Is my anthurium chonk rotted? And if so, is it salvageable?

Joined
Jan 28, 2022
Messages
8
Reaction score
3
Location
California
Country
United States
I ordered this warocqueanum seedling online and received it in early December. At the beginning of January, I realized that the soil (orchid bark, perlite, sphagnum moss, a little potting mix) wasn't drying out quickly enough, so I checked for root rot. I chopped off the rotted roots and repotted the seedling in a new mix (tree fern bark, perlite, sphagnum moss), and let it be. I also cut off the pale parts of one of the leaves. Tonight, I can see that there are minimal roots left and the chonk is completely brown and soft (1st pic). The leaf that I had pruned has fallen off (2nd pic). Is there anything I can do to save this seedling? I was going to relocate it to just pure sphagnum moss and not water it for a long time. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
 

Attachments

  • IMG_1370.jpg
    IMG_1370.jpg
    133.7 KB · Views: 61
  • IMG_1371.jpg
    IMG_1371.jpg
    92.5 KB · Views: 64
Joined
Aug 10, 2021
Messages
4,224
Reaction score
1,485
Location
California
Country
United States
Greetings, welcome to the Forums.

So the larger main stem ('chonk') is rotted. If that is so, cut it off. The smaller branch with the leaves and roots might be healthy, though it is possible that a terminal rot has already spread to it. Give this cutting (not a seedling) bright indirect light and do keep it watered. Letting it get overly dry now will not help matters. Of course, the media should be very quick-draining. Sphagnum moss might work, but consider growing it in something like straight perlite. In that scenario, you might even need to water it more often, but it should begin to dry before the next irrigation. Also do give it some fertilizer (perhaps weekly, weakly). You will want to encourage growth.

Anthurioum warocqueanum is an epiphytic Aroid (Araceae) native to wet forests in Colombia. It produces dramatic pendant leaves that can reach four feet in length, making it a popular, but challenging greenhouse subject, or even a houseplant if conditions are ideal.
 
Last edited:
Joined
Jan 28, 2022
Messages
8
Reaction score
3
Location
California
Country
United States
Greetings, welcome to the Forums.

So the larger main stem ('chonk') is rotted. If that is so, cut it off. The smaller branch with the leaves and roots might be healthy, though it is possible that a terminal rot has already spread to it. Give this cutting (not a seedling) bright indirect light and do keep it watered. Letting it get overly dry now will not help matters. Of course, the media should be very quick-draining. Sphagnum moss might work, but consider growing it in something like straight perlite. In that scenario, you might even need to water it more often, but it should begin to dry before the next irrigation. Also do give it some fertilizer (perhaps weekly, weakly). You will want to encourage growth.

Anthurioum warocqueanum is an epiphytic Aroid (Araceae) native to wet forests in Colombia. It produces dramatic pendant leaves that can reach four feet in length, making it a popular, but challenging greenhouse subject, or even a houseplant if conditions are ideal.

Thank you so much for your thorough response, Marck! And thanks for the warm welcome to the forums!

I do have one other question…There’s a way of propagating anthurium stem cuttings where you place the stem in a container with only perlite. Then, you place that container in a closed ziplock bag with some water so that the perlite can wick up the water. Do you think this is an ideal method for this situation, or should I keep the plant in perlite but outside of a ziplock bag?
 
Joined
Aug 10, 2021
Messages
4,224
Reaction score
1,485
Location
California
Country
United States
Sometimes a plastic bag or other enclosure is used to increase humidity around a cuttings or seeds. This can be effective, but is not always necessary as long as sufficient moisture is present otherwise. If you do enclose cuttings this way, be sure to observe them often as fungal and bacterial pathogens can develop in a humid, enclosed space. Air flow and ventilation are also factors to consider.
 
Joined
Jan 28, 2022
Messages
8
Reaction score
3
Location
California
Country
United States
Sometimes a plastic bag or other enclosure is used to increase humidity around a cuttings or seeds. This can be effective, but is not always necessary as long as sufficient moisture is present otherwise. If you do enclose cuttings this way, be sure to observe them often as fungal and bacterial pathogens can develop in a humid, enclosed space. Air flow and ventilation are also factors to consider.
Thanks again, Mark! I decided to do the straight perlite method you mentioned earlier, and did not put the cutting in a bag. I don't want to risk its leaves getting a fungal infection on top of what's already happening with its roots.
 

Ask a Question

Want to reply to this thread or ask your own question?

You'll need to choose a username for the site, which only take a couple of moments. After that, you can post your question and our members will help you out.

Ask a Question

Similar Threads


Members online

No members online now.

Forum statistics

Threads
26,589
Messages
256,654
Members
13,263
Latest member
ProNailComplex

Latest Threads

Top