Sigh...yet again!

[Heather]

Well, this isn't a pest or a disease (unless you count ME as the pestilence!) but...

I think my %$#*ing tigrinum sheath is done for.

It is turning brown. I can see the little bud in there and everything. I so hoped I was going to make it this time.


Growing since last OCTOBER! ARGHHHHHH.....


It *almost* had a stem, even. This is the second time it has had a sheath, the first one rotted about a year ago. At least it has many more mature growths but DAMN I am frustrated! WAH WAH WAH!!!

At least the plant is pretty. Cry.

(TADD - not ONE word out of you!)

 

[bwester]

I'm sorry Heather. If it'll make you feel better, I'll drink a beer for you to try to drown the pain.

 

[Heather]

Thanks Blake. I think I have that part covered.
Dammit.

I had to spray three plants last week that were in spike and was not sure how detrimental that could be but I'd rather lose the sheath than the plant. So far the other two are still looking okay.

Then again, I might have just looked at the tigrinum wrong the other day.

 

[PHRAG]

Blake, do you have stock in Budweiser?

Heather, that sucks. I like the tigrinums I have seen in photos, but I could never buy something so slow growing. I would go nuts. Maybe you can trade it for a roth? Or a sanderianum?

 

[DavidH]

tigrinum

Heather,

do you water from above? Micranthums and armeniacums are notorious for bud blasting and I've been told to water them from below once they start forming the bud until flowering. The two months of bud formation isn't going to cause any major oxygen problems for the roots.

 

[Heather]

David,
I do, but that's how I destroyed the first sheath (exactly a year ago, 6/13/05!)
so I was super super careful to never get water anywhere near this one, which fortunately was also very well protected by the other large growths.

*However* when I had to spray the plant last week it did get misted...so that could, I suppose, be another possibility.

Or, I just looked at it wrong the other day...

 

[SlipperFan]

What I don't understand about this theory of not watering from above is, isn't that what Mother Nature does?

 

[likespaphs]

yup, but she's got significant air movement. i like to call it wind...

 

[Heather]

yup, but she's got significant air movement. i like to call it wind...

There was plenty of air movement the day I sprayed also as the plants were outside basking in the love of mother nature for about 5 or 6 hours post misting, and while it wasn't windy, it was breezy.

 

[paphjoint]

Sorry to hear that Heather -
Happens quite often with this specie - Remember my plant which had 2 sheats - one rotted and one flowered - given that it is was the same plant I really don't see any logical explanation for that phenomenon

 

[Wendy]

So Heather is it brown for sure? When mine was growing the sheath covering the bud turned a brownish/green colour. It had me checking it every day as i thought it was beginning to abort and dry up. Turns out it was just *that* colour and the bud developed normally.. So check again really carefully. I hope it turns out okay for you. *fingers crossed here*

 

[Heather]

yeah?
I will have to dash home NOW and check it again!
Thanks for the ray of hope, Wendy...perhaps all is not lost??

 

[Wendy]

I kept having to gently touch mine just to reassure myself that it wasn't drying out. Come to think of it, even John had to look twice at it when he noticed the colour. I hope yours is the same way and not truly aborting. Good luck!

 

[SlipperFan]

yup, but she's got significant air movement. i like to call it wind...

Some of us use fans, even!

 

[Heather]

I took a (not very encouraging) photo....

 

[Wendy]

Well it's browner than mine was...doesn't look good. I guess you'll know for sure within the next day or so if it gets crispy. Keep us posted.

 

[Heather]

Phuu....(insert letters here...)
Wah.

 

[Heather]

On the upside, I supposed I can at least repot it soon.
It's all good.

 

[Eric Muehlbauer]

How long have you had the tigrinum? In my experience, my tigrinum blasted its buds 2 years in a row...the sheath drying up with little or no bud growth...after that, it bloomed regularly without mishap...until I overdivided it and killed it with my bad Rexius bark...It does make a sheath early, and hold on to it an unconscionably long time before the spike actually develops...lots of time for things to screw up....Take care, Eric

 

[Heather]

Eric,
I've had it since 8/04.
2 years in a row it has put out a sheath in November (11/29 and 11/27!) and blasted them in June (6/13 and 6/28!)

No, I'm not anal about keeping records....I find these things interesting though.