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HELP! Nematanthus albus dieing SO FAST!

7 years ago

Any chance of saving this one? This is a Nematanthus albus. I got it from the Violet Barn and it immediately began to decline. All the other plants I got from them have done just fine, so not sure what's wrong with this one. I think they sent it too young? Also asked them for any advice but they haven't gotten back with me in several weeks, so not sure what to do. I put it in medium light by a window and repotted it when I got it. It dropped most of it's leaves, and was down to one in just a few days. Then I put it in a plastic bag dome, and now's it's lost all of it's leaves! It really didn't have very many roots when it arrived either. It's also really hard to find any info on the care for this plant!

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Comment (1)

irina_co
7 years ago
Do not despare - it is still alive.

Like any other gesneriad - it rots if overwatered. So it shoudln't stand in a water ever. If the roots are rotten - look at them and tweak - if they are gone - they will be falling off - you better restart it from part of a healthy stem you have. Method - sphag-n-bag. Barely moist sphagnum and get it covered.

Second option - they grow under lights and in relatively humid conditions. If your air is very dry - it can cause problems...

Third option - normally these plants are tough. What if the box got overheated in a mail or near your doors waiting to be picked up? It could cause a damage that would bring a gradual decline.

If I would grow this plant on a windowsill - I would use Oyama pot - and do not refill reservoir it until the soil is dry. It is kind of fleshy - so it won't die if dries a bit.

Regarding VB - since the purchase was done months ago - they are not going to replace it. Before you could call them during the working hours and ask for an advice. If it arrived cooked or frozen - the time to complain was at the same day or about. I do not think there is a magic word they can say - and it will recover - at that point.

Otherwise - this plant requires the same care as an AV, can take a bit more light. It is not as tough as Nematanthus "Tropicana", but it is not picky. VB soil is on a heavy side, I would repot it into something lighter- like AV soil split with perlite, at the same time look at the roots - if they are viable. Keep it covered for some time - but barey moist, not soggy.
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We bought old windows at a yard sale for next to nothing. I wouldn't advise using plastic up north in the winter time. You will get alot more light into it having glass windows. Maybe a store going out of business that has a bunch of windows or glass for sale? We had a glass store go out of business in town awhile back. One man used glass table tops in his greenhouse. You have to think outside of the box if you need to save money. We used greenhouse plastic in Florida on the big greenhouses and we had to punch holes in the top to let the water drain. We ran propane and kerosene heaters down there. I can't imagine how high your fuel bill would be. I know how anxious you are to grow stuff all year round. I feel the same way down here. Sometimes you just have to take the winter off. I don't mean to discourage you, it just sounds like it will cost alot to run the heater all winter long.
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Generally fertilizing a phal while in flower won't cause the flower to wilt/die. But I'm not sure I really am following what you did. As far as the 'rails on the ramp', I think you mean the extensions from the lower lip. Some orchids/phals have no curly-ques and some have really long ones. I think it depends on the parentage. I think they look interesting also, so I bet hybridizers breed this into some phals. As far as whether they were originally there to help guide the pollinators, sounds reasonable to me... Good luck with the mealies, thay can be tough to control. Bob
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I agree with Irina's comment about Exotic Angel's plant labels. I picked up a Hoya Lacunosa and the tag literally read " I go by the name House Plant, give me medium light." Lol what a joke. I bought Nematanthus Corticola because the long tendril-like blooms look a lot like Nepenthes which I used to grow in high school. Literally did nothing. I repotted it when I received it in its 2.5" pot into a 4" pot and it grew one small, bright green leaf during the summer here in NC then when I brought it inside for the winter with my orchids it sulked. The most stubborn thing I've ever seen so I threw it outside in my garden and just bought another one. I'm hoping it was just a bad clone/cutting. The same thing happened to my AF 'Cirelda' years ago. This time around I think I'll skip the perlite in place of sphagnum moss mixed with vermiculite and a standard soiless mix. Being epiphytic, I mixed the aforementioned Nematanthus with small fir bark chips and potting soil. Maybe the wood was eating up all the N before I gave it a chance to be released back in the soil.
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Sandie- Try getting as much of the head as possible when you cut. If you cut low and get rotten parts, just cut again higher. I would get a rooting stimulator, preferably the powder form, and spread that on the bottom. Let the plant dry out at the bottom, and then put it in a better draining soil that what it had before. Water it heavier than normal when you pot, and wait a month to check for roots. -Christian
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