| Q I
live in New York and grow a small collection of about 10 plants on my
southwest open-exposure windows. The phalaenopsis are doing great and are
spiking. However, I am having problems with my oncidiums and brassias. The
new growth shoots out well and then, when it is about 5 inches
high, the leaves start to wrinkle and pleat in both vertical and
horizontal patterns. This is followed by periods when the growth returns
to normal (no pleating) but then it will start again. Any suggestions? A The problem you describe is quite common in various members of the Odontoglossum Alliance, particularly pronounced in Colombian Miltonia (Miltoniopsis) but often observed in the two genera you mention. The problem relates to the plant’s being seriously short of moisture at an early and critical stage of the new growth’s development. You can increase your watering frequency or possibly plant the two genera that are giving you problems in a finer, more moisture-retentive mix. Do not be embarrassed about the problem. However, the leaves will show the damage for a number of years until they are shed in their normal replacement cycle. —Andy Easton. |
Reprinted, with permission, from "Orchids" - The Magazine of the American Orchid Society, June, 2001.