. It stops any chance of rot etc because the stem is submerged so theres no oxygen.

Once its rooting and the cut wounds have healed you can pot it up.

Thank you for your help. I will try the water cup to see if it grows any roots.

[pikevi]

Sea_Sun88: I have a cutting and it has been struggling ever since I got it. When a new leaf comes up the lowest one dries up.

I have it potted in coir, sphag,bark and perlite.

It is not happy at all

[flowerchild]

the cup of water will work cause my aunt rooted a piece for me like that.

[Sea_Sun88]

Originally Posted by pikevi

Sea_Sun88: I have a cutting and it has been struggling ever since I got it. When a new leaf comes up the lowest one dries up.

I have it potted in coir, sphag,bark and perlite.

It is not happy at all

Have you tried soil?

They are terrestial. Meaning they get their nutrients from soil.
Cynthia said that organic matter will work good. So tried to repot it in soil.
My mom has hers in soil, perlite mix into it. and on top spaghnum moss.

Its healthy and growing new growth.

Hope this helps

Chelsea

[Sea_Sun88]

Originally Posted by flowerchild

the cup of water will work cause my aunt rooted a piece for me like that.

Thanks I put my small cutting in water. I will give it a couple of weeks till it grows new roots. Then pot it in soil. .

[pikevi]

I will try that sometime this week, Sea_Sun88.

Thanks.

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

I think we need a definition of 'soil'. 'Dirt' I think we can all agree is what you find on the ground. Soil is a term used by farmers and I would assume, not being a farmer, that they would like their 'soil' to have a lot of organic mater in it. How about 'Super Soil', a brand of potting mix, which again is mostly organic matter. Maybe we should turn this into a thread of everyone giving their opinion of what 'soil' is. We sure can't recommend 'soil' if there is no agreement of what 'soil' is. For me, I think the term 'soil' is synonymous with dirt, and would never recommend growing any orchids in it.

[janet_a]

i got a cutting of one of these; started it in water; then stuck in a mix of roughly equal parts

potting soil
sphagnum peat
orchid bark
long fibre sphag


just smooshed it all up real good and stuck the cutting in it and kept it moist. it proceeded to run amok, grew five flower spikes; when i had to repot it a piece broke off and i just stuck it in a pot with roughly that same mix in it and kept it moist; it's now growing new little branchlets all over it.

where i come from dirt means clay. i plant stuff in it outside, but it doesn't do well. i would agree that soil means primarily composted material--or stuff that comes in a bag you buy at the nursery.