# Ludisia discolor help



## fishmommy (Dec 23, 2006)

Hi guys...I think I need some advice for my Ludisia discolor.
I planted it about 3 months ago and it really has not grown. It dropped a few leaves the first month and a couple remaining leaves got a greenish color to them but then it went dormant.

I don't have it directly under the lights...does it need high light levels?
I mist it every day but I have a fan circulating air so the surface of the coir gets dry by the end of the day. It never completely dries though.

Any thoughts? I can move it to a brighter/damper area if that's what it needs...I just don't know.


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## roberthvalera (Jun 9, 2006)

It probably needs more air around its roots as the soil looks pretty clumpy and wet. Try putting some orchid bark around it.


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## Grassypeak (Jun 14, 2005)

I don’t grow Ludisia, but I have lots of Macodes petola. I find that they sometimes take a good long while to settle in when they are transplanted. By looking at your Ludisia, I would say it looks like it’s just getting started. I would leave it alone and see how the new growth does. If the coco bedding is not sopping wet all the time it should be fine. Also, It is basically really difficult to over light these things in the viv. They are low light plants but people associate low light with really low light. A 20 watt fluorescent bulb doesn’t produce enough light to match the light under a shade tree, so you would probably have to have the bulb touching the orchid for there to be any burning. At that point heat would probably be the major issue.


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## andy83 (May 31, 2006)

I grew one under a shoplight and it grew very well. I had it under that light for about a year until I put it in the viv. They do seem to take some time to adjust to different locations.

Here is a shot of it under the shoplight. I had the leaves touching the light bulbs and nothing bad happened.









Here it is in the viv. It ended up losing about three of four leaves after I moved it to the viv but now it is doing great.









Hope that helps,
-Andy


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## fishmommy (Dec 23, 2006)

thanks all for your responses!

I should add that in the picture, I had just watered everything about 5 minutes before, so that is the wettest it gets.
I will keep the soil compaction theory in mind though and try adding orchid bark if the plant loses any more leaves before it starts to grow.

I have a macodes in another viv that is growing like mad. It is in the same substrate, except much wetter/higher humidity.

I had heard that the jewels all sulk for awhile after transport, but after 3 months I have started to get nervous  

I will watch and wait, I have upped the humidity in the tank for now to see if that helps or hurts it.

thanks again...I love this plant and hope it eventually comes around!
I saw an amazing one at the New England Flower Show a couple years back....it was awe-inspiring.


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## KeroKero (Jun 13, 2004)

I've had the best luck with these plants in tanks growing them in just long fiber sphagnum moss... they can have troubles in other substrates depending on the conditions. Dropping leaves and having die off in tanks is not unusual after transplanting, and can take 3-6 months to get established enough to come back... if they can adapt. Substrate is what usually holds jewel orchids back... they are terrestrial but ludisia likes to "ramble" over rocks/roots and roots on the top of the soil... which is probably why they tend to do best in sphagnum moss. I also add some leaf litter around them (soaked oak leaves - nice and pliable and you can arrange as needed) to give it more of a natural look.

I don't recomended just ground coco fiber... tho not as bad as ground peat, it compacts really well and fast and these guys like air at their roots. Either do the various mixes listed on the board, or the ground coco fiber/bark chip mixes, but for this particular plant, straight sphagnum would probably be best. Also try and put some leaves around the base to keep the wetness level of the substrate more consistant (yet another benefit of leaf litter!).


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## fishmommy (Dec 23, 2006)

sounds like a good plan!
thanks


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