Huh ok cool, yea I think I'm going to repot. Thanks for the pointers. I've read a good bit that flushing is super important w these damned things lol. Might just stick to vandas lol. Thanks again!It's possible the roots are dieing from the salt/pH problem with the eucagenera mix. The osmocote could be releasing too much fertilizer on the moist media without sufficient leaching. Often people assume roots are dieng from rot when in reality the roots are simply decaying after dieing from non pathogen environmental conditions.
Phrags need their media to be flushed frequently with water to keep the root zone environment fresh. Kind of like flushing the toilet after each use or ever other day.
Watering long petal vs color Phrags
- Thread starter Drewm
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So what kind of bark do people recommend? I read somewhere that orchiata is no good too? Thanks for the tips
I tried and failed an all hydroton mix last year lol so I was thinking the bark mix for this failure lol. Pretty mix tho above looks neat.
I don't like any of the modern bark choices. That's why I'm using non organics now.
If you must use for ark add a lot of oyster shell.
If your growing vandas successfully then it may be too hot for your phrags!
If you must use for ark add a lot of oyster shell.
If your growing vandas successfully then it may be too hot for your phrags!
Yea Miami is very hot lol, but these are all inside, oyster shell balances against fertilizer etc?I don't like any of the modern bark choices. That's why I'm using non organics now.
If you must use for ark add a lot of oyster shell.
If your growing vandas successfully then it may be too hot for your phrags!
Oyster shell helps but never can balance completely. When a root contacts an acidic piece of bark it's acidic. But the water/fertilizer solution gets balanced so overall the oyster shell helps.
That's why leca is a good choice. Most leca claims to be pH neutral but all that I have tested are higher pH.
Applying a spoonful of ground shell powder to the media surface once a month or so also helps to neutralize the acidity of the barks surface as the particles are carried in with the irrigation water.
That's why leca is a good choice. Most leca claims to be pH neutral but all that I have tested are higher pH.
Applying a spoonful of ground shell powder to the media surface once a month or so also helps to neutralize the acidity of the barks surface as the particles are carried in with the irrigation water.
As an example of why Phrags like humid open air space around their roots here is a picture to show the delicate root hairs. In a dense substrate there is no space for them to function efficiently. This is my opinion based on observations.
mrhappyrotter
Grand Chupacabra
It's hard for me to know for sure what would cause the root rot. However, is there any chance that the roots and/or media are drying out too much between waterings and/or that there's been some inconsistency in the watering schedule? For the most part, Phrag roots don't like to get too dry. Some handle it better than others, but it seems to stress them. And then if the formerly dried/stressed/damaged roots are kept wet, that may promote rot.
To me, growing these things in a hydroponic manner (whether with organic, inorganic, or a mixed media) has the advantage of keeping the roots consistently moist. Older roots may die off when switching over, but the newer roots will adapt. Fortunately, Phrags are generally very enthusiastic about growing new roots for the most part.
Also, if you're having issues with root rot and moisture control, using tall pots can be a useful tool. A tall pot is going to provide a nice gradient of moisture levels (especially when growing in sitting water and when using a chunky potting mix), so the roots can naturally find the zone that they prefer, while also giving them time to adapt to areas that are perhaps a bit less ideal. At least that's my theory, and I'm sticking to it.
