Update: Lasiantha and Praetoria

I am happy to say (and hope I don't JINX myself) that both the lasiantha and the praetoria cuttings I received from my friend as a gift rooted!

I tried them both in the hydro pellets (which we call aliflor here) on Carol's suggestion in th eoriginal post. The lasiantha rooted in that medium, the praetoria did not.

I transferred the lasiantha to a soil-based medium that was still pretty loose with some pellets and orchids bark and it has done well (photo#1)

The praetoria I did not think was going to make it. It had 5 leaves, and it slowly kept losing them. I decided to go an and plant it in soil-based medium too, figuring I had nothing to lose. It sat there are did nothing, except lose more leaves. I suspected the worst. Then last week I looked at it, and it has NEW GROWTH! It is going to shed the final 'old' leaf, but I think its on the road to growing. (Photo #2)

here is the Praetoria

GOOD for you!!! That is a great report!!!!

Carol

Congratulations! I've seen someone post pictures of the praetoria blooms in the past and they are so unusual and so neat! Now I have to go look up lasiantha to see what those blooms are like! Keep us posted on your babies.

I am really jazzed. I didn't think that the praetoria was going to make it, (of course it could still bite it) and as I know how expensive it was, I would have been deeply ashamed and sad if it died. You hate to say to a friend when they ask "How is that plant I gave you doing??" that it bit the dust!

Here's a comparison of lasiantha and praetorii: http://www.flickr.com/photos/maimiti/683920668/

I have found that my lasiantha produces peduncles and then drops them! It's VERY frustrating. But now I have TWO peduncles, so I am hoping at least one might, just might actually go "all the way" as it were. I am trying very hard not to move it and keep it watered... we will see!

Once they start growing, they seem to just continue!

Hills