No match for Dracula...

[Sinister]

I bought recently a charming and semi-healthy Drac. vampira with the intention of keeping it within my room. I have it in a dimly shaded room. Humidity is always 65+ Never gets over 74 degrees F. I always have the fan on. It's in a hanging basket tucked in with sphagnum.

My sister burned some of her incense and I fed it with orchid food. She lights her room with candles and then blows them out and the smoke drifts into my room!

Recently it's leaves have turned a pale green. It lost about four-five of them. Some of the withering to brown dried leaf. Others just randomly abscised for no apparent reason. I froze up and have only watered it recently, too afraid to touch it. I feel like I'm playing a losing game of hangman and I only have four feeble pale green leaves left.

I have my theories concerning her incense containing ethylene that's killing off my prized orchid.

If any of you have any idea why this might be happening or any direct advice for someone raising dracs in their own home, please shout out. I know technically the book says it can't be done, but dammit I don't have a greenhouse and I've never been one to go by the book.

But somehow I have to encourage newgrowth in this thing!

Anyway, Thanks

-dxtrwrd

[jadel]

I have exactly one Dracula. It grows OK but doesn't bloom.

My Masdevallias do much better. They grow and bloom very well.

J. Del Col

[Sinister]

I wouldn't mind not getting a bloom; I just don't want to kill it. lol

-dxtrwrd

[carolynmb217]

Hi,

I have a Drac vespertilo (sp?) in spike (2) right now. It's in a humidity tank made out of a 5 gal aquarium with a plexiglas lid, and computer fan inside. It's in sphag, in a little basket. I lost the 1st

2 spikes due to my own stupidity (moved it to poor air circulation for 1, and bumped the tip off the other). I've had this plant since Feb. Point is, I have a very happy, healthy drac growing in my house near NYC.

What is dimly shaded? I think you need more light. I have a 26W CFL less than a foot from the plant, shining directly on the plant. Now the light is going through the plexiglas, but it is anything but 'dim'. It's rarely less than 75-80% humidity, the temps of NYC. I don't think that ethylene is your problem. Do you grow other orchids? 'Dark' or 'shady' to you may be midnight for the plant. Light! Light! Now, not brilliant noontime equatorial light, but LIGHT! It (the tank) is in a NNE window, too. Also what kind of air circulation are you giving it?

Carolyn

[Sinister]

Dimly shaded would be a north-facing window that is shaded by a large magnolia, blinds and pulled curtains. It is in a hanging basket made of wire and osmundum fibre, filled with sphagnum and directly in front of a fan that is constantly blowing on low. The sphagnum is constantly wet/damp. I have a humidifier that blows directly beneath the plant and the readings of

65% humidity are from a very unreliable device.

I do have a Dendrobium gonzalesii in another room. Oncidium 'Sherry Baby'. Paphs, Phals, Cats. I have a few here or there. Some have done well, others have died. Namely, the Paphiopedilum.

The problem is that leaves keep falling off. But the leaves that fall off recently look perfectly healthy save for the fact that the ends of the stems are black. They're not a dark green color indicating that they don't have enough light.

Thanks,

-dxtrwrd

[carolynmb217]

I think (well, I'm convinced) that it needs more light. You can see mine here

just posted the picture. Although (as the thread describes) it has not been growing all the time in that container, it has been growing just about that distance from that light (26W CFL). Fairly bright, especially compared to your conditions.

I think that your seemingly 'perfectly healthy' leaves are rotting off due to too much water combined with too little light. It's probably enough water for what the plant wants, and even with your air circulation, I can't insist enough, GIVE IT MORE LIGHT. That's an unobstructed NNE window behind everything. I know that they say dracs prefer shade, and mine never sees bright direct sun, but you can see it is not shade! And the lights are on 16 hrs. There are 2 spikes, with what I am sure is another on the way.

If I have learned nothing about orchids, I have learned that most are underlit in the home.

OK, so sit back and tell me about your paph. Or is that one 'lost'?

Good luck! Carolyn

[Sinister]

Thanks Carolyn, you've given me and my Drac new hope. As for my Phaph, it's already lost. Went to Florida for spring break(even made it to the AOS in Delray Beach) When I got back I found that the person I had charged with tending my orchid had done nothing to it in nearly nine days. I tried to save it, but being at best a novice grower, it was too much of a challenge or too far gone, one of those atleast...It died.

But on all other orchids, I've met with modest success, except this dracula. I shall do as you say and arrange it for more light. BTW, you Drac looks amazing. Do you keep it in that container and showercap for moisture. If so, I might consider something similar but I should think it would have an air circulation problem...

It was just watered recently and I'm afraid another leaf will die. I can see a small new growth that is poking up and that looks a little promising or ominous... But I will open the windows, kick on the fan and see what happens.

Thanks again.

-dxtrwrd