Wrinkled leaves is the first symptom of root loss. I have NEVER purchased an angraecoid in a pot that didn't have extensive root loss. I always mount mine (except Angcm. magdalenae). My guess is that even though you might think it needs watering, it's too wet in the pot and the roots are rotted.

Root color, for most aerangis species, should be off-white or greenish-white. If they are brown, that's dead or on death's door. The exception to this is if they are peat-stained or stained by wet bark, but it's generally not a good sign. If you can see healthy root tips, then it's OK, but I don't recommend growing these in pots.

Also, 40-50% humidity is nowhere near high enough. What happens trying to grow this genus at lower humidity levels is that you can't maintain the correct moisture level at the roots. It's either "feast or famine"...too wet or too dry. What works best for them is a consistent "dampness" coupled with good air movement, and the only way to do this is with 65% humidity or better.

One other thing that might be helpful is if you could provide more of a nighttime differential, say, to around 21C. Aerangis cryptodon is similar to Aerangis ellisii and Aerangis platyphylla (possibly identical taxonomically), and these come from slightly higher altitudes than other aerangis species.

Hope you can make the necessary adjustments to enjoy these beautiful plants!

-Bruce

I acquired a mature Aerangis cryptodon a few months ago from another collector who had had it for at least a few years. It came potted in large bark, plastic pot and seemed perfectly happy that way. And since the bark was in good condition, I left it alone. The plant has been sitting and resting doing pretty much of nothing since I got it, but a couple weeks ago it started a new leaf and a new root. Cryptodon is one of the largest Aerangis and grows in warm to intermediate temps (200-1800m). I am currently growing mine under lights since I ran out of bright space in the GH (50-60% humidity).

I grow many Angracoids which will have a burst of growth and then just sit for a while, as they would in nature. Very few orchids grow ALL the time.

If you don't keep it wet all the time and the medium is open, drains immediately, and in good condition, it shouldn't make much difference. I grow many Angs happily in pots.

The roots seem to be naturally brownish in colour. They emerge from the plant white to a light orangey-brown colour, but the mature root is brown. I don't think it's a resut of staining from the medium, as parts of the roots which have had no contact with the bark are also brown.

I unpotted it to give the roots a look, and most appear healthy. There is one root where the lower part is hollow, but the rest are firm to the touch and most still have white growing tips. It's 5 days after watering, and there wasn't even a hint of moisture in the medium. Both Flora's Orchids and Angraecoid Orchids (Joyce Stewart et al.) indicate that it can be successfully grown potted as well as mounted.

I bought the plant directly from the grower, and this is how it came. They're a reputable grower, so I'm hesitant to put it on a mount until I know more. I guess my next step will be to contact them and inquire about their growing conditions. In the meantime I'll do what I can to get the humidity up.

No steps will be required to get the humidity up today though. It rained all day yesterday, and supposedly the remnants of Ike are rolling through southern Ontario today. The humidity reading in my growing area this morning when I got up was 75%.

Thanks for taking the time to answer my question.

Tyler

I think you should water more often given that you have healthy roots and wrinkling leaves. Maintain a higher humidity level. Adding some sphag to the mix may be a good idea. I would move it to less light at least until it starts a new growth phase. Mine hasn't bloomed but I've managed to keep it alive for a few years now in conditions not too different from yours, so if nothing else we can say that it is a fairly sturdy species. :D

I forgot to mention that with the temperatures in the mid-80s, I am watering my plant every day; it is bone dry the next morning.

Mike, how big is your plant now? Mine has about a 7" leafspan and about 8-10 leaves.

Wow. Mine has a long way to go before it gets that big. The largest leaf right now has a span of about 1.5".

I added a few strands of sphag to the mix yesterday. Just enough to keep it moist a bit longer, hopefully without keeping it wet for too long. I also went looking for humidifiers, but came home empty handed. Selections are going to be pitifully small for at least another month or so.

I've bought a few other Angraecoids since I got this one, and they seem to be doing much better. They're all potted in the same medium, except for the Microterangis which is mounted to a piece of cork (it has put out three new leaves in the same time period).

Tyler

I second MrB's suggestion for a bit of sphagnum, although I would do it differently. Instead of "mixing" it into your medium, I would just pad the top of the pot. (You may have to move up to a slightly larger size -- a "tall" pot would be perfect.) Knock out a few pieces of bark from the top, and put them at the bottom...making room for the addition of sphagnum. I think that would get you just the right balance you're looking for, since your drainage appears to be pretty good. By covering just the top, you're eliminating evaporation out the top of the pot and maintaining better humidity at the roots with an overall lower moisture value for longer periods of time below in the bark.

The fact that you've already added a few strands is OK. Just observe, and adjust as necessary.

I'd like to point out that the culture requirements of orchids of the same species can change as the plant gets larger, and the container is larger. A larger plant has more biomass to sustain it through periods that would give a smaller plant stress, and the additional biomass also means there are more sugars and hormones to recover from stress and/or grow. A larger container means that it doesn't dry out as quickly, and therefore may not need water as often. It's more stable, and the surrounding environment can have less impact on success. A smaller plant, in a smaller pot, is more dependent upon the stability of the environment as well as cultural practices.

Another thing that bears mentioning are the conditions the seedling experienced in the nursery before arriving at your doorstep. Even though the altitude the species is found in Africa/Madagascar has bearing, if there is a wide variance between how it was grown in the nursery and how it is situated in your growing area, this can have a critical impact. Your earlier thoughts about contacting the nursery could be helpful.

I have pretty good growing conditions for this group, and several months ago ordered an Angcm. sesquipedale from a Hawaiian grower (often praised on this Forum)...which is fairly "easy" compared to other angraecoids, and adaptable. It is now just about dead, which underscores this difference in conditions I mentioned. Nurseries, by magnitude of their physical size, can be extremely stable, and not prone to the same excessive swings that a hobbyist might experience.

I have an Aerangis ellisii/platyphylla (similar) which had a long stem with few leaves when I received it three-and-a-half years ago. It has always struggled, because there is a limit as to how far an individual plant in this genus will grow along a single stem. Since it could never quite receive enough energy along the main stem with so few leaves and roots, it has always languished. Within the past month, it is starting to send out a basal growth, and another about 2" up the stem. It is directly in a pretty vigorous stream of air, but even with my high temps, is always humid and damp.

-Bruce

I would not give it any sphag. I keep mine potted in very airy pots with tree fern fiber and water daily. I find that though they like to be watered frequently, they also do not like their roots to be kept damp for a long period of time.

CJ: mine has a couple of basal growths but the tallest stem is about 8" with about 12 leaves. It has been resting for quite some time which is kind of a worry and also annoying since this isn't the right time of year for resting...grrrr.

I thought i would share my experience with these types. I bought an ang. florulentum in the early fall of 2007. 2 middle leaves yellowed and fell off and for months it did nothing. over the summer, it finally grew another set of leaves and they are all medium green colour. it is in a "tall" 1 1/2" clay pot in small bark/perlite mix. it has been in the sunroom since end of may and i water it once a week. in the last few months i have bought 4 others from the same family: 1 died, one is hanging on, one is doing nothing and the latest one, bought about 2 months ago, has new root and new leaf. they are all in bark/perlite in pots.
sue