I have a Pleurothallis truncata, and it is not doing well at all. It
is mounted on a peat slab and it has two leaves. When I bought it it
had three, but one turned so yellow I removed it since I thought the
plant was using too much energy on it.

I know they live high in the mountains and like "cool" weather... but
I don't know how to water it or get it to grow new leaves. I tried
expanding the medium it was on by adding some sphagnum moss and a few
pieces of cork, but I don't know if this has helped.

I grow my plants on a window sill. I have plant lights for the ones
that like extra light and more shady spots for those that don't I use
a 1/4 normal strength solution of peters orchid food every other week
and water as needed (I only let the dendrobium dry out totally...

All of my other plants are doing OK, but the Pleurothallis truncata
seems to be leaving me. It has no new roots, no new leaves, nothing--
it's still green, but other than that I don't even know if it is
alive... HELP!


--

"Why doesn't Thursday talk itself
into coming after Friday?" -Pablo Neruda

http://futurebird.diaryland.com

Susan, what water do you use? Do you use water from the faucet?
FYI- I do not fertilize my Masd's, Pleuro's and Drac's and the water that
we have in our municipality is safe to use on the more sensitive orchids.
It isn't "hard" water, and the salt / chemical content is very low. The
Pleurothallis family is very sensitive to water quality, and I would most
certainly contact your local DEP office and have them guide you in the right
direction. For me it was a matter of a simple e-mail and it answered all my
concerns .

Good luck to you,
Mariana

"Susan Murray" wrote in message
om...
I have a Pleurothallis truncata, and it is not doing well at all. It
is mounted on a peat slab and it has two leaves. When I bought it it
had three, but one turned so yellow I removed it since I thought the
plant was using too much energy on it.

I know they live high in the mountains and like "cool" weather... but
I don't know how to water it or get it to grow new leaves. I tried
expanding the medium it was on by adding some sphagnum moss and a few
pieces of cork, but I don't know if this has helped.

I grow my plants on a window sill. I have plant lights for the ones
that like extra light and more shady spots for those that don't I use
a 1/4 normal strength solution of peters orchid food every other week
and water as needed (I only let the dendrobium dry out totally...

All of my other plants are doing OK, but the Pleurothallis truncata
seems to be leaving me. It has no new roots, no new leaves, nothing--
it's still green, but other than that I don't even know if it is
alive... HELP!


--

"Why doesn't Thursday talk itself
into coming after Friday?" -Pablo Neruda

http://futurebird.diaryland.com

"GrlIntrpted" wrote:
Susan, what water do you use? Do you use water from the faucet?

I use a britta water filter or, when possible rain water.

FYI- I do not fertilize my Masd's, Pleuro's and Drac's

Really? I've never heard that before. I thought it needed food since
it was on a slab... why don't you fertilize? I need all the help I can
get here...

Thanks for the help.

I have been reading some more and I think it is the heat that's the
problem. It's been 70-85 in the days here and 60-70 at night and
Pleurothallis truncata needs something like 75-80 in the day and 40-60
at night...The thing is this plant is in none of my books... So that
is just a guess based on other Pleurothallis that live in the same
kinds of places.

I have never owned an airconditoner in my life, but now i'm thinking
of getting one... for the orchids!

My mother will think I've lost it.

-Susan


--

"Why in the darkest ages
do they write with invisible ink?" -Pablo Neruda

http://futurebird.diaryland.com

"Susan Murray" wrote in message
om...
"GrlIntrpted" wrote:
Susan, what water do you use? Do you use water from the faucet?

I use a britta water filter or, when possible rain water.

I use rain water on orchids when I can. I'm not sure about Britta water
filter, what process does the water go through with Britta? Are there
softening agents in that mechanism?



FYI- I do not fertilize my Masd's, Pleuro's and Drac's

Really? I've never heard that before. I thought it needed food since
it was on a slab... why don't you fertilize? I need all the help I can
get here...

Mine are not on slabs, they're in baskets and plastic pots. I read a while
back (I can't recall the url or the name of the website) that these tiny
beauties are very sensitive to fertilizer overdose. I also know that
they're very light feeders, what I tend to do is use the same water can that
I use for watering/fertilizing my other orchids for watering these. I'll
rinse the can after I water and fertilize the other orchids, then I fill it
with regular water let it sit maybe 5 minutes and I water the sensitive ones
(so perhaps there is some residue but if there is, there is a minute amount
of it). On the same website I read that for as long as the moss on the
potting surface is green, there is sufficient nutrients for the orchids. If
it wasn't for the blackout, I would have been looking at some amazing blooms
. This worked for me well. I stopped getting fertilizer burns, and
certainly stopped loosing leaves from several of my Draculas.


Thanks for the help.

I have been reading some more and I think it is the heat that's the
problem. It's been 70-85 in the days here and 60-70 at night and
Pleurothallis truncata needs something like 75-80 in the day and 40-60
at night...The thing is this plant is in none of my books... So that
is just a guess based on other Pleurothallis that live in the same
kinds of places.

I don't think that your temp is of such a concern, it's pretty much in the
same range as the requirements for the truncata give or take a few degrees.
I should also mention that mine sit on humidity trays so they're constantly
around moisture.



I have never owned an airconditoner in my life, but now i'm thinking
of getting one... for the orchids!

I've kicked out some of the warmth loving orchids into the great "wild"
outdoors of my backyard, to spend the summer there. As soon as it cools
down I am going to be moving the little fellows too, they need the chilly
nights. But that only lasts a few months before they go back in, into a
temperature controlled enviornment.



Mariana