So I’ve been a member of the Manhattan Orchid Society (MOS) for a few months now (since I moved here in September). For any readers in the NYC area interested in orchids, I would highly recommend it. The meetings are always fun and informative, and the group is full of great people. At any rate, every meeting they have a raffle table where members bring in extra plants that they don’t want. I shelled out $2 for five tickets. Considering the large number of plants, I had a good likelihood of getting picked eventually, but I feel like I always have bad luck with these things. Eventually, my number did come up, to my relief and surprise.
Having perused the table beforehand, I knew exactly what I wanted. There was a mostly-dead-looking mounted Brassavola cordata that I felt I could rehabilitate from the brink. It only had one actual leaf (half of which had died back), but I saw that there were several pseudobulbs still alive and green, and that there were, in fact, a number of growing leads that, with love and attention, would soon be taking off. All in all, I felt that this plant had a lot of potential to look very nice in 6 months to a year.
My initial problem was that the day after the MOS meeting I was scheduled to go home to Chicago for a week. I put a friend in charge of my plant watering (no small task) and took off. She performed valiantly in the face of the daunting, Herculean feat put in front of her. However, apparently this particular Brassavola needed more than a misting every other day. Most of the new growth died back on me. It still has the (half) leaf and three other pseudobulbs. I think I see one, maybe two, leads that still look alive. I’ve upped my misting frequency and volume, and hopefully these new leads will hang in there and grow into healthy new leaves. It’s condition has stabilized since I got back almost two weeks ago, so I’m feeling optimistic. I find it odd, however, since I’m growing a Brassavola nodosa that seems happy with mistings once a week. Pictures might be coming soon. Maybe. Hopefully.
Til next time, happy growing!
The Phytophile 