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Malleola seidenfadenia culture suggestions?

I recently bought Malleola seidenfadenia from a seller on eBay. The plant isn't doing well. The seller told me the condition of the plant is the result of shipping. I suspect the seller didn't send a healthy and well cultured plant. Anyway, the plant is alive but has only two leaves. It's been that way for a couple weeks. I think it needs something. The plant is in a pot with a Nepethes and planted in sphagnum moss with a layer of bark on top. The lower stem of the orchid is covered in bark and goes down to the moss. The pot is in a south facing window that the sun shines through. The window has a screen in it and the Nepenthes is shading the Malleola. The room becomes ~68 F at night but might be a little warmer if the dryer nearby is running. I'm not sure how warm the window area becomes during the day- maybe ~80 F warmest. The pot with plants are in a 1 gallon plastic bag. The top of the bag is open. The bag helps keep the humidity up. Lately every couple of days I spray some distilled water on the Malleola. I searched the Internet for info about growing this orchid but didn't have luck. I should post a picture- maybe tomorrow. Suggestions?
 
When I grew these in the greenhouse they always did best mounted on a stick with a pad of moss under the roots tied in place with a strip of pantyhose, semi to full shade, misted several times a day with automatic misters, temps summer into the upper 90's - winter low 50's. My plants originated in Vietnam but they are also native to Thailand.

These plants never did well for me potted as they have a tendency to not like having their roots constantly wet resulting in leaves dropping and rotting. When grown mounted the velamen on the roots should be gray before the end of the day otherwise it is getting to much water.


If your plants are recently imported the condition is indeed suffering from shipping stress.

The only listing I could find on ebay said

"FAQ (Shipping & Handling)
1. Why is the shipping and handling higher than what USPS charges?

For starters, our nursery is located in Penang, Malaysia. Malaysia is where we grow and propagate our orchids.
Our plants are shipped by airfreight to Miami, Florida with the proper Export/Import documents (CITES documentation, Phytosanitary Certificates, etc.)

Our plants are then inspected and cleared by USDA upon entry into the United States."

No mention is made as to the length of time they are acclimatized in Miami (if at all), so the plants are more than likely very stressed when you receive them.
 
afrodisa, thank you for sharing your experience with growing Malleola seidenfadenia. I think the part of the plant that is further down in the bark and on top of the moss might not be alive. I should try something different with the plant but I'm not sure I have the hardware I need. My plant may have been a new import but it came from a different eBay seller. Or, at least the listing didn't have the info you quoted. The genus was slightly misspelled. The neighboring Porpax lanii seem ok.
 
In the completed listings below a different seller says "NEW IMPORTS" -"WRONG PICTURE! NOT THE RIGHT SPECIES OR GENUS! ", etc

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Malleota-se...988?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2ed50a36b4

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odk...1313.TR0.TRC0.H0&_nkw=seidenfadenia+&_sacat=0

I would just take it out of the pot and examine the stem and roots after letting it air dry for a day checking for soft and/or mushy parts. If all is firm take a wad of moss and make a pad putting that on an old dried piece of tree branch (deciduous), or even a wood dowel. Tie the plant and moss firmly in place with twist ties, string, fishing line or whatever you have. Attach a sturdy wire to the stick to hang it with (something along the lines of the bail on a Chinese takeout box). Hang it in a shady place & mist it daily and keep your fingers crossed that it pulls through.
 
I have never grown this one, but perhaps the "sphag n bag" method might prove useful until it recovers.
 
Sorry, everyone. Last night I checked the plant to decide what to do with it. I noticed the leaves looked odd so I slightly nudged them and the leaves fell off. The last living bit of the stem of the orchid shriveled, died, and the leaves came off. Unfortunately, this plant is done. Afaik I can't regrow the orchid from a leaf.

Edit: Maybe I'll try dipping the leaf in rooting hormone, anyway. Afaik no orchids will regrow from a leaf but I feel like trying it.

Edit2: Canceled ^ I found the leaves I put in the garbage last night. Already they shriveled away to nothing usable.
 
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