Yellowing leaves on a Phrag. schlimii

[keithrs]

I want to pick at your guys brains.....I bought a Phrag schlimii from Andy about 3 months ago. He was very hesitant about selling it because it was not established... He had just received them from his supplier about 2 week before I bought it. I'm having trouble getting the leaves from turning yellow/brown.

So, the leaves started turning yellow from the bottom up, starting with the oldest growth first and has progress to the newest growth. Yellowing starts at the tips toward the middle. The yellowing soon turns into brown following the same path. It put out a spike on the new growth, flowered twice and now has stalled. I thinking it stalled because of the heat.

I grow it out doors in bright shade(about 2000 fc). Temps range from 85 adv. day temps and about 62 adv. night temps right now. It has been as hot as 97 on one or two days in the last two month. It's in moss with hydroton. About a 50/50 mix in a 4" plastic pot. Theres no moss on the bottom. I water it about every other day. Humidity is about 50-70% at night and go's down to about 30% on adv. I use Growmore 20-10-20 the moment at a rate of about 80 ppm with a light dose of cal/mag every 3 watering mixed separate from my fertilizer because I get perception. Not sure what the PH is....

Side note... I had it in s/h for two weeks but it nor I liked it so I potted up like my other Phrags. I don't think it has enough root mass at this time for s/h. But the yellowing/brown tips have been there from day one.

Any thoughts?

 

[NYEric]

Yellowing into brown means the leaves are dying. try to keep the plant cool and lighten up on all the chemicals.

 

[Shiva]

If that's a flower spike I see in the middle of the still green leaves it's high time you cut it off. schlimii is not the easiest phrag to grow and if the plant has no root, my pronostic is definitely not good. :sob:

 

[cnycharles]

seems a bit warm and bright to me, and I have killed a good number of schlimii by feeding them

 

[keithrs]

I do know that they like cooler temps but I can't offer it any..... and also it has two new growths starting.....

I just cut the spike....

You guy think it may be too wet? Should I it put it in a basket?

I have a kovachii x schlimii seedling that under the condition and growing wonderful.

 

[cnycharles]

I do know that they like cooler temps but I can't offer it any..

no windowsills? seems like would be fine there. also, there is a thread going on right now dealing with cyps and zeer pots that you can see here http://www.slippertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=22183
that might be able to keep your plant cooler and happier

I have a kovachii x schlimii seedling that under the condition and growing wonderful.

hybrids seem to handle things better, and kovachii might handle the heat better (and just be more established. I also think a heavier feeder)

 

[goldenrose]

....
You guy think it may be too wet? Should I it put it in a basket?

I have a kovachii x schlimii seedling that under the condition and growing wonderful.

I'd have to wonder if it's actually had a chance to acclimate? The more changes you make could just add to the stress.
It's got new growth, that's good and temps should start to cool down which will help too. I'd leave it alone.

 

[keithrs]

no windowsills? seems like would be fine there.

hybrids seem to handle things better, and kovachii might handle the heat better (and just be more established. I also think a heavier feeder)

Yes and no, I don't have window sills big enough to put the pot on and I keep the windows open almost all year so it would get the same temps as outside but I can move it around in my yard.

Also I have a Bakers sheet and it saids that avg. day temp is 82 and avg. night temp is 60 and 2500 to 4000 FC. Rain fall is about 5 in. on avg with about 2.5 in. in the winter.

Thanks for that link..... I'm going to check it out after dinner

 

[keithrs]

Zeer pots sound interesting......

 

[Tony Beck]

First thing I would do is cut the old growth and the spike off , give it more water increase the shade and cut back on the fertiliser. I grow mine under 2 layers of 75% green knitted shade cloth and they grow well and flower each year. How ever I live in Brisbane Australia so the weather has to be considered, good luck with it.

 

[SlipperFan]

Everyone has their own way of handling problems like this one, so I'll stick my nose in, also. I think the plant looks overpotted, especially if you said it has weak roots. Even with Phrags: weak roots, over-potting and a moisture retentive media can mean the roots are water-logged, and the plant will die. I like a moisture-retentive media for Phrags, but it must also breathe. But I probably don't grow Phrags like most people.

 

[NYEric]

I wonder what happened.

 

[keithrs]

The plant has been growing slowly be surely. Andy had it in a 6 in basket of moss and told me to water it daily. I have since repotted it in to Orchiata and moss 75-25 and put it under T5s for the winter. I water about 2-3 times a week. I think the problem was more that the root system was weak and the humidity was around 30% at the time. Some times in the single digits....

 

[NYEric]

Good luck.

 

[keithrs]

Thanks.... I'll need it!!!!