Naples Nights

[Normkp]

It’s time for me to join in here with my plants. I got two Naples Nights. They came in five weeks ago from Jerry. Both arrived looking healthy. One had some damage and a crease in its largest leaf, and that leaf was horizontal to the rest of the plant. I called it my Semiphore plant. Picture below.

After a week and a half the two largest leaves on Semiphore turned limp and sagged (does that sound familiar?). I figured I must be drowning it in the sphagnum. Why else would the leaves wilt? The roots must be in terrible shape. So... though I had no experience with Hydroton, I figured growing semi-hydro would prevent me from getting the roots too wet.

The picture below was taken two weeks ago. The plant is still much the same today. The pic shows the plant a week and a half after I moved it to semi-hydro. Though the leaves are still slumped, they have gotten firm. The roots do not seem to be growing but they are not going bad either.

When and if this plant puts out a new leaf the new guy will have to struggle through all the strangely wrapped leaves. I have no idea how it would do that, but I think I’m going to leave it to Nature and see what happens.

The second Naples Nights that I ordered has been nothing but healthy. The third and fourth pictures show how it looked when it first came in and how it looks today. It has six leaves plus a new one starting (The new one got its start while I was looking somewhere else). For the first month I kept it in the sphagnum it was in when came from Jerry. Four days ago I repotted in coir. Honestly, I don't know why I moved it to choir, except that the sphagnum made me uneasy. I've never grown in sphagnum. It seemed like I was getting the plant too wet when I watered and it took forever for it to get close to dry. So I put it in coir with charcoal and perlite.

But look at it! It's been thriving in sphagnum! If I had to do it over again I would not repot. I'd leave it in the sphagnum. Next time I'll be more brave with the moss.
Norm

[arleneg]

Norm,

Sorry to hear your Phals' leaves are still limp.

The one in s/h may be struggling a bit, maybe due to being placed in that method when there are no new roots. Therefore, that one will take awhile to adjust. To learn about s/h, do search on semi-hydroponics and "jay". Jay has been successful in using s/h with many of his orchids.

The one in coconut husk chips will struggle when the media wasn't previously soaked and watered often the first week. They tend to dry rather quickly the first week or so.

By the way, coir is grounded coconut husk. Look at the second pic posted in thread Coir Confusion.

[patticake]

Norm, The fourth pic. looks like it's potted higher than it was originally. Going from at wet medium such as the sphag. to a drier medium and potted higher might be just a shock. The plant looks healthy enough, it just may need a little more moisture and maybe ..gently... repotted again- down in a little further. Good luck.

[Normkp]

Originally Posted by arleneg

Norm,

Sorry to hear your Phals' leaves are still limp.

The one in s/h may be struggling a bit, maybe due to being placed in that method when there are no new roots. Therefore, that one will take awhile to adjust. To learn about s/h, do search on semi-hydroponics and "jay". Jay has been successful in using s/h with many of his orchids.

The one in coconut husk chips will struggle when the media wasn't previously soaked and watered often the first week. They tend to dry rather quickly the first week or so.

By the way, coir is grounded coconut husk. Look at the second pic posted in thread Coir Confusion.

Thanks Arlene. I was totally confused about coconut husk and coir, and in some ways still am. I actually do have ground coir, but when I soaked it it turned into a sodden mess; I figured any orchid I planted in that would get no air at all.

The coconut husk mix was one I got at a local Orchid Society show. It's not my medium. I just don't have a feel for it.

So... I've decided to go with S/H. Main reason is that it seems to eliminate so much of the guess work. Keep that reservoir full of the right stuff and the orchid will do well. That's what I read in Jay's posting and from others as well.

Furthermore, I have a two week vacation coming up in June. I think my neighbor can handle filling the reservoirs better than watering orchids in any other medium.

Now both my Naples Nights are in S/H.

Actually, Arlene, the leaves of the first one to go into S/H are not limp. After going into S/H they got quite firm. Though I can see no new growth, this plant drains the reservoir faster than any other, except an Oncidium Twinkle. I think it's going to do well.

Originally Posted by patticake

Norm, The fourth pic. looks like it's potted higher than it was originally. Going from at wet medium such as the sphag. to a drier medium and potted higher might be just a shock. The plant looks healthy enough, it just may need a little more moisture and maybe ..gently... repotted again- down in a little further. Good luck.

Patti, you make some very helpful observations. There really is a huge difference between sphag and coconut husk, and coco husk is not comfortable for me. So, as I said above, I've abandoned other mixes and am moving my plants to S/H. I have repotted the second Napes into S/H (roots much better protected) and expect it to do well.

I'll let you know how it goes.
Norm

[arleneg]

Originally Posted by Normkp

I actually do have ground coir, but when I soaked it it turned into a sodden mess; I figured any orchid I planted in that would get no air at all.

Norm

A tip on how to make coir 'airy' -- mix it with perlite and charcoal. Other members mix it with diatomite, tree fern, or coconut husk chips.

[articuno75]

How are your Naples Nights doing now ???