# Ludisia discolor "Alba" - anyone have it?



## dfrmav (Feb 22, 2011)

Hey guys, just got this plant and I was wondering if anyone knows how fast these things grow. I have it planted in ABG mix right now, which, from the care sheet that I got with it, seems to be sufficient because almost every recommended soil ingredient is in ABG lol.


----------



## yomamafat (Jun 16, 2010)

I have all my orchids (including my jewel orchids) in LECA or flourite clay. They do great and I have to trim often. Keep in direct light but away from actual bulbs. Keep humidity high and you and the plants should be happy. ABG is good as long as it continues to be free draining. Make sure that you don't rot those roots.

Happy frogging!


----------



## dfrmav (Feb 22, 2011)

well, i have noticed that ABG stays pretty darn moist...is this a problem? I have a piece of airline tube at the bottom of the pot for drainage so it doesn't fill with water.


----------



## yomamafat (Jun 16, 2010)

That can be a problem, but you will need to pay attention to it.


----------



## dfrmav (Feb 22, 2011)

i may just pull the ABG out and plant it in LECA like you did. not liking the thought of rotting the roots of an $18 plant...lol


----------



## yomamafat (Jun 16, 2010)

Always make sure that there is enough water in the tank so that the LECA can wick the water to the plant. The water level should not touch the plant.


----------



## carbonetc (Oct 13, 2008)

I probably don't take the best care of mine. It's planted in long-fiber sphagnum which is kept pretty wet. It's been doing fine there for over a year. I don't think this is an easy plant to kill.


----------



## Brotherly Monkey (Jul 20, 2010)

yomamafat said:


> I have all my orchids (including my jewel orchids) in LECA or flourite clay. They do great and I have to trim often. Keep in direct light but away from actual bulbs. Keep humidity high and you and the plants should be happy. ABG is good as long as it continues to be free draining. Make sure that you don't rot those roots.
> 
> Happy frogging!


how often are you watering?


----------



## yomamafat (Jun 16, 2010)

I water everyday because I have my stuff on a misting system, I'm not there during the week so I have all my tanks drilled so they drain at a predetermined level.


----------



## KeroKero (Jun 13, 2004)

Alba is the fastest growing form of Ludisia discolor, and when it's happy it will grow like crazy. It's not particularly picky about substrate... it just likes humidity and substrate to grow ON. Not "in", ON. Jewel orchids are ramblers, and all you need to do to "plant" them is to just drop your cutting/stem onto a substrate that stays moist and it will grow roots down into it and be happy. Putting the fleshy stem into substrate will cause it to rot in most cases and can rot a nodal section, or the whole plant.

ABG is supposed to have the various pieces of substrate stay moist, but chunky enough that there is plenty of air between the pieces. This allows the roots to always have access to moisture without compaction that will cause lack of oxygen to the roots and will rot plants that are sensitive to wet feet. Very handy for touchy epiphytes and what not... of which the jewel orchids (barring the stem thing mentioned before) is not. I've had them grow on compacted peat (read - mud) before by just tossing a cutting into the tank and letting the plant figure out where it wanted it's roots. It's why jewels are so good in the soggy messes that many frog tanks end up being.


----------

