Rootless Phalaenopsis: Yellow Leaves at Base

[Dave_in_Nightvale]

Hello!!

I have a sick rootless Phalaenopsis that I have been trying to promote new root growth through water culture method.

Yesterday, I noticed the bottom leaf turning yellow and I thought nothing of it until today I picked up the cup it was sitting on (note: the stem was not submerged, just the lone root) and the yellow leaf fell off.

I know this is not normal behavior but I am having a hard time understanding the cause: is it stem rot, or is it because it is just too dehydrated to keep most of its leaves?

I have kept it in a watered cup for a few weeks with no success of new roots Or any growth

Notice how the two bottom leaves have a hint of yellow? I am suspecting that the cause is spreading...

I know stem rot spreads fast and in a few days the orchid will be dead so I will be using hydrogen peroxide-> dry the orchid after fizzes -> use cinnamon powder.

Will this help?

Edit: spelling errors

[Dave_in_Nightvale]

The first part of the images.

[estación seca]

Hard to tell, but I suspect your problem is not enough roots to support the leaves. Without enough water Phal leaves turn yellow and fall off from the bottom up. When there aren't enough roots the plant auto prunes leaves.

What are your ambient temperatures? Phals are warm growing plants. A sick one will do better if it's warm. It won't grow roots until it's warm.

Hydrogen peroxide and cinnamon both damage roots. The only time I would use H2O2 on a Phal would be a few drops in the crown if it had crown rot. Cinnamon is for suspected rot on cut edges of leaves or stems, never roots.

[Dave_in_Nightvale]

The second part of the images. Thank you for your help!!

[Dave_in_Nightvale]

Originally Posted by estación seca

Hard to tell, but I suspect your problem is not enough roots to support the leaves. Without enough water Phal leaves turn yellow and fall off from the bottom up. When there aren't enough roots the plant auto prunes leaves.

What are your ambient temperatures? Phals are warm growing plants. A sick one will do better if it's warm. It won't grow roots until it's warm.

Hydrogen peroxide and cinnamon both damage roots. The only time I would use H2O2 on a Phal would be a few drops in the crown if it had crown rot. Cinnamon is for suspected rot on cut edges of leaves or stems, never roots.

Hello estación seca!!

I actually read a previous thread where you said that it might be because it’s rootless and you might be right but the way the leaves yellowed and fell off so quickly is really suspicious of stem rot

The leaf started yellowing at the base and spread to the tip of the leaf in a span of two-three days and today it just fell off easily. Everywhere I went says that that might be stem rot... Also, do you see that small root tip on my 2nd part images? It looks awfully dark/rotted to me. It’s making me nervous that it’s so close to the stem....

You are right, my environment has been super cold lately and even though it’s starting to warm up, my nights are still around the 50’s F That is why I have been putting it on the brightest spot on my window and moving it away at night.

Is it really just because it is rootless?

[aliceinwl]

Some Phalaenopsis have a really tough time dealing with temperatures below 60. The complex hybrids are a mixed bag: some can cope but others won’t grow and are very prone to rots and infections. Getting a seedling heat mat to warm things up may help.

Personally, I haven’t had much luck with water culture. When a Phalaenopsis is going downhill like this, I pot them up, and increase the temperature. I use bark and water whenever the bark goes dry.

I’d avoid peroxide and cinnamon on the roots: it’ll kill them.

If a Phalaenopsis is water stressed it will start dropping leaves to reduce transpiration. If there is also some sort of infection, keeping the plant warm and the stem dry may be enough for the plant to overcome it.

[estación seca]

If your nights drop into the 50s F / 5-8 C most of winter you're going to have trouble keeping even healthy Phals alive. One of the most important things orchid growers can do is to pick orchids that will grow well in your conditions. There are plenty of other orchids that are fine with these temperatures.

[Dave_in_Nightvale]

Originally Posted by aliceinwl

Some Phalaenopsis have a really tough time dealing with temperatures below 60. The complex hybrids are a mixed bag: some can cope but others won’t grow and are very prone to rots and infections. Getting a seedling heat mat to warm things up may help.

Personally, I haven’t had much luck with water culture. When a Phalaenopsis is going downhill like this, I pot them up, and increase the temperature. I use bark and water whenever the bark goes dry.

I’d avoid peroxide and cinnamon on the roots: it’ll kill them.

If a Phalaenopsis is water stressed it will start dropping leaves to reduce transpiration. If there is also some sort of infection, keeping the plant warm and the stem dry may be enough for the plant to overcome it.

I think I am convinced that it isn’t stem rot because usually in cases of that, the stem has an obvious black spot before the leaves start to fall and that isn’t the case with mine. Okay, maybe I can still save my orchid... I hope...

Yes I think I will repot it with sphagnum moss and bark chips because this water culture method is not working for my orchid Because of my local weather (50sF at night 70s day), what ratio do you think I should put the media? 4 (moss): 6 (bark)? I know that cooler temp and too wet conditions will immediately kill my orchid.

---------- Post added at 03:41 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:33 PM ----------

Originally Posted by estación seca

If your nights drop into the 50s F / 5-8 C most of winter you're going to have trouble keeping even healthy Phals alive. One of the most important things orchid growers can do is to pick orchids that will grow well in your conditions. There are plenty of other orchids that are fine with these temperatures.

Yes usually in my area we only get a few months where the weather is like this but most of the year it is perfect conditions for most orchids (60s F night & 80s F day) it is just that I had bad luck with losing all my roots in the beginning of the winter last year. I am just trying to make my orchid survive the winter until summer arrives (it’s just around the corner, so almost made it to the finishing line!)

Do you think I can make the orchid survive if I repot the orchid in moss+bark and keep it warm? Or is it too far gone? My orchid has 6 leaves including the currently yellowing one..

[estación seca]

It would have a better chance with a warm and humid environment. That might be a used aquarium or very large pickle jar with a heater. Or it might fit into a large plastic cake container from a grocery store.

[aliceinwl]

I grow mine in a 5 parts orchiata bark, 1 part charcoal, and 1 part perlite. Temperatures for most of my Phalaenopsis are in the low 70s and I have rot issues when I grow in moss at these temperatures.

I’ve had the humidity tent idea work for rootless Phalaenopsis, but only if they were kept where the temperature was pretty warm: 70 nights and mid 70s to 80s during the day.

Cool and wet conditions tend to result in rot. If grown cool, a substrate that dries quickly works best for mr. If I water by flushing the media is dry in 3 days or so. If I water by soaking the media is dry in 5-7 days. In moss, if I accidentally get it too wet it may be moist 15+ days and if we hit a cold spell, stem rot can be a problem.