Phrag problem....

[biothanasis]

Hello all,

I have a little problem with a Phragmipedium of mine... When it arrived from Belgium (I live in Greece) it was kind of stressed and had few and little to middle sized roots and three growths in total!!! One of the growths went brown and really hard (it is gone now... although, something green seems to pop up from the bottom and inside part of it...) and most of the roots started to die (many of them are trimed off by me as they were soft and wet) I kind of loosely rapped the remaining root system (several little roots..) with coconut chunks and repotted it in a small pot with clay marbles mix... so as to give more moist to the roots! Shouldn't I do that? Should I do something else (put it in a transparent bag and rap it)? I don't have any sphagnum moss or something... Any suggestions?

Help needed immediately...

Thank you, Thanasis...

 

[practicallyostensible]

Yep, I would say rootone and sphag-n-bag.

See:
http://www.slippertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4854

 

[practicallyostensible]

Oh, I would also try to find out the problem that caused the root die off. Someone else may be able to help from that.

 

[SlipperFan]

I might be concerned that the roots were staying too wet, if they were soft and wet. The black new growth could be a rot or a fungus. I'd cut it off and dust the cut with cinnamon or Dragon's Blood, if you have some.

 

[Jorch]

If you don't have sphag moss, you can use some wet tissue/paper towel instead. just place the plant on top of the paper towel (don't wrap the paper towel around the base and the roots) inside a zip lock bag, and use some root hormone on the plant to encourage root growth.

 

[NYEric]

I might sphag-n-bag depending on what phrag it is and how small the roots are. If it's one of the caudatum or other species that dont love water I'd be careful about sphag-n-bag. If the roots have a live end, I forget the term 'root-hair?' and are over 50mm, I dont think Sphag-n-bag is nec. If you have it, add sphagnum for more moisture. I'd be careful w/ fertilizers and hormones because you dont wantto burn the roots.

 

[biothanasis]

Hello all,
Thank you very much for the advice!!! It is a caudatum species so I will take into account what you all said!!! This is what the plant looks like and what I did (the coconut chips are very loosely attached to the roots, just to keep them close to the root system!!!) Any other suggestion is welcome...

ThANK YOU ALL, Thanasis...

 

[NYEric]

I hate to say it, but that looks like you're suffocating the roots [unless you're not potting that]. I would recommend potting in small coconut chips w/ sphagnum and spongerock to provide moisture yet retain space for airflow.