Lemme sympathize with you, please.

I bought a 'rescue' phal NOID a while back and no matter what I do, it continues to fail.

I re-potted it the other day...it had a LOT of dead, mushy roots...my own fault for not re-potting it immediately after I got it home.
Hoping it will make it...but not holding out much hope...no idea what the blooms are like....probably never will.

Is your chid a really nice one or just a 'plain jane' like mine?

Wishing you good luck with it. :)

Helcia Sanguinolenta.
A chronic ICU patient in my group. His replacement is getting there too.

Clara

lellie - Not a "plain jane" unfortunately.

Kevin, That's a bummer, esp. after your triumph and it being special.

There are 2 barely hanging on here, but neither is a favorite - the Cochleanthes amazonica and the Phal Snow Twinkle (Phal. tetraspis ÂSnow White x Phal. aphrodite ÂSnow WhiteÂ).

The Cochleathes could have gotten fungus before I recognized it. Its one tiny new growth may or may not make it. The mature leaves are still green.

The Phal's roots got fertilizer burn because I wasn't leaching often enough. Why do I think some rules can be ignored? Geesh.

Directly, the Orchid Angels will have my sacrificial offering on behalf of your prized plant.

Whitecat8

Uh, yeah! I have two catts that have NO leaves whatsoever. One has been that way for most of a year, but still has what appears to be a viable root and the eyes are hangin' in there, but going nowhere. The other is trying to put out a new growth from way up off the media, but emerging roots tend to want to blacken off at the tips as soon as they emerge.

I am way too stubborn with these guys, but as long as they show signs of life and don't look contagious, they get a temporary reprieve.

Sharon

I tossed an awarded C. labiata 'Goliath' this week. I received the plant from the gentleman that got the award back in '92-ish. When it opened up it's beautiful blooms, it had discoloration on the petals and I hoped it was because it was cold and damp and the color would straighten up when it received some sun.

It was picture book perfect for the color break virus. It now resides in my dumpster so I guess I pushed it over the brink of death. Now I've marked all the other catts, phrags and paphs I've received from the man to make sure it wasn't spread to other plants. Phooey!

Brooke

Got a Blc Gold Bug hanging on by a thread. Plant has some sentimental meaning and I really thought I had it over the hump. Seems to be similar situation to Sharons. Root tips blacken and now three pbulbs started to blacken and I cut them off. Makes me sick because they had buds. Three bulbs left, one has buds, but looks like the whole plant is headed to orchid heaven.

Oh well,

Jane

I do sympathize, Kevin. I try to avoid setting up the ICU, it's almost better for me to just pitch something. But currently on life support is Den. Green Lantern. I had this plant before and after some struggles it got going very well and got to be a favorite. When I lost it in my house fire, I replaced it right away. Now it's been a few years and the new one just keeps struggling--it's a scraggly mess that sometimes has a good lead and sometimes makes a puny start that doesn't go anywhere. I'm starting to think I just got an unlucky runt hybrid. Fortunately for me it's easy to replace. But I keep refusing to give up--after all, I "know" I can grow this plant!
Margo

Feed it to your squirrel, Kevin. Maybe it will choke to death on it and brighten your day?!?!?

My squirrels only choke if fed concrete blocks and then only if they don't chew them into smaller pieces before eating. Very hopeless...

K

Dare I ask what is life support Kevin? Initials? Species? Maybe one of the "Specialists" can help you?

Clara

Nope. Not talkin'.

Never?

Well DANG! K! That does sound tragic.

I had a Promenea in the ICU for several months because of my 113% neglect of all planty things this spring. This guy withered away to nothing but some viable roots. Today he's got three new leaves! Thanks to your post, I checked on him in the ICU today. LOL!

Negligent Orchid Planty thing Mom.... C3D

That's it - it's a PHAL!!! and you're too embarrassed to 'fess up.

Seriously, though, it's too bad you have a fave that's languishing.

WC8

WC8 - You made me smile :)

Oh Kev, I do feel bad for you! And I hope that the patient pulls through.

Nothing on life support for me now, I've just been, um, well, 'kevining' them ;)

Carolyn

When I moved in May I trashed, I mean helped pass over the rainbow bridge:), 5 sad rescues that were living, not thriving.
And I walked away from orchids forever!
Well, last month I caved and bought 4 new ones. I'm trying to steer clear of rescues (at Walmart I tried to purchase 2-a den and phal (both in spike), but I got there too late-they were in the death basket, and mean old Walmart wouldn't let me have them (would have paid full price to-wonderful looking plants;)) Soo, my new happy babies are doing great. (other things are in the hospital though:) I hope everything recovers quickly (and fully). CJ

WC you're right! It's a big old phal gigantea I'll bet too. It fits K's description of the slide. Knew you were a "closet case phal lover". No one can hate phals that much without having them :-))

Clara
Phal ICU Unit

A milt that was outside to get cool got knocked clean out of it's pot. I never repotted it. It doesn't look good.

Claire - No, milts generally don't do too well sans pot. You are a bad, bad mother. Milt neglect! The worst!

OK, all your harassing worked. I simply can't take the chance of being labeled a closeted lover-of-the-phal. I have a reputation to live up to. My supporters are counting on me.

The plant in question is a Tainia sessilifolia - now known as Eria sessilifolia I believe. I've never been able to find a drop of info on this plant - not even a picture. I've posted on other forums and no one has anything specific. In fact, I only know of one other person who claims to grow this plant and he's not talking to me.

The bummer is that it WAS doing so well and then suddenly went into decline. I'm sure it was the heat of the summer. Isn't it always? Right now that one leaf is still green and I make sure not to touch the plant, not to breath on it, not to look crossly at it, not to think bad thoughts about it. I just look at it from afar.

Now you know my tale of woe and despair.

K

K.
I emailed you a link to the PDF of this article which has pix + detailed morphologic sections of Eria sessilifolia and a note on culture - quoted here:

Eria sessifolia
David L. Roberts and Brendan Sayers
Curtis's Botanical Magazine
Volume 22 Issue 1 Page 38-41, February 2005

"Eria sessilifolia should be treated like other members of the genus, requiring cool-intermediate temperatures, light shade, a weekly watering to keep the compost moist during sumer and a compost of medium grade bark mix. Propagation division is difficult as it is slow to grow and multiply ..."

Exact origin is unclear - Malay Archipelago, which has at least 2 dominant climate zones: equatorial tropical (eg Borneo), seasonal tropical (eg. Java). Hope this helps somewhat, alvin

Kevin I just looked too nothing This is the closest I got:

http://www.orchidphotos.org/images/orchids/speciesV2/Eria/index.html
http://www.clanorchids.com/compendium/page20.htm
Its pretty. Oh Man!
Ok I take it back you are still in the clear with respect to Phals.
The prolonged heat of the fall may have knocked it off track.
Where on earth do you come by these things?

WC is an excellent researcher. If it's out there she'll find it!
Keep the faith Kevin. If it's still green it's still alive.

Clara

Regarding the ICU: do you have the machine that goes 'ping'? I'm not sure what it does but it may be important.

I don't mean to seem insensitive, I just can't help it sometimes. Good luck with your sickly one.

-O-

A January bloomer - you still have time!

Jane

Kev - In searching the Web, I ran across your query on the UK Orchid Forum awhile back.

A couple of things besides Curtis' Botanical Magazine, which still charges for the article - Someone said Hawke said culture is as for Phaius, if that's any help.

In case one of these is a stone unturned - The other thing is the Mpls. Library is up and running since your post on the other forum, but you have to have a library card to access lists of journals, etc., which I don't.

Hennepin County Library might be a resource, if you haven't tried them.

If you have any connections @ UM or other colleges/universities, maybe someone carries the Curtis magazine.

This has gotta be frustrating for you.

Whitecat8

Here is a link that might be useful: Mpls Library Ask Us site

Alvin,

How the hell did you get more info from that Curtis abstract? That's wonderful!!

Kevin - in addition to searching on 7 different engines for all references to the plant by either name, I went through the sites of the places the 2 Curtis authors work - probably retracing your steps. Nada.

Alvin, you're the best.

WC8

Hi WC8: I emailed you via forum email form the link to the full PDF Eria sessifolia article. There's a lovely painting of the plant inside. Enjoy, alvin

PS. if you didn't get email, let me know - i just didn't want to post a copyrighted article for the world to see.

I have a temperature tolerant hybrid masdie on some serious major support right now...I thought it was dead, but then recently, with the temperature drop, I spotted a new growth out of nothing...We shall wait and see

Something about masdies in Florida...(hehehehe)

Olya

Alvin - You may have sent me the wrong link, but that little blurb of info you posted is helpful. That sounds like the way I have been growing this plant. I know I tried a lot of different light levels and finally settled on lower levels since that's where it seemed to be the happiest. Again, I think it was our blasted hot summer that caused all the problems.

Clara - Those are beautiful pics aren't they? Does anyone out here grow some of these? I've been tempted a few times, but never got around to buying any.

This plant has history. 3-4 years ago there was a guy out here who rescued around 1000 orchid plants from the Baker & Chantry nursery in Washington state. If I remember correctly the owners had died and the property was being bulldozed along with the plants. He sent the rescued plants to forum members who requested them. This is one of those plants. When I received it, it was a single backbulb with a couple of roots and the start of a new growth. All that was written on the tags was the name and "probably cool?". It slowly grew for me and up until this summer had 5 nice sized PBs. I was hoping it would bloom soon.

WC - Thanks for that link to the Mpls library. I do have a card, but rarely go there. It's nice to know I have this online option. At this point, I just want to see if this thing is going to survive. Still a green leaf and from what I can see of the roots, they look good too.

K

Alvin, your message hasn't arrived yet, but another member's message took about 3 days to hit the inbox. Weird. Maybe tomorrow for yours.

Kevin, I e-mailed bunches of commercial growers. Basically, no one's familiar w/ the plant, either as Tainia or Eria, not even Andy's.

Oak Hill had some general info: "We are not familiar with the sessilifolia... the erias and the Tainias are grown differently, the Tainia we have go dormant in the winter, we keep them dry until new growth appears in spring... the Erias do not go dormant, however we do keep most of the orchids a bit drier in winter.

"In general, if a plant is not doing well, it is good to reopt it, look at the roots, if they appear rotted or dead, repot into fresh media in a small pot, and keep on the dry side until you can see new growth and roots. Most orchids grow out better in spring and summer, so it might be a few months until you see new growth.
Good luck!! Liese"

WC8

WC - Thanks for all the help. That was very nice of you to contact those folks. Sent you a message. Hope you got it.

K

Kevin - You're more than welcome. Payback time for all the expertise you've shared w/ this novice. And I got your message.

Alvin, would you mind trying that e-mail one more time? It's bugging me that it's not getting through. gladys feline (substitute cat) 53 over at that Yah-- and the dot and the com. No spaces. You can omit the article, if you like, because someone else sent it to me, but the Web detective in me would love to know how you came by it.

For everyone - Andy of Andy's Orchids on a Stick, responded to my question initially by saying he wasn't familiar with the Tainia/Eria sessilifolia. A day later, he e-mailed again, including a lot of info a friend had found (e-mailed to Kevin). He realized he grew a different Eria outside (sigh) and sent pix of a lovely plant and flowers.

Andy seemed excited to be able to pass along info, so it was even more fun to hear from him.

Also, Helen Hersh of Mount Prospect Orchids e-mailed back, saying at first that she didn't know anything about these plants but liked them a lot. I thanked her and said I'd send her cultural info that turned up. She wrote back, saying she realized she might have a sessilifolia in her greenhouse, unlabeled and forgotten until now. She asked about the physical appearance of the failing plant, and I forwarded her message to Kevin.

Nice folks out there.... and here on this forum.

WC8