My first root rot?
Stephane (Texas-8a)
7 years ago
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Stephane (Texas-8a)
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoRelated Discussions
my first Vanda and root rot
Comments (6)Hi Again, I just noticed your link to the photos. Hard to see what the roots look like as the pics are a bit blurred, but the leaves look good which is a great start. I see also a new growth coming out the side, so possibly something has gone wrong at the top of the plant to cause a new growth to pop out. All new growth on the plant happens at the top and if the top has rotted or the crown damaged the plant no longer grows and usually sends out new growth on the side. If I were you I would hang it up bare root and treat the infected areas on the root using a sterilizing liquid on something like an ear bud works well. I use a product called Physan but possibly a weak solution of bleach will help. The rotted area will not get fixed, but the object is to stop the rot spreading. Definitely don't cut any brown roots with new shoots below. It would be best to water in the morning so all can dry before the day is over. I have no idea in your climate but suspect watering every second day at this stage is too much. In our winters I water once a week with average temps nighttime around 8 and daytime around 19 Centigrade our summers are 14/15 to 28/29C on average and then I water twice a week. The trick is to watch the leaves - they need to stay green as they are now and not get black tips or wrinkles or go a yellowy/orange color. If it starts dropping leaves then it is a shortage of water generally. Not sure if you looked them up, but they come from east asia/new guinea - hot humid climates with forests. So whilst many of the hybrids are a lot more temperature tolerant they do like warmth and filtered sun...See MoreIs my Rhododendron root rotted?
Comments (3)Rhododendron roots are very fine and hair-like. The thick white roots you're seeing are almost certainly from the tree. They have made their way into the moist peaty area over time and are taking up all the available water and nutrients. This is causing the rhododendron to wilt because it is simply unable to get enough water. The first and last photos do show some reasonably healthy green leaves on the rhododendron, so the rhododendron root system has not rotted away. A few of the middle photos - the second one from the top especially - do show branches that look extremely desiccated. Branch dieback is fairly common in rhododendrons, especially in those experiencing stress from too little or too much water. There's no way to tell from a photograph if this is the case or if it is just from extreme dryness. Best thing you can do is dig up the rhododendron, soak the root ball in water for 30 minutes or so and replant. (Should the rhododendron roots appear moist when you dig them up, then I'm wrong and you probably do have some sort of fungal infection preventing water uptake. I'm betting, however, that they will be dust dry and entangled with lots of tree roots.) Growing rhododendrons in the shade of trees, especially maples and other species with aggressive roots, is a challenge. Avoid peat which becomes very hard to rewet when it dries and use bark instead. Water the rhododendron with just a trickle from a hose at its base. You can try cutting around the rhododendron with a sharp spade two or three times a year to sever the tree roots but this is never very successful in my experience. Once the rhododendron has grown a larger root mass, it can compete with the tree roots, but until then it will need a lot of TLC. There is a very well done discussion of growing rhododendrons under trees at the Singing Tree Gardens website if you're interested....See MoreMy china doll root rotted, despite peat/bark
Comments (32)Hmm now I am brainstorming...... swaying back to the 5 1 1 mix. Would it be possible to use this same philosophy but substitute regular potting/garden soil instead of peat? Even if not I am considering the fact that for the next forseeable future, I will be living in apartments, and probably growing china doll plants into 4" or 6" containers. Under floruesent lights and along the window as well. Dont even see the point of getting too many things going at once now since the house I was gonna rent with a friend of the wifes backfired, and we'll likely be stuck in apartments the next few years at least. Im just gonna try and get one that has sunny windows. I have daminozide, and I can get radermachera sinica seeds for $3 per thousand. I just went and bought a 48 cell pack liner from the nursery for 2 bucks, keeping cost at a minimum, the strip lights are only 10 dollars at Walmart. If I can ever get ahold of eric and actually get the seeds, I could do a "winter" crop. Hmm 6" pots would be to big, probably have to grow them into 4" like I did years ago. Need to get some better fertilizer as mine is years old and has gotten wet. Ive thought about a few things, and why the soil on the plants we get in from florida always looks so loose and rich at the same time. 1. They are very carefully kept "evenly" moist so that they dont dry out or dont rot in shipping. They are on a semi for 3 days straight, that HAS to loosen up soil If im not gonna have to grow indoors under lights, its gonna have to be a free draining mix....See MoreArmilleria Fungus - Root Rot - Honey Mushrooms - my dead trees
Comments (6)Actually magnolias are a classic host for Armillaria infestations, if a body is ever going to see a Hellish example of a honey fungus attack to a planted tree it will be on a magnolia. For example the perfectly fine big-leaf magnolia I grew here for years, only to have Armillaria get up onto the stem one year and pinch the top of the tree off in short order. In other words the fungus kills trees and shrubs at ground level, causing the top to topple. And apparently become more accessible to it, because in the case of a tree with a substantial trunk at least it is now a fallen log, lying onto or much closer to the ground than it was before. Armillaria is susceptible to dryness, needs conditions to be moist for it to do well. Hence producing rhizomorphs for coming up out of the soil and onto stems, like subterranean termites with their mud tubes built to provide bridges between the soil and wooden parts of structures. And the fungus proliferating after it gets under the bark of targeted plants, where it is protected from sun and air....See MoreStephane (Texas-8a)
7 years agoStephane (Texas-8a)
7 years agoMaria Elena (Caribbean - USDA Zone 13a)
7 years agoStephane (Texas-8a) thanked Maria Elena (Caribbean - USDA Zone 13a)Gary Lewis
7 years agoStephane (Texas-8a)
7 years agoStephane (Texas-8a)
7 years agoStephane (Texas-8a)
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoMaria Elena (Caribbean - USDA Zone 13a)
7 years agoStephane (Texas-8a) thanked Maria Elena (Caribbean - USDA Zone 13a)Stephane (Texas-8a)
7 years agoMaria Elena (Caribbean - USDA Zone 13a)
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoStephane (Texas-8a)
7 years agoMaria Elena (Caribbean - USDA Zone 13a)
7 years agoStephane (Texas-8a) thanked Maria Elena (Caribbean - USDA Zone 13a)Maria Elena (Caribbean - USDA Zone 13a)
7 years agoStephane (Texas-8a) thanked Maria Elena (Caribbean - USDA Zone 13a)Stephane (Texas-8a)
7 years agoMaria Elena (Caribbean - USDA Zone 13a)
7 years agoStephane (Texas-8a)
7 years agoUser
7 years agoMaria Elena (Caribbean - USDA Zone 13a)
7 years agoUser
7 years agoMaria Elena (Caribbean - USDA Zone 13a)
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoStephane (Texas-8a)
7 years agoMaria Elena (Caribbean - USDA Zone 13a)
7 years agoStephane (Texas-8a) thanked Maria Elena (Caribbean - USDA Zone 13a)Stephane (Texas-8a)
7 years agoMaria Elena (Caribbean - USDA Zone 13a)
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoStephane (Texas-8a) thanked Maria Elena (Caribbean - USDA Zone 13a)Stephane (Texas-8a)
7 years agoMaria Elena (Caribbean - USDA Zone 13a)
7 years agoStephane (Texas-8a) thanked Maria Elena (Caribbean - USDA Zone 13a)Stephane (Texas-8a)
7 years agoMaria Elena (Caribbean - USDA Zone 13a)
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoStephane (Texas-8a) thanked Maria Elena (Caribbean - USDA Zone 13a)Stephane (Texas-8a)
7 years agoStephane (Texas-8a)
7 years agoMaria Elena (Caribbean - USDA Zone 13a)
7 years agoStephane (Texas-8a)
7 years agoStephane (Texas-8a)
7 years agorcharles_gw (Canada)
7 years agoMaria Elena (Caribbean - USDA Zone 13a)
7 years ago
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