Cultivation of Anthurium Warocqueanum ?

From: "Harold Beck" <drewbeck at swbell.net> on 2004.03.24 at 21:05:37(11331) I have been working with the growing of the Anthurium warocqueanum and A. veitchii for a while - and have had reasonably good luck establishing an acceptable greenhouse environment here in the Houston area (so far). I have a number of plants to work with (thanks to many of you) and have had good new growth after the acclimation period. But I do have a persistent anomaly that I am hoping that some of you experienced growers might be able to help me with. The warocq's develop nice new sizable leaves pretty consistently - but frequently as the new leaf "unfurls" - or "opens" there is a significant weakness in small areas of leaf tissue between the veins - and this weakness develops into a translucent spot that soon develops into a complete perforation - sometimes quite small 2 to 4 mm in diameter - and of course the result is a permanent "blemish" -- and on a few occasions the fault in the new growth is near the main rib and after "opening', the new leaf has a major deformat ion. +More And now my question is what causes this problem - which has been pretty consistent over the past few months ?? Might it be a nutrition deficiency - a watering problem - a greenhouse environment problem like humidity or temperature range/variation or what ?? The problem is only associated with the warocq.'s - the veitchii's new growth (in the same environment) has been excellent with numerous nice large perfect leaves - very rewarding !! I understand that diagnosis via e-mail is very difficult - especially with so many variables - but I was thinking that some of you may have had similar experiences -- and if so your help and advise will be greatly appreciated !! This experience has been most frustrating - since success has been so close but yet so far ! Many thanks, Harold Beck

From: "Petra Schmidt" <petra at plantdelights.com> on 2004.03.30 at 23:00:31(11341) Hello Harold, We used to call this "dry birth", forgive the graffic description...I saw it on other anthuriums that I used to grow at MoBot years ago and know the condition you've described is common among anthurium growers. High constant humidity, especially at the crown of the plant (with good air circulation) helps keep the cataphylls moist and the newest leaf soft and succulent for its emergence into the cruel cold world of the greenhouse. AnthuraSelecties in the Netherlands are wonderful growers of anthurium (also Eucagenera in Ecuador) so maybe check out their web sites or email them for suggestions. On the other hand, if the "spot" is a result of a fungal problem, send a leaf sample to your state agriculture agency and they can test it. Keep us posted, ok? Petra +More ----- Original Message ----- To: Sent: Wednesday, March 24, 2004 4:05 PM Subject: [aroid-l] Cultivation of Anthurium Warocqueanum ? I have been working with the growing of the Anthurium warocqueanum and A. veitchii for a while - and have had reasonably good luck establishing an acceptable greenhouse environment here in the Houston area (so far). I have a number of plants to work with (thanks to many of you) and have had good new growth after the acclimation period. But I do have a persistent anomaly that I am hoping that some of you experienced growers might be able to help me with. The warocq's develop nice new sizable leaves pretty consistently - but frequently as the new leaf "unfurls" - or "opens" there is a significant weakness in small areas of leaf tissue between the veins - and this weakness develops into a translucent spot that soon develops into a complete perforation - sometimes quite small 2 to 4 mm in diameter - and of course the result is a permanent "blemish" -- and on a few occasions the fault in the new growth is near the main rib and after "opening', the new leaf has a major deformation. And now my question is what causes this problem - which has been pretty consistent over the past few months ?? Might it be a nutrition deficiency - a watering problem - a greenhouse environment problem like humidity or temperature range/variation or what ?? The problem is only associated with the warocq.'s - the veitchii's new growth (in the same environment) has been excellent with numerous nice large perfect leaves - very rewarding !! I understand that diagnosis via e-mail is very difficult - especially with so many variables - but I was thinking that some of you may have had similar experiences -- and if so your help and advise will be greatly appreciated !! This experience has been most frustrating - since success has been so close but yet so far ! Many thanks, Harold Beck

From: Dan Levin <levin at pixar.com> on 2004.03.31 at 01:56:02(11342) Dear Petra (and Harold), Indeed, low humidity or even inconsistent humidity can spoil a developing leaf in record time. A few other causal agents one might check for (i.e. things or events which have induced similar damage in my experience): - Water trapped in the still folded leaf; could induce fungal/ bacterial rot. [avoid misting/ watering late in the day, treat prophylactically with Dithane M-45 (manganese + zinc, leaves a residue) or with Phyton-27 (copper chelate- no residue)] - Contact with other plants, leaves or objects; I've observed deformations if a developing leaf rubs against or even just touches another object- spiny bromeliads especially! [keep new leaf isolated, at least until hardened] - Excessive air movement; can sever a primary leaf vein which may result in a tear or perforation [keep developing leaves away from fans] By the way, this applies even more so to the output air stream from a forced air furnace/ heater. - Slugs; as Obi Wan Kenobi once said, "Never underestimate the dark side of the force...". In truth, he was referring to evil gastropods- but popular culture misinterpreted his statement. [you may not see a slime trail & still be plagued... check at night with a strong flashlight & see what's lurking. I've never had good luck using only baits in my greenhouse; best is a combination of baiting and hand elimination inside the greenhouse- and a dedicated regimen of baiting around the outside perimeter/ points of entry] +More - Fertilizing with a high urea nitrogen; typically affects leaf edges first- turning them yellow prior to necrosis- but sometimes manifests as an interior legion [flush with low TDS water, change your N source and/or reduce your feed concentration] - Lastly, are you keeping your temperatures somewhat moderated? As, I'm sure you know- Anth. warocq. hails from higher altitudes and does best when kept below 90 º F (optimal in my experience is approx. 80+ º during the day, dropping to 68 º or a bit lower at night). --- I hope that between Petra's wonderful note & some of the above observations you're soon growing perfect meter long warocq. leaves. -Dan

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