Help me save this root and stem rotted Phalaenopsis

[yomnaorchids]

Any advice on saving this root rotted and stem rotted phalaenopsis is appreciated. Since the start of the summer, it just hasn't stopped rotting since my mom overwatered it a few times. It's now sitting without immersion in the medium over some coconut husk and I mist the roots every few days. Two days ago I soaked it in an indole-3-butyric acid solution I prepared and now it seems the stem is rotting as well.

Please give your best advice for saving it because orchids are very expensive in Egypt and not easy to come by. I've heard the best thing to encourage phals to grow roots is humidity but I'm worried about putting it in a container and having it just rot away. Should I just leave it and keep watering every few days by misting the roots? It also has a flower spike Keiki which I would rather not cut off. [IMG][IMG][/IMG][/IMG]

---------- Post added at 03:02 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:56 PM ----------

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[Thriodien]

Hi,
Your pics are not visible, try to correct the link.
Having both root and stem rot is tough. Putting it in a closed container for humidity would just speed up the rot. It needs air movement in order not to rot further. In case it is still saveable you need both high humidity and air movement. I'm not a good root grower myself, have struggled with it in the past but i've recently managed to save a seedling with barely any roots by putting it in a pot with sphagnum moss very loosely around the stem. I'm spraying the moss daily so that it doesn't go bone dry but letting it dry enough so that it's not soaking wet. I already have 2 new roots. So maybe try this.
It would also be useful to know if the keiki has enough roots already? The mother plant doesn't really stand a chance as long as it needs to sustain the keiki as well..

[yomnaorchids]

Originally Posted by Thriodien

Hi,
Your pics are not visible, try to correct the link.
Having both root and stem rot is tough. Putting it in a closed container for humidity would just speed up the rot. It needs air movement in order not to rot further. In case it is still saveable you need both high humidity and air movement. I'm not a good root grower myself, have struggled with it in the past but i've recently managed to save a seedling with barely any roots by putting it in a pot with sphagnum moss very loosely around the stem. I'm spraying the moss daily so that it doesn't go bone dry but letting it dry enough so that it's not soaking wet. I already have 2 new roots. So maybe try this.
It would also be useful to know if the keiki has enough roots already? The mother plant doesn't really stand a chance as long as it needs to sustain the keiki as well..

Hey!
Thanks so much for the reply! Here are the photos. Unfortunately, the Keiki is still in very early stages :/. Sphagnum moss is not available in Egypt unfortunately (we don't even have orchid bark here) so I think the equivalent alternative would be just leaving it suspended in the pot like this and mist the remaining roots every few days. Should I just cut off the stem where it is black? Currently, it's just dusted with a bit of cinnamon to dry it out but I'm really just improvising at this point.

[SADE2020]

I would clean everything well, cut the floral stick, remove that substrate, everything out and clean, then "support" it, not buried, in wet lecca or moss. If you don't have any of that, about putting it in a glass where there is water at the bottom but it does not touch the root, so the water evaporate toward the roots. Let's see if I can find a photo and show you what I'm trying to explain

[yomnaorchids]

Originally Posted by SADE2020

I would clean everything well, cut the floral stick, remove that substrate, everything out and clean, then "support" it, not buried, in wet lecca or moss. If you don't have any of that, about putting it in a glass where there is water at the bottom but it does not touch the root, so the water evaporate toward the roots. Let's see if I can find a photo and show you what I'm trying to explain

Should I clean it with hydrogen peroxide? And then suspend it over some water?

[SADE2020]

Originally Posted by yomnaorchids

Should I clean it with hydrogen peroxide? And then suspend it over some water?

I don't use peroxide, I would just clean with soft water, cut the dry bottom if there is any life tissue apply only in that part some cinnamon to make sure it gets dry without infection.

I see you have other Phals. Do you have any root hormones? If no, don't worry, just make sure humidity goes up to the crown.

[yomnaorchids]

Originally Posted by SADE2020

I don't use peroxide, I would just clean with soft water, cut the dry bottom if there is any life tissue apply only in that part some cinnamon to make sure it gets dry without infection.

I see you have other Phals. Do you have any root hormones? If no, don't worry, just make sure humidity goes up to the crown.

I have indole-3-butyric acid 98% potassium salt and I made a solution a few days ago with a tiny about (like 1/4 of a tsp) in 1.5 L of water and I soaked this orchid in it for about an hour and then removed it and I think the soaking helped the stem rot spread :/. No results from the rooting hormone yet.

[Roberta]

Orchids do everything VERY slowly... progress is measured in months not days. So do be patient.

The plant actually looks rather healthy so I think that if you follow SADE's advice your chance of success is quite good. I agree, don't use peroxide on roots - it can damage the microscopic hairs, especially on developing roots. If you provide good conditions (moist air with the emphasis on "air") you should not have to treat it further.

[yomnaorchids]

Originally Posted by Roberta

Orchids do everything VERY slowly... progress is measured in months not days. So do be patient.

The plant actually looks rather healthy so I think that if you follow SADE's advice your chance of success is quite good. I agree, don't use peroxide on roots - it can damage the microscopic hairs, especially on developing roots. If you provide good conditions (moist air with the emphasis on "air") you should not have to treat it further.

Thanks so much! Hope I can save it!

[SouthPark]

Originally Posted by yomnaorchids

Two days ago I soaked it in an indole-3-butyric acid solution I prepared and now it seems the stem is rotting as well.

The recommendations about not using hydrogen peroxide on roots is a pretty good one in my opinion. And - for rot situations ----- could possibly consider phosphorous acid treatments (eg. monterey garden phos, which is 'systematic') ----- or maybe non-systematic copper solution spray all around region that is beginning to rot. It all depends on how advanced the rot is, and whether the treatment is appropriate. Totally agree with air-movement. That can be beneficial as well - and also cuts down on chances of getting to conditions that lead to rot.