Is my sad Phalaenopsis orchid saveable?

[katiepeaches]

Hello,

First off I am an absolute beginner so please bear with me! I purchased a healthy looking phalaenopis orchid from the supermarket around 8 weeks ago- the leaves started to wilt very quickly and while the plant has held onto all of its flowers they have drooped badly. I assumed this was because she was badly dehydrated and I have been watering once a week with a 10 min soak in pre-boiled water followed by a longer drying off period before returning to the pot. I have not yet replaced this or the medium.

Now that the orchid is in clear need of attention I have inspected the roots and I am trying to figure out whether or not they are in a healthy enough state for her to stand a chance of recovery. My main concerns are the dark spots on the roots, and the exposed wiry sections along the root lengths. They are not mushy, but there is a very slight damp smell. Any guidance on how to best care for the plant going forward would be much appreciated. I have attached a couple of photos which will hopefully make things a little clearer

Thank you in advance!

[SouthPark]

It still looks like it can be saved.

I think we need to provide it with more water.

If the humidity of a growing area is high enough, an orchid can even survive without that much watering. But if relatively dry, then the orchid definitely needs to get water into it - otherwise it will begin to dry out in the way that is seen in the photo.

For maybe a lot of regions, a once a week watering might not be adequate.

It could be considered similarly to somebody giving us 1 cup of water on one day (for drinking), then our next cup of water is only given to us about 1 week later.

With the roots dried out a bit now - in the photo - the orchid still looks ok. Pot it in an airy medium (eg. coarse bark, or scoria, or coarse bark and perlite mix) with very good drainage. And maybe water this airy medium mostly around the outer side of the pot (rim), and less water toward the central part (ie. to avoid getting most of the roots too wet for relatively long periods of time).

Some details here can be useful too ......

Click Here and Click Here and Click Here and Click Here.

[JScott]

I agree with SouthPark, but unless the challenge of reviving a sick plant just excites you (and it does many people, and that's perfectly fine), I would just buy a new one. I have enough plants that I don't have the time or space to keep a plant ICU, and I would toss it, but if you want to try just to see if you can do it, it's a rewarding learning experience, and I encourage you to give it a shot.

[aliceinwl]

The roots look fairly healthy to me. I keep my Phalaenopsis in a mix of 5 parts small grade orchiata, 1part charcoal, and one part perlite. I pot them in clear slotted pots so I can see the roots: yours looks like it would fit in the 3-4 inch size. I water most of mine by letting them soak for 5-?? minutes (sometimes I leave them sit for an hour + if I’m juggling other tasks). I let all the water drain out and put the plant in bright light without direct sun.

Your watering frequency may vary: pretty much you want to water whenever the roots look silver (like they are now). Or, if you can’t see the roots, water when the bark is dry.

To me, it looks like it should bounce back quickly. It’s common for new Phalaenopsis to have less than ideal roots: dark spots and inner core exposed. With proper care it’ll grow new ones, but the existing roots are still functional.

Good luck!

[katiepeaches]

Thank you so much for your advice on this and for providing me with that detailed info SouthPark I will have a good read and try my best to save her- I couldn’t throw the plant away if it still had a chance. Feeling encouraged!

Just wondering if it would be recommended to cut back any parts (mainly the flower spike) at this stage?

[aliceinwl]

If it’s green, I’d leave the spike. The plant can re-absorb the resources if it needs to.